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Title: Packing for Mars
Subtitle: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Author: Mary Roach
Narrator: Sandra Burr
Format: Unabridged
Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
Language: English
Release date: 08-02-10
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 3455 votes
Genres: Science & Technology, Biology
Publisher's Summary:
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 cant 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. As Mary Roach discovers, its possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASAs new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.
Editorial Reviews:
Anyone searching for a laugh-out-loud selection should look no farther than Sandra Burrs performance of Mary Roachs Packing for Mars. Those who have enjoyed Roachs previous books (Stiff, Spook, and Bonk) will not be disappointed by this latest offering. Packing for Mars presents listeners with the quirky realities of space travel usually left out of NASA press releases or articles celebrating the latest accomplishments of space missions.
Sandra Burr captures the humorous, sometimes snarky, but always fascinating bits of information that up to now most of us have managed to live without. For example, while we all know that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin planted an American flag on the moon, Packing for Mars tells us how folks at NASA figured out how to pack the darn thing. We also know that astronauts have ways to answer natures call while in space, but from Roachs book we learn of the experiments that went into perfecting the winning contraption to allow such activity.
Burrs recitation of Roachs footnotes is especially entertaining. In these asides are gems of arcane knowledge, including talking toilet paper dispensers at NASA, why there were no chimp-o-nauts, and the cocktail party conversation-starter that rabbits and guinea pigs are the only mammals not to suffer from motion sickness.
Throughout Packing for Mars Sandra Burr give lively readings of conversations between astronauts, either from their interviews with the author or read as bits of dialogue from space mission transcripts. Burrs tone when expressing astronaut Jim Lovells irritation at the mission nutritionists poor packaging of messy space food should amuse listeners. Equally fun is the depiction of the back-and-forth between Command Pilot James McDivitt and Astronaut Ed White as McDivitt tries to coax an unwilling White, outside of the space module for the first US space walk, to come back inside before his oxygen runs out.
Burrs talent is in full force when she is interpreting the authors descriptions of pre-spaceflight training. Weightless Flight Regurgitation Phenomenon is discussed in detail as is the too-much-information quality of the Soviets Restricted Hygiene Experiments. From space euphoria to the space stupids, Burrs presentation of Mary Roachs Packing for Mars will cause chuckles that will necessitate explaining to those in close proximity that you are listening to a really funny book.
