Dr. Jim Bell is a professor in Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration in Tempe, Arizona, and an adjunct professor in the Department of Astronomy at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. As president of The Planetary Society, he is an active and prolific public commentator on science and space exploration, earning the 2011 Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronomical Society. Jim has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including NBC's Today Show and PBS's NewsHour, as well as programs on the Discovery, National Geographic, and History networks. Author of four illustrated trade books, he has been involved in such NASA robotic exploration missions as the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR), Mars Pathfinder, the Mars rovers Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity, and the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. The main belt asteroid 8146 Jimbell is named in his honor.
"""Like any good travel book, Jim Bell's guide gives you some good advice on what to bring and what to wear. Of course, we don't leave for a few hundred years. For now though, check out these images--the pictures alone will make you want to start packing!"" --Bill Nye, CEO, The Planetary Society ""This guide to our amazing solar system is loaded with approachable science, thought-provoking challenges and beautiful imagery to transport you there. This book belongs on every big dreamer's night stand!"" --Scott Parazynski, MD, Astronaut, Tech CEO, and Author of The Sky Below ""Want to hotwing on Venus or enjoy fine dining on Phobos? Then Jim Bell's is the essential guidebook to have in your spacesuit backpack. Where to go, what to see, how to pack, you'll be all ready to board your rocket when the year 2218 rolls around. Until we acquire the real Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, this book is the next best thing to reveal our solar system's hottest--and coldest--spots."" --Jon Lomberg, Space Artist and Design Director for the Voyager Golden Record ""The Ultimate Interplanetary Travel Guide is a fanciful vision of future hotels at lunar poles and cable cars up the volcanoes of Mars. It's both a fun ride and a fact-filled journey through the many worlds of the solar system--and beyond!"" --Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor, The Planetary Society"