A book that features maths and potatoes. Can't get much better, can it?
Weir combines a fascinating premise with witty and humorous narration to weave a tale of human ingenuity and survival against the worst odds -- an entire planet trying to kill one astrobotanist. The use of Watney's mission logs, transcripts and letters as a narration tool was especially clever, allowing the author to balance the action between Mars, Earth, and the Hermes.
The plot wasn't a surprise (I watched the movie first) but the storytelling was. The mathematical and engineering problems captured my imagination -- there's a sense...
