An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth Audiobook By Chris Hadfield cover art

An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

What Going to Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything

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An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

By: Chris Hadfield
Narrated by: Chris Hadfield
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About this listen

Travel to space and back with astronaut Chris Hadfield's "enthralling" bestseller as your eye-opening guide (Slate).

Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane, and been temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. The secret to Col. Hadfield's success—and survival—is an unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: prepare for the worst—and enjoy every moment of it.

In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Col. Hadfield takes listeners deep into his years of training and space exploration to show how to make the impossible possible. Through eye-opening, entertaining stories filled with the adrenaline of launch, the mesmerizing wonder of spacewalks, and the measured, calm responses mandated by crises, he explains how conventional wisdom can get in the way of achievement—and happiness. His own extraordinary education in space has taught him some counterintuitive lessons: don't visualize success, do care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff.

You might never be able to build a robot, pilot a spacecraft, make a music video or perform basic surgery in zero gravity like Col. Hadfield. But his vivid and refreshing insights will teach you how to think like an astronaut, and will change, completely, the way you view life on Earth—especially your own.

"Hadfield proves himself to be not only a fierce explorer of the universe, but also a deeply thoughtful explorer of the human condition."—Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2013 Chris Hadfield (P)2013 Hachette Audio
Career Success Decision-Making & Problem Solving Leadership Personal Success Science Science & Technology Time Management Inspiring Career Space Station Thought-Provoking Heartfelt Funny Transportation Astronaut Biography

Critic reviews

A Slate Staff Pick for Best Books 2013

"A very human glance into a rarified world.... The vacuum of space is unforgiving and brutal. Life on earth isn't easy, either. Mr. Hadfield has genuinely and refreshingly increased our understanding of how to thrive in both places."—The Wall Street Journal

"Hadfield is a genius, a man of science and technology and no first-timer to the universe."—New York Post
"A satisfying behind-the-scenes look at the life of an astronaut.... A page-turning memoir of life as a decorated astronaut."—Kirkus Reviews

What listeners say about An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth

Highly rated for:

Fascinating Story Captivating Narration Inspiring Life Journey Engaging Storytelling Memorable Anecdotes
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Excellent memoir

Chris Hatfield is the boss! Well written, well narrated and interesting. If you are interested in space, NASA, ISS or fantastic true stores of guts and determination then spend your credit here.

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Absolutely Breathtaking!

If you could sum up An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth in three words, what would they be?

Absolutely breathtaking!

What did you like best about this story?

I especially loved the way Chris not only tells his stories but what each of his thoughts and actions meant towards him and the rest of his crew.

Which character – as performed by Chris Hadfield – was your favorite?

Definitely Chris Hadfield himself!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Remember, Hero to Zero! This moment brought me to realize what matters in tough situations. Don't get caught up in yourself and your own problems, think about those that surround you.

Any additional comments?

I wish I knew what the ending song title was... very beautiful!

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7 people found this helpful

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Fascinating.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would. Hadfield does a great job allowing you to get a glimpse of what it may be like to go into space.

What did you like best about this story?

Although the entire book is very interesting, the parts about being in space expectedly are much more so.

Any additional comments?

I highly recommend Hadfield's interview on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. It may be available here on Audible or on NPR or elsewhere. Terry Gross is great and that interview inspired me to get the book. Also, Hadfield has a number of really cool short videos from ISS on CSA's youtube channel. Search for Chris Hadfield, and they should come up somewhere close to top.

Although, I'm not pointing this out as a reason not to listen to this book, I wish the recording quality was better. The sound is muted between the phrases probably by some auto-cleaning audio tool and there is some unnecessary reverb.

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An Astronaut’ s Guide to Life on Earth

Remarkable, fascinating history,
He is a poet, s scientist, a proffer,
an artist, great father and husband.
A Great Soul. This book is so inspiring
You feel you are there living every single
Experience. His commitment to make
difference and educates us about space
Is superb. This book deserve Nobel Price!
The exploration to the last frontier Space is
brought back to Earth by Coronel Chris Hadfield.
I will love to see this book turned into a documentary of the life of great Space Travel!
He is a great VISIONARY.,, he knew since childhood the power Human Imagination.
Coronel Chris Hadfield is a VISIONARY that has transformed moments into History!
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Blanca Diez, MD

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Excellent Life Advice

Would you listen to An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth again? Why?

The book compiled concrete lessons for everyday life tied to astronaut anecdotes--making those lessons that much easier to remember.

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A Great Life Lessons Book

Chris Hadfield’s book was very interesting and is highly recommended. This isn’t just a memoir of his life or travels in space, but a good combination of some life lessons and how he learned and applied them to his career and life.
Don’t worry, it is not only a “how to” book; he uses a lot of stories to make his point and the second half of the book is mostly about his adventures. An added bonus is that he reads the book.
Recommended for anyone teenage or above who is interested in our world-wide space program.

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Great read, especially those in leadership roles.

This book was entertaining, enlightening, and full of great advice for success no matter what your situation. Full of great information, personal stories, history and learned lessons from someone who is the definition of successful. Motivational to anyone in a leadership role, full of great advice that can be applied in any situation. This was also my first audio book, and I'm hooked.

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Best Book Ever

I have always loved space and this book is full of fun facts. It is the best book ive ever had read to me (I have around 23 books) and I just love it. Chris Hadfield is an amazing astronaut and musician. His voice is also southing and helps me relax at the end of each day.

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Commander Chris Hadfield is Inspiring!

Chris Hadfield’s story is fascinating, thought provoking and encouraging. This book can be read for the purpose of self improvement as well as to learn more about the perspective of being in space. I look forward to hopefully meeting Chris one day.

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Wonderful Insight to what it’s like being an Astronaut

As someone who grew up interested in the space program this was an enjoyable audiobook. It was interesting to get inside the head of an astronaut and listen to what life is like getting to space and afterward. Chris Hadfield is a very personable narrator and I truly enjoyed benefiting from his knowledge and life experiences. The listen was very fun! I and my family are now proud Chris Hadfield fans ;)

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