An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth - Softcover

Hadfield, Chris

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1447257510 ISBN 13: 9781447257516

Publisher: Macmillan, 2013

Synopsis

Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4,000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane, and been temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. The secret to Col. Hadfield's success - and survival - is an unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: prepare for the worst - and enjoy every moment of it. In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Col. Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement - and happiness. His own extraordinary education in space has taught him some counterintuitive lessons: don't visualize success, do care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff. You might never be able to build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, make a music video or perform basic surgery in zero gravity like Col. Hadfield. But his vivid and refreshing insights will teach you how to think like an astronaut, and will change, completely, the way you view life on Earth - especially your own.

About this title

Review:

A Slate "Staff Pick for Best Books 2013

A "Slate "Staff Pick for Best Books 2013

"A very human glance into a rarified world.... The vacuum of space is unforgiving and brutal. Life on earth isn't easy, either. Mr. Hadfield has genuinely and refreshingly increased our understanding of how to thrive in both places." "The Wall Street Journal""

"Hadfield is a genius, a man of science and technology and no first-timer to the universe." "New York Post""

"Houston, we have a superstar." "Washington Post""

"This memoir is part fascinating view, part Boy Scout manual." "New York Times""

"A satisfying behind-the-scenes look at the life of an astronaut.... A page-turning memoir of life as a decorated astronaut." "Kirkus""

"Hadfield proves himself to be not only a fierce explorer of the universe, but also a deeply thoughtful explorer of the human condition, capable of articulating those most universal of inquiries in simple yet profound language.... The book itself is absolutely spectacular." "Brain Pickings""

"Lessons from his new book, AN ASTRONAUT'S GUIDE TO LIFE, are so inspiring that it's hard to decide which one to tell you about." "USA Today""

"Our planet's one-man ambassador to the universe." "Gothamist""

Book Description:

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth is an inspirational memoir of space exploration and hard-won wisdom, from an astronaut who has spent a lifetime making the impossible a reality.

About this edition

• Publisher: Macmillan
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1447257510
• ISBN 13: 9781447257516
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 276