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Shop nowAn Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth
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Learn moreAs Commander of the International Space Station, Chris Hadfield captivated the world with stunning photos and commentary from space. Now, reading from his first book, Chris takes listeners deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible.
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 āthinking like an astronaut.ā In An Astronautās Guide to Life on Earth, Chris gives us a rare insiderās 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: Whatās it really like in outer space?
With humour, humility and a profound optimism for the future of space exploration, An Astronautās Guide to Life on Earth offers listeners not just the inspiring story of one manās journey to the ISS, but the opportunity to step into his space-boots and think like an astronautāand renew their commitment to pursuing their own dreams, big or small.
Chris Hadfield is one of the most seasoned and accomplished astronauts in the world. The top graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1988 and U.S. Navy test pilot of the year in 1991, Hadfield was selected by the Canadian Space Agency to be an astronaut in 1992. He was CAPCOM for 25 Shuttle launches and served as director of NASA operations in Star City, Russia, from 2001ā2003, chief of robotics at the Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2003ā2006, and chief of International Space Station operations from 2006ā2008. Hadfield most recently served as commander of the International Space Station where, while conducting a record-setting number of scientific experiments and overseeing an emergency spacewalk, he gained worldwide acclaim for his breathtaking photographs and educational videos about life in space. His music video, a zero-gravity version of David Bowieās āSpace Oddity,ā received overĀ ten million views in its first three days online.
Chris Hadfield is one of the most seasoned and accomplished astronauts in the world. The top graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 1988 and U.S. Navy test pilot of the year in 1991, Hadfield was selected by the Canadian Space Agency to be an astronaut in 1992. He was CAPCOM for 25 Shuttle launches and served as director of NASA operations in Star City, Russia, from 2001ā2003, chief of robotics at the Johnson Space Center in Houston from 2003ā2006, and chief of International Space Station operations from 2006ā2008. Hadfield most recently served as commander of the International Space Station where, while conducting a record-setting number of scientific experiments and overseeing an emergency spacewalk, he gained worldwide acclaim for his breathtaking photographs and educational videos about life in space. His music video, a zero-gravity version of David Bowieās āSpace Oddity,ā received overĀ ten million views in its first three days online.
Reviews
“Listeners, don't miss this one! By itself, Hadfield's account of his quest to become an astronaut and his ensuing adventures in space is totally entertaining and inspiring. And the promise of the title is realized in the life lessons he shares and the advice he offers for becoming successful and happy. But the real treat is Hadfield's presentation. His familiar and natural demeanor draws the listener in from the opening lines. All the joy and wonder he feels about space travel and life is conveyed through a masterful use of pace and tone, while flawless transitions lead to an equally effective delivery of the reflective passages.”—AudioFile Magazine (Winner of the Headphone Award)
“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
“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 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 Expand reviews