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‘What’s It Like in Space?’ by Ariel Waldman

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Ariel Waldman, founder of Spacehack.org, a site devoted to citizen participation in space exploration, is an amiable, quick-witted guide in her new book, “What’s It Like in Space?: Stories From Astronauts Who’ve Been There” (Chronicle). Illustrated by Brian Standeford, it provides bite-size observations. Drawing on her interviews with dozens of astronauts, Waldman reports that it’s hard to keep secrets in space: After sneaking a corned beef sandwich on board, two astronauts were embarrassed to see crumbs floating everywhere. Needless to say, NASA wasn’t happy about the contraband and the threat the crumbs posed to the smooth functioning of spacecraft instruments.

JAN GARDNER

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