Mars A Survival Guide

by Guy Murphy

Mars needs McGyvers and McGirlvers, resourceful, unflappable people capable of dealing with any challenge the planet throws at them. But pluck is not enough. To survive, they will need a detailed knowledge of their environment, and a deep understanding of the issues and tools they will need explore and settle the planet safely.

Mars: A Survival Guide is a 230 page Lonely Planet style travel book that tells what you need to know to see through as many Martian years as you like. Written from an Australian perspective, it draws on decades of scientific research, summarising the latest thinking in an engaging, entertaining way.

How do you get to Mars from Earth? Do you need to bring everything or does Mars have hidden resources? Do you need a dinner suit or space suit? How will you get around? Where will you live? What will you do for air, water and food? Will you be in mobile phone range? How fast is the internet? Does Amazon deliver? How will you earn your keep? How do you maintain harmony in the hab? What if there is Martian life?

Like the trusty guides emigrants to Australia and North America took with them in centuries gone by, Mars: A Survival Guide tells you everything you need know in setting off for a new world in this century.

For ages 14 to the centenarian (who will be only 58 in Martian years).

Genres: Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

About the author

Guy Murphy′s long-standing interest in Mars was initially fired by reading science fiction, and the Mars Pathfinder landing in 1998. A co-founder of the Mars Society Australia, he has participated in scientific expeditions to Mars-like environments in outback South Australia and spoken at Mars conferences in Australia, Europe and North America. A graduate of the University of Melbourne, he works as a heritage consultant. His interests in Australian history and Mars share the themes of frontier exploration and human settlement.

The various spiritual titles that are listed on my profile were written by another Guy Murphy. (Murphy's are a prolific lot!)

Reviews

[Alex Delderfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and enjoyable guide focused on what could be involved in moving to Mars. Guy Murphy based a lot of this book on old immigration guides to Australia and through the logical layout and approach it really shows.
At times I wanted a bit more data and analysis, but to be honest that's not what this book is about (if you're wanting endless tables of data and engineering/scientific info about everything related to Mars Colonies see 'The Case of Space' by Robert Zubrin). Mars A Survival Guide is more of an overview of the many areas of Mars immigration, which focuses on each topic just long enough to introduce you to the main aspects involved and provide some interesting insights and questions without going overboard.

Guy also tweeted at me that there's a reference to a Koala in the book somewhere, but I must have missed it!

4/5 stars for an entertaining and thought provoking look at Mars, a neat guide for any space adventurers out there.

[Gavin Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Top notch. What a brilliant idea: it is like a backpackers guide to Mars. A very easy reading way to gain a lot of knowledge about Mars and about how humanity might manage to settle there.

[Mary Jo Rabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An entertaining and immensely informative book about what human beings have to consider when planning a trip to Mars.

[Ben · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a mixture, although generally well-written. Some of it is interesting with sensible possibilities and nicely applied research. Some reads like bland guesswork. I thought it would be more of a guide but it reads like "Mars, what it's good for?" I think the most interesting part of the book is the practicalities of short-term and long-term stays on the red planet, but there isn't quite enough of it.