The above quote is from my favorite chapter (Aim to be Zero) in the book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.

I’ve been meaning to write about this book but for some reason I didn’t. This always happens to the books I loved, which are usually really, REALLY great books too.

Chris Hadfield is very engaging and I was hooked right from page one. Could it be because I’ve always been fascinated by space and astronomy, and therefore, am biased?

I enjoyed reading about his childhood ambition, his journey to becoming an astronaut, the years of endless training when his dream came true (such as classroom theory, one-on-one spacecraft systems, lectures, Russian language lessons, physical fitness, and lots of homework). The selection process was mindbogglingly intense. He also talks about spacewalking, the ISS (International Space Station) FROM launching into space to get there TO staying there for five months, and life in space (the everyday space oddities—dancing M&Ms, wafting fork, sleeping on air—stuff like that). His wife Helene is an absolute heroine in his life.

What more can I say? This is an utterly inspiring and fascinating book. I’ve dog-eared so many pages because the author has so many awesome things to say. Here are some:

I will be regularly rereading Chapter 9: Aim to be Zero because those pages are a gentle reminder for us to remain humble and be observant. In any new situation, we “will almost certainly be viewed in one of three ways. As a minus one: actively harmful, someone who creates problems. Or as a zero: your impact is neutral and doesn’t tip the balance one way or the other. Or you’ll be seen as a plus one: someone who actively adds value.” The idea is not to proclaim your plus-oneness at the outset and there is no such thing as ‘little people.’ Also, when you’re the least experienced person in the room, it’s not the time to show off. I love this:

I want to end the post with this:

Updated Sunday, 20 August 2023: Eric Barker of Barking Up the Wrong Tree has written an excellent blog post, This Is How To Succeed Under Pressure: 4 Secrets from Astronauts, based on Chris Hadfield’s book, and I thought I’d share it here in my post about the book!