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The Incomparable

187: Man versus Mars

 

00:00:00   the incomparable number 187 marriage [TS]

00:00:09   welcome back to be uncomfortable i'm [TS]

00:00:11   your host Jason Snelling we're [TS]

00:00:12   reconvening our book club are ever [TS]

00:00:15   shifting membership of the book club the [TS]

00:00:17   only person who is always with me for [TS]

00:00:20   the book club is Scott multi hi Scott [TS]

00:00:23   sorry I couldn't make it to the ages no [TS]

00:00:25   it's the ghost of Scott McDonnell it is [TS]

00:00:28   who doesn't read books coat that's a [TS]

00:00:32   shame well it was thank you for stopping [TS]

00:00:34   in to say you won't be here [TS]

00:00:36   his life model duplicate that way to his [TS]

00:00:39   John Smoltz who has been voicing our [TS]

00:00:41   radio dramas but hasn't been on because [TS]

00:00:43   usually he's not available when we [TS]

00:00:45   record but he's here and I can't read [TS]

00:00:47   and you can but your woman choosing a [TS]

00:00:50   book club episode to appear and was the [TS]

00:00:51   worst choice you could possibly a maid [TS]

00:00:53   always that with this is yeah yeah [TS]

00:00:57   also here he reads occasionally and [TS]

00:00:59   occasionally appears on the book club [TS]

00:01:00   especially if it's about the end of the [TS]

00:01:02   world [TS]

00:01:02   mm it's lex friedman hi likes hi how are [TS]

00:01:05   you [TS]

00:01:06   it's good to have you here I'm doing [TS]

00:01:07   fine better now that you're here i'll be [TS]

00:01:10   on any podcast that features John Smoltz [TS]

00:01:12   we should say you guys you fellows you [TS]

00:01:15   fellows have a podcast of your own [TS]

00:01:17   that's correct turning this car around [TS]

00:01:21   it's about driving it's about driving [TS]

00:01:23   when you're a dad and how you're [TS]

00:01:25   constantly threatening to turn the car [TS]

00:01:27   around [TS]

00:01:27   alright that's good I like that is [TS]

00:01:29   certain is there an age where that [TS]

00:01:31   starts the minute [TS]

00:01:33   yes the minute they can talk i think [TS]

00:01:35   people the minute they have desire to go [TS]

00:01:37   somewhere else and that voice you heard [TS]

00:01:41   was Lisa Schmeisser by the way [TS]

00:01:43   hi Lisa hi it's a pleasure to be here [TS]

00:01:46   it's good to have you think they don't [TS]

00:01:47   really understand what you're saying [TS]

00:01:49   until after they get back from college [TS]

00:01:51   yeah even if then gradually if then [TS]

00:01:54   30-32 alright so we are all here to talk [TS]

00:01:59   about a relatively new book although it [TS]

00:02:02   has a little bit of a history it was a [TS]

00:02:03   posted on a website chapter by chapter [TS]

00:02:08   and then the author did a kindle edition [TS]

00:02:11   and that became [TS]

00:02:13   very successful and so then it got an [TS]

00:02:16   audio edition and a movie deal and a [TS]

00:02:19   book deal and just recently came out as [TS]

00:02:22   a you know an officially published by a [TS]

00:02:25   big publishing company book which is I [TS]

00:02:27   feel bad I I should have my finger on [TS]

00:02:29   the pulse of this stuff and have read it [TS]

00:02:30   like two years ago and be able to scoff [TS]

00:02:32   and say back i read that one but no I i [TS]

00:02:34   just heard about it like a couple weeks [TS]

00:02:36   ago and it's called the Martian by a guy [TS]

00:02:38   named andy weir who is has a computer [TS]

00:02:43   science background is no is a you know [TS]

00:02:45   has also like to righties it's sort of [TS]

00:02:47   like a technology technology geek and [TS]

00:02:51   amateur rider who has become now the [TS]

00:02:54   author of this so widely while widely [TS]

00:02:57   published widely successful novel the [TS]

00:02:59   Martian yet he may be fabulously wealthy [TS]

00:03:02   now but his name still sounds a little [TS]

00:03:03   bit like underwear so I got that yeah [TS]

00:03:05   sorry anywhere it's across you have to [TS]

00:03:08   bear you should have chosen a pen name [TS]

00:03:10   but this is the pic pic might I suggest [TS]

00:03:13   Lex Friedman might I suggest a BVD fruit [TS]

00:03:17   of the loom [TS]

00:03:19   just a suggestion i love his work he is [TS]

00:03:23   fruit of the loom [TS]

00:03:25   man that guy could write me now you have [TS]

00:03:28   me wondering if he actually made more [TS]

00:03:29   money self-publishing then he would have [TS]

00:03:31   made the publishing house because the [TS]

00:03:32   economics of getting published by [TS]

00:03:34   mainstream publisher much much different [TS]

00:03:36   and yeah yourself but he was selling it [TS]

00:03:37   for like ninety-nine cents and and like [TS]

00:03:41   I said that Mike I never heard they made [TS]

00:03:43   the activities fair there's like a huge [TS]

00:03:45   flat of self-published syfy out there so [TS]

00:03:48   unless you exactly unless you literally [TS]

00:03:50   spend all day doing nothing but but [TS]

00:03:52   checking blog posts and reading through [TS]

00:03:53   this stuff you wouldn't have known he'd [TS]

00:03:56   get a six-figure deal plus the movie [TS]

00:03:58   deal so I think he probably made the [TS]

00:03:59   right decision overall but you're right [TS]

00:04:00   that it's not always a slam dunk on the [TS]

00:04:02   economic question [TS]

00:04:03   yeah i think the movie is going to kick [TS]

00:04:05   ass frankly i would hope so and thinks [TS]

00:04:07   will be great I so having enjoyed [TS]

00:04:09   gravity i was sitting you know reading a [TS]

00:04:11   book thinking well I I assume this has [TS]

00:04:14   already been optioned for a movie [TS]

00:04:15   because whoever has got this can pick I [TS]

00:04:17   mean the pitch is simple it's like [TS]

00:04:19   you're looking for the next gravity [TS]

00:04:20   I got it for you right here I don't know [TS]

00:04:22   why they have that accent [TS]

00:04:24   different plus mission to Mars was so [TS]

00:04:27   bad yeah and Andrea planet we throw that [TS]

00:04:30   in there do it was a dark time in our [TS]

00:04:32   nation's history because you guys have [TS]

00:04:34   all seen mission to Mars right [TS]

00:04:35   yes we're done she'll get stranded on [TS]

00:04:37   Mars no doubt so I hope and see if [TS]

00:04:39   there's a there's a long stupid sequence [TS]

00:04:41   of events involving Jerry O'Connell and [TS]

00:04:43   Van Halen okay lock long story short [TS]

00:04:45   long stupid sequence of events that lead [TS]

00:04:47   to jerry o'connell dance around it to [TS]

00:04:48   Van Halen 0g and then somehow John [TS]

00:04:51   she'll get ended it ends up stranded on [TS]

00:04:53   Mars and grows out our righteous afro in [TS]

00:04:55   a greenhouse [TS]

00:04:56   yeah that's pretty much what I remember [TS]

00:04:58   from the movie yep that's pretty much it [TS]

00:05:01   and so I was Andy weir was at the [TS]

00:05:04   authors at Google he gave a talk there [TS]

00:05:06   about his book and he talked about how [TS]

00:05:08   he just wanted to give the book away for [TS]

00:05:10   free and so it was on this website and [TS]

00:05:12   then people kept annoying him that they [TS]

00:05:13   wanted on their kindle and it's like all [TS]

00:05:15   right i'll put on the kindle and Amazon [TS]

00:05:17   wouldn't let him give it away for free [TS]

00:05:18   so he had to charge 99 cents and that's [TS]

00:05:21   the only wish I had this problem i wish [TS]

00:05:24   i had a problem with people banging down [TS]

00:05:27   my door in order to pay for my content [TS]

00:05:29   well maybe if you're an awesome book [TS]

00:05:32   about people getting stranded animal ya [TS]

00:05:34   like like that's going to that business [TS]

00:05:35   model [TS]

00:05:36   it's a proven winner so this this is an [TS]

00:05:39   interesting book I was trying to [TS]

00:05:40   describe to somebody and I I mean the [TS]

00:05:42   elevator pitch obviously is Apollo 13 [TS]

00:05:45   meet meets castaway right because this [TS]

00:05:47   is about this is this is it reads like [TS]

00:05:49   Apollo 13 and that is a sort of [TS]

00:05:52   fact-based acceptance made up in fact [TS]

00:05:54   based approach to a mission to Mars [TS]

00:05:57   future historical fiction it's well it's [TS]

00:06:00   right i mean he tries to get the science [TS]

00:06:02   right he's in this book apparently came [TS]

00:06:04   out of him noodling on ideas about what [TS]

00:06:06   the science would be for a mission to [TS]

00:06:07   Mars and you can tell it's a very [TS]

00:06:09   technically oriented approach it'sit's [TS]

00:06:12   the details of how the Houthis would've [TS]

00:06:14   worked and where they put the the [TS]

00:06:16   refueling ships and the return vessel [TS]

00:06:18   and and how the whole thing is going to [TS]

00:06:19   work and I I thought that was really [TS]

00:06:22   interesting that he tries to take that [TS]

00:06:24   approach and then the Castaway example [TS]

00:06:27   is that he has a volleyball [TS]

00:06:28   no that's not it that he you know he [TS]

00:06:31   gets stranded and that's that's the plot [TS]

00:06:33   of the book is there's a dude on Mars [TS]

00:06:36   and [TS]

00:06:37   he's stuck there and his whole team [TS]

00:06:39   thinks he's dead so they leave and he's [TS]

00:06:42   all alone on the surface of Mars [TS]

00:06:44   how could he how in the world could he [TS]

00:06:46   survive and he works the problem using [TS]

00:06:48   science and that's you know again your [TS]

00:06:51   back to that Apollo 13 kind of thing [TS]

00:06:53   where it's really a lot of math yeah [TS]

00:06:55   there's a lot there there's there is a [TS]

00:06:56   lot of math he's plucky he's also a [TS]

00:07:00   fortunate combination of skill sets [TS]

00:07:02   yeah that's what I was gonna gonna say [TS]

00:07:04   is Mark Watney this main character he is [TS]

00:07:06   literally the only person who could [TS]

00:07:08   serve hot [TS]

00:07:09   exactly exactly everybody else on the [TS]

00:07:12   team would be dead he is a botanist [TS]

00:07:14   engineer and pretty much when you [TS]

00:07:16   stranded on Mars it would be good to be [TS]

00:07:18   able to know how to try and grow some [TS]

00:07:20   food so you can survive and you have to [TS]

00:07:22   be an electrical engineer who can wire [TS]

00:07:24   things and fix things [TS]

00:07:26   yeah he's a mechanical engineer so you [TS]

00:07:28   don't write books about the other people [TS]

00:07:30   who treated Morris because they just die [TS]

00:07:31   right away in the morn [TS]

00:07:32   well there are combination blogger [TS]

00:07:35   nutritionist [TS]

00:07:38   i mean i-i so my time thinking of like [TS]

00:07:40   the most useless company should sent [TS]

00:07:42   into a panic but you know that will [TS]

00:07:46   night I do appreciate that almost [TS]

00:07:48   everybody out on his crew had some sort [TS]

00:07:50   of heavy engineering or computer science [TS]

00:07:52   background because it does make a lot of [TS]

00:07:54   sense that you have to have somebody who [TS]

00:07:56   can keep a really cool head and fix hard [TS]

00:07:58   mechanical stuff when they're there is [TS]

00:08:00   no but there's no IT department within [TS]

00:08:01   you know several hundred thousand miles [TS]

00:08:04   well their astronauts and astronauts are [TS]

00:08:06   trained to do that right so what they've [TS]

00:08:09   got and they do have to grow things [TS]

00:08:10   today I mean limited the the skill set [TS]

00:08:12   for people living on Mars has to be this [TS]

00:08:15   dovetailing of being an astronaut and [TS]

00:08:17   being you know having skills being a [TS]

00:08:19   settler kind of and having those skills [TS]

00:08:21   to did anybody else have like the [TS]

00:08:23   scholastic magazines in the classroom [TS]

00:08:25   growing up like that and yeah did you [TS]

00:08:27   remember like I think was GE that used [TS]

00:08:29   to do the fantastical ads in the back of [TS]

00:08:31   them where it was will have underwater [TS]

00:08:32   colonies and we'll know it was like they [TS]

00:08:36   yeah and I'm you have this dovetailing [TS]

00:08:38   with epcot center and i discovered [TS]

00:08:41   hydroponics like in fifth and sixth [TS]

00:08:43   grade and for about five or six years i [TS]

00:08:45   was hardcore set on becoming a space [TS]

00:08:47   botanist like I was convinced that if I [TS]

00:08:49   could just [TS]

00:08:50   study hydroponics and figure out a way [TS]

00:08:52   to create a softness self-sustaining [TS]

00:08:54   biome and some in a space the size of my [TS]

00:08:56   room like Shirley NASA would have to [TS]

00:08:58   recruit me and so reading this book like [TS]

00:09:01   totally brought back a whole flood of [TS]

00:09:03   like space crazy middle school memories [TS]

00:09:05   it was it was it was nice what was that [TS]

00:09:07   what was the old show that had like a [TS]

00:09:09   high that we had a hydroponics garden I [TS]

00:09:10   was keeping everybody alive which one [TS]

00:09:12   was that was that space 1999 or [TS]

00:09:15   something in that era there was that [TS]

00:09:18   there was a shame i mean it was a row [TS]

00:09:20   they were always talking about the [TS]

00:09:21   hydroponics garden only ever showed the [TS]

00:09:23   hydroponics garden but the hydroponics [TS]

00:09:25   garden was keeping the whole crew alive [TS]

00:09:27   that was like one of the grace notes and [TS]

00:09:29   did anyone else hear to the movie [TS]

00:09:30   sunshine were the premise of the movies [TS]

00:09:32   they have to go drop a nuke into the [TS]

00:09:34   sender restarted mrs. Sonia but I'm yep [TS]

00:09:36   that the hydroponics garden plays a huge [TS]

00:09:38   role in that movie too [TS]

00:09:39   and John I mr google tells me that it [TS]

00:09:42   was indeed space 1999 no I just day I [TS]

00:09:44   still hate gardening an actual soil that [TS]

00:09:46   you show me you can take that you look [TS]

00:09:47   like you show me a container or a raised [TS]

00:09:49   bed or a hydroponic system and I'm like [TS]

00:09:51   I can do this if it is practically a [TS]

00:09:54   spaceship at that point exactly yes just [TS]

00:09:57   i'll tell you the one thing because i [TS]

00:10:00   was thinking when I mean I don't know [TS]

00:10:02   anything about any of the science [TS]

00:10:03   involved so I was just willing to take [TS]

00:10:05   the authors word for it and marks i [TS]

00:10:08   guess and i started to feel like you [TS]

00:10:11   know you see the Apollo 13 connection [TS]

00:10:13   right away you see the Castaway [TS]

00:10:14   connection right away but it ended up [TS]

00:10:16   feeling to me the book more than [TS]

00:10:17   anything else like the TV series The the [TS]

00:10:19   not great TV series Prison Break [TS]

00:10:22   oh god I recap that for television [TS]

00:10:24   without pity and everyone and every week [TS]

00:10:25   Michael Scofield had to like [TS]

00:10:26   jerry-rigged some sort of crazy world [TS]

00:10:29   but it's not just this generation rate [TS]

00:10:31   single school feels there and he's he's [TS]

00:10:32   he solved this seemingly insurmountable [TS]

00:10:34   problem and now they're going to be in [TS]

00:10:36   the clear but in the last minute of the [TS]

00:10:37   episode episode [TS]

00:10:38   oh crap now there's something even worse [TS]

00:10:41   it impossible unsolvable situation he's [TS]

00:10:44   clearly doomed and then next week he [TS]

00:10:46   solves it but that's that's the [TS]

00:10:47   structure of the book because you know [TS]

00:10:49   they've NASA figures out like what the [TS]

00:10:50   first quarter that he's still alive and [TS]

00:10:53   then it instantly turns 20 crap we [TS]

00:10:55   obviously have to get them home so it's [TS]

00:10:57   not like man vs Man is your ultimate man [TS]

00:11:00   versus nature Balkans and and basically [TS]

00:11:01   those are nature has tried to [TS]

00:11:04   like my ass i have barely hung on and [TS]

00:11:05   lather rinse repeat for the next 20 [TS]

00:11:08   chapters yeah I definitely i used aside [TS]

00:11:12   from Apollo 13 and cast away at the [TS]

00:11:14   example i gave to several people was [TS]

00:11:16   it's kind of like a jack london novel [TS]

00:11:18   where you know instead of it the [TS]

00:11:20   frontier is space but it's like that you [TS]

00:11:22   know you're in Alaska and the the cold [TS]

00:11:24   is gonna make your fingers fall off if [TS]

00:11:26   you don't find shelter soon and it's a [TS]

00:11:27   little bit like bad that to that it is [TS]

00:11:30   it is man versus nature into the wild [TS]

00:11:33   into the wild with a happier ending [TS]

00:11:35   oh no it's I I absolutely disagree with [TS]

00:11:39   that [TS]

00:11:39   um here's haha you are wrong [TS]

00:11:43   no I do because Mike I've read that book [TS]

00:11:45   a couple of times i'm a big jon krakauer [TS]

00:11:47   fan because I kind of going vendors well [TS]

00:11:50   read that back to back with into thin [TS]

00:11:51   air sense crack hours fascinated by [TS]

00:11:54   extreme personalities who take man [TS]

00:11:56   versus nature 222 an edge and the point [TS]

00:11:59   that cracker makes over and over and [TS]

00:12:01   over is that Alexander Supertramp had no [TS]

00:12:04   effing idea what he was doing he was [TS]

00:12:05   basically under the impression he was [TS]

00:12:07   under the impression that he tap into [TS]

00:12:09   some like yungin subconscious that [TS]

00:12:11   teaches you how to live off the land and [TS]

00:12:12   he literally knew nothing about the the [TS]

00:12:15   heat not only did he know nothing about [TS]

00:12:17   where he was going he also knew nothing [TS]

00:12:18   about how to react adverse circumstances [TS]

00:12:20   spoiler alert [TS]

00:12:21   we're what whereas what you find out [TS]

00:12:24   with Mark Watney is that he approaches [TS]

00:12:27   every problem and he's like here's what [TS]

00:12:28   I know about my situation here is how i [TS]

00:12:30   can find more information here is how [TS]

00:12:31   can respond to it like one has a [TS]

00:12:33   tremendous amount of respect for for [TS]

00:12:35   external Authority and and for external [TS]

00:12:37   knowledge and you here the authors say [TS]

00:12:39   here's all my research that backs it up [TS]

00:12:41   i don't know if i would agree that he [TS]

00:12:42   has a tremendous respect for external [TS]

00:12:44   Authority it's also fiction [TS]

00:12:46   now you cannot people stop it and use it [TS]

00:12:49   for for external for external knowledge [TS]

00:12:50   for people who have done research and [TS]

00:12:52   run the numbers which is one of the [TS]

00:12:54   great aspects of the book right is like [TS]

00:12:55   his his his disrespect is disrespect for [TS]

00:12:58   authority is fantastic people are [TS]

00:13:01   reading this oh yeah well you PS also [TS]

00:13:04   their sisters is my favorite moment of [TS]

00:13:05   the book I I like how they actually make [TS]

00:13:07   a point of saying it's probably why he [TS]

00:13:09   survived is because you know he [TS]

00:13:11   automatically he's comfortable being non [TS]

00:13:13   authoritarian and he's [TS]

00:13:14   comfortable being outside the boundaries [TS]

00:13:15   of of convention anyway and that way [TS]

00:13:18   he's not gonna fall to pieces the same [TS]

00:13:19   way that somebody who needs to be told [TS]

00:13:20   what to do well and that's why when he [TS]

00:13:22   ignores NASA later in the book and and [TS]

00:13:25   does some things that it doesn't want [TS]

00:13:27   him to do it is good that he does that [TS]

00:13:30   right i mean he gets used to making his [TS]

00:13:32   own decisions and that's mean and that [TS]

00:13:34   is that is why he survives is that he's [TS]

00:13:36   independent like that but it's also [TS]

00:13:37   funny I mean you want to have an [TS]

00:13:39   engaging personality and the fact that [TS]

00:13:41   this guy is is you know kind of waking [TS]

00:13:45   making jokes and he's a character and [TS]

00:13:47   and that gets you a long way because if [TS]

00:13:49   he was a really boring astronaut who is [TS]

00:13:51   very serious about his job that would be [TS]

00:13:53   a boring read a 10 at the same time you [TS]

00:13:56   kind of want to believe that this guy's [TS]

00:13:58   letting it rip [TS]

00:13:59   because he's probably gonna die anyway [TS]

00:14:01   and he's just trying to keep himself [TS]

00:14:02   saying so there's a good reason for that [TS]

00:14:05   right [TS]

00:14:06   it's the it's the sort of hook that lets [TS]

00:14:07   you believe that he's not completely [TS]

00:14:09   depressed because he's spending two [TS]

00:14:10   years by himself for watching every [TS]

00:14:14   seventies sitcom ever made and listening [TS]

00:14:18   to disco and look which I don't [TS]

00:14:20   understand why you know astronauts 10 [TS]

00:14:23   years in her future her and so obsessed [TS]

00:14:26   with seventies television was only one [TS]

00:14:29   astronaut needed to be right this is the [TS]

00:14:31   way people you know get into any weird [TS]

00:14:33   cultural period and make it there around [TS]

00:14:35   got Mykelti loves worker she wrote it's [TS]

00:14:37   it's true i also think it was easy i [TS]

00:14:40   think it was it was it was exciting dr. [TS]

00:14:42   find out here now to characterize [TS]

00:14:45   someone you know it was just so this is [TS]

00:14:47   the hard-ass military captain who has a [TS]

00:14:49   secret thing for dinner womp womp [TS]

00:14:51   yeah yeah just like our this is the [TS]

00:14:54   diminutive computer scientist who may be [TS]

00:14:56   turned into a cannibal of this mission [TS]

00:14:57   because ha ha yeah and it's also just [TS]

00:15:00   funny like having to deal with someone [TS]

00:15:02   else's idea of entertainment for you [TS]

00:15:06   know six months or however long you can [TS]

00:15:07   go through their library i have a hard [TS]

00:15:10   time believing though that this guy you [TS]

00:15:13   know or was it was hit that he brought [TS]

00:15:15   stuff and it was lost or what did he [TS]

00:15:17   just not bring entertain because I that [TS]

00:15:19   was what baffles me is like why doesn't [TS]

00:15:20   he have his own store of entertainment [TS]

00:15:22   for the flight out in the flight back [TS]

00:15:24   and instead he's left with these scraps [TS]

00:15:27   they maybe take it back with them as a [TS]

00:15:30   well you know mark mark love Monty [TS]

00:15:32   Python so what 17 minutes of Monty [TS]

00:15:34   Python every night or something I don't [TS]

00:15:36   know they wouldn't have known they were [TS]

00:15:37   losing marked when they were going [TS]

00:15:39   because they were evacuating right and [TS]

00:15:40   he got lost as on the way to the [TS]

00:15:42   whatever that evil and the RR whatever [TS]

00:15:46   its called [TS]

00:15:47   I thought there was some kind of [TS]

00:15:48   technical issue that lost whatever he [TS]

00:15:50   had but I don't remember it so I could [TS]

00:15:52   be wrong [TS]

00:15:53   yeah i mean it winds up being funny that [TS]

00:15:54   he's he's miserably you know powering [TS]

00:15:57   through every 70 sitcom and listen to [TS]

00:15:59   get my pic but if you know I i found [TS]

00:16:02   that kind of perplexing that he didn't [TS]

00:16:03   have his own store and maybe i just [TS]

00:16:05   missed where he said well I had it but I [TS]

00:16:07   watched it all and I'm tired of it and I [TS]

00:16:08   want something new or I I lack the [TS]

00:16:11   foresight to pack enough stuff but she [TS]

00:16:14   packed every sitcom ever so I'm gonna [TS]

00:16:17   watch that I don't know my only [TS]

00:16:19   complaint about the book i really liked [TS]

00:16:20   it but I did not like the P narrative [TS]

00:16:24   context switching that happened or the [TS]

00:16:27   the I guess the cheating to make the [TS]

00:16:29   narrative devices work sometime so you [TS]

00:16:33   know a lot of it is his own journaling [TS]

00:16:35   and I'll accept that he's got very [TS]

00:16:36   little to do on Mars when he's not [TS]

00:16:38   trying to survive so he can write in his [TS]

00:16:41   journal that's fine but when he has the [TS]

00:16:43   the really borderline end of his life [TS]

00:16:48   situation where he's in the compromised [TS]

00:16:50   airlock trying to live and it's verbal [TS]

00:16:53   journals right it'sit's transcription [TS]

00:16:56   his recordings that he made [TS]

00:16:57   I wasn't it really took me out of the [TS]

00:16:59   stories and try to imagine i'm in the [TS]

00:17:01   situation i'm going to narrate the whole [TS]

00:17:02   thing for my future journaling purposes [TS]

00:17:05   I didn't like it out of much rather it [TS]

00:17:07   either context switch to the third [TS]

00:17:09   person or that he he wrote about it [TS]

00:17:13   later because i did not at all by that [TS]

00:17:15   he was narrating it [TS]

00:17:16   that's a very good logical point but it [TS]

00:17:18   never bothered me at all I tended Mary [TS]

00:17:20   to myself of them if I'm in the middle [TS]

00:17:22   of doing something unpleasant or but he [TS]

00:17:24   has to conserve oxygen like it's it's [TS]

00:17:26   extremely dangerous for him to keep [TS]

00:17:28   talking i crying curl up in a ball that [TS]

00:17:32   doesn't really conserve oxygen laughing [TS]

00:17:34   again again that's the story of how John [TS]

00:17:36   Smoltz died on Mars that's respect [TS]

00:17:38   but it's not different blood is good [TS]

00:17:39   very short not notice goodbye the you [TS]

00:17:42   know this is the literary equivalent of [TS]

00:17:43   the found-footage movie right it is an [TS]

00:17:45   epistolary essentially novel and I love [TS]

00:17:49   epistolary in-house to all I got so it's [TS]

00:17:51   it's a challenge to to break out of that [TS]

00:17:55   is it realistic I I thought you were [TS]

00:17:57   going to go another direction X because [TS]

00:17:58   that didn't that didn't confuse me or [TS]

00:18:02   frustrate me at all [TS]

00:18:04   the cutaways to earth while I I [TS]

00:18:08   appreciate the drama because you see [TS]

00:18:10   that they're searching for him and he's [TS]

00:18:11   searching you know for a way to to reach [TS]

00:18:13   them and that's all kind of connected [TS]

00:18:15   and it's and it actually is kind of a [TS]

00:18:16   kick to realize that they're watching as [TS]

00:18:18   he does things they finally spot him but [TS]

00:18:21   still it's it's cheating because it's [TS]

00:18:23   not from his perspective and what's [TS]

00:18:25   worse [TS]

00:18:26   am I the only one who thinks it's got [TS]

00:18:28   all the characters on earth were [TS]

00:18:30   miserable but they weren't even human [TS]

00:18:33   beings because they were kind of like [TS]

00:18:34   two dimensional characters but they were [TS]

00:18:35   all jerks they were all just awful [TS]

00:18:38   people they were stock NASA bureaucrats [TS]

00:18:41   yeah i didn't i didn't feel like they [TS]

00:18:43   were jerks [TS]

00:18:44   you didn't say lyrics I didn't that the [TS]

00:18:46   pr ladies a jerk [TS]

00:18:47   the manager is a jerk that the woman who [TS]

00:18:49   finds him is not a jerk [TS]

00:18:51   maybe it's just because I deal with a [TS]

00:18:53   lot of PR people but you know it's not [TS]

00:18:56   you know like I could totally hear [TS]

00:18:58   something our personal she was very [TS]

00:19:00   sarcastic but she wasn't happy about [TS]

00:19:02   reporters and this is my client that I'm [TS]

00:19:04   protecting and and i absolutely no PR [TS]

00:19:07   people like her where that the idea that [TS]

00:19:09   this is a human being trapped on Mars [TS]

00:19:11   like yes I'm very concerned but I'm more [TS]

00:19:12   concerned about is I have this pack of [TS]

00:19:14   jerkish reporters who need something [TS]

00:19:16   give it to me so i can give it to them [TS]

00:19:17   and that's that's how good PR people [TS]

00:19:19   work i didn't i didn't think they were [TS]

00:19:21   necessarily directly to think they were [TS]

00:19:22   one-dimensional character posturing [TS]

00:19:25   between bureaucrats reliably yeah [TS]

00:19:28   residents of flatland yeah and it's it's [TS]

00:19:30   it's the it's the cliché that the the [TS]

00:19:32   bureaucrat wants to do the the thing [TS]

00:19:36   that's gonna look better as opposed to [TS]

00:19:38   the thing that has a better chance of [TS]

00:19:39   actually succeeding guy just the whole [TS]

00:19:42   dynamic in the the the power [TS]

00:19:45   relationships and them arguing and and [TS]

00:19:48   the stuff they say yeah I never felt [TS]

00:19:50   that they were really character [TS]

00:19:51   there's and I i found most of them [TS]

00:19:53   unpleasant and I I thought it was a [TS]

00:19:55   liability of the book but the people on [TS]

00:19:57   earth where were all all ya work will [TS]

00:20:01   kind of awful and also flat I was really [TS]

00:20:04   touched by the Chinese researchers [TS]

00:20:05   actually because they were like we had [TS]

00:20:07   this national school and find finally [TS]

00:20:09   have an astronaut who's going on a [TS]

00:20:10   mission but we sacrificed a lot of what [TS]

00:20:14   could've been her own good science for [TS]

00:20:15   this one guy and and the fact that they [TS]

00:20:17   point out that there's a huge price to [TS]

00:20:18   be paid but they're happy to pay it i [TS]

00:20:21   was really glad that it wasn't just as [TS]

00:20:23   one-dimensional last the glorious red [TS]

00:20:25   Republic will make into space but rather [TS]

00:20:27   it was like look we had all these [TS]

00:20:28   factors we we made this decision it cost [TS]

00:20:30   us a lot and I thought I thought it was [TS]

00:20:33   one of the few really poignant moments [TS]

00:20:34   in the book but but still the government [TS]

00:20:37   wouldn't have done it if they didn't get [TS]

00:20:38   a man on Mars [TS]

00:20:39   yeah right i mean i was ultimately [TS]

00:20:41   that's what the Chinese government went [TS]

00:20:43   floor is your you would somebody on the [TS]

00:20:45   next mission and I appreciated that they [TS]

00:20:48   i actually appreciate the book went to [TS]

00:20:49   tremendous detail about the horse [TS]

00:20:50   trading in the pragmatism because it was [TS]

00:20:52   one thing to say let's get this guy home [TS]

00:20:53   but you know that everybody and every [TS]

00:20:56   step of the way is going to protecting [TS]

00:20:57   their own fiefdom in their own ass and [TS]

00:20:58   so they also talked about here all the [TS]

00:21:00   things that had to happen in order for [TS]

00:21:02   everybody to feel like they were doing [TS]

00:21:03   the right thing and not risk too much [TS]

00:21:06   you know when you think about it there [TS]

00:21:07   was a remark but there was a remarkable [TS]

00:21:08   lack of risking getting this guy home [TS]

00:21:10   like the funding was magically lined up [TS]

00:21:11   public opinion was apparently still all [TS]

00:21:14   oh my god we've got to bring the sky [TS]

00:21:15   home as opposed to the 8000 blogs / [TS]

00:21:18   sprung up all their spending this much [TS]

00:21:19   brand him when you rebuilding to try or [TS]

00:21:23   or like whatever and instead i wasn't [TS]

00:21:25   really good blogger voice by the way [TS]

00:21:27   that sound like that they do they do [TS]

00:21:30   it's a blog quickly and this would have [TS]

00:21:35   this would have taken place about the [TS]

00:21:37   same time that Robocop would have taken [TS]

00:21:38   place so Detroit is probably a good [TS]

00:21:39   energy that's what did you know after i [TS]

00:21:44   read the book within two weeks yourself [TS]

00:21:46   arstechnica published an article about a [TS]

00:21:49   a hypothetical mission to rescue the [TS]

00:21:53   astronauts on the Columbia and it was [TS]

00:21:56   very similar and it was based on you [TS]

00:22:00   know a project that NASA was tasked with [TS]

00:22:03   when they were doing [TS]

00:22:04   their investigation after the Columbia [TS]

00:22:05   Shuttle disaster and so it was you know [TS]

00:22:07   they talked about all the things that [TS]

00:22:09   have to go right all the corners that [TS]

00:22:10   would have had to be cut and the [TS]

00:22:12   different you know though the way the [TS]

00:22:14   rescue mission would have gone it was [TS]

00:22:15   very similar really bright red I mean [TS]

00:22:17   still didn't happen not at all reality [TS]

00:22:19   but you can't even read that article [TS]

00:22:20   without getting caught up in the dream [TS]

00:22:21   of my out maybe they're going to save [TS]

00:22:23   these people who you already know have [TS]

00:22:24   died but yet very similar so i just [TS]

00:22:27   wanna probably worth the show no Jason [TS]

00:22:28   yeah yeah i agree and that's good good [TS]

00:22:31   piece and and that is the flavor of this [TS]

00:22:33   right i mean i think i think if there's [TS]

00:22:34   a criticism to be made of the the way [TS]

00:22:36   this book is is written it is it is [TS]

00:22:40   obsessed with technical details it is it [TS]

00:22:42   is the transcript of an engineer on Mars [TS]

00:22:45   trying to figure out the technical [TS]

00:22:47   issues that will allow him to stay alive [TS]

00:22:49   it is that this is this is a book that [TS]

00:22:52   is telling me it's more than this but [TS]

00:22:55   you can tell that what this book is [TS]

00:22:56   about how do you solve the problem of [TS]

00:22:58   what happens if a guy is a trap is [TS]

00:23:00   trapped on Mars and and what in a larger [TS]

00:23:03   standpoint how do you you know how would [TS]

00:23:05   the manned Mars missions be set up to we [TS]

00:23:08   in great detail because there aren't [TS]

00:23:10   sort of hand waving solutions here it's [TS]

00:23:13   all all the solutions are you know based [TS]

00:23:16   on well this is how it would work and [TS]

00:23:18   then this might happen and then how [TS]

00:23:19   would you deal with that and I guess you [TS]

00:23:21   know I liked it but I also could [TS]

00:23:23   appreciate the criticism of somebody who [TS]

00:23:25   says you know I i wanted it I wanted [TS]

00:23:27   more story and less technical detail [TS]

00:23:31   about how to fix my spacesuit on Mars [TS]

00:23:33   because i am not going to Mars and don't [TS]

00:23:35   own a spacesuit but it doesn't go into I [TS]

00:23:40   don't think it goes into annoying detail [TS]

00:23:42   i mean the the detail is only a couple [TS]

00:23:45   paragraphs long another about my [TS]

00:23:47   criticism of some other science fiction [TS]

00:23:49   books just the at in which this book [TS]

00:23:52   does not do at all is the long boring [TS]

00:23:57   descriptions of the sweeping majesty of [TS]

00:24:00   the Martian Plains and he does not waste [TS]

00:24:04   a single word on any of that he doesn't [TS]

00:24:06   waste a lot of words about stringing [TS]

00:24:08   together resistor so he can change the [TS]

00:24:10   average of the electricity friend the [TS]

00:24:12   habitat to whatever his drill is using I [TS]

00:24:15   think he's I still think he's much [TS]

00:24:17   more compact and is writing I mean and I [TS]

00:24:20   think that's why i was able to tear this [TS]

00:24:21   book and a couple of days because he he [TS]

00:24:24   will do that for a few paragraphs but [TS]

00:24:26   I've I've rather books that go on for [TS]

00:24:28   pages but I I felt like it was the right [TS]

00:24:30   amount of Monte multi-year I felt like [TS]

00:24:32   it was you know enough to show that he [TS]

00:24:34   would like you wanted to be believable [TS]

00:24:36   and it felt very grounded in reality [TS]

00:24:38   whether it was legit or naughty I mean [TS]

00:24:40   it's their turns out he did a ton of [TS]

00:24:41   research but and all that stuff is is at [TS]

00:24:44   is based as is also related to the [TS]

00:24:46   action [TS]

00:24:47   it has it as actual critical input into [TS]

00:24:51   what is going on as opposed to Mars for [TS]

00:24:55   years it has lain understood the natives [TS]

00:25:00   colored farts ooh yeah-yeah-yeah also [TS]

00:25:04   good that there's no there are no [TS]

00:25:05   indigenous Martian life that's that's [TS]

00:25:07   also i think i'm also a plus know it's a [TS]

00:25:09   you get the feeling that it's real signs [TS]

00:25:11   I I I never felt that the I never felt [TS]

00:25:14   that that the the technical detail [TS]

00:25:17   overwhelm the story where I was tapping [TS]

00:25:19   my you know tapping my feet and being [TS]

00:25:21   like come on come on back to the story I [TS]

00:25:23   felt at a few points I I I started to [TS]

00:25:26   wonder is this too much detail but then [TS]

00:25:29   it would seem to be timed fairly well I [TS]

00:25:31   just I i think that some people don't [TS]

00:25:33   want to read a book with this kind of [TS]

00:25:35   technical detail even at the level that [TS]

00:25:37   it is they would I guess rather have the [TS]

00:25:40   you know majesty of the vistas as he's [TS]

00:25:43   traveling but instead this is definitely [TS]

00:25:45   perspective of this guy and he's very [TS]

00:25:47   focused on his goals and so we are we [TS]

00:25:50   don't get that there are a few moments [TS]

00:25:51   where he says right i took a moment to [TS]

00:25:53   appreciate this thing that I saw but you [TS]

00:25:55   know he's really focused on staying [TS]

00:25:56   alive and figuring out what you know [TS]

00:25:59   problems he needs to solve to get to his [TS]

00:26:01   destination the thing that was hardest [TS]

00:26:03   for me to understand of the science was [TS]

00:26:06   probably because i'm stupid was the the [TS]

00:26:08   big giant sack of nuclear energy that he [TS]

00:26:12   was toting around every once awhile stay [TS]

00:26:14   warm i think quite understand how that [TS]

00:26:15   all works i was glad it worked that's [TS]

00:26:17   how space probes like that's not like [TS]

00:26:18   the Voyager and a bunch of space probes [TS]

00:26:20   they have the that's how they stay with [TS]

00:26:23   their electronics active is they've got [TS]

00:26:24   isotopes that decay and emit heat and so [TS]

00:26:30   it you know [TS]

00:26:31   you wouldn't want to do that around [TS]

00:26:32   people necessarily but it actually does [TS]

00:26:35   keep things warm so that's a real that's [TS]

00:26:37   a real thing I believed it [TS]

00:26:39   it was very funny because he's like [TS]

00:26:41   don't break don't break don't break [TS]

00:26:42   don't break he's like well I'm dead if I [TS]

00:26:44   can't use this but I'm also dead if it [TS]

00:26:46   breaks so let's be careful but i'm gonna [TS]

00:26:49   use it you did he buries it's funny [TS]

00:26:50   because he he digs it up because they [TS]

00:26:52   buried it because people shouldn't be [TS]

00:26:54   around it and they use for a little [TS]

00:26:56   while and he goes and puts it back and [TS]

00:26:57   like berries that he can take over it [TS]

00:26:59   and then he has to get out third time [TS]

00:27:01   but that's a real that's a real thing [TS]

00:27:02   i'm imagining that you know his overall [TS]

00:27:05   life span is short from his radiation [TS]

00:27:07   exposure but still all right [TS]

00:27:09   yeah well it's longer than what it would [TS]

00:27:11   have been right now and Mars has a [TS]

00:27:13   thinner atmosphere than earth does [TS]

00:27:15   anyway so he got more doses of radiation [TS]

00:27:17   anyway so although it's further away [TS]

00:27:19   that is true from the Sun we should get [TS]

00:27:22   anywhere to calculate out his lifetime [TS]

00:27:24   radiation exposure [TS]

00:27:26   hi Betty Betty already has probably [TS]

00:27:28   bought a blog post somewhere with the [TS]

00:27:30   with the details anywhere hehe was he is [TS]

00:27:34   uh I was so i watch this google talk [TS]

00:27:37   that he gave where he was demonstrating [TS]

00:27:38   the application that the program that he [TS]

00:27:41   wrote that calculated all the orbits of [TS]

00:27:44   all of the spacecraft to make sure that [TS]

00:27:46   would all work and where Mars would be [TS]

00:27:49   when Andy when a the different things [TS]

00:27:52   happened on the different days and he [TS]

00:27:53   knew every day [TS]

00:27:55   oh dude he knows side five hands no no [TS]

00:27:57   sci-fi family owes its yes because you [TS]

00:28:00   you realize of course that you can't [TS]

00:28:02   read a book like this without having a [TS]

00:28:03   thousand space nerds fact-checking you [TS]

00:28:06   and say the suspect doesn't work because [TS]

00:28:07   XYZ and and do some bloggers I think [TS]

00:28:10   that's another ministry always do they [TS]

00:28:13   are bloggers hi things raises a larger [TS]

00:28:16   issue is how much of your fandom comes [TS]

00:28:18   down to being able to enjoy the theory [TS]

00:28:21   the idea of something and how much of [TS]

00:28:22   your fandom comes down to be able to [TS]

00:28:23   enjoy the accuracy or the the verity of [TS]

00:28:25   it well this book obviously came from [TS]

00:28:28   the came from the facts i mean i really [TS]

00:28:31   believe that he didn't work all the I [TS]

00:28:33   mean he may have he may have checked his [TS]

00:28:35   work at the end but i think most of the [TS]

00:28:36   work in this book is upfront that he was [TS]

00:28:39   curious about how it would work and then [TS]

00:28:41   thought well i could write this in a [TS]

00:28:43   story and I love [TS]

00:28:44   I mean that's why I that's why i love [TS]

00:28:45   Apollo 13 in the book that the movie was [TS]

00:28:48   based on and the fact that the book and [TS]

00:28:51   the movie was but anyway uh huh I like [TS]

00:28:53   that because i would probably read a [TS]

00:28:56   straight-up novel about the technical [TS]

00:28:59   all the technical details and the [TS]

00:29:01   interpersonal issues of sending people [TS]

00:29:02   to Mars and back even if there was no [TS]

00:29:04   disaster and somebody was left behind [TS]

00:29:07   I would probably eat that up just [TS]

00:29:09   because it's I think that's one of the [TS]

00:29:12   valuable things that science fiction can [TS]

00:29:14   do is make you think what would it be [TS]

00:29:16   like if we went to Mars what would the [TS]

00:29:17   details be how would the people react to [TS]

00:29:19   it you don't necessarily even need a [TS]

00:29:21   disaster but in this case we get that [TS]

00:29:23   but we still get all of those great [TS]

00:29:24   details and that was that was fun I [TS]

00:29:26   realized that that's not for everybody [TS]

00:29:27   but I love being able to imagine you [TS]

00:29:30   know okay if we're going to go to Mars [TS]

00:29:32   in the next 50 years [TS]

00:29:33   how would we do that and then tell a [TS]

00:29:34   story based on that which the sort of [TS]

00:29:36   his time to take a break and let me tell [TS]

00:29:39   you about our sponsor its new relic new [TS]

00:29:44   relic is a software analytics company [TS]

00:29:46   that helps make sense of billions of [TS]

00:29:49   metrics going to sound like carl sagan [TS]

00:29:52   here a little bit i'm going to do a [TS]

00:29:53   little cosmos for ye eat your heart out [TS]

00:29:56   Neil deGrasse Tyson billions and [TS]

00:29:59   billions of metrics across millions and [TS]

00:30:03   millions of applications and it all [TS]

00:30:06   happens not in the enormity of [TS]

00:30:08   space-time but in real time as you may [TS]

00:30:12   have heard its 2014 and one thing people [TS]

00:30:14   are really focused on this year is [TS]

00:30:16   seamless application performance across [TS]

00:30:18   multiple platforms on all of their [TS]

00:30:22   devices now you may think this sounds [TS]

00:30:24   simple and if you do you're wrong it is [TS]

00:30:27   not simple making an appt work [TS]

00:30:29   consistently well on lots of different [TS]

00:30:32   devices all with different operating [TS]

00:30:34   systems running different types of [TS]

00:30:35   software is incredibly complex how [TS]

00:30:39   complex the back in the old days say [TS]

00:30:42   2008 it was basically impossible for an [TS]

00:30:45   app developer to know how their app was [TS]

00:30:47   performing once it got shipped [TS]

00:30:49   production you ship it cross your [TS]

00:30:52   fingers [TS]

00:30:52   remember that you do internal bug hunts [TS]

00:30:55   you cross your fingers and ship it you [TS]

00:30:56   hope for the best [TS]

00:30:58   and then you just wait for people to [TS]

00:31:00   yell at you right you wait on twitter [TS]

00:31:02   you an email you wait on the app stores [TS]

00:31:04   and hope that people don't yell at you [TS]

00:31:07   well those days are over now people make [TS]

00:31:10   sure yet you there but you don't have to [TS]

00:31:12   wait for that new relic lets you track [TS]

00:31:14   application performance down to the end [TS]

00:31:16   user level in real time that means you [TS]

00:31:18   can spot problems find bugs and fix code [TS]

00:31:21   fast before the users even notice [TS]

00:31:24   anything is wrong before they have a [TS]

00:31:25   chance to get mad at you [TS]

00:31:27   you can see it and you can fix it using [TS]

00:31:30   the real-time metrics that New Relic [TS]

00:31:31   brings you so go check out new relic by [TS]

00:31:35   visiting New Relic dot-com / [TS]

00:31:37   incomparable to learn more and use the [TS]

00:31:39   offer code incomparable to take [TS]

00:31:41   advantage of a special 30-day extended [TS]

00:31:44   free pro trial that's exclusive to [TS]

00:31:47   listeners of the incomparable at New [TS]

00:31:49   Relic dot-com / incomparable and thank [TS]

00:31:53   you so much to New Relic for indulging [TS]

00:31:55   my inner Carl second and for sponsoring [TS]

00:31:58   the incomparable one thing that I [TS]

00:32:01   thought was well done was how attempted [TS]

00:32:04   to reflect the tediousness of some [TS]

00:32:06   things without trying to say i think [TS]

00:32:08   with the goal wasn't to make reading it [TS]

00:32:09   boring but to reflect this is extremely [TS]

00:32:11   time-consuming just there [TS]

00:32:13   the initial way that he starts [TS]

00:32:14   communicating with NASA where they and [TS]

00:32:17   he has to have to divide the systems on [TS]

00:32:19   his own because they haven't any [TS]

00:32:21   messages to him at first just I don't [TS]

00:32:24   know I found all that I could imagine [TS]

00:32:25   how painful and slow the correspondence [TS]

00:32:28   was at first you know rotating the the [TS]

00:32:30   thing telescope whatever lies and I i [TS]

00:32:33   appreciated their hit the I appreciated [TS]

00:32:35   Weir's skill and doing that at it you [TS]

00:32:37   know and he put in all the effort to [TS]

00:32:39   building up his garden covers the entire [TS]

00:32:42   thing with oil and then eventually it's [TS]

00:32:43   all screwed i like that i like i like [TS]

00:32:47   the suffering alongside him Jason [TS]

00:32:50   highway 20 30 60 hours ago you and I [TS]

00:32:53   were talking about the the context [TS]

00:32:56   switching your big complaint was that [TS]

00:32:57   the characters on earth didn't seem [TS]

00:32:58   super well-defined and/or they were all [TS]

00:33:00   jerks [TS]

00:33:01   yeah the only time that really bothered [TS]

00:33:03   me in that fight because I mean I didn't [TS]

00:33:05   want to hear part of the story from [TS]

00:33:06   Earth and I don't know how else could [TS]

00:33:08   have done it [TS]

00:33:08   yeah i agree i it's cheating [TS]

00:33:11   and I I'll allow it because it was it [TS]

00:33:14   was good [TS]

00:33:15   the chief that I did not think added [TS]

00:33:16   anything the story and took me out even [TS]

00:33:18   more was the unnecessary backstory of [TS]

00:33:21   the piece of fabric or whatever that [TS]

00:33:23   ends up failing that one yes yes yes I'm [TS]

00:33:26   sure he was going for but i did not [TS]

00:33:28   inform me at all [TS]

00:33:29   it felt very tom clancy ish to be honest [TS]

00:33:32   with you or you're like I've done [TS]

00:33:33   research [TS]

00:33:34   no because tom clancy's books are like [TS]

00:33:35   that to wear in order to find out how [TS]

00:33:37   some how some porthole figures he takes [TS]

00:33:41   you into like the life story of the [TS]

00:33:42   architect and the tensile strength of [TS]

00:33:45   tungsten infused whatever and and and [TS]

00:33:47   and this was this had a lot going [TS]

00:33:49   forward to where where it was like okay [TS]

00:33:51   we we get these parts are made in such a [TS]

00:33:54   way but if you have to do it for all of [TS]

00:33:56   them or or you kind of have to cut that [TS]

00:33:58   out and say look sometimes stuff just [TS]

00:33:59   happens in both the handshaking book man [TS]

00:34:03   in the moon which is what from the earth [TS]

00:34:05   to the moon the HBO series was based on [TS]

00:34:06   and in the the book that Apollo 13 was [TS]

00:34:11   based on there are sections like that [TS]

00:34:13   which is low you know essentially here's [TS]

00:34:16   what probably happened why the explosion [TS]

00:34:18   happened on Apollo 13 or why the apollo [TS]

00:34:21   1 deaths happen right and then it's like [TS]

00:34:24   well there is this and this and Apollo [TS]

00:34:26   13 it's like there was a spark and it [TS]

00:34:28   was probably this thing and it was [TS]

00:34:29   probably just something wrong here and [TS]

00:34:32   and like the challengers o-rings right [TS]

00:34:34   you can actually draw that line back to [TS]

00:34:36   this tiny tiny detail that cascades all [TS]

00:34:39   the way to having this disaster and [TS]

00:34:42   that's totally what he was going for and [TS]

00:34:44   it certainly builds up the tension in a [TS]

00:34:45   way right where it's like a boy [TS]

00:34:47   something Bad's gonna happen oh jeez [TS]

00:34:48   what's it gonna be [TS]

00:34:49   right right you know another thing is [TS]

00:34:51   gonna feel right but you know not it [TS]

00:34:53   doesn't happen with any of the other [TS]

00:34:54   things and it was yeah i agree it seemed [TS]

00:34:57   it seemed weird not a place i was gonna [TS]

00:34:59   say the flipping back and forth I think [TS]

00:35:00   works and many other instances and in [TS]

00:35:03   particular and thinking when they first [TS]

00:35:04   realized that he had for comedic effect [TS]

00:35:07   or when you first realize that he's [TS]

00:35:10   still alive and and they think oh my god [TS]

00:35:13   i can only wonder what he's thinking and [TS]

00:35:15   I don't want to run up but he's but he's [TS]

00:35:17   making something absolutely ridiculous [TS]

00:35:19   is that they keep anything at all about [TS]

00:35:22   why [TS]

00:35:23   oh my god I can't believe those jerks [TS]

00:35:24   left me here [TS]

00:35:26   no he's watching you know Gilligan's [TS]

00:35:28   Island reruns [TS]

00:35:29   yeah that was a great getaway i love it [TS]

00:35:33   that way [TS]

00:35:34   yeah I mean it's funny it's funny I [TS]

00:35:36   don't want to make it seem like this is [TS]

00:35:37   what we're talking about is some you [TS]

00:35:40   know engineering nerds fantasy about a [TS]

00:35:42   trip to Mars [TS]

00:35:43   I mean it is that but it's not just that [TS]

00:35:44   and it's not like there are pages of so [TS]

00:35:47   please consult in the back of the book [TS]

00:35:49   you'll find several appendices and some [TS]

00:35:51   diagrams of how it's not like that it [TS]

00:35:54   could be like that but it's not he does [TS]

00:35:57   show a lot of his work but it's funny [TS]

00:35:58   the character is very amusing because he [TS]

00:36:01   says all sorts of crazy stuff because he [TS]

00:36:03   is kind of entertaining himself and he [TS]

00:36:05   doesn't care anymore and that comes out [TS]

00:36:07   in the voice and you know I its strong [TS]

00:36:10   I i think i could see how some people [TS]

00:36:12   might think that it was a little forced [TS]

00:36:13   but I enjoyed it I felt like this guy is [TS]

00:36:15   just a character he just not only are we [TS]

00:36:17   lucky that he's a botanist and an [TS]

00:36:18   engineer but we're also lucky that he's [TS]

00:36:20   got a very wacky personality because it [TS]

00:36:23   wouldn't be much of a book even if he [TS]

00:36:25   had the other two things you can do all [TS]

00:36:26   these task competently he was boring [TS]

00:36:29   wouldn't be much of a book [TS]

00:36:30   why would why would you write that book [TS]

00:36:31   so I think if you've got a high schooler [TS]

00:36:33   who is taking either chemistry or [TS]

00:36:34   physics you it [TS]

00:36:36   lob them this book because it's a nice [TS]

00:36:38   what struck me was how how much of a [TS]

00:36:42   natural teacher where is a writer and [TS]

00:36:44   how he walks you through well thanks to [TS]

00:36:46   this property this is how this has to [TS]

00:36:47   work and so I'm counting on XYZ and all [TS]

00:36:50   the chemical reactions he'd details in [TS]

00:36:52   trying to make water and and trying to [TS]

00:36:54   Jerry regardless different solutions you [TS]

00:36:56   could probably sit down with somebody [TS]

00:36:58   who's to was grasping basic training [TS]

00:37:00   grass basic chemistry basic physics and [TS]

00:37:01   go okay look this is your real life [TS]

00:37:03   example it's better than a word problem [TS]

00:37:04   and this will probably help you grasp a [TS]

00:37:06   lot better than sitting in class some [TS]

00:37:08   reading through your textbook so it's [TS]

00:37:11   one of those books that makes you feel [TS]

00:37:12   smarter just really do have it doesn't [TS]

00:37:14   make sense [TS]

00:37:14   oh it is a fact yeah yeah there's a [TS]

00:37:16   crazy number of things that sort of [TS]

00:37:17   interweave and some of them are 42 it [TS]

00:37:20   you know a deliberately fortuitous I'm [TS]

00:37:22   sure but just like the fact that he can [TS]

00:37:25   make soil because he's using his own [TS]

00:37:29   poop as and it's ok to use his own poop [TS]

00:37:32   as well as the poop of the other [TS]

00:37:34   astronauts that's been out [TS]

00:37:36   that you know throughout the door [TS]

00:37:37   because all their bacteria is dead but [TS]

00:37:40   it's still good organic matter that i [TS]

00:37:42   can use and i'm already my-my bacteria [TS]

00:37:45   is already in me so I can eat my own [TS]

00:37:46   bacteria and i happen to have [TS]

00:37:48   thanksgiving potatoes and energy s7000 [TS]

00:37:53   this thing that think the fact that [TS]

00:37:56   against the world against the potatoes [TS]

00:37:58   is delightful but not if there's a lot [TS]

00:38:01   less botany in there compared to the [TS]

00:38:02   other stuff but you know i'm pretty sure [TS]

00:38:05   it's because people like well I really [TS]

00:38:06   don't care about I pulled Mia's genre [TS]

00:38:08   says it is a genus you it was a lot less [TS]

00:38:10   but need any other stuff however a lot [TS]

00:38:12   more botany the most books i read a [TS]

00:38:16   hundred percent or bought me this was a [TS]

00:38:19   heavy bunny heavy i would say in but yes [TS]

00:38:22   with a more heavy with that with [TS]

00:38:24   electrical engineering and other kinds [TS]

00:38:26   of engineering and as well as all the [TS]

00:38:28   astrophysics that goes into it this [TS]

00:38:30   anybody else find it hard to believe [TS]

00:38:31   that CNN would have a lost an astronaut [TS]

00:38:34   today show every day that would be [TS]

00:38:36   successful in any way i had i find it [TS]

00:38:38   hard to believe that CNN is on in 10 [TS]

00:38:39   years yeah that's my that was the one [TS]

00:38:41   that was the biggest obstacle to believe [TS]

00:38:43   for me and again like i said i find it [TS]

00:38:46   really hard to believe that ever was a [TS]

00:38:47   hundred was uncritically behind this all [TS]

00:38:49   we've got to get the stranded astronaut [TS]

00:38:50   home [TS]

00:38:51   I mean I realized that for the people [TS]

00:38:52   who are working at NASA that they don't [TS]

00:38:55   have time for the haters and i'm certain [TS]

00:38:57   that the guy who's on Mars like the last [TS]

00:38:59   thing he's concerned about his public [TS]

00:39:00   opinion but they like even people at [TS]

00:39:02   NASA they lose i mean not only do the [TS]

00:39:03   Chinese lose their mission the people at [TS]

00:39:05   NASA lose a mission to Mars as a part of [TS]

00:39:07   this because I gotta send the same team [TS]

00:39:08   back around again to get them but I i [TS]

00:39:11   absolutely believe that the people from [TS]

00:39:12   NASA or what it would want to get him [TS]

00:39:15   back for the most of the wood i think [TS]

00:39:17   that it's I don't think that you have to [TS]

00:39:19   accept that nobody is complaining about [TS]

00:39:21   the fact that they're rescuing this [TS]

00:39:22   mission but I I'm willing to accept that [TS]

00:39:24   i don't have to spend any time with a [TS]

00:39:25   book on them since i'm also you know [TS]

00:39:26   rooting for the guy who live on Mars [TS]

00:39:28   yeah as as somebody who actually loves [TS]

00:39:29   the movie contact i will say i was [TS]

00:39:31   actually grateful that we didn't have [TS]

00:39:33   the the senator played by Garry [TS]

00:39:37   Shandling who says we're spending [TS]

00:39:39   several billion dollars here on this and [TS]

00:39:41   it's just one man why don't we just have [TS]

00:39:43   another mission and you know one man's [TS]

00:39:44   life it certainly is is worth something [TS]

00:39:46   but it's not worth billions of dollars [TS]

00:39:48   and then he met he has imagined [TS]

00:39:49   patients behind the scenes to try to get [TS]

00:39:51   them to cancel the mission and at the [TS]

00:39:52   last minute somebody has a UH a touching [TS]

00:39:55   emotional response and realizes that [TS]

00:39:57   damn it we can't leave that man on Mars [TS]

00:39:59   and they decide i was kind of happy not [TS]

00:40:00   to have to go through that whole [TS]

00:40:01   rigmarole right i would have liked to [TS]

00:40:04   have seen a little bit more political or [TS]

00:40:06   media theater because again we live in [TS]

00:40:07   such as we live in such sharply [TS]

00:40:09   polarized and I an oppositional culture [TS]

00:40:11   that again the minute that this guy [TS]

00:40:13   it's discovered that he stranded on the [TS]

00:40:14   moon you're going to have a thousand [TS]

00:40:16   people and this is why science doesn't [TS]

00:40:18   work and you're going to have more [TS]

00:40:19   people who talk about ethics and and and [TS]

00:40:21   everybody's going to you take that issue [TS]

00:40:24   as a cute mouse their own personal hobby [TS]

00:40:26   horse and ride the point to the ground [TS]

00:40:28   and then Matthew McConaughey steps from [TS]

00:40:30   the side and says let's talk about the [TS]

00:40:32   spiritual aspects of this know you're in [TS]

00:40:34   the wrong movie get back to contact [TS]

00:40:36   gonna get back i feel like this nation's [TS]

00:40:38   in a place where we will receive any [TS]

00:40:39   message that Matthew McConaughey times [TS]

00:40:41   to go yeah it's true that the rescue [TS]

00:40:45   mission to me didn't feel dissimilar [TS]

00:40:48   from other movies or books about rescue [TS]

00:40:51   missions that are more military focused [TS]

00:40:53   where you don't usually see well let's [TS]

00:40:55   not go in and rescue the know it's late [TS]

00:40:56   leave no man behind right exactly and so [TS]

00:40:58   it felt the same mentality that night [TS]

00:41:00   totally I mean if you accepted CNN's on [TS]

00:41:02   the air which i get is probably the [TS]

00:41:04   biggest science fiction leave in the [TS]

00:41:05   book but I I totally did except they [TS]

00:41:08   would have a daily show really only [TS]

00:41:10   thing we try things will be 24 hours of [TS]

00:41:11   it you know we're recording this when [TS]

00:41:13   there's you know up a plane that is [TS]

00:41:15   presumed crash that nobody can find and [TS]

00:41:16   it's all that its office on CNN all day [TS]

00:41:20   yeah i just think people get tired of [TS]

00:41:22   him after after a while but you know I [TS]

00:41:27   don't know I was jealous of him a little [TS]

00:41:28   bit once it was it seems like he's gonna [TS]

00:41:30   probably do ok I was jealous of them for [TS]

00:41:31   sure what all the hard part was done [TS]

00:41:33   although actually no because then he [TS]

00:41:35   gets so at the end I'm like okay we're [TS]

00:41:37   going to fight we kind of been nice [TS]

00:41:39   without the spoilers but i'm going to [TS]

00:41:41   fire off the spoiler for now [TS]

00:41:47   the inn in the end right he has to strip [TS]

00:41:50   the rich the return vehicle from the [TS]

00:41:52   next mission he has to drive all this [TS]

00:41:54   way and get there has to strip it to [TS]

00:41:56   make it as light as possible and it's [TS]

00:41:58   like full holes and he's gonna be aiight [TS]

00:42:01   into i'm imagining like one of the [TS]

00:42:03   little rocket ship rides at Disneyland [TS]

00:42:05   where there's not even a seatbelt and [TS]

00:42:06   it's just the centrifugal force to keep [TS]

00:42:08   you down and that seems great because [TS]

00:42:09   physics or is on your side but then it [TS]

00:42:11   starts spinning and you're like oh my [TS]

00:42:12   god I'm gonna get thrown out i'm gonna [TS]

00:42:14   die or is that just me [TS]

00:42:16   so this is that it so he's never he's [TS]

00:42:21   never safe right he's like even to the [TS]

00:42:24   end it's like oh here we go again [TS]

00:42:25   and although i didn't feel like it was [TS]

00:42:26   episodic like prison break we're [TS]

00:42:28   literally every step that would be a new [TS]

00:42:30   challenge [TS]

00:42:31   there were they were interspersed at the [TS]

00:42:33   end it was like oh man [TS]

00:42:35   nothing can be easy for this guy at all [TS]

00:42:36   so he had his harrowing harrowing [TS]

00:42:39   journey all the way to the last page of [TS]

00:42:40   this book [TS]

00:42:41   yeah but they're spread over like 18 [TS]

00:42:43   months or whatever however i can i'm not [TS]

00:42:45   even sure how long is it spread over a [TS]

00:42:46   long period of time when you think about [TS]

00:42:47   it I just think it's funny that at the [TS]

00:42:49   end he you know it's just one last kick [TS]

00:42:51   in the pants yes yes right [TS]

00:42:54   plus he is on an alien planet [TS]

00:42:57   this is true and he's got a tarp over [TS]

00:42:59   the top of his uh his rocket ship [TS]

00:43:02   I was actually like all the one that the [TS]

00:43:04   storm first came up and everyone on [TS]

00:43:06   earth [TS]

00:43:07   his mom is like oh crap he's heading [TS]

00:43:08   straight to stormy is no idea like i had [TS]

00:43:11   to go put down the book and take a [TS]

00:43:12   moment to collect myself because I was [TS]

00:43:14   like oh my god no no there's a storm [TS]

00:43:16   coming for him and how will you no will [TS]

00:43:19   he notice that's that's effective raw [TS]

00:43:21   materials like there's a big storm i [TS]

00:43:23   hope he notices we can talk to him and [TS]

00:43:25   then you're watching him and you're like [TS]

00:43:26   come on figure it out figure it out [TS]

00:43:28   I i just said I'm sure he'll figure out [TS]

00:43:30   some convoluted engineering way to do it [TS]

00:43:31   oh he did and now here's here's a [TS]

00:43:34   detailed explanation [TS]

00:43:36   well he drove in one direction for a [TS]

00:43:37   while and I had to be careful when I [TS]

00:43:40   read this book because like I would just [TS]

00:43:42   get so tense for him and I was like well [TS]

00:43:44   it's gonna work apically I doubt people [TS]

00:43:46   be reading about booking like and then [TS]

00:43:48   he died 50 yards from the ship that was [TS]

00:43:50   going to save him be [TS]

00:43:52   I mean this isn't a Cormac McCarthy book [TS]

00:43:55   so it'll be fine then but I i did have [TS]

00:43:57   this debate over whether I [TS]

00:43:59   wanted him to deliver not and or you [TS]

00:44:01   know I felt just a moment no no I mean I [TS]

00:44:06   liked him i wanted him to live in [TS]

00:44:07   general but i just i was thinking for [TS]

00:44:09   the good of the story I think what seems [TS]

00:44:10   to me that he's clearly going to live [TS]

00:44:11   because that's very even write the book [TS]

00:44:13   and then have the guy diet and he's gone [TS]

00:44:15   through so much but I I don't know I [TS]

00:44:18   jason said he felt like you know up [TS]

00:44:19   until the last page things are hard for [TS]

00:44:21   me but I felt towards the end it [TS]

00:44:22   actually suddenly was surprisingly easy [TS]

00:44:24   like oh geez i think this way she was [TS]

00:44:26   walking part that I've you know taking [TS]

00:44:27   all the parts out of and I I feel like [TS]

00:44:29   this is never going to work with like [TS]

00:44:30   everything kind of goes fine during the [TS]

00:44:33   rescue [TS]

00:44:33   there's there's there's hiccups but they [TS]

00:44:35   they rescue him and I I i don't know i [TS]

00:44:39   wanted something bad to happen to him at [TS]

00:44:41   least that was beyond just my niece's [TS]

00:44:43   are Mars i'll right i'll i thought you [TS]

00:44:45   losing art that's exactly what it is I [TS]

00:44:47   thought that when he wear an ipad i [TS]

00:44:48   thought that the army yet on the [TS]

00:44:50   spacesuit incident should have been [TS]

00:44:52   foreshadowing that he was gonna end up [TS]

00:44:53   losing an arm was like I felt like he [TS]

00:44:55   should have some long-lasting visible [TS]

00:44:57   star from his journey like I I didn't [TS]

00:44:59   think he was gonna die at the end I did [TS]

00:45:00   wonder at one point he was gonna die in [TS]

00:45:01   the middle and then we're going to have [TS]

00:45:03   many chapters detailing what happens to [TS]

00:45:05   get body at the space just like em and [TS]

00:45:10   then the eyes begin to cave in on [TS]

00:45:12   themselves and then the bacteria in his [TS]

00:45:14   gut right and just like an incredible [TS]

00:45:16   technical details so Scott I'm sensing [TS]

00:45:19   from you a little bit of hostility [TS]

00:45:21   toward no hostile toward the lu you seem [TS]

00:45:26   skeptical about the use of all of the [TS]

00:45:28   technical details that you you are not [TS]

00:45:30   as enthusiastic matters as as some i [TS]

00:45:32   will say that i read the book in like [TS]

00:45:35   three hours it was certainly what this [TS]

00:45:39   is not showing off its should I I know [TS]

00:45:41   how to read and it's a very good huh [TS]

00:45:44   unlike me unlike me which is fair which [TS]

00:45:47   is fair i admitted that early on dearie [TS]

00:45:49   diagonally Scott I do not read i finally [TS]

00:45:52   it's very fast-paced it is it is a fat [TS]

00:45:55   already it's obvious you know man vs [TS]

00:45:57   mars it's very engaging but without that [TS]

00:46:01   tension i feel like a the technical [TS]

00:46:05   detail is almost to the point where it [TS]

00:46:08   overwhelms the entire story [TS]

00:46:11   it certainly there is almost no [TS]

00:46:13   characterization in this book other than [TS]

00:46:15   the main character mark and even he is [TS]

00:46:19   kind of a cartoon the astronauts that [TS]

00:46:22   are on the rest of his team are [TS]

00:46:23   certainly cartoons the the NASA people [TS]

00:46:26   are even cartoons [TS]

00:46:28   I mean and so I think the biggest [TS]

00:46:30   character in the book is probably the [TS]

00:46:33   ingenuity of market as opposed to his [TS]

00:46:36   actual characterization is that is that [TS]

00:46:38   a problem with the book [TS]

00:46:39   no I i liked it but I didn't think it [TS]

00:46:41   was like mind-blowing Lee great and as i [TS]

00:46:43   was reading it I thought this would be a [TS]

00:46:45   much better movie i think than a book [TS]

00:46:47   I'm reading which is not a problem [TS]

00:46:49   obviously and people like the book [TS]

00:46:50   that's fine [TS]

00:46:52   they're just wrong but haha i would say [TS]

00:46:57   it was super fun as opposed to [TS]

00:46:58   mind-blowing Lee great it was fun and I [TS]

00:47:01   completely agree that he is and this is [TS]

00:47:03   one of the points about about him like I [TS]

00:47:05   mean I think anybody who is who is by [TS]

00:47:07   themselves for that period of time is [TS]

00:47:08   going to fall into a deep depression and [TS]

00:47:11   he does not show any sign mean at one [TS]

00:47:14   point you think he says that he misses [TS]

00:47:15   talking to people when the [TS]

00:47:17   communications breakdown but he you know [TS]

00:47:18   he doesn't really show that in his and [TS]

00:47:21   his words because he's constantly [TS]

00:47:23   cracking jokes so it it does not that [TS]

00:47:26   does not ring true to me as as far as [TS]

00:47:28   real people go and I mean that's a lot [TS]

00:47:30   of fun i also is so it started off as [TS]

00:47:33   kind of a serial thing and I think that [TS]

00:47:34   that see realized story and I think that [TS]

00:47:37   come through i'm certain that the [TS]

00:47:40   publisher has done a great job of [TS]

00:47:41   editing it again but I did feel a little [TS]

00:47:43   repetition about hey remember that thing [TS]

00:47:45   I did four pages ago which would make [TS]

00:47:48   sense if it were a serial but it is in [TS]

00:47:51   fact a novel that I read so I don't need [TS]

00:47:53   to be reminded of what you just told me [TS]

00:47:55   the guy i agree i I had fun reading it [TS]

00:48:00   and and 21 [TS]

00:48:02   we'll talk about this when we shift over [TS]

00:48:03   to wonder what are we reading I'd read [TS]

00:48:05   another book after this that i thought [TS]

00:48:07   was a much much better book but that [TS]

00:48:12   book was more much more of a struggle to [TS]

00:48:14   get through and I could only read so [TS]

00:48:16   much of it at a time and this I [TS]

00:48:18   absolutely inhaled it I mean it was it [TS]

00:48:20   was super fast and fun and there's a [TS]

00:48:23   place for that [TS]

00:48:24   in in in in books I really every so [TS]

00:48:28   often especially if you're like on a [TS]

00:48:30   beach or something right you you want [TS]

00:48:31   you want those books that are just fast [TS]

00:48:35   and enjoyable and they pull you through [TS]

00:48:36   the story and it's a fun ride and this [TS]

00:48:39   was that I did Scott have those feelings [TS]

00:48:42   that that I have from time to time when [TS]

00:48:44   i'm reading a book where I'm like yeah [TS]

00:48:46   this i knew i could practically start [TS]

00:48:47   casting the movie right [TS]

00:48:49   I think this is a great fun it's a fun [TS]

00:48:51   book but it will make a good movie or [TS]

00:48:53   should exactly and I think there are [TS]

00:48:55   different reasons for people different [TS]

00:48:57   reasons three different things and this [TS]

00:48:58   is a fine book to read it's not a you [TS]

00:49:01   know a work of literature or a [TS]

00:49:02   staggering it hasn't changed my life in [TS]

00:49:05   any way but it was a lot of fun [TS]

00:49:07   could I have lived not reading it [TS]

00:49:09   probably am I glad I did [TS]

00:49:12   sure there's a small chance that you [TS]

00:49:13   couldn't have lived if you hadn't read [TS]

00:49:15   it so whenever I if if I become stranded [TS]

00:49:18   on Mars i will probably still just died [TS]

00:49:20   immediately he quickly there's no way [TS]

00:49:23   I'm surviving that button [TS]

00:49:25   Sam Rockwell sam rockwell know ya know [TS]

00:49:28   he was moving listening [TS]

00:49:30   yeah he was on the because every even a [TS]

00:49:32   spaceship is not allowed another one [TS]

00:49:34   no right without Bruce Willis anybody [TS]

00:49:36   know I actually think I think I think [TS]

00:49:38   the casting rules if you've already made [TS]

00:49:40   one shitty space movies and you're not [TS]

00:49:41   allowed to be all ready my God we're [TS]

00:49:46   going to work it's probably Cooper I'm [TS]

00:49:47   gonna I'm gonna read from together oh my [TS]

00:49:49   god [TS]

00:49:52   so we disagree on the casting yeah what [TS]

00:49:56   about you [TS]

00:49:57   I I'm hearing a lot of bad-mouthing of [TS]

00:49:59   the characterizations of many of the [TS]

00:50:01   non-lead characters not Mar characters i [TS]

00:50:04   was impressed and surprised by how funny [TS]

00:50:07   at least one of his crewmates was in the [TS]

00:50:10   winning when he cocked and then the one [TS]

00:50:13   of the women from the crew in theory is [TS]

00:50:15   I am him or emailing him that when he [TS]

00:50:17   gets to the shape she's going to ravish [TS]

00:50:19   him and make passionate love to him and [TS]

00:50:21   then she's like of course no i didn't [TS]

00:50:22   type that was you know one of the other [TS]

00:50:24   crewmates instead I thought that crew [TS]

00:50:27   made who typed on behalf of the woman I [TS]

00:50:28   thought that was pretty fine [TS]

00:50:29   yeah it's nice that it's nice that they [TS]

00:50:31   had some rapport no no it shows that [TS]

00:50:35   it's that NASA is full of hilarious [TS]

00:50:38   people who go to the godaddy.com missed [TS]

00:50:41   astronaut jokesters [TS]

00:50:43   does anybody believe that NASA is full [TS]

00:50:45   of really hilarious people i do actually [TS]

00:50:47   I used to I used to know I need I used [TS]

00:50:50   to babysit for a physicist who worked at [TS]

00:50:52   NASA Langley and he was one of the [TS]

00:50:53   funniest guys ever knew [TS]

00:50:54   ok ya know this is no like this is back [TS]

00:50:57   in the eighties and like he and his wife [TS]

00:50:58   were big into yoga and he played a [TS]

00:51:00   trombone as a hobby she was a [TS]

00:51:02   theoretical mathematician and like I [TS]

00:51:04   never letting him on a long-duration [TS]

00:51:05   spaceflight names Riker know hehe was [TS]

00:51:09   not in fact like i was i was 14 and he [TS]

00:51:11   handed me his collection of kurt [TS]

00:51:12   vonnegut he was like here read this [TS]

00:51:14   you'll really enjoy it and you know he [TS]

00:51:16   was a really funny guy used to voices I [TS]

00:51:18   just mindprint to be honest my [TS]

00:51:20   impression was that nasty water voice [TS]

00:51:22   with my impression was like NASA was a [TS]

00:51:26   little as a laugh riot with slide rules [TS]

00:51:28   of you did it because that's all I now [TS]

00:51:30   probably since I was a mixture of comedy [TS]

00:51:34   and tragedy if they're slide but it [TS]

00:51:37   didn't add but but many of them are I [TS]

00:51:39   mean many of them in the book are [TS]

00:51:40   missing throw ups and that didn't seem [TS]

00:51:42   out of character for out of her unlikely [TS]

00:51:46   i can't remember the name of the [TS]

00:51:47   scientists of the of the mathematician [TS]

00:51:48   was asked to calculate one route and was [TS]

00:51:50   like now wait I think I'll do something [TS]

00:51:52   completely different and if you don't [TS]

00:51:54   remember his name now any torture [TS]

00:51:56   well that's because his basic function [TS]

00:51:58   was I a math nerd and i'm going to nerd [TS]

00:52:01   on some math now and and that was pretty [TS]

00:52:02   much like every character is the author [TS]

00:52:06   essentially now I like the astronauts [TS]

00:52:08   who were who had left behind in that we [TS]

00:52:11   got a little bit more idea of what their [TS]

00:52:13   dynamic was I end I when I wanted a [TS]

00:52:16   little more of how miserable it would be [TS]

00:52:18   to shut up to be shut up in a ship like [TS]

00:52:20   that with those people for so long but [TS]

00:52:22   there was some of that it was that the [TS]

00:52:23   NASA people that are the ones who [TS]

00:52:25   bothered me because I found them kind of [TS]

00:52:26   unpleasant but you know that's fine i [TS]

00:52:28   just i felt the book was much stronger [TS]

00:52:29   when it was in space [TS]

00:52:31   what more should we say before we move [TS]

00:52:35   on to what are we reading does anybody [TS]

00:52:36   else have any anything they want to [TS]

00:52:39   bring up about the Martian before we [TS]

00:52:40   move on just that it's incredibly quick [TS]

00:52:43   read [TS]

00:52:43   I mean I guess we've said that several [TS]

00:52:44   times but you know if you're on the [TS]

00:52:46   fence [TS]

00:52:47   it's not like you're making a big [TS]

00:52:48   commitment [TS]

00:52:50   it's a great airplane book it's all yeah [TS]

00:52:53   yeah sure like to [TS]

00:52:54   I knocked it off in about five hours [TS]

00:52:56   yeah yeah i mean as long as you're ok [TS]

00:52:58   with it's not just that you can read it [TS]

00:53:01   quickly but you're motivated to its you [TS]

00:53:04   know you want to know what's going to [TS]

00:53:05   happen and you're not you don't have to [TS]

00:53:07   spend a lot of time puzzling out [TS]

00:53:08   people's motives or frankly if you're on [TS]

00:53:10   the fence and you've listened to this [TS]

00:53:11   part of the podcast your jerk and you [TS]

00:53:13   don't you have already spent about half [TS]

00:53:15   its you know what's gonna happen now [TS]

00:53:18   don't bother reading in fact don't don't [TS]

00:53:20   read it if you haven't read on your this [TS]

00:53:22   parts don't forget you don't deserve to [TS]

00:53:24   you don't deserve the Martian well a [TS]

00:53:31   thousand bloggers rise up in opposition [TS]

00:53:32   I think this podcast is fair [TS]

00:53:35   Oh relax and I both suggested you don't [TS]

00:53:42   deserve the Martian as the title we have [TS]

00:53:48   this one like it when followed right [TS]

00:53:55   after all right let's move on then [TS]

00:53:58   so I I mean we'll liked it enough to say [TS]

00:54:01   other than having listen this far to the [TS]

00:54:04   spoiler horn and Lex's if you listen [TS]

00:54:06   this far and you haven't read it you're [TS]

00:54:07   terrible person you shouldn't but [TS]

00:54:09   generally we would say we you know you [TS]

00:54:12   read it was fun [TS]

00:54:13   your life doesn't depend on it that's [TS]

00:54:16   got quite rightly pointed out you will [TS]

00:54:17   not die a lesser person if you don't [TS]

00:54:21   read it but it's fun it's a lot of fun [TS]

00:54:22   if you like space stuff i love space [TS]

00:54:24   stuff if you like space stuff it's [TS]

00:54:26   fantastic for that it's a lot of fun and [TS]

00:54:28   it is it is quick [TS]

00:54:29   you're not going to labor it reading it [TS]

00:54:31   is quick and fun sound by right [TS]

00:54:33   yes yes yes Scott looking great [TS]

00:54:37   yes very well know it was it was fun i [TS]

00:54:40   just say yeah it's not it's not a [TS]

00:54:42   fantastically moving work of literature [TS]

00:54:45   doesn't stand up to a lot of scrutiny so [TS]

00:54:47   I'm saying I mean the technical factors [TS]

00:54:48   do but the the craftsmanship of the book [TS]

00:54:50   itself is not yeah blog posts from an [TS]

00:54:54   astronaut fake fictional astronaut [TS]

00:54:58   alright let's move on to what i like to [TS]

00:55:01   do at the end of the book club which is [TS]

00:55:02   asked what we're reading or her [TS]

00:55:04   or have read recently this is always [TS]

00:55:07   good to see what other things are people [TS]

00:55:09   are reading rather than you know just [TS]

00:55:11   talking about the book that we talked [TS]

00:55:13   about so what are we reading Lex are you [TS]

00:55:16   reading anything else or did it is this [TS]

00:55:18   your book for the year [TS]

00:55:19   no I you I I don't watch movies but I [TS]

00:55:21   read a lot of i read a lot of books i [TS]

00:55:23   read it i read a book every night before [TS]

00:55:25   I mean I don't bow i read i do my [TS]

00:55:28   reading it right before i go to sleep [TS]

00:55:29   and so some nights it's like two pages [TS]

00:55:32   at a time because then I fall asleep but [TS]

00:55:34   the Martian was one that buck that trend [TS]

00:55:35   so the book i read before the Martian [TS]

00:55:37   that i enjoyed this from 2007 by laura [TS]

00:55:40   lippman called what the dead know it's a [TS]

00:55:42   actually a very compellingly written a [TS]

00:55:45   mystery you have a woman who claims to [TS]

00:55:49   be the long-lost abducted girl from a up [TS]

00:55:52   the ad abduction of young sisters from [TS]

00:55:55   many many years ago in Baltimore and she [TS]

00:55:57   says that she's one of the sisters and [TS]

00:55:58   she watched her sister's murder and [TS]

00:56:00   explains where she's been the whole time [TS]

00:56:01   and people have to try to figure out if [TS]

00:56:02   she is who she says she is it was really [TS]

00:56:04   good and then the book that I'm in right [TS]

00:56:06   now you can date boys when you're forty [TS]

00:56:09   dave barry on parenting and other topics [TS]

00:56:11   he knows very little about by dave barry [TS]

00:56:14   it's really good i woke up my wife [TS]

00:56:16   laughing out loud to the book and that's [TS]

00:56:20   always a good sign [TS]

00:56:21   Wow Dave Dave Barry not not cutting edge [TS]

00:56:24   funny not coming as you have any [TS]

00:56:26   Garfield treasuries that you're also [TS]

00:56:27   teaches this is a plan i'm just came out [TS]

00:56:30   did this book you can date boys when [TS]

00:56:33   you're forty was released on march forth [TS]

00:56:35   well because they're very had a daughter [TS]

00:56:36   with like his second wife so yeah you [TS]

00:56:39   know it's like his fourth wife but yes [TS]

00:56:40   but don't marry Dave Barry at this this [TS]

00:56:44   is my text messages this morning [TS]

00:56:47   that's what really wow yeah I they [TS]

00:56:49   buried the person who maybe want to be a [TS]

00:56:51   writer so I read all of his books on [TS]

00:56:52   Anna he's funny [TS]

00:56:53   don't marry Dave Barry a guide to [TS]

00:56:56   marriage but with a very finite very day [TS]

00:56:59   berries guide to marriage [TS]

00:57:01   I can't believe you gave me the [TS]

00:57:03   Garfield's there's a brand new book [TS]

00:57:05   hey you know I had to I had to gene [TS]

00:57:07   Shalit also has a new book at you should [TS]

00:57:09   also okay that's a lie [TS]

00:57:11   good [TS]

00:57:13   if you like writing it's the right [TS]

00:57:15   choice [TS]

00:57:22   good luck thank you my pleasure John [TS]

00:57:24   Smoltz what are you reading [TS]

00:57:26   I to two books i'm in the middle of two [TS]

00:57:28   books right now what is the castle [TS]

00:57:29   gambit by MC plant which is a science [TS]

00:57:33   fiction book which I'm enjoying my it's [TS]

00:57:35   not as you know it [TS]

00:57:37   okay i don't think there's a book that's [TS]

00:57:39   easier to plow through the book that we [TS]

00:57:40   just talked about but it's not as easy [TS]

00:57:42   to play throws that book but it's good [TS]

00:57:44   it's a it's enjoyable and then the UH [TS]

00:57:46   the other book i'm reading is I have a [TS]

00:57:48   thing about the black death that I like [TS]

00:57:51   so i'm reading a book I'm reading a book [TS]

00:57:53   called called and i quote black death by [TS]

00:57:57   robert s Godfrey which is a ever this is [TS]

00:58:00   i actually this is only the second book [TS]

00:58:01   about the black death that I've written [TS]

00:58:02   written that's later later [TS]

00:58:06   read your cydia bring the legs [TS]

00:58:10   this is a more scientific spoiler alert [TS]

00:58:13   the rats the rats did it explanation [TS]

00:58:15   explanation of what of what what [TS]

00:58:17   happened during the black enough [TS]

00:58:20   have you read domesday book no bio you [TS]

00:58:24   concerning a town it domesday book by [TS]

00:58:26   connie willis it's about time travel [TS]

00:58:27   should go back to the time of the Black [TS]

00:58:28   Death [TS]

00:58:29   oh my god it's a good one good it's [TS]

00:58:32   really likes you like it it's really [TS]

00:58:34   depressing like those books that we read [TS]

00:58:35   you know that's what i did not because [TS]

00:58:37   it is it is of it is of a kind that is [TS]

00:58:40   about an apocalypse [TS]

00:58:41   it's not even really happened well the [TS]

00:58:44   black death was not exactly the [TS]

00:58:45   feel-good events of the Middle Ages know [TS]

00:58:48   this is really funny connie willis book [TS]

00:58:51   you should we call bellwether which [TS]

00:58:53   actually i have found very useful [TS]

00:58:54   working online so i would recommend that [TS]

00:58:57   one too [TS]

00:58:58   also writing that down yeah alright Lisa [TS]

00:59:01   what are you reading [TS]

00:59:02   um I just ripped through two books by [TS]

00:59:06   Ben H winters the first is called the [TS]

00:59:08   last policemen and the second one is [TS]

00:59:09   counter called countdown city they're [TS]

00:59:12   part of a planned trilogy that focuses [TS]

00:59:14   on life in New England in the final [TS]

00:59:18   three months leading up to the date with [TS]

00:59:20   a comment is expected to slam into the [TS]

00:59:21   earth [TS]

00:59:22   alright and they are fantastic because [TS]

00:59:26   he goes into the economic and social and [TS]

00:59:29   commercial implications of what happens [TS]

00:59:31   when you actually do have like a big [TS]

00:59:32   blinking and date on when when you know [TS]

00:59:36   everything is you know will end for [TS]

00:59:38   example they talk about when newspapers [TS]

00:59:40   stop publishing they talk about what [TS]

00:59:42   happens with currency radical laws that [TS]

00:59:45   get past you know with regard to [TS]

00:59:47   hoarding and guns and things like that [TS]

00:59:48   and through all of this a lot of towns [TS]

00:59:51   have just decided you know screw it [TS]

00:59:52   we're throwing it on police police work [TS]

00:59:54   because why bother [TS]

00:59:56   and there's one guy who doggedly [TS]

00:59:58   persistent being a detective [TS]

00:59:58   persistent being a detective [TS]

01:00:00   and trying to find missing people and [TS]

01:00:01   solve homicides and take care of missing [TS]

01:00:03   children while this is all going on the [TS]

01:00:06   only thing that has me where every [TS]

01:00:07   prayer book number three because i enjoy [TS]

01:00:09   books wanted to so much and the only [TS]

01:00:11   thing that has me worried is this guy [TS]

01:00:13   also has a little sister who is involved [TS]

01:00:15   in some fringe science group that thinks [TS]

01:00:17   it has a way to divert the comet and so [TS]

01:00:19   I kind of worried that the author's not [TS]

01:00:21   going to have the balls to pull the [TS]

01:00:22   trigger and have the comments down into [TS]

01:00:23   the earth and and and kill everybody [TS]

01:00:25   we've come to know and love and I i [TS]

01:00:27   really hope that happens as opposed to [TS]

01:00:29   and then the comment was diverted hooray [TS]

01:00:31   we're rebuilding but I'm still going to [TS]

01:00:33   read book number three because i love i [TS]

01:00:35   love the guys town it's very dry it's [TS]

01:00:38   it's very funny and it also he does a [TS]

01:00:42   good job of cataloging the loss that [TS]

01:00:44   that the fact that it's the erosion of [TS]

01:00:47   daily rituals in daily things you take [TS]

01:00:49   for granted that he thinks are actually [TS]

01:00:51   more devastating than the fact that you [TS]

01:00:53   know a comments going to plow into [TS]

01:00:54   indonesia and pick up a huge extinction [TS]

01:00:57   so I read those on it reminded me of [TS]

01:00:59   another series i'm about to dive into [TS]

01:01:01   and there's a young adult series called [TS]

01:01:03   the last survivor series by season-best [TS]

01:01:05   Pfeiffer and the first book because it's [TS]

01:01:08   called life as we know it the dead and [TS]

01:01:09   gone the world we live in and book [TS]

01:01:11   number for which I am just about to [TS]

01:01:12   start associated the moon and basically [TS]

01:01:15   the premise the series is a comment [TS]

01:01:16   slams into the moon [TS]

01:01:18   knocks it out of orbit activates the [TS]

01:01:20   caldera below yellows below Yellowstone [TS]

01:01:23   Park and tides go crazy you've got NASA [TS]

01:01:27   volcano volcanic eruptions and so [TS]

01:01:29   there's a huge fog and cloud and it's [TS]

01:01:31   told from the perspective of a couple [TS]

01:01:33   siblings who are in their teams with [TS]

01:01:35   with their mom and and basically what [TS]

01:01:37   happens as as literally every every form [TS]

01:01:40   of government commerc commerce [TS]

01:01:44   everything falls down [TS]

01:01:45   how do you fend for yourself how do you [TS]

01:01:47   survive water human relationships like [TS]

01:01:49   the first book is is a rulebook the [TS]

01:01:51   second book takes place in new york city [TS]

01:01:52   with a different family and talks about [TS]

01:01:54   the horror of being trapped in urban [TS]

01:01:56   environment when you know you basically [TS]

01:01:58   have no way to live off the land when [TS]

01:01:59   you live in a six floor walk-up and I'm [TS]

01:02:02   really looking forward to say how this [TS]

01:02:03   office works out so so more apocalypses [TS]

01:02:07   for ELISA I like the pre I really either [TS]

01:02:09   this apocalyptic fiction [TS]

01:02:11   the thing I really liked about the last [TS]

01:02:12   policeman series is it [TS]

01:02:13   pre-apocalyptic it points out pretty [TS]

01:02:15   much that disastrous is isn't as much if [TS]

01:02:18   not more a state of mind as actual [TS]

01:02:19   circumstances disastrous how human [TS]

01:02:21   beings respond to circumstances and [TS]

01:02:23   treat each other subsequently and I [TS]

01:02:25   think that's a really I think that's a [TS]

01:02:26   really rich area to mine [TS]

01:02:28   speaking of disasters a state of mind [TS]

01:02:30   scotland ltd what are you reading [TS]

01:02:32   well I will point out that in the [TS]

01:02:35   uncomfortable number 155 I mentioned the [TS]

01:02:38   last placement that's something i was [TS]

01:02:39   reading so good choice ELISA and I will [TS]

01:02:43   take credit for it even though i'm sure [TS]

01:02:44   some other I did you like the last [TS]

01:02:47   policeman do you remember that far back [TS]

01:02:49   I i like both of them i've read them [TS]

01:02:51   both and they are very good so check out [TS]

01:02:54   i will I second Lisa's recommendation [TS]

01:02:57   and i just finished today [TS]

01:02:59   blue remembered earth by alastair [TS]

01:03:01   reynolds who's a science-fiction author [TS]

01:03:04   who writes these kind of big sweeping [TS]

01:03:06   space opera books this is the first in a [TS]

01:03:11   trilogy although i didn't know it was [TS]

01:03:13   the first in a trilogy Western me how [TS]

01:03:15   did not have an ending is one of those [TS]

01:03:17   know it's girl know it it it it ends but [TS]

01:03:22   it's one of those books that it you [TS]

01:03:24   could look at it as a self-contained [TS]

01:03:27   story or if you know that there truly is [TS]

01:03:30   trilogy is coming it basically just sets [TS]

01:03:32   up the second book so it was alright [TS]

01:03:35   with uh I was ok with that especially [TS]

01:03:37   the second book is coming out soon so [TS]

01:03:39   I'm excited [TS]

01:03:41   it's basically a set in 21 60s and you [TS]

01:03:46   know the UM humanity is a colonize the [TS]

01:03:49   solar system still takes a long time to [TS]

01:03:51   get places there are ecological disaster [TS]

01:03:55   has happened on earth and we fixed it [TS]

01:03:57   and the world has changed everyone's [TS]

01:04:00   being watched over by this system of [TS]

01:04:04   checks and balances that doesn't allow [TS]

01:04:06   you to break the law but people like it [TS]

01:04:09   and have given up their privacy because [TS]

01:04:10   it's a war anymore [TS]

01:04:12   and it follows this this family of [TS]

01:04:14   people who have this large kind of multi [TS]

01:04:18   planetary a company that provides space [TS]

01:04:24   goods i guess it's better than the way [TS]

01:04:28   to describe hits space walmart space [TS]

01:04:31   goods like the astronaut ice cream [TS]

01:04:32   astronaut ice cream and spam mark and [TS]

01:04:36   astronauts been it has a and I'd had [TS]

01:04:40   some very interesting uses of technology [TS]

01:04:44   to solve the problem of if you are you [TS]

01:04:47   know humanity has spread across the [TS]

01:04:49   solar system but you can they haven't [TS]

01:04:52   broken the speed of light so [TS]

01:04:54   communication lag between the different [TS]

01:04:56   planets and it's difficult to hold a [TS]

01:04:59   conversation when it may take 10 hours [TS]

01:05:00   to go back and forth between when you're [TS]

01:05:02   talking so they've come up with these [TS]

01:05:04   concepts of basically robot telepresence [TS]

01:05:07   robots that you can kind of jack into [TS]

01:05:10   and kind of give autonomy to and then it [TS]

01:05:12   will act as you and then update you [TS]

01:05:14   later and that comes hunt what you said [TS]

01:05:17   what you said exactly it acts like it [TS]

01:05:19   thinks you would act so it's interesting [TS]

01:05:22   all right you totally told your mom off [TS]

01:05:25   man over so-called know you're not [TS]

01:05:28   supposed to well no actually yeah okay [TS]

01:05:29   all those years all those years you had [TS]

01:05:31   pent up inside and you finally let go [TS]

01:05:33   problem solved and Jason are you reading [TS]

01:05:37   anything of interest [TS]

01:05:38   why thank you for asking Scott I am I [TS]

01:05:41   finished the book that I alluded to [TS]

01:05:44   earlier that i consider much better than [TS]

01:05:47   the Martian but also was much harder to [TS]

01:05:49   read is use of weapons by Iain M banks [TS]

01:05:53   oh that is much better than the motion [TS]

01:05:54   the third yes is the third in his [TS]

01:05:56   culture series which is said in a shared [TS]

01:06:00   universe there's very little crossover [TS]

01:06:01   between characters although I understand [TS]

01:06:03   there's some it's a story about a guy [TS]

01:06:08   who is he's kind of a mercenary he's [TS]

01:06:11   kind of an assassin or he's deployed by [TS]

01:06:14   the culture on various planets in order [TS]

01:06:17   to tip the usually to tip the balance of [TS]

01:06:20   a war one way or another sometimes they [TS]

01:06:23   deploy him and expect him to lose [TS]

01:06:25   something that can become a problem if [TS]

01:06:27   he's so good that he makes the wrong [TS]

01:06:28   side win so that's his story and and [TS]

01:06:32   there's a particular deployment of his [TS]

01:06:34   that we see and thatthat's told as the [TS]

01:06:37   book goes forward and its interleaved [TS]

01:06:40   with chapters those chapters are [TS]

01:06:42   numbered [TS]

01:06:42   it's interleaved with chapters that are [TS]

01:06:43   numbered by Roman numerals and start [TS]

01:06:45   with a large number and go backward in [TS]

01:06:48   time so so you'll have 13 and then 12 [TS]

01:06:51   sorry XII and and and so on and those [TS]

01:06:56   are going backward in his life and [TS]

01:06:59   looting to sort of things in his past [TS]

01:07:02   that explain something about what he's [TS]

01:07:04   doing now and also set up some mysteries [TS]

01:07:06   about why he behaves the way he does and [TS]

01:07:09   he's a very interesting character and [TS]

01:07:11   the the other characters who manipulate [TS]

01:07:14   him from the culture are also very [TS]

01:07:16   interesting and his story is actually [TS]

01:07:20   kind of shocking and emotional it has a [TS]

01:07:24   great ending that I didn't see coming [TS]

01:07:27   and I and we use the weapons at their [TS]

01:07:31   there's that moment where the title gets [TS]

01:07:33   dropped in the story which i read on my [TS]

01:07:35   Kindle and it made me laugh because the [TS]

01:07:36   set the sentence where the phrase use of [TS]

01:07:39   weapons is used it's been highlighted by [TS]

01:07:41   like everybody who read the books like [TS]

01:07:42   80,000 people highlighted passages like [TS]

01:07:44   it you found the title good job do you [TS]

01:07:48   mean I can't believe that you leave [TS]

01:07:49   those highlights on my brain is [TS]

01:07:51   exploding [TS]

01:07:52   I hate the highlights i do i'm [TS]

01:07:54   fascinated by them and they don't bother [TS]

01:07:56   me that much I i'm fascinated to see [TS]

01:07:58   what people highlight it i love it it's [TS]

01:07:59   like it's like it's like getting a used [TS]

01:08:02   book in a college bookstore and you're [TS]

01:08:03   like one of the highlighting what is [TS]

01:08:05   this note mean I it's kind of fun and [TS]

01:08:07   you can turn it off but one time I think [TS]

01:08:09   I got burned it was it the highlight the [TS]

01:08:12   fact that they have been highlighted so [TS]

01:08:13   much proved to be a giant spoiler like [TS]

01:08:15   it was like don't miss this thing so [TS]

01:08:16   then I turned it off and never look back [TS]

01:08:18   yeah he felt fine no no you sure didn't [TS]

01:08:24   die in seven pages the kurt vonnegut [TS]

01:08:26   novel where characters get an asterisk [TS]

01:08:27   next to their name we're gonna die the [TS]

01:08:29   next 20 page is to keep you from being [TS]

01:08:32   disturbed and it's so disturbing when [TS]

01:08:34   you get the asterisk know they're gonna [TS]

01:08:36   die [TS]

01:08:36   so anyway its use weapons uh it is it is [TS]

01:08:40   a meaningful phrases know it because [TS]

01:08:41   that's what this guy does is his living [TS]

01:08:43   is the expertise in the deployment of [TS]

01:08:46   weapons and and the cost of it has so [TS]

01:08:49   it's a it was a very well written very [TS]

01:08:53   thoughtful kind of amazing book and i [TS]

01:08:57   would say this is a piece of literature [TS]

01:08:58   that said I didn't rip through in a [TS]

01:09:01   couple of days it took a long time to [TS]

01:09:02   get through it [TS]

01:09:03   I'm not because it was hard to read the [TS]

01:09:06   words or anything but it was just it was [TS]

01:09:07   it was waiting and I didn't feel like I [TS]

01:09:10   could you know i'd read the chapter and [TS]

01:09:12   be like okay I'm gonna stop and read the [TS]

01:09:14   next chapter tomorrow but I liked it a [TS]

01:09:15   lot and so thank you Scott for being one [TS]

01:09:19   of the people recommending culture books [TS]

01:09:21   I've heard what people say that they [TS]

01:09:22   think this is the best one [TS]

01:09:23   what do you think it it is very good i [TS]

01:09:25   like all of his wealth his culture books [TS]

01:09:28   i haven't read everything all of them [TS]

01:09:29   are the best more all over the world the [TS]

01:09:31   best the use of weapons is a amazing [TS]

01:09:33   book that [TS]

01:09:34   yeah it's good so i recommend that and [TS]

01:09:36   then I am now reading the government the [TS]

01:09:40   Genii which was recommended by Scott I'm [TS]

01:09:42   perhaps our last book club and I'm like [TS]

01:09:44   it a lot and it's got a little of the I [TS]

01:09:48   don't know it's got it reminded me of a [TS]

01:09:50   bunch of different books reminds me of [TS]

01:09:51   the of a not the magician's of the [TS]

01:09:55   what's the book with the night circus [TS]

01:09:58   yeah reminds me a little bit of the [TS]

01:10:00   night circus and a little bit of a [TS]

01:10:02   Jonathan strange & Mr Norrell and a [TS]

01:10:06   little bit of Michael Chabon kind of [TS]

01:10:09   stuff it's a lot of fun and there's a [TS]

01:10:11   golem you see and there's a genie ji ni [TS]

01:10:15   Jeannie interesting ji ni yeah tell me [TS]

01:10:20   more [TS]

01:10:20   so you know golem genie and and it is [TS]

01:10:23   the golden the genie there was a debate [TS]

01:10:24   in the last of the club genie in the [TS]

01:10:26   Golan [TS]

01:10:27   remember and basically it's a 70 sitcom [TS]

01:10:29   sets to a novel so it's really great [TS]

01:10:32   he's a goal of sheezy well he's made a [TS]

01:10:36   fire and she's made of clay so will he [TS]

01:10:38   will he glaze her into a pot that some [TS]

01:10:40   sort of pottery haha woman i'm in the [TS]

01:10:45   middle I don't know this is the internal [TS]

01:10:47   tension anyway I'm enjoying it a lot too [TS]

01:10:48   so that's what i'm reading if it wasn't [TS]

01:10:52   77.com mom that guy's TV on Mars don't [TS]

01:10:55   give away the ending picnic way to bring [TS]

01:10:59   back because all of them are there if I [TS]

01:11:01   could highlight that I would thank you [TS]

01:11:04   alright well that that wraps it up we [TS]

01:11:08   have come to the end of our book club i [TS]

01:11:09   want to thank my guests for sharing this [TS]

01:11:12   time talking about the marshal which [TS]

01:11:13   will take you longer to read than this [TS]

01:11:15   podcast but maybe not as much but a [TS]

01:11:19   little bit so John Smoltz thanks for [TS]

01:11:22   being on a real episode we'll have to do [TS]

01:11:23   this you know when there's light out in [TS]

01:11:25   the sky a little bit so that you can do [TS]

01:11:27   it again sometime [TS]

01:11:28   just barely alright that's good good [TS]

01:11:30   promise [TS]

01:11:31   thank you Lex Friedman great to have you [TS]

01:11:33   back again [TS]

01:11:34   always a pleasure Jason thank you thanks [TS]

01:11:36   for thanks for reading a book that we [TS]

01:11:37   want to talk about maybe we'll do a day [TS]

01:11:39   very that's not gonna happen sorry uh I [TS]

01:11:41   do it on my own pie carry good are you [TS]

01:11:45   know your dad pop your dad cast dad [TS]

01:11:48   casters any any of my many back alright [TS]

01:11:51   we will review the chapters on your [TS]

01:11:54   daily laughs yeah I guess I already have [TS]

01:11:57   to do that with him [TS]

01:11:58   chapter 18 we're talking about it [TS]

01:12:02   Lisa Schwyzer thank you for always fun [TS]

01:12:04   thank you [TS]

01:12:05   yeah this was a lot of fun and as always [TS]

01:12:07   got Mykelti I've saved you for last [TS]

01:12:10   thank you thank you for being here [TS]

01:12:13   you're welcome [TS]

01:12:14   I don't wanna bug you down too much [TS]

01:12:16   technical detail because I know you [TS]

01:12:17   don't like that it's true i like [TS]

01:12:20   technical detail when it's used [TS]

01:12:22   judiciously fair enough fair enough your [TS]

01:12:26   your your opinion has been noted [TS]

01:12:28   I see where you're coming didn't bother [TS]

01:12:30   me but there was a lot of it down and it [TS]

01:12:32   did it with you I in his google talk he [TS]

01:12:34   was like I really had to resist trying [TS]

01:12:35   to show all my work like well you fail [TS]

01:12:38   you have to but you did not he did a lot [TS]

01:12:42   more work i guess you know that's [TS]

01:12:44   staggering amount of work [TS]

01:12:46   alright well that is it for the [TS]

01:12:47   uncomfortable thanks everybody out there [TS]

01:12:49   for listening we'll see you next time [TS]