Scan barcode
linesuponapage's review against another edition
5.0
As someone who has attended so many shuttle launches (one of which was Mr. Kelly’s flight in 1999) and landings and dreams of what its like to be in space, I was stoked to find out I was being given Endurance by Scott Kelly to review.
I find outer space fascinating I follow the flight paths of the International Space Station (ISS)(which oddly enough will be crossing over my home at 6:22 p.m. tonight, and I am planning on watching it travel along on its journey with my high power binoculars). This book adds to my fascination.
Retired Astronaut Scott Kelly is the longest occupying American resident of the ISS with 340 straight days in 2015-2016.
Endurance is his memoir of that record-breaking stay and the rest of his “Lifetime of Discovery.”
Selected to a "year-long mission" starting with Expedition 43, he then commanded Expedition 44 and 45, Mr. Kelly had put into practice what it was like to live on the Space Station two years before with his 5 months stay on the ISS during Expedition 26. His life journey through hardships in his childhood, his service in the Navy as a Pilot, fighting Prostate Cancer and those months of Expedition 43 prepared him for what came next.
Endurance is the closest I will ever get to space and I ate up every word Mr. Kelly wrote. His struggles from being away from his family, his relationships, his joys, his mental and physical health, working with various countries Astronauts delving in Biomedical Engineering, his vivid explanations of the day to day jobs he completed were like a sci-fi novel turned reality.
Can you imagine what it would be like to look at the earth and see it in all its glory, it’s distinguishing attributes? You don’t have to, Mr. Kelly gives you his view and feelings on what it is like. He makes you feel as if you are there, working, playing and traveling through zero gravity.
The knowledge that you don’t have control over anything that happens on earth to your family is something that Mr. Kelly finds out about when his sister-in-law Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords is shot in Arizona at a Safeway grocery store parking lot meeting with constituents. Mr. Kelly had a few months left of his stay.
A few things of what Mr. Kelly says of that experience, while leading the nation in a moment of silence concerning the horrific assassination attempt and deaths of six people and 13 injured that day in Tucson struck me as something to really chew on and change, and also some huge foreshadowing, “Those of us who have had the privilege to look down on the Earth from space get the chance to take a larger perspective of the planet and the people who share it. I feel more strongly than ever that we must do better” He explains after the moment of silence "on the space station, we followed our normal routine. But I knew that on Earth somethings would never be the same.”
Mr. Kelly’s life experiences told throughout this book show everyone that someone can come from obscurity and land into whatever they dream of becoming and beyond those dreams. This book is worth reading especially if you have any inkling of journeying from your own life to someone else’s and obviously if you love space exploration. This book hits one of my top five memoirs. Read it, you won’t regret it.
Thanks to Bookish First for sending me a copy of Endurance: A Year in Space, A lifetime of Discovery I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book was given to me in lieu of my honest opinion.
I find outer space fascinating I follow the flight paths of the International Space Station (ISS)(which oddly enough will be crossing over my home at 6:22 p.m. tonight, and I am planning on watching it travel along on its journey with my high power binoculars). This book adds to my fascination.
Retired Astronaut Scott Kelly is the longest occupying American resident of the ISS with 340 straight days in 2015-2016.
Endurance is his memoir of that record-breaking stay and the rest of his “Lifetime of Discovery.”
Selected to a "year-long mission" starting with Expedition 43, he then commanded Expedition 44 and 45, Mr. Kelly had put into practice what it was like to live on the Space Station two years before with his 5 months stay on the ISS during Expedition 26. His life journey through hardships in his childhood, his service in the Navy as a Pilot, fighting Prostate Cancer and those months of Expedition 43 prepared him for what came next.
Endurance is the closest I will ever get to space and I ate up every word Mr. Kelly wrote. His struggles from being away from his family, his relationships, his joys, his mental and physical health, working with various countries Astronauts delving in Biomedical Engineering, his vivid explanations of the day to day jobs he completed were like a sci-fi novel turned reality.
Can you imagine what it would be like to look at the earth and see it in all its glory, it’s distinguishing attributes? You don’t have to, Mr. Kelly gives you his view and feelings on what it is like. He makes you feel as if you are there, working, playing and traveling through zero gravity.
The knowledge that you don’t have control over anything that happens on earth to your family is something that Mr. Kelly finds out about when his sister-in-law Congresswoman Gabriella Giffords is shot in Arizona at a Safeway grocery store parking lot meeting with constituents. Mr. Kelly had a few months left of his stay.
A few things of what Mr. Kelly says of that experience, while leading the nation in a moment of silence concerning the horrific assassination attempt and deaths of six people and 13 injured that day in Tucson struck me as something to really chew on and change, and also some huge foreshadowing, “Those of us who have had the privilege to look down on the Earth from space get the chance to take a larger perspective of the planet and the people who share it. I feel more strongly than ever that we must do better” He explains after the moment of silence "on the space station, we followed our normal routine. But I knew that on Earth somethings would never be the same.”
Mr. Kelly’s life experiences told throughout this book show everyone that someone can come from obscurity and land into whatever they dream of becoming and beyond those dreams. This book is worth reading especially if you have any inkling of journeying from your own life to someone else’s and obviously if you love space exploration. This book hits one of my top five memoirs. Read it, you won’t regret it.
Thanks to Bookish First for sending me a copy of Endurance: A Year in Space, A lifetime of Discovery I thoroughly enjoyed it. This book was given to me in lieu of my honest opinion.
colorfulleo92's review against another edition
5.0
I had an intense interest for astronauts for about a month last year and definitely haven't died down, just not been reading much about it? This was an intensely interesting memoir about Scott's life in space and on earth. Memoirs like this would probably never stop fascinating me even if I would never ever wish to be in space my self.
jen286's review against another edition
3.0
I saw a little snippet from Endurance online somewhere that made me want to read this book. It was from the one small section in the beginning where the author talks about what is happening to him since being back from space for so long. So I thought this story would have more about what happened after as I would be incredibly interested in learning about that. I was never a huge space fan, don't ever want to go to space, but am super interested in what would happen to us if we were to live in space for years and then came back to earth. Only that one small section at the beginning was the only snippet of post life stuff we really get, besides having dinner with the family and normal things like that. Really I would have enjoyed more of what happens to "normal" astronauts who have been in space for less than a year. What do they have to deal with when they come back to earth? So I kept waiting for this info, to see what happens next, but it never came.
Now I was surprised by how interesting I found the chapters about Scott's year in the ISS. Like I said I was never much interested in space, but did find it fascinating how they manage to do things up in zero gravity. How if you are not super careful with things they can easily be lost for months or years. How everything has to be just so or it can be a major issue. I guess I knew a lot of it already, or it makes sense, but still I found it really interesting. It would probably be amazing to see some of the things Scott saw from space, the earth, the sunrises, everything, but this just reinforced my not wanting to go. It would be constantly working to make sure you can live there and is kind of crazy. Really fascinating how it all works and the resupplies and all of it. I really enjoyed those chapters.
Now about every other chapter was a chapter of how Scott went from a teenager who never paid attention in school to an astronaut. And it was so jarring every time I got to a new chapter and I wasn't reading about space anymore. I don't really understand why they decided to set up the book this way. Normally when I read something that jumps back and forth there is a transition, something linking the two so you can easily go from one time to the other, but this book didn't have that. It was just like we are up in space doing experiments and I am super focused on everything that is happening, then suddenly we are back in time trying to get into a different school so you can become a pilot. And I really didn't like it. Really I didn't care that much about his life pre-astronaut. It was alright, but my main interest while reading was what happened while he was up in space for a year. And eventually I did skip every other chapter so I was reading in chronological order instead of the back and forth the book was set up as. That did help tremendously in my enjoyment of the story.
Overall this was a really interesting read about the space program and how everything works. From Russia, where they launched to go to the ISS, to being up there for missions I found it all fascinating. I would be interested in reading more about different space flights and what happens on them. It was just a shame that the book was set up so that it jilted you from one place to another throughout the story.
Now I was surprised by how interesting I found the chapters about Scott's year in the ISS. Like I said I was never much interested in space, but did find it fascinating how they manage to do things up in zero gravity. How if you are not super careful with things they can easily be lost for months or years. How everything has to be just so or it can be a major issue. I guess I knew a lot of it already, or it makes sense, but still I found it really interesting. It would probably be amazing to see some of the things Scott saw from space, the earth, the sunrises, everything, but this just reinforced my not wanting to go. It would be constantly working to make sure you can live there and is kind of crazy. Really fascinating how it all works and the resupplies and all of it. I really enjoyed those chapters.
Now about every other chapter was a chapter of how Scott went from a teenager who never paid attention in school to an astronaut. And it was so jarring every time I got to a new chapter and I wasn't reading about space anymore. I don't really understand why they decided to set up the book this way. Normally when I read something that jumps back and forth there is a transition, something linking the two so you can easily go from one time to the other, but this book didn't have that. It was just like we are up in space doing experiments and I am super focused on everything that is happening, then suddenly we are back in time trying to get into a different school so you can become a pilot. And I really didn't like it. Really I didn't care that much about his life pre-astronaut. It was alright, but my main interest while reading was what happened while he was up in space for a year. And eventually I did skip every other chapter so I was reading in chronological order instead of the back and forth the book was set up as. That did help tremendously in my enjoyment of the story.
Overall this was a really interesting read about the space program and how everything works. From Russia, where they launched to go to the ISS, to being up there for missions I found it all fascinating. I would be interested in reading more about different space flights and what happens on them. It was just a shame that the book was set up so that it jilted you from one place to another throughout the story.
jeffmauch's review against another edition
5.0
I'll preface this review with stating that Scott Kelly is a personal hero of mine and somebody that I deeply admire. He's be on a very short list of mine of people I'd like to someday meet. In a world these days where it seems like it's so hard to find somebody worth looking up to, it's nice to have somebody like Mr. Kelly out there.
That all said, this was a very interesting book and one of the better autobiographies I've read in a while. It's a great split telling of both Scott's life as well as a more in depth covering of his year in space. Scott is very honest and frank in this book to the point of questioning NASA on a number of occasions and even outright disagreeing and contradicting them at times. It was refreshing to see he isn't just a "yes man". It was also neat to see that it wasn't just a rose colored glasses look at his year in space, but rather showed his struggles with his personal relationships, fellow astronauts, and within himself.
This was also an insightful look at just what it takes to be an astronaut for the United States. These aren't just people who pass some rigorous tests and get thrown into a shuttle. These are truly our best and brightest and are tested over and over again at length to continue to show that they are just that. They also can wait for years and years, even a decade to get the chance to fly.
What this book showed me more than anything is that while we look up to athletes, actors, and musicians , maybe we should be looking at those who are pushing science and the human race forward more as role models and heroes.
That all said, this was a very interesting book and one of the better autobiographies I've read in a while. It's a great split telling of both Scott's life as well as a more in depth covering of his year in space. Scott is very honest and frank in this book to the point of questioning NASA on a number of occasions and even outright disagreeing and contradicting them at times. It was refreshing to see he isn't just a "yes man". It was also neat to see that it wasn't just a rose colored glasses look at his year in space, but rather showed his struggles with his personal relationships, fellow astronauts, and within himself.
This was also an insightful look at just what it takes to be an astronaut for the United States. These aren't just people who pass some rigorous tests and get thrown into a shuttle. These are truly our best and brightest and are tested over and over again at length to continue to show that they are just that. They also can wait for years and years, even a decade to get the chance to fly.
What this book showed me more than anything is that while we look up to athletes, actors, and musicians , maybe we should be looking at those who are pushing science and the human race forward more as role models and heroes.
kchiappone's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the audio book version of this and nearly turned it off because Kelly's voice is so boring. Thankfully, I kept listening and got used to his voice because the actual content of the book is very enjoyable. Now I want to read more astronaut books.
gwa2012's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first non-fiction book that I gave 5 stars.
It is entertaining, relevant, and timely.
As the title indicates, this book describes a sort of endurance that goes beyond physical fitness. I once joked that endurance is a leadership trait in the Marine Corps because all the Corps cares about is how fast you can run three miles. A wise major (now lieutenant colonel) sternly reminded me that endurance has many facets. He reminded me that endurance means—among other things—staying alert at the end of a patrol, enforcing safety measures in month 8 of a 12 month deployment, and taking on the burden of leadership—especially when inconvenient or under demanding circumstances—because that is an officer’s duty to his/her Marines. That lesson stuck with me, and this book reinforces that lesson.
In the book, the author tells his story of transforming from a failing student to a Navy test pilot and then astronaut. He flew multiple shuttle missions and executed long-term space flights on the ISS. Throughout the book, the author is candid about his personal mistakes and lessons learned through failure. It is refreshing to get a raw look at another person’s life—especially a person trying to make money by writing a book.
This story also has surprising application to my work as a litigator. The author explains that during a year-long mission in space, you have to conserve your energy—primarily through governing what upsets you. In litigation, it is easy to get worked up by every problem that crosses your desk. If you let your emotions run unchecked, then you will quickly burn out and miserably fail your mission—i.e. your Marines and clients. Energy conservation allows you to allocate your limited energy where necessary and ensures that you have enough bandwidth to give your family, and other obligations, sufficient attention.
Second, the author states that “sometimes better is the enemy of good enough.” This idea nests within energy conservation. Sometimes it’s better to launch that motion or assignment without spending hours editing and revising. You will not likely make the product that much better to justify the energy expenditure. Many times, good enough is just that, good enough.
Third, the author explains that not every problem is rocket science. Unless it is rocket science. If that’s the case, then talk to a rocket scientist. Once again—energy conservation. You will not the be the best at everything. Handle the issues that you can, and be humble enough to acknowledge that you need help. Once you invest enough time to become basically competent, then reach out to the expert to get you across the finish line. Humility is critical to success in any endeavor.
Read this book.
It is entertaining, relevant, and timely.
As the title indicates, this book describes a sort of endurance that goes beyond physical fitness. I once joked that endurance is a leadership trait in the Marine Corps because all the Corps cares about is how fast you can run three miles. A wise major (now lieutenant colonel) sternly reminded me that endurance has many facets. He reminded me that endurance means—among other things—staying alert at the end of a patrol, enforcing safety measures in month 8 of a 12 month deployment, and taking on the burden of leadership—especially when inconvenient or under demanding circumstances—because that is an officer’s duty to his/her Marines. That lesson stuck with me, and this book reinforces that lesson.
In the book, the author tells his story of transforming from a failing student to a Navy test pilot and then astronaut. He flew multiple shuttle missions and executed long-term space flights on the ISS. Throughout the book, the author is candid about his personal mistakes and lessons learned through failure. It is refreshing to get a raw look at another person’s life—especially a person trying to make money by writing a book.
This story also has surprising application to my work as a litigator. The author explains that during a year-long mission in space, you have to conserve your energy—primarily through governing what upsets you. In litigation, it is easy to get worked up by every problem that crosses your desk. If you let your emotions run unchecked, then you will quickly burn out and miserably fail your mission—i.e. your Marines and clients. Energy conservation allows you to allocate your limited energy where necessary and ensures that you have enough bandwidth to give your family, and other obligations, sufficient attention.
Second, the author states that “sometimes better is the enemy of good enough.” This idea nests within energy conservation. Sometimes it’s better to launch that motion or assignment without spending hours editing and revising. You will not likely make the product that much better to justify the energy expenditure. Many times, good enough is just that, good enough.
Third, the author explains that not every problem is rocket science. Unless it is rocket science. If that’s the case, then talk to a rocket scientist. Once again—energy conservation. You will not the be the best at everything. Handle the issues that you can, and be humble enough to acknowledge that you need help. Once you invest enough time to become basically competent, then reach out to the expert to get you across the finish line. Humility is critical to success in any endeavor.
Read this book.
sara_kathryn's review against another edition
3.0
He’s a pilot and astronaut, not an author. The chapters about his year in space were very interesting, but I found the in between chapters to be less than captivating. I enjoyed listening to it, as it was read by the author. But I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have finished it if I didn’t do it via audiobook cuz I would have been too bored with the in between chapters
smappygai1's review against another edition
4.0
A little long, but appreciated learning about the minutiae of astronaut life, and how prolonged space flight affects the body and mind. Mad props to Mr. Kelly for his work and sacrifice. Seems like a really genuine dude. Can't wait to go to Mars.
kowariii's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
knightedbooks's review against another edition
5.0
I highly recommend this book to people who enjoy memoirs, science, space travel, military, and/or overcoming obstacles. I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad to have had the chance to read it. I loved learning more about Scott’s life. I liked the alternating chapters about his year in space and his life leading up to his year in space. Definitely a must read for future astronauts and/or pilots. The pictures were breathtakingly beautiful. I am glad those were included. His descriptions made it easy to picture space, though. He is a very brave man. I have a lot of respect for him and the astronauts and cosmonauts. I hope we do make it to Mars. I am not sure that I would want to travel in space, personally, though. Thanks to Bookish First for the free copy in exchange for my review.