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Earthrise: My Adventures as an Apollo 14 Astronaut
Jefferson Cup Overfloweth Title
Recollections from the sixth man to ever walk on the Moon, for young adult readers.
On February 5, 1971, Edgar Mitchell jumped off the last rungs of a ladder connecting him to NASA’s Antares spacecraft and landed with two feet on the Moon. Following the disastrous Apollo 13 mission, Mitchell was one of three astronauts to successfully complete the Apollo 14 journey to the Moon, though it wasn’t without its own alarming moments. In Earthrise , Edgar recalls his spectacular trip to the Moon and the life experiences that got him there, including his early days spent in Roswell, New Mexico, amid nuclear testing and the rumored UFO crash; his first solo airplane flight as a young teen; his time as a navy combat pilot; and becoming a NASA astronaut. With fascinating detail, Edgar describes what it was like to launch into space and land on the Moon, illuminating everything from the practical—eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom in space—to the mystical, life-changing experience of gazing at Earth from afar. With illuminating sidebars, transcripts of NASA recordings from the historic Apollo 14 mission, and extensive resources including lists of space-related websites, museums, organizations, films, and books, Earthrise is an invaluable addition to any space, astronomy, or science buff’s bookshelf.
Recollections from the sixth man to ever walk on the Moon, for young adult readers.
On February 5, 1971, Edgar Mitchell jumped off the last rungs of a ladder connecting him to NASA’s Antares spacecraft and landed with two feet on the Moon. Following the disastrous Apollo 13 mission, Mitchell was one of three astronauts to successfully complete the Apollo 14 journey to the Moon, though it wasn’t without its own alarming moments. In Earthrise , Edgar recalls his spectacular trip to the Moon and the life experiences that got him there, including his early days spent in Roswell, New Mexico, amid nuclear testing and the rumored UFO crash; his first solo airplane flight as a young teen; his time as a navy combat pilot; and becoming a NASA astronaut. With fascinating detail, Edgar describes what it was like to launch into space and land on the Moon, illuminating everything from the practical—eating, sleeping, and going to the bathroom in space—to the mystical, life-changing experience of gazing at Earth from afar. With illuminating sidebars, transcripts of NASA recordings from the historic Apollo 14 mission, and extensive resources including lists of space-related websites, museums, organizations, films, and books, Earthrise is an invaluable addition to any space, astronomy, or science buff’s bookshelf.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2014
12 people are currently reading
219 people want to read
About the author
Edgar D. Mitchell
51 books38 followersCaptain Edgar Dean "Ed" Mitchell, Sc.D. is a former U.S. Naval officer, aeronautical engineer, and NASA astronaut, having served as the Lunar Module Pilot of the 1971 Apollo 14 mission and the 6th man to walk on the moon. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1970 by Richard Nixon.
He is the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) for the purpose of consciousness research and related phenomena. His experience as an astronaut provided some of the inspiration for the phenomenon labeled the "Overview effect" by Frank White.
He is the founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) for the purpose of consciousness research and related phenomena. His experience as an astronaut provided some of the inspiration for the phenomenon labeled the "Overview effect" by Frank White.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 2, 2014
Excellent! I like Mitchell's description on his Apollo flight, his bio, his overview of Apollo missions, and his life-changing view if Earth form space. If you like science non-fiction, or biographies, or esp, you'll love this.
July 15, 2014
I really liked this book! An excellent narrative about going to the moon.
July 6, 2019
It's an approachable memoir, full of inane details like a space menu for food eaten in the way to the moon, and other similar details, but lacking in the more technical details found in other astronauts' biographies. Easy read but not terribly engaging.
August 18, 2017
Meh. One of the weaker astronaut autobiographies I have read. Worthwhile for completeness, but there are dozens of better examples of this genre out there.
February 13, 2022
This book was fun. I enjoyed reading how the astronaut went to the moon. I liked reading about his life and it was very interesting.
June 22, 2022
Excellent accessible book. Light on technical detail but still exciting and extremely enjoyable
March 9, 2026
Torn between 3, 3.5, and 4 stars. It was an easy read, and provided a lot of detail about space travel, but not terribly exciting.
August 16, 2014
An excellent memoir/autobiography of an Apollo 14 astronaut. This book is definitely targeted towards a younger audience, although it's hard to say which. There is enough text and few enough pictures/sidebars to suggest YA, but the language is very clear and basic. I suppose this would be good for YAs looking for something on the easier side, or for more patient middle grade kids.
It was a fascinating narrative that explained things without getting bogged down in technical details. I found Mitchell's personal transformation inspiring and am glad he shared that experience with readers. I myself had a similar experience of oneness and appreciation for Earth, albeit at a much smaller scale, as a result of my recent interest in space. If only the politicians and other leaders who seem to be racing to outdo each other in small-mindedness, greed, and environmental destruction could experience what Mitchell did: it would make our little "spaceship Earth" a much better place.
It was a fascinating narrative that explained things without getting bogged down in technical details. I found Mitchell's personal transformation inspiring and am glad he shared that experience with readers. I myself had a similar experience of oneness and appreciation for Earth, albeit at a much smaller scale, as a result of my recent interest in space. If only the politicians and other leaders who seem to be racing to outdo each other in small-mindedness, greed, and environmental destruction could experience what Mitchell did: it would make our little "spaceship Earth" a much better place.
March 18, 2017
Reviewed for professional publication.
August 4, 2014
It doesn't say anywhere on the book that it is a Young Adult non-fiction book. Nor was it stocked in the YA section. But in terms of content, this is definitely a YA book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews