Review: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

When Chris Hadfield returned from serving as Commander of the International Space Station he could have taken any job in Canada that he wanted. He is so popular, respected and admired that he holds us in the palm of his hands. 

Hadfield’s book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, is well worth your time. No Canadian has had the career path and the out-of-this-world experiences that he has and he writes about them in a way that takes you along for the ride. As much as I believe in the exploration of space, I admit to being largely ignorant about the ISS but now I not only know more about it, I want to know everything about it.

Book cover shows Hadfield in a space suit on a scooter going across the dark sky

Hadfield knew from a young age that he wanted to be an astronaut and he also knew it was a long shot. But he set his life course on a path that would put him in contention if it was ever decided that Canadians might have the right stuff.  Everything he did, from joining Cadets to becoming a test pilot to evolving into a communications expert on the ground for shuttle teams, prepared him for the ultimate gig in the sky.

Weightlessness is not only amazing, it’s eventually dangerous to the human body. It took him months to regain muscle strength despite working out virtually every day on ISS. The Russians make a far superior capsule, the Soyuz, but only a Russian cosmonaut is allowed to pack it even though a little help would make the long, tedious job a little easier. The cold war hasn’t entirely thawed. Hadfield answers those questions everyone wonders such as, how do you pee where there’s no gravity? What do you DO up there? And how hard is a hard landing?

The book jumps around a lot. He will tell a story, you think, and then the next chapter will begin by backing up partway into the previous tale and explaining a different angle. If you care about chronology it might bug you. I didn’t care a whit. His experiences were fascinating and he revealed many mysteries about what it’s like to live such an unusual life. It’s an insider’s look at the realities of becoming part guinea pig, part workaholic.

In the end, Chris Hadfield is very normal. He loves his family, walking his dogs and tossing back a few Russian vodkas. He just happens to have rare job that has implications for all of humanity. His philosophy is best described by a famous quote from Dr. Seuss: Don’t cry because it’s over. Be happy that it happened.