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

Name: Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
Price: 3.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (2167 reviews)
Author: Mary Roach

by Mary Roach

Nonfiction

4.5 (2,167)

4.5 stars from 2,167 reviews. Top 78% of Nonfiction books we track.

334 pages~5.6 hr readPublished by NortonPublished 2010-01-01

$3.99Deal73% off peak

Last checked: Jun 11, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $14.97

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Price range: $1.99 – $14.97

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Fans of these books will like this...

Stiff by Mary Roach
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Perfect for you if...

You love learning weird, specific facts about how things actually work behind the scenes.
You enjoy science writing that's genuinely funny without dumbing things down.
You're curious about space exploration but find traditional histories sterile and want the messy human reality.

Maybe not for you if...

You want a straightforward technical manual or engineering textbook about spacecraft design.
You prefer your non-fiction without humour or personal voice.
You're looking for inspiration and triumph narratives rather than the practical absurdities of space travel.

About this book

Mary Roach explores the practical and often overlooked details of space travel and life in zero gravity. The book covers topics ranging from Space Shuttle training facilities to NASA's space capsule testing, examining the science of how humans function in space and the challenges of space exploration. Roach draws on her background as author of Stiff and Bonk to investigate the unusual realities of space travel. The book balances attention to genuine scientific accomplishments with the peculiar and absurd aspects of preparing for and living in space.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $14.97

Currently on sale at $3.99 — 73% off peak. Price has dropped 10 times over the last 5 years. Goes on sale roughly every 43 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently #8,256 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller. Climbing the charts — 31% improvement recently.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.5★ from 2,167 reviews

Gaining approximately 7 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.5 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $3.99. It typically returns to around $14.97.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.