An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

Chris Hadfield

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.

What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything

Eva Ströberg

This book is very insightful.

At first I wanted to know how it was being an astronaut and being in space since I have been interesting in everything space-y since I was a kid, but the book turned out to be so much more.

Col. Chris Hadfield used his life experiences and trainings as astronaut to coach you how to have another perspective (if not bigger perspective) to see how you live your live on earth. I love it. He was teaching without being patronizing and most of the times, he was simply sharing his hacks and tips and tricks on his life.

One thing that strikes the most was the way he described that in order to avoid stress, an astronaut has to sweat the small stuff (instead of the opposite advice we've been hearing). You have to think about every single possibility and chances that could kill you and throw you off course. As an engineer, I could relate this so much :)

All in all, a very entertaining read.

Timeo Williams

Chris Hadfield has quite the resume. Mechanical engineer. Fighter pilot(1st in class), and last but not least, a distinguished NASA astronaut. 

The book read like a story, which detailed the various different things that had to go right for Chris to have achieved what he has. It takes humility to admit that luck and the support of others was the main reason behind ones success. 

As someone interested in the space profession myself, I found the book enlightening and heartwarming. The struggles Chris has to go through and the key attributes an astronaut should have, are things not thought of at first glance.

Jeff Sexton

Space Oddities. This is an intriguing look at the life of the man who became Canada's first space walker and who went viral a few years ago when he (and his son and several others) put together a music video for David Bowie's Space Oddities... from the International Space Station. Solid, enjoyable read that is even more fascinating when read close in time to other books from other former ISS Commanders, as the different tones about their jobs and the different expressions of experiences they share roughly in common are even more fascinating than this book by itself - which is still very strong in its own right. Absolutely recommended.

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.

Wynter

Chris Hadfield is one of the few 'famous' people I would love to have a dinner with. In addition to being a hopeless space nut, I was also impressed by Colonel's humility, determination, drive, insight, and easy-going manner. His memoir not only offers countless exciting stories of space explorations, astronaut trainings, gruelling selection processes, but also showcases his ability to always live life to its fullest potential. Whether he is in charge of ISS, having drinks with his neighbours while in Russia, or supporting families of other astronauts, he never fails to come off as approachable, smart, and resourceful man. As a fellow Canadian, I salute him. 

The book is a great "guide to life on Earth", as many lessons Chris learned during his career, can be applied to every day life for the rest of us. Now I know that it's okay not to think positive all the time, as it is a sign you are just getting ready for whatever hurdles might be ahead. I've always been criticized for stressing too much, but there is a difference between getting prepared for the worst and sheer panic. It's how you handle the situation that makes all the difference. I wish I had even a tenth of self-discipline and confidence in my path that he does, and this book really makes me strive for it. I think this would be a great read for younger audience as well to give them a good direction in life. 

And just to make it clear, that dinner offer is still open... *wink wink*

Aditi

Really quite excellent. 

An intimate account of achieving a life-long obsession, without falling into the traps of obsessive behaviour. This is a close look at the workings of astronauts, and everything it entails from one of the most visibly successful astronauts yet. It also affords the general public a heretofore unavailable window into the Space Program, and its vital importance in our every day lives. 

It also highlights the cooperation of NASA and the Russian Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, and show a human side to Russians who at least for me have so far been remote being hidden behind Mr. Putin and his lot. These Russians seem like regular people one could meet in any country- in fact, they sound just like the people working for NASA and CSA. The author considers them friends and team mates, and writes warmly about them. This is important in light of all the rhetoric we've been hearing and reading from both sides (but especially the Americans) in light of the Ukraine and Crimea issue. Science works above politics, if given any room at all. A must read.

Aditi Verma

Nimish

Twitter is the last place that would inspire me to pick up a book. And I generally don’t read biographies as much as I would like to. But these two seemingly obvious realities converged to prove a point when I picked up “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” (AAGTLOE) by Commander Chris Hadfield. 

Commander Hadfield or his more popular Twitter handle which was the root of my purchase decision - @cmdr_hadfield - is a social media star, after his photographs of earth from the International Space Station went viral. To find photographs of the Earth as seen from the ISS, amidst the inanities I was witnessing on Twitter at the time, was a breath of fresh air. Naturally, I was hooked. Sure NASA releases far more detailed images every now and then, but somehow I found that a tad bit academic. @cmdr_hadfield had somehow cracked the aspect of making space social media gold by giving a visual diary of The Earth from the ISS, along with his personal take thereby adding a human touch to it. Apart from pictures of the planet, Hadfield was also the person behind a lot of instructional videos from space. In fact, his videos were a major research point for an article I had written for my former magazine, Digit -  A day in the life of an astronaut. I was eagerly following his as well as Expedition 34/35’s YouTube channel. 

It was a no-brainer then, that I had to buy his book An Astronaut’s Guide To Life On Earth. 

Having seen his instructional videos from the ISS, I knew that despite this being an autobiography of an astronaut, it would be an easy-to-read book. Sure, the book has the technicalities explained in detail. Thanks to my engineering background, and my limited knowledge of space missions, I could follow most of the processes explained in the book when it came to going on a space walk, technical testing procedures an astronaut undergoes, the take off and landing checklists and so on. Hadfield has maintained a good balance between technical and non-technical aspects of an astronaut’s life. 

The book shines best, when Hadfield talks about the preparatory phases, before actually being able to fly in space. We all are aware of the rockstar-like status that Astronauts command when they land back on earth, but few are aware of the countless hours spent behind achieving that very goal. The dogged perseverance required to make it inside a spacecraft in space, is not as glamourous. That forms the crux of the book. 

The titling of the chapters is superb. ‘The Trip Takes a Lifetime’, ‘Sweat The Small Stuff’, ‘What’s the Next Thing That Could Kill You’, ‘Aim to be a Zero’, ‘Climbing Down the Ladder’ and so on. These headlines act as great pointers of things you have learned from the book long after you are done reading it. Sweating the small stuff for instance talks about the absolute preparation that is the hallmark of most NASA space engineers - being prepared for every little casualty, having constant debriefing sessions with your teammates, not taking anything for granted. Aim to be a zero concentrates on how one should be humble all the time and always have an attitude which is working towards the goal of the agency rather than your own personal goals. He beautifully mentions incidents, where you have to aim to be a zero - as in someone with a clean slate - and not act over-smart or overconfident, as that can lead you to overlook things, which negates the ‘Sweating the small stuff’ lesson. 

I also found the non-work (technically speaking they aren’t really non-work related) aspects of an astronaut’s life that Hadfield talks about interesting. Prioritising time with family despite the countless training and practise sessions with NASA, being one. Never letting your ego get the better of you when it comes to working as a team, being another. Always staying focussed on your dreams and working towards it with an unending thirst. 

I was also fascinated by the fact that astronauts have to be quarantined for a couple of weeks before their flight - to avoid contraction of any disease from family or friends. It is a tough life for an astronaut, something we outsiders tend to overlook amidst the glory of the person having travelled in space. The fact that for the astronauts themselves, humility is important and is displayed, is refreshing. Hadfield beautifully words it thus, “At NASA, it’s just a given that today’s star will be tomorrow’s stage hand, going behind the scenes in relative obscurity.” 

Space agencies' inside traditions such as peeing on the back of the truck tyre in Kazakhasthan, singing Russian songs or watching particular movies before launch, provide a nice outside-in view of the light human aspects of what are life-altering space missions. Hadfield also touches upon the imminent danger one faces while in space - the ammonia leak incident or the emergency space walk incident towards the end of Expedition 34/35, for instance. Drives home the point that space travel requires great preparation and the ability to operate under pressure, else your life could be at stake. 

The part of him becoming a Social Media Rockstar, all thanks to his son Evan’s help and social-media savvy, forms a small part towards the end of the book. And I am happy that he devoted only a small part of the book to that aspect, as most of that story has been covered in the international press countless times. 

It is a great book to read, if you are already fascinated by the work being done by space agencies across the world. For those who aren’t, it is still a nice window into the life of one profession that takes years of multi-disciplinary training.

Alex

"I wasn't destined to be an astronaut. I had to turn myself into one."


Ever since I was a little kid, I've been absolutely fascinated with space. So much so that I received a telescope one chilly Christmas morning when I still wasn't tall enough to see over counter tops. Being able to sit in my backyard and look skyward to see the endless blackness dusted with sparkling stars always drew my deepest interest. Space makes me feel isolated but enormous, insignificant but powerful at the same time. To me, the night sky and the Milky Way has always represented home. 

So one day when I stumbled upon a Youtube video of an astronaut brushing his teeth in space, I watched all of the space videos posted by this man that I could find. He was the commander of the ISS, and he was a Canadian! I felt a sort of connection to this man. I had found Chris Hadfield. 

I still remember sitting in front of the computer, yelling at my brother to stay off the internet so the livestream of his expedition's return to Earth would come through clearly and I wouldn't miss a thing. 
Ever since then Chris has been an inspirational figure in my life. His love of space and education has always been a driving force behind my own developing passions. 

In his book, Chris retells the story of his career as an astronaut, and how he got to that moment in time where he showed up on my computer screen. He explains what it means to be an astronaut, and why life as an astronaut should be a life worth working to achieve. You don't need to BE an astronaut to act like one. 

His story is littered with carefully thought out philosophies and advice on how to tackle every day life, set aside little tidbits of inside facts about his career and the inner workings of the industry. There's enough there for us space nerds to get our fill, but somewhere along the way you realize that, when he produces ideas like "sweat the small stuff", you've really started listening. 

The motto of the story is: "square astronaut, round hole."

Jakob Hultman

Col. Hadfield has got a lot of stories to tell. But this book felt more like a life lecture, and he constantly came back to a "listen to me, I've gone through some things in my life"-attitude, which annoyed me. I wanted the stories, the feel I got from watching Hadfields videos from the space shuttle. Maybe I had too high hopes.

Katia

Fantastic book to spark your motivation. Chris Hadfield’s diligence and hard work felt really inspiring and gave me a lot of insight into what success means to me. 

Enes Özden

He gave a lot of tricks for life in space. His advices helped to think extraordinary.

Bryan Maniotakis

An inspiring figure with an entertaining story, sprinkled with motivational bits throughout.

Ervin Szerdocz

I was never really fascinated about space and couldn't understand other people's excitement for it, but this book definitely made me appreciate more the whole topic.
It was also refreshing to see the humility of an astronaut, which I didn't expect. 
Although I did find good guidelines ("guide to life on earth"), I see this book as more of a story about space - trying to get your interest in it.

Victoria Simansjah

One thing i learned from Hadfield is his persistence, determination, and desire to get what he wants. It is inspiring to be able to read on how Hadfield's life revolved along the years (before, during, and after his astronaut life). Hadfield is a great story-teller, captivating you with relatable moments and drawing you in with his personal remark on it. Thumbs up!

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

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