What's It Like in Space?

Holiday Gift Guide pick -BoingBoing A-. This charmingly illustrated book is much meatier than its diminutive size would suggest. Through interviews with 10 astronauts, Waldman distills the space experience to its very essence. Every drawing is accompanied by a fact, often explained in an astronaut's words. Did you know that space smells like fried steak or that some astronauts can tell what part of the world they're flying over by the light reflected into the cabin? A few of the observations read like poetry: Sally Ride, describing what it's like to watch lightning storms from above, says, 'Sometimes. it looks like a transcontinental brigade is tossing fireworks from cloud to cloud, ' and Chris Hadfield remembers a space walk as the 'pouring glory of the world roaring by.' These snippets are so clear, so beautifully curated, that they really do leave you with a sense of what it must be like to float miles above Earth. -Entertainment Weekly For most of us, the frame of reference about space we have is limited to movies and TV. But with What's It Like in Space?: Stories from Astronauts Who've Been There, we have an opportunity to gain access to some specific facts about space from dozens of international astronauts. The stories range from hilarious to inspirational and each one comes with a fun illustration as well. Hear from astronauts about quirky things like backwards dreams, the tricks of sleeping in zero gravity, and how in space no one can hear you burp. Great conversation fodder for space junkies that should help satisfy some of our many curiosities. -Uncrate Included in Recommended space books for kids of all ages list -Planetary.org .. .a delightful mini-coffee table book about all the awkward and beautiful moments you can have in space, based on dozens of interviews with people who have actually been there...If you're looking for a fun read about life outside the gravity well, check out What's It Like In Space? -ars technica