How Do You Burp in Space?: and Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know by Susan E. Goodman (review)
Buy Issue for $25 at JHUP- How Do You Burp in Space?: and Other Tips Every Space Tourist Needs to Know by Susan E. Goodman
Children's departments are, in general, amply supplied with books on how to become an astronaut NASA-style, and Goodman herself has contributed a title of this variety, Ultimate Field Trip 5: Blasting Off to Space Academy. With the possibility of space tourism on the horizon, it's possible that kids will find extraterrestrial opportunities through pleasure-seeking vacations, not just scientific research. Goodman tailors this offering to just such future travelers, laying out not only how rockets and space suits and extra-vehicular sightseeing might work, but also considering realistic probabilities for moon accommodations, local transportation, "historical" sites, low gravity sports, even areas restricted "to preserve the moon's natural beauty." The speculations pack in the fun, but the science is serious, as Goodman makes it clear why soda isn't a good idea in space, why you're going to find better toilets on the moon than on your spacecraft, and why you'd better not have any strenuous activities planned for immediately after your return. Illustrations (full [End Page 20] color to come) are an entertaining blend of astronaut and space photographs, many embellished with cartoon figures that reinterpret them as a tourist experience, such as the space-walking astronaut signaling a cartoon taxi. Index, quotation sources, glossary, timeline, and lists for further reading are included.
