The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut

by Clayton C. Anderson, Nevada Barr (Foreword)

What’s it like to travel at more than 850 MPH, riding in a supersonic T-38 twin turbojet engine airplane? What happens when the space station toilet breaks? How do astronauts “take out the trash” on a spacewalk, tightly encapsulated in a space suit with just a few layers of fabric and Kevlar between them and the unforgiving vacuum of outer space?

The Ordinary Spaceman puts you in the flight suit of U.S. astronaut Clayton C. Anderson and takes you on the journey of this small-town boy from Nebraska who spent 167 days living and working on the International Space Station, including nearly forty hours of space walks. Having applied to NASA fifteen times over fifteen years to become an astronaut before his ultimate selection, Anderson offers a unique perspective on his life as a veteran space flier, one characterized by humility and perseverance. 
From the application process to launch aboard the space shuttle Atlantis , from serving as a family escort for the ill-fated Columbia crew in 2003 to his own daily struggles—family separation, competitive battles to win coveted flight assignments, the stress of a highly visible job, and the ever-present risk of having to make the ultimate sacrifice—Anderson shares the full range of his experiences. With a mix of levity and gravitas, Anderson gives an authentic view of the highs and the lows, the triumphs and the tragedies of life as a NASA astronaut.
 

Genres: Space, Nonfiction, Biography, Science, History, Autobiography, Memoir

400 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2015

Reviews

[Robert Frost · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut, a book written by Astronaut Clayton Anderson is an entertaining and open look at his experiences becoming and being an astronaut. Clay’s journey to becoming an astronaut is a lesson in perseverance; he applied fifteen times before he was accepted. After his training, he flew two space missions. He was onboard the International Space Station (ISS) from June-November of 2007 and then visited the ISS again, in 2010, as part of a 15 day Space Shuttle mission.

Full disclosure, I know Clay. His class of Astronaut Candidates (AsCans), the 1998 class, was the first AsCan group I taught. That was a wonderful experience that made me feel a small sense of ownership for every member of that class. I taught Clay, again, during his ISS training, and accompanied him to Germany for training on the European supply vehicle called the ATV. Clay is very personable. I can’t recall ever passing him in the hallway without him stopping to shake hands and ask how I was doing. His distinct voice and personality project off of the pages of the book. Reading the book felt like sitting across the table from Clay and allowing him to regale me with his stories as we drank a few beers.

There’s not a lot of artifice with Clay. He is rambunctious and candid and so is his book. In the book, he talks about how that candor got him into trouble a few times. He also describes experiences that most people would be uncomfortable talking about, such as a humiliating first bowel movement after returning to Earth and a humbling apology to the ground team after losing his temper. The willingness to talk about the low points balances nicely with the obligatory tellings of the high points. It creates a nice round picture that I think will leave readers feeling they have a better understanding of what it really is like to be an astronaut.

Clay talks about many fascinating and yet little discussed parts of the job, from the selection process, to winter survival training, to the politics of high performance organizations, to the stresses of being away from family. He also describes, vividly, the intense and unique experiences of a space shuttle launch, a spacewalk, and returning to gravity after five months of weightlessness.

If I have a complaint, it’s that I know he left out some stories.

[Mackenzie Marrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded down*

Nebraska Library Commission Book Club Spotlight - September 12th, 2023

Four years after what would be his final voyage into space, retired astronaut Clayton Anderson of Ashland, Nebraska, released his tell-all memoir of his 30 years at NASA, comprising 167 days living in space, working on the International Space Station and performing nearly 40 hours of spacewalks. Now, when I say this is a “tell-all” memoir, I don’t mean it in a way to dramatize or bring to mind a TMZ article. I mean it literally. Because today, our Book Club Spotlight The Ordinary Spaceman, is genuinely one of the most unflinchingly honest, funny, and candid stories about what it takes to be a NASA astronaut. Anderson’s insistence on being “an ordinary guy” might feel strange when reading a book by someone who has been to space, but it’s also his wholehearted truth.

Clayton and his mother have different ideas about when he decided to be an astronaut. He argues it started with watching the Apollo 8 mission at the age of nine, and his mom, however insists the dream was always apart of him. A proud and true Nebraskan, Clayton made his way to Texas, working at NASA as an engineer, and eventually leading the development effort for the ISS’s Caution and Warning System, all the while continuing to pursue his dream of spaceflight. Clayton applied to the astronaut program 15 times before finally being selected, and that was only the beginning. From recalling his first time breaking the sound barrier, freezing during survival training in the Russian wilderness, needing stiches while working in an undersea lab, and tragically witnessing the Columbia disaster alongside the crew’s families, Anderson is incredibly open and humble about his experiences during his time in and out of space, even when he finds himself in the wrong. Through stories of incredible isolation and excitement, frustration, and an ever-evolving sense of respect for others,, Anderson doesn’t hide his emotions in his writing, and takes us through his personal growth as a man, an astronaut, and in his faith. All while mixed in with a healthy dose of humor and sincerity that brings the reader close and holds tight until the very end.

“Performing a spacewalk outside the space station is not much different from going outside in a Nebraska winter. The space environment is just as brutal as those I encountered as a kid … okay, maybe a little bit worse.”
- CLAYTON ANDERSON

*Not included in Spotlight:
I was struck by how in the chapter where he discusses his open faith and Christianity, on one line that seemed so out of place. He comments on how other astronauts have expressed their faith and makes a marked note that “Others appear to use faith to their advantage, calling upon it when it provides a “Hallmark moment” (e.g., the first time two Jewish astronauts flew together in space.” I cannot find any specific news stories or major publications talking about this moment, and wonder if it might be some personal bias or experience he is pulling on here. It seemed strange and poignant that the only time he talked about Judaism in his heavily Christian influenced life was to disparage their momentous achievements.

In addition, his continual discussion and objectification of women he thought were attractive (and ones he didn’t) also made me incredibly uncomfortable. He let us know how much he had the chance to sleep around but never did because of loyalty to his wife, and then spends a chapter talking about breasts. It was strange and probably could have been left out. It did unfortunately sour him to me as a role model, especially for young children. Which ultimately led me to my three star review. I think it's a wonderful book- but his "locker room" talk was a little much for me personally and it seemed unnecessary.

[Jamie Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut by Clayton C. Anderson

I have read many Astronaut Memoirs, and this ranks as one of my favorites. I have also met many astronauts, and "Clay" is among the coolest. He has a gentle sense of humor, and an honesty and integrity that match his (mostly) outstanding career. But really, to me, (just an "Earthbound misfit"), it is love of God, family and (yes) country, that place him head and shoulders above so many of us.
This memoir is not a technical compendium of his career. Nor is it an exercise in self aggrandizement. From the first pages of the book, you get a sense that you are having a great conversation with an old friend. It's as if you and he are couch surfing, sharing a glass of wine, and just reminiscing about your life's adventures together. When I say together, Clay brings you along in his journey, and pulls no punches. Nor does he offer excuses, or shift blame when it's his turn to be a human. He is candid and forthright in the only way he can be. If you read this whole book without shedding some tears, then you need to find the place where you put your heart.
Because, make no mistake, you will shed tears, both for his joys, and also for his pains. Yes, he is that honest!
As we all know, there is no such thing as an "Ordinary Spaceman"... but then again, we all knew the Earth was flat once, didn't we?

[Josen Llave · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grew tired of hearing the same generic, sparkling stories of how aspiring engineers and pilots became astronauts. I wanted to see an unfiltered view of the whole process. I read Clay's book and received the realistic viewpoint that I wanted. After reading this and gaining the knowledge knowing that there are plenty of moments that would suck, that make yourself doubt to even apply or become an astronaut, and that seem impossible, I would still apply and keep trying, just like what Clay did. Great read.

[Clay Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

He is not a run of the mill astronaut. Awesome that he names names in this book. He really wears his heart on his sleeve.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Question. If you kept a dream career alive from the age of nine and applied for that dream position fourteen times and subsequently was rejected fourteen times, would you apply the fifteenth time? Well, Clayton Anderson was one who did. On that fifteenth attempt, Anderson was finally accepted into NASA’s astronaut corps. The author’s thirty year career with the space agency, half that time as an engineer and the last half as an astronaut could be reason enough to write a book about his experiences. But, Anderson’s never give-up determination to fulfill his childhood ambition to fly in space sets his memoir apart from most journals written by his fellow spacemen and spacewomen.

With the help of novelist Nevada Barr, Anderson set out to keep this 348-page career retrospective “interesting and irreverent.” He succeeded on both counts. Consider this. Anderson’s initial flight in NASA’s T-38 trainer, his first “Zoom and Boom” ended with an emergency trip to a trash can to “Whirl and Hurl.” For any reader with a delicate stomach, Anderson’s orientation flight two months into his astronaut training should be extremely entertaining even to the earth bound reader.

Anderson takes the reader on a behind-the-scenes tour of the making of a NASA space flyer. Beginning with that check ride in a jet trainer, you’ll later get wet during NEEMO 5, a two-week underwater adventure in a space station-like habitat off Key Largo. Then you’ll make numerous trips to Russia to train with the cosmonauts. Anderson gives you a crash course in survival in the forests of Maine and Wyoming. If you remember where you were and what you were doing on January 16, 2003, Chapter 7 will be a highlight for you. Anderson was intimately involved with the family of the Columbia shuttle crew both before and after their ill-fated launch.

Chapter 11 remains a mystery. Anderson describes in mind-numbing detail the process involved in designing and producing uniform patches for the astronaut crews. I’m still not sure why he felt the need to include that. Perhaps it was to explain the color photos of some of those patches, especially the ones he either helped design and/or was a member of the crew.

Chapters 13 and 14 catalog some of Anderson’s darkest days as a NASA employee. Not many space heroes would put into writing stories of their dust-ups with authorities. Anderson does. He’s not afraid to admit his “slip to the dark side.” Warts and all.

Chapter 15, titled “The ‘Void” of Outer Space,” has to be a classic example of Anderson at his irreverent best. Pretty much the entire chapter is devoted to how astronauts relieve themselves in the vacuum of space. In fact, Anderson seems obsessed with potty humor. The author’s detailed description of having a bowel movement under the sea as a NEEMO aquanaut would make Bob Saget proud. Anderson leaves no polyp unturned in his guided tour through an enema and subsequent procto-sigmoidoscopy. If you have ever experienced or witnessed either medical procedure, you might find yourself laughing out loud. By his own admission, Anderson may hold some sort of record for “taking a crap” in the most space craft in orbit. (Anderson boasts, “I pooped in four different spaceships!”)

I found Anderson’s obsession with beautiful women a bit strange in light of his self-proclaimed devotion to his wife and family. A case in point, his trip as an astronaut trainee to a porn bar in New Orleans. Or, how about his experience with a “gorgeous young Russian woman” tasked with measuring him for a space suit? Or, how about Anna, the Russian space worker un-dressed in “pale peach-colored high heels and a matching see-through dress?” To be fair, Anderson’s attention to a woman’s figure and fashion gets equal time when he first met Susan Harreld, the “extraordinarily beautiful . . . tall . . . blonde, dressed in a dark green dress” who would turn out to be his wife and mother of their children.

By the time Anderson left NASA, he “had accumulated thirty-eight hours and twenty-eight minutes over six” space walks. Here’s where this out-of-this-world travel log breaks down. For me, Anderson makes no effort to keep all those EVA’s separate. I found the entire tour extremely confusing. It doesn’t help that the author jumps back and forth in both time and space. But then again, if Anderson had kept things in chronological order, the result may not have been as interesting or irreverent. As it is, this tale of “boyhood dreams to astronaut” is anything but ordinary.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clay Anderson knew when he was nine years old that he wanted to grow up to be an astronaut.. He knew it when he witnessed the crew of Apollo 8 circling the Moon on Christmas Eve. His passion for the black took him to NASA first as an intern, and then as employee, where he worked for well over a decade before the last of his fifteen applications to the astronaut program proper landed him a spot in the class of 1996. The Ordinary Astronaut is a memoir of his years at NASA and in the shuttle program, one filled with interesting details but not much in the way of long-term perspective.

Ordinary Spaceman is primarily a work of human interest, since Anderson almost never refers to his scientific work, or comments on the space program as a whole. Unlike Tom Jones' Sky Walking, which combined Jones' memoirs with a narrative history of NASA during the eighties and nineties to provide background information, there's no broad review of the organization. We get instead workplace stories which happen to be set in space shuttles, the space station, and Russia's "Star City". Since this is NASA the work stories can be extraordinary; for instance, early on he was asked by Rick Husband to be a family escort during Husband’s mission aboard Columbia; ordinarily, this involves driving the family around during launches and landings, getting them punch, and offering reassuring answers to concerned questions. If the name Husband rings a bell, it should – he commanded the Columbia when it broke apart in orbit, and Anderson became not just a valet, but the immediate focus of the family’s sorrow and despair, helping them to shoulder their emotional burden – a shared one, for he and Husband had trained together. More cheerful is his account of the extensive time spent with Russian astronauts in Star City. Anderson's class was required to have a rudimentary grasp on the Russian language, and part of his basic training took place in Russia where he learned their systems as well. Still more fascinating is his recollection of time spent in NASA's underwater habitat, which offered its own difficulty and delight -- the photo of Anderson staring out into the water at a close-range school of fish makes obvious the utter joy it brought to him.

The Ordinary Spaceman is an odd book. It lives up to its title in that Anderson seems like a guy off the street, a Nebraska farmer in space. He didn't enter NASA as a hotshot pilot, but as a civilian intern. He met his wife in the cafeteria line and uses Wikipedia as his go-to reference. (The first time he did this, to supplement his memory while reminiscing over Saturday morning cartoons, I thought it was funny. The next five times, when he was referring to actual NASA history, not so much.) It abounds in stories about the mundane details of working for NASA, the inns and outs, without drifting into complaining. (I do mean ins and outs: he goes into great detail on how to use a space-toilet, records at length his body's reaction to returning to Earth by expelling fluid from every possible orifice, chronicles his attempt to self-administer an enema, and proudly counts himself as the only man to poop in four space vessels -- two shuttles, Soyuz, and the ISS.) Towards the end the organization gets odd, very back and forth, frequently chatty -- but ultimately, Anderson is a nice guy who sustains the reader's sympathy and affection. His career in NASA, by his own account, was undermined by his own weaknesses, like a short temper. But he's not proud of failing at times, and does his best to make amends. In that, he really is an ordinary guy, doing his best, and picking up the pieces when he goes off the rails. The Ordinary Spaceman is better read as an account of a man's living the dream at NASA than about NASA or shuttle spaceflight in general, but a boyhood fantasy turned reality certainly has its appeal.

[Magic1085 · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off let me say that I have been a Clay Anderson fan since his first mission. As a NASA TV junkie during that period I found his irreverence and unique antics a breath of fresh air, and it was a major pick me up while I was enduring an quite dark period of my life. Little did I know that he was experiencing a similar period in his.

That said I very much looked forward to reading this book and was quite pleased to find an autographed copy buried on a shelf of the book store.

This book is different from other astronaut memoirs that I have read in that Clay never approaches his experiences as a foregone conclusion. The way be conveys and embraces the self-doubt that he felt along his journey to space is something I have not seen elsewhere, as is the way he deals with his struggles with management.

One thing confused me though, with so much said and such great detail given to the journey to becoming a flown astronaut, there was a proportionate lack of detail about his actual space flights with almost nothing at all being said about his experiences on STS-131. It really felt like something was missing almost as if he were rushing roust get the book finished.

That said it was a good read, really putting he important perseverance is to your dreams. I would recommend it to almost anybody.

The Ordinary Spaceman gets a solid 4 stars from me.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a child of the Space Race (I was in elementary school when Sputnik flew overhead), I have long had a fascination with the world of spaceflight, aeronautics, and exploration. I've read the best books from many other astronauts, including the pioneers of the NASA program. Anderson's "The Ordinary Spaceman" quickly jumped into my top five for books of this type. I found the writing style friendly, humorous at times, and always engaging. There's some good stuff in here, but don't look for the overly complicated technical material. This is a GREAT book for a fan of NASA, the American space teams, and of individual accomplishment often under less than ideal circumstances.

[Wolfgang · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't actually read the book yet, but I had the honor of meeting the author, Clayton Anderson, at Marcon 50 recently. He's a fantastic story teller in the two ways that matter: He has fantastic stories to tell, and he can tell them in a way that pulls in the audience - the right amount of comedy, seriousness, and colorful descriptions (as well as narrative). If the book is even just half as good as the stories he tells in person, it's going to be hard to hang on to as I pass it from family member to family member saying "read this now!".

[Kymberlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book! I really enjoyed reading it. Clay's story is truly inspiring. I appreciated his honest, vulnerable, and humorous approach in telling his story. I laughed, I cried, and I learned more about NASA and space travel than I ever knew before. I have the honor and privilege of knowing Clay and his family, and they are beautiful people inside and out! I wish them all the very best in their next adventure!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very descriptive and informative with a touch of humor at every turn. I felt like I was in the book living the experiences right along with Clay.

The life of an astronaut is one of awe and wonder and being able to read a memoir that gives the reader a glimpse of the life is quite an enjoyable ride.

[Swy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this book. It's written in a lighthearted and fun manner, while still capturing all the joy and pain for becoming an astronaut. I would highly recommend the book to anyone looking for a lighthearted read. And for those aspiring astronauts? This book is a must.

[JMBooher · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a book!


Clay Anderson has done a terrific job of bleeding his story into a book that all can enjoy. Thanks Clay, for showing the behind-the-scenes of JSC, and your own story.

[Gabriel Reyes · Rating 5 out of 5]

As close as it gets

Anderson's tale help us earthlings to feel what is like to live in space and the amazing effort it takes to get there. Thanks for sharing

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

space sounds cool but I never want to go up there

[David Malloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. Seriously. Rarely has a book about an astronaut made me hate Nasa.

Seems to me like Clayton Anderson was made to feel like a modern-day Scott Carpenter. The guy thinks outside the box and comes up with a winning idea where astronauts will do TV spots warning kids of the dangers of drugs/drink etc. Great idea. What better role model for our kids than an astronaut? Better than some talentless celeb. But nope. Nasa ain't having none of that. Nada. No way. Our guy then tries to get some good publicity for his home state of Nebraska and contacts some folks in government. Another bad move. Whilst on ISS Clayton shows initiative and devises a better way of sorting some crew equipment out - and this is where the dirt hits the fan big time. Nasa ain't happy. Again! Mission control are 100% right 24/7 we are told. Just like in Mercury's days.
Trying to book airline tickets online can be as soul destroying as trawling USA Jobs. Clayton, pushed to the edge with a screwy booking system fires off an f-bomb email to said airline. Uh-oh. Apparently this renders you unsuitable for spaceflight and our guy's career is over. Well damn. Way to treat someone who tried to make a real difference! Only human after all. But poor Clayton's up against a truckload of a-holes here. Also Chris Hadfield. Seriously? you don't grab hold off someone's kid and forcibly drag them away.
This book is on my favorites shelf. it's a fun read in parts but brave and honest. To student interns wanting to be the next spaceboys/girls Nasa ain't all sweetness and light if you try to be different.

[Jonathan Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read Clay Anderson's entertaining autobiography while on the way to Kansas for a gathering of astronauts. I really enjoyed his writing style. He certainly doesn't pull any punches, and his larger-than-life personality comes through loud and clear. It takes a certain amount of ego to become an astronaut - especially after being rejected more than a dozen times!

When your life is on the line in the knife-edge environment of outer space, there has to be a hyper-attention to detail and an intolerance of risk. At the same time, Anderson's story shows what happens when you question procedures TOO often or in a way that is not appreciated by management and your colleagues. I think this book is the only astronaut autobiography I have read in which the protagonist is grounded by his actions and temperament. I know it must have been hard for him to reconcile the joy of achieving his lifelong dream with the knowledge that it was taken away from him by ill-considered actions and statements on his part. I appreciated his sharing that pain with us.

I found the structure somewhat confusing. The first half of the book covers a traditional timeline that culminates with his being grounded. Then the subsequent chapters go back and fill in details on events from various points in his astronaut career. It's a chronological approach for one half of the book and a thematic approach for the second half. I suppose that makes it easier to excerpt individual chapters for articles or other purposes, but it disrupted the continuity of the story.

[Tom Callen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read from a local Nebraska product. This is probably the first book from a NASA astronaut that I've read in which the first part of the book wasn't devoted to a career spent as a fighter pilot. I think it shows how NASA has changed over the years that astronauts are no longer cut from a single cloth of material, but the pool is now more varied than ever before.

But back to the book... Mr. Anderson crafts a good story which makes each chapter enjoyable to read. I was especially moved with his recounting of the Shuttle Columbia tragedy while he was serving as an astronaut escort for the family of an astronaut on board that shuttle mission. I was pretty choked up by the end of that chapter (from recounting that day hearing the news and Clay filling in his personal details of the event). Powerful stuff.

I was a little disappointed in his discussion of his training in Star City in Russia. Perhaps he's playing nice and not giving the full details, but I much preferred Captain Jerry Linenger's no holds-barred explanation of that place (in his book titled 'Off the Planet'). It was a sad facility with outdated materials (if they had any materials at all) to a training facility that probably should have been abandoned years ago. Mr. Anderson's description was more positive in scope.

Overall I enjoyed his book and was thrilled that I managed to get a signed copy (to add to my growing collection of signed books by NASA astronauts).

[Stephanie R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Clay Anderson, an ordinary guy from Nebraska, and how he became an astronaut. This isn't the first autobiography of an astronaut that I've read, but it is unique among them. I really appreciated how he wrote about the hard times, like when he had disagreements with administration, and the embarrassing disorientation that comes after a long time in microgravity. Not everyone is frank enough to write about the bad times. Of course everybody provides a detailed description of launching, and pooping in space because that's the number one question kids ask astronauts. But this was the first book I've read that gave a detailed description of how they were fitted for their space suits, which nicely echoed the story in Chapter 5 where he goes to the PE shop and picks out all his ASCAN equipment. I also haven't read any other descriptions of how mission patches are designed, which is a shame because I love patches and I always wondered how they always came up with such different designs and if there were any rules about it. After reading this book I feel like I know more about all the things astronauts have to do besides going into space (I knew about running simulations and learning Russian, of course, but I had no idea there were so many team builders!) and I almost feel like I know Clay Anderson. He seems like a really cool guy.

[Mr Stewart · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has problems. Chief among them is a lack of organization. No adherence to anything approaching a consistent chronology. Anderson jumps back and forth between events several years apart for no clear reason. It gets very confusing towards the end when he's talking about things he did as preparation PRIOR to either of the missions he has already covered earlier.

Second is a, I believe, misguided choice of subject matter. In Ordinary Spaceman you will find vivid and comprehensive coverage of Anderson's digestive system. In turn, however, you find paltry little of what his mission to ISS entailed, what he actually did there besides janitorial tasks (and bathroom usage). Unusual for a book about the space program, this one chooses to ignore all of the science being done on these missions. Anderson talks more about the experiments he did in undersea lab training than he does about either of his actual space flights.

Disappointing read. And Anderson himself comes off as whining fool. Questions about why he was rejected for astronaut program 14 years running are answered here if you pay attention.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't quite what I expected, but parts were still very interesting nonetheless. The first half of the book was spent describing exactly how the author worked his way up to becoming an astronaut as a small boy from a rural town in Nebraska, actually just 20 minutes or so from where I live. It was a rather inspiring story of hard work and dedication. So it wasn't until the second half of the book that the author actually describes what it was like to go into space and work in the International Space Station for 5 months. I expected a lot more descriptions of living in space, when really this book talked more about the process of becoming an astronaut. Those stories at times were incredibly fascinating, but there were other parts of this book that I lost interest in and found myself skimming until the next more exciting part. So in short, it was a decent book with an interesting look into astronaut life, but it could have been half the number of pages.

[Ria F · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read - story of how a kid from Nebraska achieves his goal of US astronaut after 15 years and 15 application tries. How he ends up in mgmts "penalty box" which while cutting short his career after the end of the STS program, did allow him to stay himself. The credit he gives his wife, family and faith, as well as the heartbreaking death of his mom a month after he returned to earth. The amazing experiences he has in space, training for space and life in general are a great inspiring read.

(also as someone who has motion sickness issues - it's great to know that astronauts also have puking issues!)

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure it ranks up there quite as high (far out in space?) as my other favorite astronaut book "An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth" by Chris Hadfield, but Clayton tells all the ordinary stuff which never is just ordinary when you talk about space. From Nebraska, he tried for 15 years before being accepted into the program. Ended up in space 160+ days on the ISS, over 40 hours doing space walks, learned Russian so he could communicate with his other flyers and lots of other amazing stuff both happy and sad. If you wonder what it takes or what it is like to live the life of an astronaut, Clayton tells a good story.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is well written and easy to read. I appreciated his honesty as to his faults and the lessons he has learned. Anderson reveals the human side of spaceflight and shows that astronauts are human too. They all have strengths, weaknesses, successes, and failures. Of the many astronaut memoirs I have read, this is one of the few to illustrate the competitiveness within the astronaut corps and show that it's not just one big happy family full of sunshine, unicorns, and rainbows. Anderson has accomplished a great deal, yet he is humble enough to go public with his failings and the lessons he learned from them. That takes a lot! I'm glad to have this in my library and recommend it.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clay Anderson describes with his trademark wit a NASA career that lasted 30 years. He first dreamed of becoming an astronaut when he witnessed the Apollo 8 crew orbit the Moon in 1968. He then overcame all the obstacles in his way, including fourteen rejected applications to the astronaut corps and the tragic loss of Columbia after he was finally selected, to live aboard the International Space Station in 2007. His book makes very clear his irreverence, but also the raw emotion he feels about his family, his country, and his chance to represent the United States in space.

[Mathias · Rating 5 out of 5]

I follow Clayton Anderson on Quora and have always enjoyed his storytelling. When I found out he had written a book, I had to see it for myself. The Ordinary Spaceman is an entertaining and open look at Clayton Anderson's experiences and career as an astronaut. His journey to become an astronaut is a lesson in perseverance as he applied 15 times before being selected. He would later go on to fly in space twice. Clay's story is truly inspiring and I enjoyed his honest and humorous approach to storytelling. Overall, a very enjoyable read!

[Mikko Herranen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book offers a unique and insightful glimpse into the training and daily life of an astronaut. I never realized training to become an astronaut would include camping in the wilderness let alone at the bottom of the ocean! The sacrifices the astronauts and astronaut trainees had to make were huge, and some (the crew of Columbia) paid the ultimate price.

The book is concise and very well written. I did find the talk about fate and destiny slightly odd coming from someone with an engineering background, but each to their own. A solid 4 star read.

[Melody · Rating 2 out of 5]

On audio it was rough- the readers pace reminds me of dory reading words in finding nemo. jumping around timelines, too much detail, then too little, obviously sponsored by Nebraska... The honesty of the poor choices made was good, although telling the reader that last chapters are for his family and not you is a total turn off and validates his un-intentional self focus that he admits is a turn off for people. I bet he really is a nice guy though.

[Robert Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book. Clayton Anderson has written one of the most honest astronaut memoirs ever published. Pulling no punches and often naming names, he entertainingly talks about the lows and highs of his astronaut career. Anderson’s refreshing honesty memoir has produced a frank, well written and above all supremely informative account about being a contemporary astronaut. I highly recommend it to any one who is interested in spaceflight. It was a fun book to read.