This is the kind of scientific thriller that takes me back to Michael Crichton when he was at his finest. I actually saw the movie with Matt Damon first and heard the book was good, but more “science-math-y”. I also heard an interview with the author who revealed that he researched all the science behind the plot devices, so that the novel was basically scientifically viable (or at least credible), and not pure fiction. But if it was just the science, it would be a snore. Like the movie, there’s humor and suspense and some incredible escapes from deadly situations. It’s so much more than growing potatoes on Mars.