book: The Martian

I started reading Andy Weir's The Martian yesterday and couldn't put it down. Luckily it was a fast read. The titular Martian is a stranded astronaut trying to survive; his story is tense and, in some spots, very funny. Recommended to people who like classic hard science fiction in the Arthur C. Clarke vein.

( further discussion contains major spoilers )

(Hey, local Mars expert ali_wildgoose, I would love to hear your thoughts on this book, either from the technical side or the story side.)