In collaboration with the Bay Area Science Festival, the San Francisco Public Library chose Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, by Mary Roach, a book that Monitor reviewer Peter Spotts called “a readable, often hilarious, guide” to human experiences on space missions. San Francisco selects books every year based on a sizable list of criteria, including connection to the city (Roach lives in Oakland, Calif.), public programming opportunity, and accessibility – titles must be available in key languages, in large quantities, and in paperback.
