The Martian by Andy Weir is about
the time Mark Watney was stranded on Mars. This is the book that answers the
question, “Why do I need Algebra?” Mark used Algebra to determine how many
potatoes he could grow, how much water he could make, how long his oxygen would
last, and so many more important questions. Barely a day goes by on Mars when
he doesn’t use Algebra. If this doesn’t convince someone of the importance of
Algebra, nothing will.
“Someone told me that each equation I
included in the book would halve the sales,” Stephen Hawkings. This is a famous
geek joke because the quote includes an equation. Clearly, Andy Weir and his
readers didn’t receive the memo. This book has more numbers and implied equations
than any novel. The only books that can compete are math, science, and
engineering TEXTBOOKS.
The book includes many nerd themes:
difficulty with authority figures, love-hate with NASA, reverence for engineers
(“Fixing things is his job!”), internationalism, and duct tape (“Duct tape is
magic and should be worshipped.”)
A nerd adventure. A cross between Apollo
13 and Robinson Crusoe for the 21st century.
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