Packing for Mars by Mary Roach

Mary Roach is one of my favorite non-fiction writers. She picks a topic and then explores every aspect of it in a humorous and scientific way. Her past books include: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Sex and Science.

In her latest, Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void, she takes a look at the strange science of space travel, and the psychology, technology, and politics that go into sending a crew into orbit. She has an impeccable way of finding absurd and stranger-than-fiction tales to share that make it a hilarious and educational read.