Book - Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, by Mary Roach

Hardcover, 335 pages, published 2010. Excellent used condition with a few cosmetic flaws. The dust jacket shows wear--scuffs, creases, and an inch-long tear that I've taped up, but the book itself is in great shape, just very minor scuffing at the bottom of the spine. The binding is tight and all pages are intact. No highlights, no dog-ears, no torn or missing pages. "Outer space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. And, as Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule, she takes us on the surreal and entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth." 🚀👩‍🚀🌌 We're big fans of Mary Roach's diligent research and witty narratives. If you're a fan too, I've also got a Poshmark listing for her book Bonk. 🙂