Dominican welcomes Roach to Leadership Lecture Series

It isn’t easy to make science accessible. And it’s downright hard to make it funny. But science author Mary Roach accomplished both of those tasks so well that she was named The One Book One Marin 2013 award winner for her “Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void.”

She will be appearing at Dominican University of California on Thurs., April 18, as part of the University’s 2013 Institute for Leadership Studies (ILS) Spring Leadership Lecture Series. The series is offered in partnership with Bay Area independent bookstore Book Passage. Roach will appear at the free event in conversation with KQED’s Michael Krasny.

“Book Passage is proud to co-sponsor this year’s out-of-this-world One Book One Marin selection, Mary Roach’s ‘Packing for Mars.’” said Sam Barry, marketing director at Book Passage. “Roach once again defies gravity by combining substantial, startling information and explaining it all in and accessible and hilarious style. This event is certain to be as informative as it is fun.”

The description of “Packing for Mars” at Amazon.com put’s Roach’s work in perspective:

Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. How much can a person give up? How much weirdness can they take? What happens to you when you can’t walk for a year? Have sex? Smell flowers? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a space walk? Is it possible for the human body to survive a bailout at 17,000 miles per hour? To answer these questions, space agencies set up all manner of quizzical and startlingly bizarre space simulations. As Mary Roach discovers, it’s possible to preview space without ever leaving Earth. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

Mary Roach is also the author of “Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers,” “Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife,” and “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex.” She has written for Outside, National Geographic, New Scientist, Wired, and the New York Times Magazine. She also reviews books for the New York Times.

One Book One Marin is a program of the County of Marin Library in cooperation with the city libraries and Book Passage. Each year the selected author is read in book clubs across the county.

The Leadership Lecture Series is a cooperative effort between Dominican’s Institute for Leadership Studies and Book Passage. Each year, the Leadership Lecture Series features some of the country's leading figures from the world of business, politics, entertainment, academia, and literature. All lectures are open to the public.

The ILS Spring 2013 Leadership Lecture Series is sponsored by Private Ocean, the Marin-based wealth management company.

The program, held at Dominican University’s Angelico Hall, starts at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

For information, contact Book Passage by calling (415) 927-0960, ext. 1 or visiting bookpassage.com.

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