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gossamerwingedgazelle's review against another edition
5.0
Quick, interesting, and fun! I heartily recommend this book.
siu_rose's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.75
So fun! My first book by this author; I love her style and I love learning things about space travel so this was great. And hilarious. While also having real researched information. I would have liked seeing more of the big picture of Mars travel planning - this really gets into the tiny details - but those details are also what make it so interesting. Will definitely read more of her books!
bhnmt61's review against another edition
4.0
Many of the low reviews for this book mention that it doesn’t live up to its title, and there is some truth to that— very little is said about preparing for an actual flight to Mars. It is more a history of how scientists figured out how human beings can survive in space.
But as Roach points out in the final chapter, all of our work on space flight (and by “our” I mean the global science community, not me, since I am the wordiest of word nerds and science is not my thing) is just one step after another on the way to the next accomplishment in space, and at the moment, that happens to be getting to Mars. I found this book to be engaging and amusing, and more than once had to stifle giggles so as not to wake my sleeping spouse. Everything you ever wanted to know about the everyday details of what it’s liKe to be in space. It’s not the kind of book I would pick up to read start to finish, but every time I did pick it up, I enjoyed it.
But as Roach points out in the final chapter, all of our work on space flight (and by “our” I mean the global science community, not me, since I am the wordiest of word nerds and science is not my thing) is just one step after another on the way to the next accomplishment in space, and at the moment, that happens to be getting to Mars. I found this book to be engaging and amusing, and more than once had to stifle giggles so as not to wake my sleeping spouse. Everything you ever wanted to know about the everyday details of what it’s liKe to be in space. It’s not the kind of book I would pick up to read start to finish, but every time I did pick it up, I enjoyed it.
heathercottledillon's review against another edition
4.0
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with outer space and convinced that I had to be an astronaut when I grew up. Then I got older and realized that I suck at math, can't sit still (no cramped space shuttles for me), and definitely wouldn't pass all the psychological tests you have to take to demonstrate that you wouldn't go nuts if they chucked you of the planet. So I gave up the dream, but I definitely stayed interested in the universe beyond Earth. Therefore I was pumped when we picked "Packing for Mars" for book club, and it did not disappoint. It's the perfect science book for me: tons of facts and interesting tidbits, but not too much jargon and just the right amount of detail. And lots of humor. There's quite a bit of the bathroom variety, so beware if you don't care for that kind of thing.
Roach is an insanely dedicated writer. I can't imagine how long it took her to dig all these juicy tidbits out of secretive NASA. I'm certainly glad she did, though. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of information included in this book (warning: they get progressively more gross as the list goes on):
Astronauts, on average, are 2.5 inches taller in space than on earth.
A consultant once argued that NASA should send obese people into space and let them live off their fat for the duration of the trip, up to weeks at a time, to save food costs and storage space.
In space, you don’t know you have to go to the bathroom until the last minute because pee literally floats around the sides of your bladder instead of pushing against the bottom as it fills.
There is no size “small” size for the condom-style urine collection device inside space suits. There is large, extra large, and extra-extra large. The designers discovered that few male astronauts wanted to choose the so-called small ones, which resulted in some ill-fitting devices and bad messes.
There are still urine and feces samples from astronauts of the Skylab and Apollo eras in freezers at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
Roach is an insanely dedicated writer. I can't imagine how long it took her to dig all these juicy tidbits out of secretive NASA. I'm certainly glad she did, though. Here are a few of my favorite pieces of information included in this book (warning: they get progressively more gross as the list goes on):
Astronauts, on average, are 2.5 inches taller in space than on earth.
A consultant once argued that NASA should send obese people into space and let them live off their fat for the duration of the trip, up to weeks at a time, to save food costs and storage space.
In space, you don’t know you have to go to the bathroom until the last minute because pee literally floats around the sides of your bladder instead of pushing against the bottom as it fills.
There is no size “small” size for the condom-style urine collection device inside space suits. There is large, extra large, and extra-extra large. The designers discovered that few male astronauts wanted to choose the so-called small ones, which resulted in some ill-fitting devices and bad messes.
There are still urine and feces samples from astronauts of the Skylab and Apollo eras in freezers at Houston’s Johnson Space Center.
arjohnson5623's review against another edition
5.0
Curious science indeed. From bowel movements in zero-g to the science of body odor, Mary Roach delves into the less glamorous parts of space travel that, quite frankly, make our astronauts and the scientists that work with them all the more heroic. I laughed at times until I cried with this book, and can't recommend it more highly for the amateur space geek.
kivt's review against another edition
5.0
I really loved this! Roach's style is very approachable. We have a similar sense of humor. I didn't know I could read a book with an entire chapter about pooping in space PLUS a ton of footnotes and commentary in other chapters, but now I know and I'm thrilled. I learned a lot.
tasuskind's review against another edition
5.0
I love Mary Roach's science books. Stiff is, by far, the best. However, Packing for Mars is a close second. It is about the "Curious Science of Life in the Void" and talks about all those astronaut-y things you always wanted to know about but were afraid to ask. Like bodily functions in space; food; showering; sex; how to escape from an exploding space ship; and how NASA has reasearched all of it.
I give this book an A+++
I give this book an A+++
cinchona's review against another edition
4.0
Mostly hilarious, often gross, occasionally sad. So much more interesting to read about the weird and wonderful quirks of NASA! Mary Roach has a knack for funny, personable writing, and knows exactly what topics she is skilled at writing about. Her footnotes, especially, I always enjoy for their lighthearted tangents. Reading this book I gained a million interesting facts that I will force upon my friends and family, hopefully during dinner.
julesenglish's review
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
I enjoy Mary Roach's playful style of writing. She is akin to a ten year-old asking questions like, "How do you poop in space?". There is such a joyful curiosity to her journalism, that she answers questions you didn't even know you wanted the answers to.
I did end up wishing that the book was more focused on "Packing for Mars", in that it would approach hypothetically what science would need to achieve to eventually land humans on the red planet. We began to get to that topic towards the end of the novel when discussing proposed measures such as edible clothing to sustain astronauts while keeping flight weight in check. Other aspects of the book, such as discussing air and sea sickness was interesting, although sightly off topic.
Overall, I enjoy having Mary as a narrator. Not only does she delve into fun science topics, but she also has an uncanny way of documenting the weirdness of everyday life as a human. My absolute favorite portion of the novel was when she was allowed inside of the Japanese astronaut training facility where they were picking new members. She remarks how one test required applicants to make numerous paper cranes. But the funniest portion was when she remarked how one of the judges would on the outside make origami gifts and leave them various places similar to how a serial killer would leave a calling card. Just small, wonderful observations of odd human interactions.
I did end up wishing that the book was more focused on "Packing for Mars", in that it would approach hypothetically what science would need to achieve to eventually land humans on the red planet. We began to get to that topic towards the end of the novel when discussing proposed measures such as edible clothing to sustain astronauts while keeping flight weight in check. Other aspects of the book, such as discussing air and sea sickness was interesting, although sightly off topic.
Overall, I enjoy having Mary as a narrator. Not only does she delve into fun science topics, but she also has an uncanny way of documenting the weirdness of everyday life as a human. My absolute favorite portion of the novel was when she was allowed inside of the Japanese astronaut training facility where they were picking new members. She remarks how one test required applicants to make numerous paper cranes. But the funniest portion was when she remarked how one of the judges would on the outside make origami gifts and leave them various places similar to how a serial killer would leave a calling card. Just small, wonderful observations of odd human interactions.