76,167 books
—
283,219 voters
“If our brains were simple enough for us to understand them, we'd be so simple that we couldn't.”
― The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World
― The Collapse of Chaos: Discovering Simplicity in a Complex World
“Under the section heading “Experiments with Human Subjects” – a heading that, were I a doctor previously employed by Nazi Germany, I might have rephrased –”
― Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
― Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
“To the rocket scientist, you are a problem. You are the most irritating piece of machinery he or she will ever have to deal with. You and your fluctuating metabolism, your puny memory, your frame that comes in a million different configurations. You are unpredictable. You're inconstant. You take weeks to fix. The engineer must worry about the water and oxygen and food you'll need in space, about how much extra fuel it will take to launch your shrimp cocktail and irradiated beef tacos. A solar cell or a thruster nozzle is stable and undemanding. It does not excrete or panic or fall in love with the mission commander. It has no ego. Its structural elements don't start to break down without gravity, and it works just fine without sleep.
To me, you are the best thing to happen to rocket science. The human being is the machine that makes the whole endeavor so endlessly intriguing.”
― Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
To me, you are the best thing to happen to rocket science. The human being is the machine that makes the whole endeavor so endlessly intriguing.”
― Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void
“Hard times require furious dancing. Each of us is proof.”
― Hard Times Require Furious Dancing: New Poems
― Hard Times Require Furious Dancing: New Poems
Our Shared Shelf
— 223288 members
— last activity Dec 16, 2025 12:22AM
OUR SHARED SHELF IS CURRENTLY DORMANT AND NOT MANAGED BY EMMA AND HER TEAM. Dear Readers, As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading ...more
Last.fm users
— 239 members
— last activity Aug 18, 2022 01:54PM
Goodreads = Last.fm for books Last.fm = Goodreads for music
Book freaks
— 2084 members
— last activity Jul 26, 2025 11:04AM
Welcome Book Freaks! This is our little haven where we talk about the books we've read and share our opinions. "So many books, so little time."-Frank ...more
Goodreads Librarians Group
— 305665 members
— last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
Susan’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Susan’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Susan
Lists liked by Susan









































