fall 2011 - san francisco public librarysfpl.org/.../2011_webprogramguide.pdf · books stiff: the...

Fall 2011sfpl.org/onecityonebook

For updated event information visit sfpl.org/onecityonebook or call (415) 557-4277. We’re on Facebook and Twitter (@onecityonebook) too!

WELCOME PACKING FOR MARS

1

A message from City Librarian Luis Herrera

Welcome to our 7th annual One City One Book: SanFrancisco Reads program. In Packing for Mars, Bay Areawriter Mary Roach gives readers a laugh-out-loud funny view of interplanetary research and exploration while stillmarveling at the significant scientific achievement of sendinghumans into space. By selecting this smart space book, theOne City One Book program takes one big step towardspromoting science, literacy and the joy of reading for all San Franciscans.

We are excited to be partnering with the Bay Area ScienceFestival this year and the library will be hosting a wide varietyof space themed programs during the fall. We hope you will join thousands of San Franciscans in this shared readingexperience.Contents

About the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Schedule of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Discussion Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Author Reading Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Library Reading Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Bay Area Astronomy Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

128

101112

About the Book

Known for her candid and hilarious explorations of the odder side of science,Mary Roach now turns to her most compelling subject yet—space.

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hotshowers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. How much can a person give up? How muchweirdness can they take? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at4,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner

of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations—making it possible to preview space withoutever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle trainingtoilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule(cadaver filling in for astronaut), Packing for Marstakes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

Mary Roach is the author of the bestsellingbooks Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife,and Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex. She lives in Oakland, California.

or call (415) 557-4277. We’re on Facebook and Twitter (@onecityonebook) too!

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

3For updated event information visit sfpl.org/onecityonebook

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

2

�Wednesday, September 21, 6:30 p.m.Glen Park Branch Library

2825 Diamond St., (415) 355-2858

�Wednesday, September 21, 7 p.m.Potrero Branch Library

1616 20th St., (415) 355-2822

�Monday, September 26, 7 p.m.Sunset Branch Library

1305 18th Ave., (415) 355-2808

�Wednesday, September 28, 6:30 p.m.Mission Bay Branch Library

960 Fourth St., (415) 355-2838

�Wednesday, September 28, 7 p.m.Excelsior Branch Library

4400 Mission St., (415) 355-2868

�Monday, October 3, 3 p.m.Books Inc. in Berkeley

1760 Fourth Street, (510) 525-7777

One City One Book DiscussionsTalk about Packing for Mars with otherreaders at a library or bookstore near you!

�Tuesday, October 11, 6:00 p.m.Presidio Branch Library

3150 Sacramento St., (415) 355-2880

�Thursday, October 13, 7 p.m.Books Inc. in Burlingame

1375 Burlingame Ave., (650) 685-4911

�Wednesday, October 19, 6:30 p.m.Western Addition Branch Library

1550 Scott St., (415) 355-5727

�Thursday, October 20, 2 p.m.West Portal Branch Library

190 Lenox Way, (415) 355-2886

�Tuesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m.Merced Branch Library

155 Winston Dr., (415) 355-2825�Tuesday, October 25, 7 p.m.Books Inc. in Mountain View

301 Castro St., (650) 428-1234�Saturday, November 12, 3:30 p.m.Noe Valley Branch Library

451 Jersey St., (415) 355-5707

Author ProgramsMeet author Mary Roach at these events!

�Monday, September 12, 7 p.m.Books Inc. in Opera Plaza

601 Van Ness Ave., (415) 776-1111

�Wednesday, October 12, 7:30 p.m.Co-sponsored by Litquake

The Booksmith

1644 Haight St., (415) 863-8688

�Tuesday, October 18, 6 p.m.Book Passage Ferry Building

1 Ferry Building #42, (415) 835-1020

Mary Roach in conversationwith Adam Savage

�Wednesday, November 2, 6 p.m.Main Library, Koret Auditorium

100 Larkin St., (415) 557-4277

What happens when one of the funniest and smartestauthors around gets interviewed by a MythBuster?Hear which space legends might be as combustibleas urban ones when Mary Roach and Adam Savagechat it up about Packing for Mars. Mary will be signing books after the program.

Before the conversation, enjoy an eye-poppingvideo tour of 1950s and 60s rocket dreams, curatedby archivist and space enthusiast Megan Prelinger.

Adam Savage is co-host of the Discovery Channeltelevision series MythBusters.

Seating is limited. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.

Book sale by Readers’ Bookstore


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

4

�Life: A Cosmic StoryTuesday, September 6, 6 p.m.Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., (415) 557-4277

Presented by Ryan Wyatt, Director of Morrison Planetarium and Science Visualization and

Jeroen Lapre, Senior Technical Director, Morrison Planetarium - Visualization Studio

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Life: A Cosmic Story, the California Academy of Sciences’all-digital planetarium show on the history of life. Narrated by Jodie Foster, the show plays daily in theMorrison Planetarium through May 2012. To produce the show’s complex imagery, the Academy’s Visualization Studio, which includes veterans from Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar and Lucasfilm Animation,collaborated with Stanford University and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications.Reservations: Seating is limited. To reserve a place today, visit //bit.ly/mQKpwa or call (800) 794-7576.

�Out of this World: Explore Outer Space in Classical Music with Salon97 Tuesday, September 27, 7 p.m.Park Branch Library, 1833 Page St., (415) 355-5656

We’ll listen to and share thoughts on musical segments chosen as an accompaniment to Packing forMars. No knowledge of classical music is necessary and everyone is welcome! We’ll also save time formixing and mingling. Who knows who you’ll meet when you’re here? Friendships, business partnerships,and artistic collaborations have been forged over the past three years of Salon97 listening parties. Joinus for a fun evening of classical music, friends and refreshments!

Related EventsExplore space right here on Earth at these One City One Book tie-in programs! �Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race

Monday, October 17, 6:30 p.m.Richmond Branch Library, 351 9th Ave., (415) 355-5600

Local author Megan Prelinger will present a vivid slideshow of newly revealed space art from her recentbook. She will explain how rockets and spaceships were imagined before they were real, and how somefantasies of 50 years ago have taken to the sky while others live only in science fiction. Her book is basedon the hundreds of lushly illustrated recruitment advertisements that appeared in the rocketry and aeronautics magazines in the 1950s and 60s.

�Dark Energy and the Runaway Universe Wednesday, October 26, 6:15 p.m.Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 100 Larkin St., (415) 557-4277

Join us for this fascinating talk from Alex Filippenko, Professor of Astronomy at UC Berkeley and oneof the world’s most highly cited astronomers. Observations of very distant exploding stars (super-novae) show that the expansion of the universe is now speeding up, rather than slowing down due togravity as expected. Other, completely independent data strongly support this amazing conclusion.Dr. Filippenko’s talk explores how over the largest distances, our universe seems to be dominated bya repulsive “dark energy” which stretches the very fabric of space itself faster and faster with time.

�Bay Area Star Party Saturday, November 5A number of local observatories will be open, and both professional and amateur astronomers will beon hand at public sites to offer telescope viewing and observing tips to participants. Find more infoat: bayareascience.org/


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

6

SpaceCraft: Mini PlushieWorkshopExcited to make your own cuddlyplushie but don’twant another teddy bear? This is the workshop for you! In this funhand-sewing workshop, GoGo Craft will teachyou how to make your very own space-themedmini felt astronaut, retro rocket ship, planet, oralien that is perfect for gift-giving (if you canbear to part with it, that is). Perfect for teen andadult crafters of any level! Materials, tips andtricks provided.

�Monday, September 12, 4-5:30 p.m.Visitacion Valley Branch Library

201 Leland Ave., (415) 355-2848

Limited to 15 participants. Call to reserve a spot.

�Sunday, September 18, 2-3:30 p.m.Ingleside Branch Library

1298 Ocean Ave., (415) 355-2898


SpaceCraft: Upcycled Cup CozyYour favorite sweater snuckinto the dryer and now it willonly fit your dog? Not toworry! In this workshop GoGoCraft will teach you how to make a recycledsweater into a cup cozy that will make you thetalk of the coffee shop! Decorate your cup cozywith space-themed felt rocket ship or constellationto make it out of this world! Perfect for teen andadult crafters of any level! Materials, tips andtricks provided.

�Sunday, October 30, 2-3:30 p.m.Presidio Branch Library

3150 Sacramento St., (415) 355-2880


�Monday, November 7, 6:30-8 p.m.Sunset Branch Library

1305 18th Ave., (415) 355-2808


�Reinventing Discovery: The New Era of Networked ScienceTuesday, November 15, 6:30 p.m.Main Library, Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room, 100 Larkin St., (415) 557-4277

Author talk from Michael Nielsen, one of the pioneers of quantum computing, who argues that we are living at the dawn of the most dramatic change in science in more than 300 years, driven by powerful new cognitive tools enabled by the internet. Learn, for example, how 250,000 amateur astronomers areworking together in a project called Galaxy Zoo to understand the large-scale structure of the universe,and how they are making astonishing discoveries, including an entirely new kind of galaxy.

Related EventsContinued from page 5

One City, Three Films: Space TravelLarge Screen Videos in the Main Library, Koret Auditorium – Thursdays at Noon

�The Right Stuff November 3Recounts the formation ofAmerica’s space program, concentrating on the originalMercury astronauts, includingAlan Shepard, the first Americanin space, and John Glenn, thefirst American to orbit theearth.

�Apollo 13 November 10True story of the moon-boundNASA mission that developedsevere trouble and was stranded200,000 miles from Earth in acrippled spacecraft. Astronautsand ground crew race againsttime and odds to bring shipand crew safely back to Earth.

�Wall-E November 17Disney and Pixar join forcesfor this computer-animatedtale about a wide-eyed robotwho travels to the deepestreaches of outer space insearch of a newfound friend.


PACKING FOR MARS


READ AND DISCUSS

8

Discussion Questions

Did you or someone you know want to become an astronaut when you were a kid? Has this book changed your view of what it would be like? How?

What do you think is the hardest part about being an astronaut? What do you think is the easiest?

Potential astronauts are observed for a number of days in close quarters with other candidates to see how they cope in stressful situations. How do you think you would fare in this type of experiment? Would you make it to the end? What type of personality traits would you need to make it through?

When Mary Roach visits the Flight Analogs Research Unit, she meets people who are paid to lie in bed to simulate the body’s degradations during space flight. Besides the money, why would people be interested in becoming human guineapigs? Would you consider trying this?

Roach talks about the first test flights using rhesus monkeys after World War II. What do you think of this type of animal testing? Was it necessary? How could it have been different?

Why do you think humans are so fascinated by the prospect of visiting Mars and beyond? What is it about the unknown that is so intriguing?

Why do you think nations glorify astronauts? Do they risk more than people in other dangerous professions?

Cultural differences can cause major problems on space flights. How do you think space agencies should deal with these differences? How can people from various national backgrounds be taught to understand other cultures?

How do you think the space program will progress in the future? Do you think we should try to reach the outer limits of visible space?

Roach ends her work very optimistically about the future of space travel. After reading about all the dangers and costs associated with space travel, do you think it is worth it?

10�

1�

2�

3�

4�

5�

6�

7�

8�

9�


RECOMMENDED READING


RECOMMENDED READING

10

Fabulous Space Books that Mary Roach Loves & Why

Animals in Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttleby Colin Burgess and Chris DubbsExtremely thorough history of the topic,including a section on the little-knownFrench space cats.

Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957-1962 by Megan PrelingerPrelinger is a space historian and collector of space ephemera, including the early aerospace industry journals whose ads form thevisual spine of this unusual book. Don’t just look at the pictures,though. It’s one of the best histories of the early push to space.

The Astronaut’s Cookbook by Charles Bourland Bourland was director of the NASA space food programfor decades. His stories, not the recipes, are theyummy part of this book. Learn here why the Russiansrefused to ship Twinkies to Mir, and why tourists arethe only people eating “astronaut ice cream.”

The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning On the Edge of Space by Craig RyanThese are the guys who really wentfirst—back in the 1940s and 50s, whenno one had a clue what would happento a human being in the deadly cold airlessness of space. So parachutistsdonned oxygen masks and pressuresuits, floated up in helium balloons, andthen parachuted back down. Unsung lunatic heroes of the space era!

Riding Rockets by Mike Mullane You have to love an astronautwho refers to the space shuttle’selaborate emergency abortprocedures as “busy-workwhile dying.” Being an astronauttakes balls, but maybe thebravest thing Mullane ever didwas publish this book.

10 Great Space Books

A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey:1957, The Space Race Begins by Michael D’Antonio

The Hazards of Space Travel:A Tourist’s Guide by Neil F. Comins

How Apollo Flewto the Moon by W. David Woods

How to Live on Mars: A TrustyGuidebook to Surviving andThriving on the Red Planet by Robert Zubrin

Living Off the Land in Space:Green Roads to the Cosmos by Gregory L. Matloff, LesJohnson & C. Bangs

Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy Spacemen, and My 90 Dayswith the Phoenix Mars Mission by Andrew Kessler

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Sky Walking: An Astronaut’s Memoir by Tom Jones

Spacesuit: Fashioning Apollo by Nicholas de Monchaux

Tourists in Space: A Practical Guide by Erik Seedhouse

All books available at SFPL.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


BAY AREA ASTONOMY RESOURCES

12

2011 Selection Committee� Jill Bourne (chair) - Deputy City Librarian, San Francisco Public Library� Calvin Crosby - Books Inc. Community Relations Director� Kathi Kamen Goldmark - West Coast Live� Jewelle Gomez - President, San Francisco Public Library Commission � Kishore Hari - Director, 2011 Bay Area Science Festival, University of California - San Francisco � Hut Landon - Northern California Independent Booksellers Association� Laura Lent - Collection Development Manager, San Francisco Public Library � Kevin Smokler - VP of Marketing, Byliner Inc.� Oscar Villalon - Managing Editor, ZYZZYVA� Anne Wintroub - former Deputy Director, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library

Bookstore Partners Program Partners

�San Francisco Amateur Astronomerssfsidewalkastronomers.orgThe San Francisco Amateur Astronomers is a non-profit organization that gathers together people of allbackgrounds, education and levels of experience to enjoy the wonders of amateur astronomy. The clubhas been operating since 1952 and has a great tradition of helping to promote appreciation of the nightsky with the San Francisco community.

�Chabot Space & Science Center chabotspace.org Founded as an observatory in 1883,today Oakland’s Chabot Center offers visitors the very latest inhands-on, interactive exhibits, displays, and Planetarium and large-screen shows that explore the mysteries of the universe and of life here on earth.

�Foothill Observatoryfoothill.fhda.edu/ast/fhobs.htm Operated by the Peninsula Astronomical Society, Foothill Observatory in Los Altos Hills offersweekly public programs. These programs allow the public to directlyview the wonders of the universethrough the observatory’s large astronomical telescopes.

�California Academy of Sciences/Morrison Planetariumcalacademy.org This popular SF attraction houses a natural history museum, planetarium, aquarium, and rainforest dome. It hosts a variety of astronomical events including the Dean lecture series and amateur observing nights, in addition to a wide variety of planetarium shows.

�NASA Ames Exploration Centernasa.gov/centers/ames/home/home-explorationcenter.html The NASA Ames Exploration Center in Moffett Field, where visitors can experience NASA technology and missions firsthand,has a number of exciting exhibits open to the public at no charge.

�Lawrence Hall of Sciencelawrencehallofscience.orgLawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley is a renowned resource center for preschool through high school science and mathematicseducation, and a public science center with exciting hands-on experiences for learners of all ages. They hold Saturday night starparties and have a planetarium.

SUPPORTERS

MEDIA SPONSORS

Printed on recycled paper

About the Bay Area Science Festival: From October 29 through November 6, the Bay Areawill come alive with science & technology activities—lectures, debates, exhibitions, concerts,plays, workshops and more. This ambitious collaborative public education initiative bringstogether our leading academic, scientific, corporate, and non-profit institutions to showcasethe region as an international leader in innovation. Science happens all around us and directlyimpacts our daily lives—are you ready to unleash your inner scientist? Learn more: bayareascience.org

fall 2011 - san francisco public librarysfpl.org/.../2011_webprogramguide.pdf · books stiff: the...

Documents