Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has nearly four thousand hours of flight in space. During all these years, he broke into the space station with a Swiss army knife, got rid of a live snake while piloting a plane, and temporarily lost his sight while hanging outside an orbital spacecraft. The secret to Hadfield's success—and survival—lies in the unconventional philosophy he was taught at NASA: Prepare for the worst—and at the same time enjoy every moment you live.
In "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth," Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how the impossible becomes possible. He shares stories and experiences that convey the adrenaline of launch, the magic of space flight, and the calm and rational management that crises require. From his own extraordinary training in space, he has taken some unexpected lessons: Don't visualize success, care about what others think, and never underestimate the details. You may never build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, or perform surgery in zero gravity like Colonel Hadfield. But you will learn how to think like an astronaut, which will completely and beneficially change the way you see life on Earth.