Review – The Big Book of Mars by Marc Hartzman (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: All Ages
Genre: Non-Fiction/Space
Length: 256 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN-13: 978-1683692096
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Copy from Publisher for Review
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Mars has been a source of fascination and speculation ever since the ancient Egyptians observed its blood-red hue and named it for their god of war and plague. But it wasn’t until the 19th century when “canals” were observed on the surface of the Red Planet, suggesting the presence of water, that scientists, novelists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs became obsessed with the question of whether there’s life on Mars.
Since then, Mars has fully invaded pop culture, inspiring its own day of the week (Tuesday), an iconic Looney Tunes character, and many novels and movies, from Ray Bradbury’s Martian Chronicles to The Martian. It’s this cultural familiarity with the fourth planet that continues to inspire advancements in Mars exploration, from NASA’s launch of the Mars rover Perseverance to Elon Musk’s quest to launch a manned mission to Mars through SpaceX by 2024. Perhaps, one day, we’ll be able to answer the questions our ancestors asked when they looked up at the night sky millennia ago.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone non-fiction book about Mars. I got a copy of this book through the publisher, Quirk Books, for review.
Content (4/5): This was a well done book with some fun information about Mars. There was a lot of obscure info in here that I had never heard about. I also really enjoyed all the pictures of old newspaper articles and other Mars paraphernalia.
Writing Style (4/5): I think my only complaint is that it was organized by theme rather than timeline. So, for each chapter that started a new theme you would go back to the 1800’s (or earlier) and work your way to the present. I think it would have presented a better “story” and been more engaging and easy to follow if it hadn’t jumped around the historic timeline so much. Aside from that issue it was written in an entertaining way that was very engaging and humorous at times.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this is a great book for people who want to learn more about Mars, or just like quirky facts in general. It also makes a great coffee table type of book.