Despite its optimism that Mars can be terraformed, it convinced me that it will never be worth the cost to do so, even if the formidable engineering problems can be solved. This book offers solutions, mostly hi-tech and very expensive. It will never be profitable or cost effective. The zero gravity, the cosmic radiation, the dust storms, the hostile climate, the thinness of the atmosphere, the absence of liquid water, the human factors, etc., would require superhuman technological and human adaptations.

It will always be beyond the range of human habitability. The Red Planet fascinates me but I am convinced that humans will never settle it. His discussion of terraforming, apparently so simple, contained at least one clanger that I - a complete non-scientist - noted: thickening the atmosphere with more CO2 will lead to surface water formation which will lead to water leaching CO2 from the atmosphere, a negative feedback loop interfering with all the happy positive feedback loops he describes.The book is worth reading. He hung a lot on high temperature super conductors, which did not pan out. Zubrin is forever hammering away intensely at why such and such a way to do things is the absolutely the best, and without showing relative advantages and disadvantages of other options, and completely without humour.He probably should have steered away from future technology and from terraforming.

He leaves one pretty convinced his proposed approach to reaching Mars will work.The downfall of the book is the dreadfully earnest tone - Mr. There is some engineering required, but isn't there always. He makes a good case for why and for how. This book - by a space scientist with some standing - describes a relatively affordable way to get astronauts to Mars.

The Case for Mars by Robert Zubrin