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kluidens's review against another edition
3.0
Colonel Chris Hadfield is the sort of guy who makes you proud of the human race, and slightly ashamed of yourself as an individual. As he recounts in this memoir, at age nine he independently chose to eat his vegetables because he realized he wanted to become an astronaut, and he figured that’s what an astronaut would do. From that point forward, year after year without pause, it seems not an hour passed that wasn’t spent in pursuit of that goal. What a Boy Scout… turned cadet turned fighter pilot, test pilot, and ultimately one of five founding astronauts in the Canadian Space Agency. Along the way he also managed to father a picturesque family, not to mention grow a killer mustache. Good for him! Good for humanity! Excuse me while I eat a package of Oreos and binge-watch some Netflix.
Part of what’s remarkable about Hadfield’s story is how humble he remains throughout. He acknowledges that he wasn’t naturally the best in each class, nor did he need to prove that he was. Instead he focused on developing his technical skills with endless practice and an eagerness to learn from whoever was around in whatever situation. In the words of Randall Munroe, “You don’t become great by trying to be great. You become great by wanting to do something, and then doing it so hard that you become great in the process.” That captures the practical attitude that fueled Hadfield’s impressive career.
As the title implies, the anecdotes in this memoir frame morsels of advice for the rest of us Earth-bound mortals. It consequently reads like a self-help book at times, outlining career advice. If anyone’s qualified to give career advice, it’s a man whose nonstop dedication earned him titles like “NASA’s Director of Operations in Star City” or “Chief of International Space Station Operations”—and those are just positions he held on Earth. Things get even more interesting once he launches into orbit. But that’s the point I would make to Hadfield if I were his editor: what makes this book worth the read isn’t so much the (valid and valuable) advice but the descriptions of getting to, from, and around space.
If you’re interested in hearing how driven and disciplined an individual can be for decades on end, by all means, read away. There’s no shortage of accomplishments and insights in the pages of this book. If, on the other hand, you mostly just want to know how it feels to brush your teeth in microgravity or crash-land your Soyuz in the Kazakh desert, you can always click over from Netflix to Hadfield’s YouTube channel and be entertained without the advice. Enjoy your Oreos.
Part of what’s remarkable about Hadfield’s story is how humble he remains throughout. He acknowledges that he wasn’t naturally the best in each class, nor did he need to prove that he was. Instead he focused on developing his technical skills with endless practice and an eagerness to learn from whoever was around in whatever situation. In the words of Randall Munroe, “You don’t become great by trying to be great. You become great by wanting to do something, and then doing it so hard that you become great in the process.” That captures the practical attitude that fueled Hadfield’s impressive career.
As the title implies, the anecdotes in this memoir frame morsels of advice for the rest of us Earth-bound mortals. It consequently reads like a self-help book at times, outlining career advice. If anyone’s qualified to give career advice, it’s a man whose nonstop dedication earned him titles like “NASA’s Director of Operations in Star City” or “Chief of International Space Station Operations”—and those are just positions he held on Earth. Things get even more interesting once he launches into orbit. But that’s the point I would make to Hadfield if I were his editor: what makes this book worth the read isn’t so much the (valid and valuable) advice but the descriptions of getting to, from, and around space.
If you’re interested in hearing how driven and disciplined an individual can be for decades on end, by all means, read away. There’s no shortage of accomplishments and insights in the pages of this book. If, on the other hand, you mostly just want to know how it feels to brush your teeth in microgravity or crash-land your Soyuz in the Kazakh desert, you can always click over from Netflix to Hadfield’s YouTube channel and be entertained without the advice. Enjoy your Oreos.
duygusu's review against another edition
1.0
I don't want to be the party pooper who tries to put clouds on otherwise sunny reviews of this book BUT, I couldn't even finish it.
I found it disorganized, tedious, and repetitive. It seemed more like he was trying to downplay his own ego but at the same time make the reader say, "Oh wow you are amazing in everything you touch."
Sigh.
I found it disorganized, tedious, and repetitive. It seemed more like he was trying to downplay his own ego but at the same time make the reader say, "Oh wow you are amazing in everything you touch."
Sigh.
lsparrow's review against another edition
5.0
An amazing look at life from the view of an astronaut. From someone who obviously loves life.
gj377's review against another edition
4.0
Interesting book that really serves to highlight how single-minded, determined, and lucky you need to be to make it as an astronaut. Fascinating look into the career of Col. Hadfield - really worth a read for any astronaut fan. Felt a little disjointed in places, full of unique stories.
brownad7's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
fweijers's review against another edition
5.0
A man who has accomplished A LOT and still is proud of the smaller achievements in life.
maya_paya's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Very interesting! Lots of cool stories, info, and insight. You learn a lot about space exploration and all the hard work that a large team puts into a space mission and expedition…with a little bit of life lessons sprinkled into it along the way.
pottereric's review against another edition
5.0
This was a fascinating look at life as a Shuttle and ISS era astronaut.