Managing Martians: A Memoir - Softcover

Shirley's story is extraordinary in its simplicity: she set her sights on what she wanted, and chased it fervently. Yet simple doesn't always mean easy, and Shirley owns up to getting sidetracked along the way, and having to work hard to get back to business. And what a business! Imagine having an expensive, delicate object you helped design strapped to a projectile hurtling toward a chunk of rock in space. The best parts of Shirley's story are the tense moments, when she struggled to maintain professional cool while under enormous stress. This book is part autobiography, part lesson to bureaucratic managers; Shirley has had to work with some temperamental folks in her lifetime of government work, and she's learned (the hard way) how to manage teams well. One gets the impression that she would have made an excellent military leader, or CEO. Mars buffs all over the world should be glad she stuck to the stars. --Therese Littleton

"Her phone number spells MARS, her car is a Saturn, and her home is the closest you can get to a cabin in the sky. Donna Shirley isn't your ordinary Earthbound mortal. In fact, for 30 years she has spent 8 to 18 hours a day planning how to get out of this world and onto other planets."
--Los Angeles Times

"If humans ever visit Mars--and it could happen as early as 2010--it may be Donna Shirley's legacy that makes their awesome landing possible."
--Glamour

"Shirley's ability to boil down complex scientific concepts into tangible sound bites has helped her pick up where Carl Sagan left off--making the field more accessible and interesting to a populace intimidated by science."
--Ms.

"Describing [Sojourner's] wonders, Shirley is part proud parent, part car salesman, and part stand-up comic."
--Mirabella