If you like your science served up with a side of humor and a little bit (okay, sometimes a lot) of the gross-out factor, Mary Roach is the lady for you. In
Packing for Mars, we explore the less-discussed aspects of space travel and how the astronauts are affected by things such as shuttle bathrooms and their lack of privacy, not being able to shower for the duration of the flight, and less-than-mouth-watering meal options. (There's no pizza or beer in space, guys, so think twice before signing up for flight...) We also get to learn about the tests that are conducted right here on Planet Earth before we ever even leave the ground — like the study that tests what lying on your back for three straight months would do to your bones (nothing good, by the way, but the cash incentive for participating in these studies draws people in every time; some even come back for more).
Mary Roach never fails to teach us something new while simultaneously making us laugh. Packing for Mars will delight even those only mildly interested in space travel.