Book Review: An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

You might be familiar with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield from the videos he did for the Canadian Space Agency, teaching viewers about life in space, or from his YouTube cover of the song Space Oddity, which he sang and recorded on his last night aboard the International Space Station. But Hadfield has a lot more to say, not only about space, but about life in general.

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth is part memoir, part space adventure, and part inspirational guide. The path to becoming an astronaut is surprisingly long and an unexpected majority of it isn't spent in space at all - in fact, many astronauts never make it off the planet. But Hadfield's lesson is that even these less glorified tasks are important and demand your full attention. He talks about how to handle problems large and samll (from an unscheduled space walk to repair an ammonia leak that could take out the ISS's power supply, to the logistics of eating, keeping clean, and peeing in zero gravity), how to behave at work (don't be the like the esteemed astronaut who gets on an elevator and thinks he's too important to push his own button, for example), and the importance of remembering what's really important (family, friends, and appreciating a wonderful view of the world around you - or two hundred miles below you). It's a fascinating read, both for its view on life in space and its advice for being successful at anything. - Michelle (Sunset)