Since the beginning of human history Mars has been an alluring dream; the stuff of legends, gods, and mystery. The planet most like ours, it has still been thought impossible to reach, let alone explore and inhabit. Now with the advent of a revolutionary new plan, all this has changed. Leading space exploration authority Robert Zubrin has crafted a daring new blueprint, Mars Direct, presented here with illustrations, photographs, and engaging anecdotes. The Case for Mars is not a vision for the far future or one that will cost us impossible billions. It explains step-by-step how we can use present-day technology to send humans to Mars within ten years; actually produce fuel and oxygen on the planet's surface with Martian natural resources; how we can build bases and settlements; and how we can one day "terraform" Mars; a process that can alter the atmosphere of planets and pave the way for sustainable life.

With the cold war over, advocates of colonizing the red planet argue that overpopulation is the direst threat to our home planet and that we an additional one for the overflow. The 54 papers cover building support for low-cost missions, essential technology and proposed infrastructure, scientific and engineering measures for reducing the cost of precursor missions, and designing a habitable planet. Working groups report on such topics as programmatics and philosophy and non-government approaches. There is no subject index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Battling a climate of waning support for space flight in general and the human exploration of Mars in particular, natural and social scientists, engineers, and other advocates gathered to provide a vehicle for maintaining a continuous dialogue among people in the technical community who were exploring the issue. In 33 papers they discuss planning, surface exploration, transportation concepts, power and fuel systems on Mars, terraforming, and Mars Base concepts for long-term habitation. Abstracts are included for about 90 additional papers. There is no subject index. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book on Thai astrology is simple to use and makes several high profile predictions: