Mars, A Cosmic Stepping Stone: Uncovering Humanity's Cosmic Context [Idioma Inglés] - Softcover

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From the reviews:

"...Kevin Nolan knows his marbles, as we would say in this part of the world. I was absolutely mesmerized with the amount of relevant and accurate detail that he manages to squeeze into less than 400 pages of lively text, and this well supported by dozens of crisp illustrations... I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the development of life on Earth and on human plans to populate the Universe." (Gerard McMahon, Astronomy & Space, January 2009)

"Whoever steps out onto the surface of Mars is likely to be greeeted and shown around by Kevin Nolan. Kevin, lecturer in physics at Tallaght Institute of Technology, probably knows more about Mars than most of us know about Earth, and it is remarkable just how much we now know about the red planet. For a number of years, Mars has been the target for mission after mission, all of which Kevin describes in some detail..." (Tom Kennedy, Science Spin, February 24, 2009)

"...to date, the search for life elsewhere in the universe has eluded us. Mars: A Cosmic Stepping Stone is an attempt by Irish scientist Kevin Nolan to put our explorations of the Red Planet in the general context of that search. His book could hardly be more timely as Nasa scientists have recently found plumes of methane gas which could originate from microbial life on Mars... No place in our solar system, not even our own moon, is as well known to us as Mars, yet we have literally and metaphorically only scratched the surface. Nolan, a lecturer in physics at Tallaght IT, diligently sets out the history of Mars exploration and how the planet has confounded, confused and surprised in equal measure... There have been many books written about Mars, but few are as comprehensive or as lucid as this... Mars could be the scientific story of this century, but the public have not yet become fully engaged... The subtitle of the book is Why Mars Matters. It is to the author’s ultimate credit that he has answered that question so thoroughly." (Ronan McGreevy, Irish Times, January 29, 2009)

"The book contains discussions of the origin of life on Earth, an overview of historical and current missions, and details and important considerations for future missions to Mars and beyond. This work is aimed at the popular science audience ... . the text is well researched, and readers who have the patience to wade through Nolan’s encyclopedic-style prose will find a wealth of facts about our exploration of Mars." (S. A. Russell Gonzalez, Choice, Vol. 46 (7), March, 2009)

"“Kevin Nolan offers a detailed – bordering on academic – and thoroughly up-to-date treatment of the Red Planet in this book..." (Five out of five stars, David Darling, Sky at Night, February, 2009)

"Mars, A Cosmic Stepping Stone is a thoughtful essay into our relationship with the cosmos, and how the conquest of the Red Planet would effectively mark humankind’s rite of passage to the far greater spaces beyond our Solar System. ... The book is beautifully produced with a very generous section of colour plates, with many black-and-white illustrations throughout the text. Highly recommended." (Richard McKim, The Observatory, Vol. 129 (1210), June, 2009)

Reseña del editor

**"Mars - A Cosmic Stepping Stone" connects ordinary people with the relevance of space exploration in a way not seen since Carl Sagan.

**The book encapsulates, completely and understandibly, the 'big picture' about humanity's path to uncovering its cosmic connections and how Mars is critical to that. Few, if any books in the area have attempted to do this and achieve it, since those of Sagan.

**The book presents the broadest, most complete, most up-to-date and most exciting account of humanity's fascination with, and future intentions regarding the Red Planet.

**The book is built on the authors 31 years experience of astronomy and 22 years of communicating science to the public, resulting in many unique ideas and unprecedented ways of conveying them. The author is establishing a reputation in his country for this. Such an emphasis is a priority for the book - more so than conveying facts. Few currently available books approach the subject from such a stand point.

**A new generation, the second generation since the start of space exploration, deserve literature that encapsulates the important issues of the subject and sets them on their own path of exploration.

**The book connects with issues pertanent to todays world. In a global community full of stresses, this book unfolds a positive human story that is of direct relevance to everyone. In a world full of frivolous intrepetations and portrayed fear regarding science, the book brings to the table a grounded yet enigmatic perspective that will bestow a sense of optimism and inclusion.