Canadian astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield launched into pop-culture consciousness earlier this year when his zero-gravity performance of David Bowie's "Space Oddity" from the International Space Station became a YouTube sensation.
After completing a five-month mission that included the command post aboard the ISS, he's written a memoir, "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth."
In the new book, Hadfield reveals his secret to success and stellar survival. The unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: Prepare for the worst and enjoy every moment of it. During his decades of training as an astronaut and nearly 4,000 hours logged in space, it hasn't all been stardust and space walks.
Among the challenges he faced were when he was temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. He once broke into a space station with a Swiss Army knife and disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane.
Among his advice for earthlings: Don't visualize success, care what others think, and always sweat the small stuff. Col. Hadfield joins AirTalk for a live, in-studio interview.
An Astronaut's Guide to Life excerpt
An Astronaut's Guide to Commuting
Guest:
Col. Chris Hadfield, Canadian Astronaut - back on Earth after living aboard ISS as Commander of Expedition 35; Author, "An Astronaut's Guide to Life" (Little Brown, November 2013); His myriad accomplishments include his work as former chief of ISS Operations 2006-2008 and chief of Robotics at the Johnson Space Center, Houston 2003-2006
Chris Hadfield will be at the Barnes and Noble tonight at 7pm. You can find more information about the event here.
