An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything

In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, former CSA astronaut Chris Hadfield shares a variety of tales from his extensive career both on and off the planet, as well as the personal philosophy that helped him through it all. Hadfield is the kind of individual that you want as role model your children. His work ethic is exemplary, and he emphasizes the critical nature of ongoing personal education and development as key to his success. Don't determine your self worth based on where you end up, he says, but on the effort you will put in to get there. If something is worth doing, it is worth committing to and doing well, regardless of the payoff. Perhaps not revolutionary ideas in and of themselves, but backed by the life story of someone who has embraced these principles and embodied them. Hadfield's career is a feel good story for anyone who believes in the power of hard work and education. While An Astronaut's Guide spends a lot of time on the author's attitudes and ethics, it's by no means a self help book. The text is also a candid biography, giving great insight into the years of development that went into building the career of a star (no pun intended) astronaut. Hadfield reminisces on his youth, his time as a military test pilot, and his many additional years training at NASA before ever reaching space. We learn how the intense commitment involved can affect personal relationships and family dynamics. It becomes clear that today's select few astronauts represent, in many ways, the pinnacle of humanity: it's a lifestyle that demands levels of intelligence, dedication, and both physical and mental training that very few of us could hope to successfully achieve. Chris Hadfield first reached fame several years ago through a series of educational and entertaining social media postings made from the ISS. We learn that these were motivated by his love of the space program, and, with the help of his son back on Earth, he wanted to do his part to boost public awareness and interest. The videos became a hit and internet stardom followed. I'm the kind of person who finds any story about life beyond Earth hard to pass up, simply for the curiosity and wonder they evoke. From the vastness of the cosmos to the minutia of how to brush your teeth successfully in zero gravity, it's all fascinating stuff, and Hadfield, who flew on three separate occasions, brings these anecdotes in spades. The same attitude that lead him to educational social media carries through in his writing, and we're gifted with numerous stories that run the gamut from the profound and enlightening to the humorous. The author is consistently candid about the astronaut experience, and these sections proved particularly hard to put down. All in all, it's difficult not to recommend this book. If you're already a fan of space travel, or the space program, you will receive a bevy of stories and insights from a man who spent decades at NASA and commanded the ISS. And if you aren't a space enthusiast yet, you might just be one by the end. But even without all of the fantastic anecdotes, Chris Hadfield is still an eminently likable and admirable personality with a lot of unique life experience to share. Worth reading whether you're an aspiring astronaut, or just aspiring to become a more enlightened human being.

This book has 2 themes working alongside each other. First of all it is an account of the challenges, experiences, and wonders of being an astronaut. Chris Hadfield does an amazing job of describing everything from the tedious tasks that goes into preparation for a mission to the weird and surprising things that goes on in zero-gravity. He goes into a LOT of details about both Shuttle and Soyuz hardware. And I loved it. The second theme is a more philosophical life lesson. A part that I both appreciated and got a little annoyed by. While I loved the mantra "Sweat and smile at the small stuff" and see great potential of implementing that in my own life, the book sometimes had a lecturing tone of voice that rubbed me the wrong way. But all in all - a great and recommendable read.

I first listened to this on audible and loved Hadfield’s subtle Canadian accent but I also loved the content of the book and wanted a physical copy. This is the best space book I’ve read and possibly the best book of advice on living on earth that I’ve ever read. Forget self help books. If those are your thing just put them down and read this, because it’s full of wisdom and humility on every page for absolutely anyone, whether you’re a new astronaut or a new mom or a student or explorer. I would recommend this to anyone. For example, I wrote a book about my two months on bedrest in a hospital in 2016. “Notes on a Hospitalized Pregnant Woman” was about preeclampsia and the effects of a hard pregnancy and hours in a hospital room on the body and psyche. I didn’t include it in the book but there were months of rehabilitation where I had to really get a taste of what it was like to be an old fuddyduddy, from the sloshing stomach feeling when I ran again to weak limbs and vertigo. WELL this astronaut describes his return from five months on the ISS and I couldn’t help but think “I felt this exact same way”, and the whole book was like this, from keeping your ego in check to the power of “negative thinking” and appreciating every small detail and every so-called small event and responsibility in ones life. This is the zen of being an astronaut and the zen of being a human being. Read it. Ps. Side note: I want to add that the space program has accomplished- for science, medicine, the environment- what we could only dream of achieving on earth...through research for space and on the ISS, Hadfield points out how much invention and innovation has occurred with a program that many consider “too expensive” or obsolete. Even many liberals say this today and it is one of the most irritatingly ignorant things I’ve heard again and again, while billions are thrown into the military industrial complex, the actual cost of NASA programs is pennies compared to so many other expenditures people make on a daily basis, from weapons, to beer to fricken chewing gum.... Hadfield has a lot of detailed examples of all this and I’ll let you read for yourself and subsequently curse the fact that all astronauts rely solely on vintage Russian spacecraft to get to the ISS today.

OK, I admit it - I'm something of a space junkie. As an engineer, I have been fascinated by accounts of the US space program during the 60s and the extremely fast pace of space technology development. On a more personal level I was less than two months old when STS-1 inaugurated the Shuttle era, and as a kindergartener I witnessed the Challenger disaster in my school classroom. I begged my parents to send me to Space Camp. As a child I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and going into space, but as I got older I realized that was unlikely to ever happen - that hasn't stopped me from having an interest in both manned and unmanned space exploration. I have my own DVD copies of From the Earth to the Moon , When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions and In the Shadow of the Moon , and have read several astronauts' memoirs including Forever Young: A Life of Adventure in Air and Space by John Young, The Last Man on the Moon by Gene Cernan, and Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13 by Jim Lovell and Jeremy Kluger. What is lacking thus far in the astronaut memoir genre is much in the way of writing from Shuttle-era astronauts. Enter Chris Hadfield. He is everything you'd expect of a Canadian astronaut; a quietly competent team player and family man who wanted to become an astronaut from the age of 9 when he watched the first moon landing. In 21 years with the CSA/NASA, Hadfield was a mission specialist on two Shuttle flights and commanded the ISS before his retirement, and held a variety of positions within the astronaut office when not training for a mission. Commander Hadfield became perhaps the most social media-savvy astronaut ever, with a huge following on Twitter and Youtube. Our 3 year old still asks to look at Commander Hadfield's videos taken on the ISS, and loves what she calls "the space song" - Is Somebody Singing, the collaboration between Hadfield and the Barenaked Ladies, which was billed as the first song debuted from space. An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth is an enjoyable read about Hadfield's early life, his years as a fighter pilot and test pilot, his selection in the Canadian Space Agency's second group of astronauts, and his training for three missions in space. The book is written in a conversational tone and does not shy away from the risks and rewards involved in being an astronaut and the stresses it sometimes placed on family life. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about life as an astronaut during the Shuttle/ISS era.

Before I give a review I have to give a bit of a background. I had been working for the same company for five years going no where. Mapping floodplains and helping supervise a call center...basically I wasn't anywhere close to where I wanted to be in my life. Approaching 28 and in a serious relationship, I was focused on the future. I had never tried to do anything too difficult since I never thought I would succeed. I forget the specifics as to how I learned about Chris Hadfield but I found him truly inspiring. As you'll learn in his book, his improbable journey from a dreaming child (before Canada had a space program) to an astronaut helped change the course of my life. Learning about his story helped me reflect on my own life and attitude. I quit work the same month he returned from space and went back to school for Computer Engineering. This major causes me to face a lot of my fears in math, physics, and programming. I have wanted to learn all of these things but never thought I would succeed. I am still terrified...but it's different now. It's really all thanks to Chris Hadfield being willing to share his life and his family supporting him through his career (and Evan Hadfield for encouraging the use of social media). An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth is the first book I have ever pre-ordered. I was so excited from the purchase that I had to 'tweet' Mr. Hadfield. I was star struck when he responded. It took me three days to finish the book. Next, my fiance and I were extremely lucky to meet him at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in DC. I just expected him to sign the book and move on to the next one. The line was long and he had been on the road for a while. However, he took the time to ask a few questions of everyone, shake their hand, and even take a picture with them. Now finally to the book. It was great. An easy read for sure but I welcomed it. The honesty and openness was refreshing. I enjoyed his new perspectives on attitude, approaching difficult tasks, pursuing goals, and more. There are a lot of great lessons to read in the chapters of this book and they are delivered by someone with a lot of humility. The best part is just getting to know him better as a person and the fascinating life he has led. I should note that I may be biased since I am Canadian.

Colonel Chris Hadfield (who made that “Space Oddity” video while aboard the ISS) talks about his path to becoming an astronaut due to the right combination of talent, diligence, patience, goal-oriented decision making, personal philosophy – and, of course, luck. Hadfield also talks about his life as an astronaut – and how much of an astronaut’s time is spent on earth-bound work and study; being in space is only a small (but certainly rewarding) part on an astronaut’s career. As Hadfield wrote a serious and informative book, the book avoids any exaggerated tone of excitement and has few humorous observations or anecdotes. As implied by the book’s title, the book is partly description & explanation and partly philosophy. So it’s a good book and an easy read (but not a fast read).

This book is a natural acquisition if you have followed Chris Hadfield's inspiring interviews, breathtaking Earth pictures, educationally and extremely fun videos inside the ISS and, of course, his brilliant rendition of Space Oddity, recorded from space. The book will meet all your expectations, and it's revealing, personally and professionally, about what it means to be an astronaut. But it will do more for you, as it will show you not only what it means to be a highly accomplished person, who consciously shapes the course of his life for years at every single hour of the day, but who makes it so gracefully, enjoying every effort as a small victory. As an astronaut, the fact that Chris Hadfield does all that, would come as no surprise. What is revealing, though, is not only his humbleness (we all already know it from interviews) in sharing his life lessons, along with his accomplishments (which he is openly proud of), but the genuineness and willingness in which describes, for himself and for us all, that unique and singular experience of having being exposed to the unfathomable universe out there, and why it matter to us. It is a highly effective inspirational lighthouse not only for the next generations, but anyone. Easy read, well-written. Highly recommended.

In trying to narrow down just what it was that appealed to me about this book,the only thing I can come up with is, "everything." Chris Hadfield is a person in that very small minority who have traveled to space. He could come across as bombastic and arrogant, yet he chooses to express that building the dock behind his house was as much an accomplishment as finishing a five month mission on the International Space Station. To Hadfield, the repetition and work involved in the process is where the true growth is achieved. The larger more romanticized and noticeable accomplishments are just singular steps in living life. Hadfield is not only smart, he is wise. I have the urge to go through this book a second time with a highlighter and post-it notes to mark the most valuable pieces of advice about life on Earth. The book is full of not only anecdotes about living and working in space, but advice about getting along with those you work with. Hadfield never forgets he is only part of a team, and that more often than not being the leader involves quietly looking out for others instead of blazing the way and demanding followers. He points out that at NASA, reaching the top of the management ladder is followed up by being inserted back into a mid-level position in a rotation that ensures that everyone appreciates every job and nobody gets too big a head. If corporations followed this model, the working world would be a much more pleasant place for many people. The day I finished this book, I happened to catch the Sandra Bullock movie Gravity on cable. The movie seem all the more ridiculous and far-fetched after having read Hadfield's account of safety protocols and the length of time it takes to do things in space. In this case, truth is better than fiction

The inspiring professional and personal life of a man who has achieved what is - probably - the most exclusive success: being an astronaut and walk in space. Chris Hadfield narrates the different steps in his career, and the professional and human challenges he had to face in order to climb to the stars. A very determined yet humble man, he makes no attempt to deny how hard and demanding it all was, but also how good he turned out to be in all that was asked to him, thanks to his talent - of course - but mostly to his dedication. There is not a hint of arrogance in this, however it is undoubtable that, to do what Hadfield has done, you can't be an ordinary person. His descriptions of life and work on board of the International Space Station - and of the travels to/from the ISS - are particularly vivid and interesting, going way beyond the usual chatting about how astronauts pee in zero-weight conditions. Very wise reflections are offered, in addition, on the very practical and progress-wise outcomes of the activities carried out on the ISS. I find the stories of such highly-skilled men and women to be incredibly inspiring. Most of the human beings will never be asked to study such high-level technical topics and do terribly risky stuff, yet it is mind-opening to consider how deep and how far we humans can go, if we use our skills and are determined to excel. Very recommended reading. P.S. This man recorded "Space Oddity" on the ISS (YouTube it, it's gorgeous) with permission by David Bowie... Aren't you curious to know more about such an incredible person?

Im letzten Jahr haben wir uns mehr und mehr für das Leben eines Astronauten interessiert, denn mit Alexander Gerst war zum ersten Mal ein Deutscher da oben, den ich bewusst mitbekommen habe. Bei der Recherche stießen wir auf Chris Hadfield, der Social Media von der ISS aus eine neue Bedeutung gab und nicht nur für interessante, witzige Twitter-Unterhaltungen sorgte, sondern auch das erste Musikvideo im All aufnahm. "Space Oddity", passender hätte es kaum sein können. Als wir dieses Buch entdeckten, mussten wir es unbedingt lesen. Und wir haben es nicht bereut, im Gegenteil haben wir "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" verschlungen. Chris Hadfield ist einer der wenigen sehr glücklichen Astronauten, die mehrfach im All waren. In seinem Buch erklärt er uns: ~ warum das eine Besonderheit ist ~ seine Biografie in den wichtigsten Grundzügen, die ihn gleich mehrfach ins All führten ~ wie das Leben eines Astronauten auf der Erde wirklich aussieht, dass es auch hier unten einiges zu tun gibt ~ wie und vor allem wie lange eine Mission vorbereitet wird und dann von Startvorbereitungen bis Landungsnachbesprechungen abläuft ~ wie Astronauten ihre eng durchgeplante Zeit auf der ISS verbringen ~ und welche Lebensweisheiten er für Astronauten und auch uns Normalsterbliche parat hat. Da Chris Hadfield einen sehr unterhaltsamen Stil hat und eine große Portion Humor mitbringt, werden auch die Sachbuchpassagen nie langweilig und bleiben für jeden Leser eine leichte, gute verständliche Lektüre. Ich kann das Buch jedem empfehlen, der sich für Astronauten oder einfach witzige Lebensweisheiten und unterhaltsame Biografien interessiert!

Chris Handfield take you to an easy and amazing book to his experiences in space, it really shows me a new perspective to dream. English is not my first language so this book helps me to practice and now some new things I did not consider an astronaut face. Is a good book, one of my new favorites and it really makes a good time to read and learn.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book! Chris Hadfield's every decision to propel himself closer to his dream of being an astronaut is inspiring. I often cite this book as one of my favourites (I am fascinated by humans being/living in space) and it is one I reread when the mood takes me.

Many people will no doubt have heard of Chris Hadfield, pilot, astronaut and musician - his rendition of Space Oddity from the International Space Station has received over 21 million hits on YouTube. And just to prove how multi-talented he now is, he's added author to that list. And like everything Chris has done, he's not just done it well, but exceptionally well. The book isn't a traditional autobiography as such, and neither is it - as some have suggested - a self-help book. Instead it is one man's account of how he became an astronaut, who and what inspired him, and what he has learnt from the process. Various mantras are repeated throughout the book, such as `sweat the small stuff', `OK, what's going to kill me next' and many others, however he never beats you over the head with any of them and neither does he tell you constantly, `hey, look at me, aren't I wonderful' as some who have achieved so much, do. Instead, he comes across as a quiet, but highly driven individual, more than capable of admitting his own shortcomings, yet proud of his achievements. At no point during the book did I get bored. Everything from aspects his personal life to getting stuck in the hatch of the space station as he was about to go on a space-walk, feel humble and human, yet warm and affable. Words like `inspirational' and `heroic' are bandied around far too often, yet here they fit perfectly. A superb book and possibly the best non-fiction book I have ever read. An amazing man and an amazing read. Buy it, you won't be disappointed.