How to Live in Space – Everything You Need to Know for the Not-So-Distant Future, by Colin Stuart, Smithsonian Books, September 2018; $17.95, 192 pages.

Stuart has written a witty and insightful book that spotlights life on the outside – of our own planet. This is a fun read, particularly if you’re in line, ticket in hand, for space tourism companies to make your dream vacation come true.

This book is a breezy encounter with the many sides of space, providing some needed information on training for space travel, living in space when you get there, and what the future holds. Dozens of well-illustrated short chapters make this book a pleasurable read, no matter what section you land on.

Stuart is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and takes the reader on a voyage of possibilities, from checking in to space hotels, building a base on the Moon, to escalating yourself on a space elevator or breakthroughs necessary to attain interstellar flight. There’s even a slice of time travel ticking away for you to read. I skipped over the exercise section.

In this book, you’ll be encountering what the future of human space exploration offers. Count me in!

Still, Stuart does caution: “There’s no way it is going to be perfect. Progress is always a meandering path rather than a straight line.” That said, space is up and those that have the passion to break boundaries will find this volume a solid, delightful, fact-filled and astute guide to the possible.

Preparing for personal space travel doesn’t come easy. But Stuart has culled it all down to astronaut selection criteria, underwater training, as well as dealing with bouts of space sickness.  Again, all nicely written tutorials for the taking.

How to Live in Space is an instructive, illustrated guide to life beyond our own planet that covers everything from training for and living in space to the future of space travel and tourism. For those on the go, securely helmeted and ready for liftoff, this book is a pre-launch requirement.

For more information on this book, go to:

https://www.smithsonianbooks.com/store/aviation-military-history/how-live-space-everything-you-need-know-not-so-dis/

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