How to Astronaut: An Insider’s Guide to Leaving Planet Earth

It would be impossible for astronaut Terry Virts to truly answer every single question civilians have about being an astronaut. Or so you’d think. But after reading How to Astronaut, I certainly couldn’t think of anything else for him to cover.

Virts cleverly breaks the book down into small sections centered on a particular topic, yet somehow manages to encompass the incredible nuts-and-bolts complexity of becoming an astronaut and being part of a successful launch and return. He covers bathroom stuff, adapting to life in space (and then adapting to life back on Earth), how to handle stress, dreaming in space, and if anyone has ever gotten lucky in orbit. (He even does a pro/con list comparing isolation in space with COVID lockdowns on Earth.)

But as fascinating as the tech and behind-the-curtain details are, his personal anecdotes are the real highlight of this book. Three favorites to look out for: a misunderstanding with a Russian colleague, haircuts in space, and reflected desert light bathing the ISS in red.

Hilarious at times, sobering at others (and downright heartbreaking when he describes the aftermath of Columbia), How to Astronaut makes life in space accessible down here on Earth with both gravity and heart.