An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for AnythingTravel to space and back with astronaut Chris Hadfield's "enthralling" bestseller as your eye-opening guide (Slate). Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 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. "Hadfield proves himself to be not only a fierce explorer of the universe, but also a deeply thoughtful explorer of the human condition." —Maria Popova, Brain Pickings |
From inside the book
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They have the resources to do cutting-edge work such as testing new types of engines and new configurations for military aircraft, not just for the U.S. but for many other countries, from Australia to Kuwait. Not surprisingly, given the ...
They have the resources to do cutting-edge work such as testing new types of engines and new configurations for military aircraft, not just for the U.S. but for many other countries, from Australia to Kuwait. Not surprisingly, given the ...
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Probably my most significant accomplishment at Pax River, though, was to pilot the first flight test of an external burning hydrogen propulsion engine, an engine that would make a plane fly far faster than the speed of sound.
Probably my most significant accomplishment at Pax River, though, was to pilot the first flight test of an external burning hydrogen propulsion engine, an engine that would make a plane fly far faster than the speed of sound.
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... all caution and warning alarms, making sure the multiple frequencies used to communicate with Launch Control and Mission Control are all functional—the vehicle rumbles to life: systems power up, the engine bells chime for launch.
... all caution and warning alarms, making sure the multiple frequencies used to communicate with Launch Control and Mission Control are all functional—the vehicle rumbles to life: systems power up, the engine bells chime for launch.
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The engines start to light, and we sway forward as this huge new force bends the vehicle, which lurches sideways then twangs back to vertical. And at that moment there's an enormous, violent vibration and rattle.
The engines start to light, and we sway forward as this huge new force bends the vehicle, which lurches sideways then twangs back to vertical. And at that moment there's an enormous, violent vibration and rattle.
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Spacewalking is like rock climbing, weightlifting, repairing a small engine and performing an intricate pas de deux—simultaneously, while encased in a bulky suit that's scraping your knuckles, fingertips and collarbone raw.
Spacewalking is like rock climbing, weightlifting, repairing a small engine and performing an intricate pas de deux—simultaneously, while encased in a bulky suit that's scraping your knuckles, fingertips and collarbone raw.
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LibraryThing Review
User Review - LibraryCin - LibraryThingThe title of this book makes it sound – in part – like a kind-of self-help book: “...guide to life on Earth”. But it’s really not. It is primarily a memoir about Chris Hadfield’s life as an astronaut ... Read full review
LibraryThing Review
User Review - Authentico - LibraryThingIt's just ok. It should just be renamed to 'Chris Hadfield: I Got Lucky' or something like that since the book seems to follow a timeline of the life of Chris. It does talk about his life when he's ... Read full review
Contents
Have an Attitude | |
The Power of Negative Thinking | |
Sweat the Small Stuff | |
The Last People in the World | |
Whats the Next Thing That Could Kill | |
Tranquility Base Kazakhstan | |
Aim to Be a Zero | |
Life off Earth | |
practicalities and logistics of even more ambitious expeditions | |
Square Astronaut Round Hole | |
COMING DOWN TO EARTH | |
Photos | |
Acknowledgments | |
Reading Group Guide | |
Other editions - View all
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth: What Going to Space Taught Me About ... Chris Hadfield No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
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