Packing for Mars by Mary Roach

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. 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 (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

I completely enjoyed this book. I added it to my list when I was browsing around the Mars One website (as you do) and was looking at their Ambassadors. Her books sounded interesting and I've actually added them all to my Kindle. But this is the one I read first.

I like the style and I had laugh out loud moments. And I had read out loud moments ... not that The Trucker was especially interested ;) More than that I also loved that she visited the Cosmonaut Museum in Moscow, which I've been to.

If you have any remote interest in space travel or astronauts (I don't really, but recently seem to have added plenty of these sorts of books to my Kindle ... strange), then this book is a must!