Harrison, Albert A. : University of California, Davis

Albert A. Harrison is Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. He is coauthor of Living Aloft: Human Requirements for Extended Spaceflight (1985) and From Antarctica to Outer Space: Life in Isolation and Confinement (1991), and author of After Contact: The Human Response to Extraterrestrial Life (1997).

"An intelligent, challenging book . . . ideal for those with an interest in space travel and a desire to explore the cutting edge."

--David Pitt, Booklist

"Marvelous reading . . . will be invaluable to aerospace engineers and future space travelers. Read this wonderful book and you too will learn to fly."

--Cliff Pickover, Leonardo Digital Reviews

"An informed and upbeat appraisal of the human dimension of spaceflight, coupled with a cautious and wistful rumination on its prospects."

--Alex Roland, Issues in Science and Technology

"The vast majority of space books focus on the hardware for getting there, and the environment, or lack thereof, that surrounds you. In contrast, Harrison focuses on the human dimension. . . .The book is by far the most comprehensive resource to date on the human factors of space flight."

--Netsurfer Digest

"Fascinating. . . . this is a book that could broaden your horizons in the widest possible sense."

--New Scientist

"Well-written, covers a range of research and makes several interesting points on almost every page."

--American Scientist

"An enjoyable, informative look at what living and working in space will really be like in the decades to come. Harrison explores the often unappreciated interaction of human psyche and technology in an environment filled with danger, challenge, and opportunity. A great read for space professionals or anyone interested in the future of our species as we expand into the 'final frontier.'"

--Patricia Santy, former NASA Flight Surgeon and author of Choosing the Right Stuff: The Psychological Selection of Astronauts

"Spacefaring addresses in a powerful, cogent, and scholarly manner topics long ignored or swept aside in official reports and planning documents about space flight. It is a good, powerful and needed work."

--Edgar Mitchell, Astronaut, Apollo 14

"Drawing on both recent developments and classic 'space lore,' Harrison takes his readers on refreshingly human-level odyssey through the still-widely-unknown challenges and opportunities that await us in a future off of our home planet."

--James Oberg, author of Red Star in Orbit

University of California Press Web Site, January, 2004

The stars have always called us, but only for the past forty years or so have we been able to respond by traveling in space. This book explores the human side of spaceflight: why people are willing to brave danger and hardship to go into space; how human culture has shaped past and present missions; and the effects of space travel on health and well-being. A comprehensive and authoritative treatment of its subject, this book combines statistical studies, rich case histories, and gripping anecdotal detail as it investigates the phenomenon of humans in space--from the earliest spaceflights to the missions of tomorrow.

Drawing from a strong research base in the behavioral sciences, Harrison covers such topics as habitability, crew selection and training, coping with stress, group dynamics, accidents, and more. In addition to taking a close look at spacefarers themselves, Spacefaring reviews the broad organizational and political contexts that shape human progress toward the heavens. With the ongoing construction of the International Space Station, the human journey to the stars continues, and this book will surely help guide the way.