ROBERT ZUBRIN is a recipient of the National Space Society's prestigious Robert A. Heinlein Award and is the author of the bestselling The Case for Mars, as well as Entering Space, Energy Victory, and First Landing. He is the president of the Mars Society, an international organization committed to furthering the exploration and settlement of the Red Planet. With a doctorate in nuclear engineering and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics, Dr. Zubrin led the "Mars Direct" project at Martin Marietta Astronautics (later Lockheed Martin) and is the founder and president of the engineering firm Pioneer Astronautics.
"This guidebook for would-be Mars settlers is equal parts
'Mars-humor' and science fiction (the narrator was born on Mars in
2071); a satire highly critical of NASA; and a Loompanics-flavored
manifesto of rugged individualism. Fans of vintage Robert A.
Heinlein, particularly The Rolling Stones (Del Rey, 1977), will
feel right at home here as they enjoy descriptions of practical
situations that might actually be encountered: air circulation
technologies; choice of 'habs'; pitfalls and scams that greenhorns
should avoid. Enlivened by witty illustrations, the prose is both
humorous and fact filled, with more technical and scientific
information set aside in sections marked 'Warning: High Science
Content.' Zubrin's presentation is clear and interesting but some
might object that he puts no curbs on content like chemical recipes
for explosives, and his Mars-based narrator's views are simplistic
on complex Earth-based issues like global warming, bioengineering,
and the value of government as a social contract. These topics
could spark interesting classroom discussions. Valuable for
teachers, this book is enjoyable and attractive for teens and will
fascinate, provoke, and delight anyone interested in Mars and space
settlement."
—School Library Journal, Christine C. Menefee, formerly at Fairfax
County Public Library, VA
“Informative, irreverent, and just plain fun to read. On to
Mars!”
—Ben Bova, author of Mars Life
“You’ll marvel at possibilities, laugh out loud at clever
inventions, and relish the tongue-lashing of our present times
Zubrin delivers with high-velocity, clear prose.”
—Gregory Benford, author of The Martian Race
“I learned more about the science of Mars and the nature of freedom
on the new space frontier than from a dozen straight-faced
textbooks. And it’s funny. This is Heinlein on helium.”
—Stephen Baxter, international bestselling author of Voyage
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