Books about people who help us reach for the stars
Professor Stephen Hawking’s recent passing has inspired us to look up at the wondrous night sky, and contemplate what lies beyond Earth.
Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet.
— Stephen Hawking
These titles focus on people who have helped humankind explore and understand space.
Hidden Figures
A team of African American female mathematicians helped the United States win the space race after WWII. These women served as human computers, performing complex calculations at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Some of the women, including Katherine Goble Johnson, were promoted to work as engineers for NASA. Johnson played a pivotal role in the race to space, double-checking the calculations for the mission in which John Glenn became the first American in orbit.
Endurance
Astronaut Scott Kelly offers readers an intimate peek into the physically and mentally demanding life of an astronaut. His book splits its focus between his time on the International Space Station, and his home life — including the deterioration of his marriage, and the shooting of his sister in-law, Congresswoman Gabrielle Dee Giffords. Giffords survived the attack, but endured a severe brain injury.
Elon Musk
Billionaire Elon Musk has devoted his life to making humans into space colonizers, creating eco-friendly cars, and powering the planet with free solar power. He initially refused to cooperate with author Ashlee Vance for this biography, but Vance persuaded him to reconsider. There may be more to Musk’s story soon, as he recently announced that by the first half of next year, the first SpaceX Mars ship could be making short “up and down” flights.
An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth
This book tells the life story of Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield , from his childhood to his final mission on the International Space Station in 2012. As commander of the ISS, he caught the world’s attention with viral YouTube videos like this one. In his book, Hadfield offers down-to-Earth life advice.
— Instaread
