cover image Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void

Mary Roach, read by Sandra Burr, Brilliance Audio, unabridged, nine CDs, 11 hrs., $29.99 ISBN 978-1-4418-7662-1

Roach explores the quotidian aspects of space travel for humans with her usual aplomb. She reveals the everyday concerns and aspects—physiological, psychological, and emotional—of long-term space immersion. Sandra Burr proves a great complement to Roach's prose. Her character voices are distinct, and she executes the jargon and technical aspects of space life with a clear and emphatic tone, helping listeners with more complicated passages. She has a matter-of-fact tone with a hint of a wry smile when she explains, say, sex in space, and she is unfailingly clear and affable. A Norton hardcover. (Aug.)