Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, An
Hadfield, ChrisThe maxim 'prepare for the worst and enjoy every moment of it' has served Canadian Chris Hadfield well in his chosen career. Inspired to become an astronaut after watching Neil Armstrong's televised moon landing as a 9 year old, he has gone on to achieve his dream, participating in several NASA missions, most recently as Commander of the International Space Station.
In this behind-the-scenes exposure of the life of an astronaut, Hadfield weaves his personal reflections with the fascinating details of space travel to create an engaging, inspiring and unforgettable memoir. The ultimate in armchair travel!
Pages
295
295
Year
2013
2013
Reviews
02-11-2023
Interesting, learned a lot. Amazed what they needed to learn.
25-08-2021
One person really loved it. Most of us enjoyed it but felt it was repetitive, and would have made a good magazine article or short story.
15-03-2021
The men thoroughly enjoyed this book and there was lots of interesting discussion about it during the session.
15-04-2020
An easy read, but some found it too repetitive and not compelling.
15-04-2020
Generally enjoyed by the whole group, although one reader disliked the author! We all agreed that it was not something we would normally choose to read but were glad that we had. We gained a very good insight into the 'back story' of space exploration, and the incredible dedication of not just astronauts, but the whole team.
15-04-2020
A wide range of responses to this book. Half the group loved it and rated it 9/10, others weren't gripped by it and gave up. Those that loved it found the technical aspects and science involved fascinating, and were impressed with his dedication to astronaut life ( and his family's tolerance!)
15-04-2020
Many found it interesting, but a few thought he lived a very selfish life spending so much time away from his family.
15-04-2020
Everyone enjoyed this book. It is full of interesting little facts, and the writer's personal code for living was also food for thought.
17-04-2019
There were several who could not relate to Chris Hadfield's intensity that was all consuming in his life. A chapter by Helen his wife could have balanced his enthusiasm and given an insight to their family dynamics. Very interesting how two countries can cooperate and work together.
06-11-2018
Our group was similar to most of the other groups reviewing here. Some of us found the material interesting enough, but somehow the book didn't engage us particularly - maybe the amount of repetition there is, or the tendency to preach a bit. But others found the book quite inspiring in its message and the account of the experience of being an astronaut that Hadfield writes about. One member would like her grandson to read this book for the adventure and the writer's ethos. We all enjoyed Hadfield's YouTube version of Bowie's Space Oddity. It might have been a good thing to watch this first.
30-05-2018
Not all read the book - they should have! Fantastic work ethic, good writing - made it all seem 'normal' and very understandable. New knowledge of the space programme now, and the You Tube clips are fun.
30-05-2018
Mixed views of book. Some enjoyed it and the detail of space travel, but others did not warm to the style of writing, which tended to be repetitive. We would have liked some anecdotes of the other astronauts. Good for readers who enjoy hearing of people with a driving purpose in life !
30-05-2018
Disparate scores from our group - a few loved the detailed info, while others were irritated with the repetition and narrow focus.
30-05-2018
This book was enjoyed by all - very much so. The tone was friendly and enthusiastic: Chris Hadfield's passion was infectious, and his single-minded determination admired by us lesser mortals. We learned lots, and were fascinated by the detail of life on the gravity-free International Space Station. Would recommend for all readers. A good one!
30-05-2018
Mixed. Some of us really enjoyed hearing about life on the International Space Station. Many members thought he came across as arrogant.
30-05-2018
Very interesting insight into the life, training and experience of being an astronaut from an intelligent, talented and modest man.