Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for The Red Planet:
I won’t be volunteering for a Mars visit.
Quick synopsis:
A biography of Mars.
Fun Fact Non-History People Will Like:
You would weigh a third of what you do on Mars as compared to here on Earth. Man, that would be nice.
Fun Fact for History Nerds:
Jupiter accounts for 70% of the planetary mass of the solar system. That’s big.
My Take on The Red Planet:
Simon Morden has convinced me that I do not want to colonize Mars. Someone else can take my ticket, thank you.
The Red Planet is a biography of sorts for Mars. It traces its beginning from the literal creation of everything to the present day. We find out why it looks the way it does, what it was like at various stages of development, and what we might need to anticipate as we continue to explore Mars.
I was skeptical about how much I would enjoy this book. I am much more of a narrative history buff, but Morden converted me. He keeps the flow light, puts the reader in some specific scientific situations on a theoretical Mars mission, and never takes himself seriously. If you don’t like science at all, maybe this book isn’t for you. But if you have even the smallest curiosity about other worlds then this book is a great introduction to the science of Mars.
Final disclaimer: yes, there were times I had no idea what Morden was talking about. But hey, there was very little math so yay!
(This book was provided to me as an advance read copy by Netgalley and Elliott & Thompson books.)
Verdict:
Science in readable form! Buy it here!
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