Mars Direct
Space Exploration, the Red Planet, and the Human Future
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Narrated by:
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Erik Synnestvedt
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By:
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Robert Zubrin
About this listen
The human race is at a crossroads. In the coming years, we will make decisions regarding our human spaceflight program that will lead to one of two familiar futures: the open universe of Star Trek, where we allow ourselves the opportunity to spread our wings and attempt to flourish as an interplanetary species - or the closed, dystopian, and ultimately self-destructive world of Soylent Green. If we ever hope to live in the future that is the former scenario, our first stepping stone must be a manned mission to Mars.
Dr. Robert Zubrin details the challenges of a manned Earth-to-Mars mission. Challenges which, according to Zubrin, we are technologically more prepared to overcome than the obstacles of the missions to the moon of the sixties and seventies. Dr. Zubrin's relatively simple plan, called Mars Direct, could feasibly have humans on the surface of Mars within a decade. Zubrin also discusses the current predicament of NASA, the promise of privatized space flight from companies like SpaceX, and the larger implication behind the absolute necessity to open the final frontier to humanity - the human race's future as a species that takes the necessary baby steps away from the cradle that is planet Earth or, ultimately, perishes here.
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Jump-Starting America
- How Breakthrough Science Can Revive Economic Growth and the American Dream
- By: Jonathan Gruber, Simon Johnson
- Narrated by: Robert Fass
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The untold story of how America once created the most successful economy the world has ever seen and how we can do it again.
By: Jonathan Gruber, and others
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Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper
- How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong
- By: Robert Bryce
- Narrated by: Steven Menasche
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In this provocative and optimistic rebuke to the catastrophists, Robert Bryce shows how innovation and the inexorable human desire to make things Smaller Faster Lighter Denser Cheaper is providing consumers with Cheaper and more abundant energy, Faster computing, Lighter vehicles, and myriad other goods. That same desire is fostering unprecedented prosperity, greater liberty, and yes, better environmental protection.
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I thought I was getting a book on the future.
- By Grant on 08-02-14
By: Robert Bryce
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On the Future
- Prospects for Humanity
- By: Martin Rees
- Narrated by: Martin Rees, Samuel West
- Length: 5 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Humanity has reached a critical moment. Our world is unsettled and rapidly changing, and we face existential risks over the next century. Various outcomes - good and bad - are possible. Yet our approach to the future is characterized by short-term thinking, polarizing debates, alarmist rhetoric, and pessimism. In this short, exhilarating book, renowned scientist and best-selling author Martin Rees argues that humanity’s prospects depend on our taking a very different approach to planning for tomorrow.
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Science, the future, and great wisdom
- By Philomath on 10-29-18
By: Martin Rees
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Climate Shock
- The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet
- By: Gernot Wagner, Martin L. Weitzman
- Narrated by: Grover Gardner
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Wagner and Martin Weitzman explore in lively, clear terms the likely repercussions of a hotter planet, drawing on and expanding from work previously unavailable to general audiences. They show that the longer we wait to act, the more likely an extreme event will happen. A city might go underwater.
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Nuance, balance, risk management.
- By John Christens on 11-23-23
By: Gernot Wagner, and others
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Five Billion Years of Solitude
- The Search for Life Among the Stars
- By: Lee Billings
- Narrated by: Lee Billings
- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Since its formation nearly five billion years ago, our planet has been the sole living world in a vast and silent universe. Now, Earth's isolation is coming to an end. Over the past two decades, astronomers have discovered thousands of "exoplanets" orbiting other stars, including some that could be similar to our own world. Studying those distant planets for signs of life will be crucial to understanding life's intricate mysteries right here on Earth. In a firsthand account of this unfolding revolution, Lee Billings draws on interviews with top researchers.
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Bloated
- By Dr A on 01-09-14
By: Lee Billings
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Catching Stardust
- Comets, Asteroids and the Birth of the Solar System
- By: Natalie Starkey
- Narrated by: Alison Campbell
- Length: 9 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Icy, rocky, sometimes dusty, always mysterious – comets and asteroids are among the Solar System's very oldest inhabitants, formed within a swirling cloud of gas and dust in the area of space that eventually hosted the Sun and its planets. Locked within each of these extra-terrestrial objects is the 4.6-billion-year wisdom of Solar System events, and by studying them at close quarters using spacecraft we can coerce them into revealing their closely-guarded secrets. This offers us the chance to answer some fundamental questions about our planet and its inhabitants.
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Chasing star stuff always results in technological advances
- By Richard Duede on 12-30-18
By: Natalie Starkey
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Trekonomics
- The Economics of Star Trek
- By: Manu Saadia
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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What would the world look like if everybody had everything they wanted or needed? Trekonomics, the premier book in financial journalist Felix Salmon's imprint PiperText, approaches scarcity economics by coming at it backward - through thinking about a universe where scarcity does not exist. Delving deep into the details and intricacies of 24th-century society, Trekonomics explores post-scarcity and whether we, as humans, are equipped for it.
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An Amusing & Practical Analysis of Fictional Ideas
- By Lost In The Wash on 09-19-16
By: Manu Saadia
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Abundance
- The Future Is Better Than You Think
- By: Steven Kotler, Peter H. Diamandis
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Space entrepreneur turned innovation pioneer Peter H. Diamandis and award-winning science writer Steven Kotler document how progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, digital manufacturing synthetic biology, and other exponentially growing technologies will enable us to make greater gains in the next two decades than we have in the previous 200 years.
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Perhaps multiply his time estimates by 10
- By Rick on 11-06-21
By: Steven Kotler, and others
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Radical Abundance
- How a Revolution in Nanotechnology Will Change Civilization
- By: K. Eric Drexler
- Narrated by: Tim Pabon
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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K. Eric Drexler is the founding father of nanotechnology - the science of engineering on a molecular level. In Radical Abundance, he shows how rapid scientific progress is about to change our world. Thanks to atomically precise manufacturing, we will soon have the power to produce radically more of what people want, and at a lower cost. The result will shake the very foundations of our economy and environment.
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Drexler Rehashes the Past
- By David on 10-19-13
By: K. Eric Drexler
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End Times
- A Brief Guide to the End of the World
- By: Bryan Walsh
- Narrated by: Bryan Walsh, Corey Carthew
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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End Times is a compelling work of skilled reportage that peels back the layers of complexity around the unthinkable - and inevitable - end of humankind. From asteroids and artificial intelligence to volcanic supereruption to nuclear war, veteran science reporter and TIME editor Bryan Walsh provides a stunning panoramic view of the most catastrophic threats to the human race.
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Important topic ruined by needless political blather
- By J. Gordon on 08-29-19
By: Bryan Walsh
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Adapt
- Why Success Always Starts with Failure
- By: Tim Harford
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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In this groundbreaking work, Tim Harford shows us a new and inspiring approach to solving the most pressing problems in our lives. Harford argues that today’s challenges simply cannot be tackled with ready-made solutions and expert opinions; the world has become far too unpredictable and profoundly complex. Instead, we must adapt. Deftly weaving together psychology, evolutionary biology, anthropology, physics, and economics, along with compelling stories of hard-won lessons learned in the field, Harford makes a passionate case for the importance of adaptive trial-and-error....
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Hidden Agenda
- By Lawrence on 05-20-13
By: Tim Harford
What listeners say about Mars Direct
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Votsky
- 07-12-22
Choppy
Book s basically 4 parts: Mars Direct, Private Enterprise, Risk/Safety and Philosophy. Would have been better if the other 3 pieces were interspersed into the Mars Direct story. An update would be nice too, a lot has happened since 2016.
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- DUDE
- 05-07-13
Not what i thought it was going to be..
I thought this was going to be a short work on what is listed in the title, space exploration, Mars and the future. Instead the majority of the work is basically complaining about the current administration's handling of the space program and NASA itself. The first thirty minutes were exceptional, full of visions of the future and travelling to Mars, exactly what i expected. From there, it derails and talks about why even planning Mars Direct isn't possible now or in the next three years. That's not to say that the information provided isn't accurate or interesting, but if you're looking for something full of theories on space travel/colonization (besides "change the government!"), look elsewhere.
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5 people found this helpful
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- S. Hansen
- 04-29-16
Enlightening
Combines science, exploration, hope and humanity into a how-to book on forwarding the human race.
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- Christopher F. Wilson
- 11-07-16
Persuasive Case for Mars Direct Approach
Sorry to say US may not shoot for Mars as it shot for the Moon, but it should. Would love to see HRC reshape NASA mission focus and risk taking. Thankfully groups like Space X are helping to point the way and demonstrate feasibility.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Robbie
- 11-26-16
Excellent & Concise
Very good, concise analysis of current state of US space exploration programs, focusing on Mars. Want to hear more on this and similar topics. Well narrated.
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- Rodney
- 03-10-13
Great look at why we're not on Mars
“I have no desire to do a Mars landing on our own… The U.S. cannot always be the leader, but we can be the inspirational leader through international cooperation.”
Those were the words of Obama's NASA chief Charles Bolden when asked about the agencies vision for landing humans on Mars in 2012.
That quote was amazingly NOT in the book which is surprising since it pretty much sums up the current administrations view on anything to do with space, manned or not. To put it another way if your kid says they want to be an astronaut you should first start by getting them Russian language classes.
To the other reviewer that is offended that the author of the book would dare to criticize Obama for cancelling Americas manned space program maybe you should spend less time reading bumper stickers and more time actually paying attention to the issues if you actually care space travel.
The book is broken down into a few sections and it started off a bit slow but it hits its groove pretty quickly, which is a must in such a short book.
The author wants to get Americans (or humans in general) to Mars and points out how it could be done NOW, and paints a very reasonable picture of how to do it. In fact a lot of what he talks about is what SpaceX just announced with its plan to send humans to Mars and back in 2018 (to orbit, not land on the planet).
The author also takes a very harsh, and needed, look at the current administrations' complete lack of vision with NASA which apparently is offensive to people that value politics over space exploration and scientific achievement.
Overall the book was a very good short read and the reader did a good job and was completely appropriate for the subject matter.
If you're interested in realistic ways that people can walk on Mars in the near future this book explains it. If you're wondering why we have to fly our astronauts to Russia to get them to the ISS - you'll understand why, and why it's not going to change in the near future.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-18-20
#saveoppy
In a time where partisanship is so rampant war is suggested, space is survival.
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- Maxwell
- 03-05-13
An angry critisism of NASA and Obama
Is there anything you would change about this book?
I was hoping for a book about colonizing Mars. About 1/3 is devoted to excoriating NASA. The first 1/3 is about a plan for getting to Mars efficiently and I was glad to hear it. But the rest: meh.
Do you think Mars Direct needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?
Mr Zubrin sounds more like right wing ideologue than a scientist.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Pat Furrie
- 09-16-19
Interesting Mars info, needless political talk
Zubrin's short book provides a reasonable outline of Mars mission technical details. That's about half of the book. The other half is a rambling and unloading of his political gripes and opinions. If you can tune that out, it is interesting. I wouldn't want to be cooped up with him on a ship to Mars though.
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- Mike Spalding
- 10-25-15
How to get there now
This quick read details how we can use today's technology to begin colonizing Mars within the decade. Zubrin rightly criticizes the current bureaucracy encumbered and politically driven NASA approach. But his complaints have the purpose of showing how the NASA that gave us the moon, could refocus and make Mars possible. The current direction will take 60 years. The goal is to get there as soon as we can.
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1 person found this helpful