The crew of Ares 3 was scheduled to spend a month on Mars, but was forced to abort their mission after just six solar days due to a dust storm. During the evacuation, botanist and mechanical engineer Mark Watney was left for dead. 
 Andy Weir's novel begins with the revelation that Watney is alive, marooned on Mars with no means of contacting the rest of his crew or anyone on Earth. Through chapters written predominately as log entries, we learn of Watney's plans to (view spoiler)[ use his botany and engineering knowledge to keep himself alive long enough to rendezvous with the Ares 4 mission that's scheduled to reach Mars in several years' time. (hide spoiler)] 
 I couldn't put this book down. Since the bulk of the text consists of Watney's log entries, it's easy to follow and really gives the reader a peak into his humor and optimistic disposition. The story itself is really compelling, as Watney (view spoiler)[and NASA face (hide spoiler)] obstacle after obstacle in his struggle to survive. Watney's attitude in the face of such a daunting situation is admirable and serves as a reminder to readers that it is crucial to stay positive no matter how insurmountable a problem appears. (view spoiler)[ I think his outlook on the situation turned out to be just as important as his knowledge and skills. If he'd given up at the beginning, none of his other assets would have mattered. (hide spoiler)]