Picked this up from the new book shelf for an update about the current status of Mars exploration. It doesn't seem like too much has changed.

The front cover is quite appealing, parts of it have been treated to be especially reflective, and there is a lovely depiction of the planet itself.

However, the interior of the book is full of graphics-junk. The illustration for the chapter about living on Mars appears to depict a more pleasant version of a Blade Runner city. To illustrate the god Mars it is apparently necessary to depict a piece of card, which is attached by a paperclip to another piece of card, to which is glued a slightly stained photo of the original sculpture. What does the existence of all these extra bits and pieces really communicate? On the same page there is a movie poster for an imaginary movie about a Martian invasion. Why not just include one of the many book covers for "The War of the Worlds"? Why is it necessary for the modern artist to concoct an imaginary movie from their own prejudices? It's a really strange choice. ( )

I'm giving this book two stars for its engaging design, but I'm finding serious inaccuracies on almost every page. Also, despite a publication date of 2020, it's clearly an only barely updated version of an older book first published (I would guess) around 2006. Do not buy. ( )