Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren't so sure it's a good idea. Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn't spark conflict back home. In a world hurtling toward human expansion into space, A City on Mars investigates whether the dream of new worlds won't create nightmares, both for settlers and the people they leave behind. In the process, the Weinersmiths answer every question about space you've ever wondered about, and many you've never considered.
An exceptional new piece of popular science ... Grim thoughts are tempered by levity: A City on Mars is hilarious. The breezy prose is studded with charming cartoons that illustrate everything ... Most of the book is devoted to fascinating, practical questions of colonization ... This book will make you happy to live on this planet — a good thing, because you’re not leaving anytime soon.
A wonderful example of what it means to really think a difficult project through, a skill that many of us should acquire. What is more, it shows that lay people can tread confidently into a field not their own and make it their own, a lesson to us all.
Despite their conclusion that humanity isn’t quite ready for life in space, the Weinersmiths’ passion and enthusiasm shine through every page of this absorbing, lively exploration.
