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As Commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield captivated the world with stunning photos and commentary from space. Now, in his first book, Chris offers readers extraordinary stories from his life as an astronaut, and shows how to make the impossible a reality.
Chris Hadfield decided to become an astronaut after watching the Apollo moon landing with his family on Stag Island, Ontario, when he was nine years old, and it was impossible for Canadians to be astronauts. In 2013, he served as Commander of the International Space Station orbiting the Earth during a five-month mission. Fulfilling this lifelong dream required intense focus, natural ability and a singular commitment to "thinking like an astronaut." In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Chris gives us a rare insider's perspective on just what that kind of thinking involves, and how earthbound humans can use it to achieve success and happiness in their lives.
Astronaut training turns popular wisdom about how to be successful on its head. Instead of visualizing victory, astronauts prepare for the worst; always sweat the small stuff; and do care what others think. Chris shows how this unique education comes into play with dramatic anecdotes about going blind during a spacewalk, getting rid of a live snake while piloting a plane, and docking with space station Mir when laser tracking systems fail at the critical moment. Along the way, he shares exhilarating experiences, and challenges, from his 144 days on the ISS, and provides an unforgettable answer to his most-asked question: What's it really like in outer space?
Written with humour, humility and a profound optimism for the future of space exploration, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth offers readers not just the inspiring story of one man's journey to the ISS, but the opportunity to step into his space-boots and think like an astronaut--and renew their commitment to pursuing their own dreams, big or small.
About this Author
CHRIS HADFIELD is one of the most seasoned and accomplished astronauts in the world. A veteran of three spaceflights, he crewed the US Space Shuttle twice, piloted the Russian Soyuz, helped build space station Mir, conducted two space walks, and served as Commander of the International Space Station. He was also NASA's Director of Operations in Russia. Chris is the co-creator and host of the BBC series Astronauts: Do You Have What It Takes?, and helped create and host, along with actor Will Smith, the National Geographic series One Strange Rock. Hadfield's zero-gravity video version of David Bowie's "Space Oddity"--the first music video recorded in space--has been watched over 50 million times, and his TED Talk on fear has been viewed over 10 million times. He advises SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and other space companies, chairs the board of the Open Lunar Foundation, leads the CDL-Space international tech incubator, and teaches a MasterClass on space exploration. His books, An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, You Are Here, The Darkest Dark, and his debut thriller, The Apollo Murders, have been international bestsellers, topping the charts for months in Canada.
Reviews
WINNER 2013--CBA Libris Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Globe and Mail Best Book
A Book Riot Best Book
A Slate Best Book
"Chris Hadfield is easily the world's most famous living moustache-tronaut, having done more to promote the concept of off-Earth travel and exploration than anyone since William Shatner first stepped onto the bridge of the Enterprise. . . . The accounts of Hadfield's three missions are riveting and fun, and easily communicate the shock and awe that comes with seeing the planet from above." --Toronto Star
"Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield presents an inspiring tale of his own perseverance in pursuing his dream. There are many interesting tidbits about space included here that can only be related by someone who has been there." --The Vancouver Sun
"Canadians young to old will be awed and inspired by Chris Hadfield's story. His passion, commitment and extraordinary achievements make him a larger-than-life hero." --Heather Reisman, Indigo's Chief Booklover and CEO
"Remember that Canadian dude with the moustache who sang an amazing accomplished zerogravity version of Space Oddity on the International Space Station this year? It turns out he can write, too. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth is the book Chris Hadfield was destined to produce from the moment they pulled him out of his Soyuz space capsule on the Kazakh steppe and told him he had seven million YouTube hits. It is unapologetically gung-ho, and it instantly takes its place on the admittedly lonely shelf of books that make the case for human space exploration in the post-Apollo, post-Shuttle age. . . . The book was written at speed but feels thoughtful rather than hasty. . . . It's a fine line . . . between the small stuff and the life and death stuff that gives Hadfield's tale its juice. Not many people can describe from experience the difference between a Shuttle launch . . . and a launch in a Russian Proton rocket. . . . Not many people know what it is to glance behind you on a spacewalk and almost accidentally 'notice the Universe.'" --Giles Whittell, The Sunday Times
"I found his fascinating An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth even more enjoyable than I expected. Mr. Hadfield teaches us not only about space but about people, too. Equally autobiographical and instructional, the book goes gleefully against the grain of most 'success' books. . . . An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth isn't a compendium of hagiographic profiles; it's a very human glimpse into a rarefied world. Bound together by a love of exploration and discovery, tested by tragic catastrophes and everyday hardship, the men and women Mr. Hadfield introduces us to are real people: They fail, they succeed, they worry, they miss their families, they go to space and do things never done before. 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." --Adam Savage, The Wall Street Journal
"Hadfield's unique experiences offer a fresh perspective on dealing with challenges on Earth, making [An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth] relatable and deeply inspiring." --Forbes
"Hadfield is a good writer with an engaging style; I was always eager to get to the next chapter, and frequently found myself smiling at the stories he was spinning. . . . You might not think that someone who became an astronaut might have stories that will relate to your own Earthbound life, but in fact Hadfield has shown over and again that he's a master at making it all relatable. From his photos of Earth from space to his videos showing the daily grind of life on a 100-meter wide orbiting tin can, he is all about real life." --Phil Plait, Slate (Best Book)
"A page-turning memoir of life as a decorated astronaut." --Kirkus Reviews
"The book is a trove of good advice on everything from personal development to survival, but he also knows a hell of a lot about getting the job--any job--done." --AskMen
"Not a business book per se, Colonel Hadfield's memoir recounts how insatiable curiosity, single-minded dedication and a healthy competitive streak propelled him to, quite literally, out-of-this world accomplishments. His humility and charm throughout his ascent to notoriety are further evidence that a winning formula includes staying true to yourself." --Simon Kennedy, The Washington Post
"The world has been given the gift of the first book from Col. Chris Hadfield, Commander of the International Space Station. Who wouldn't want to read about the man who broke into the Space Station with a Swiss army knife, performed basic surgery in zero gravity, and was temporarily blinded while clutching the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft? . . . Now in Hadfield's book readers come even closer to the man whose life and career have been seemingly other-worldly. An Astronaut's Guide includes eye-opening, adrenaline-filled stories of shuttle launches and space walks but it is also filled with Hadfield's counterintuitive life lessons." --Euro Weekly News
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