It's a Question of Space: An Ordinary Astronaut's Answers to Sometimes Extraordinary Questions

by Clayton C. Anderson

Covering an impressive amount of material, A Question of Space is an engaging read for those fascinated by the history of the space program. —Jeff Fleischer, Foreword Reviews Having spent over 150 days on his first tour of the International Space Station, it’s safe to say that Clayton C. Anderson knows a thing or two about space travel. Now retired and affectionately known as “Astro Clay” by his many admirers on social media and the Internet, Anderson has fielded thousands of questions over the years about spaceflight, living in space, and what it’s like to be an astronaut. Written with honesty and razor-sharp wit,  It’s a Question of Space gathers Anderson’s often humorous answers to these questions and more in a book that will beguile young adults and space buffs alike.
              
Covering topics as intriguing as walking in space, what astronauts are supposed to do when they see UFOs, and what role astronauts play in espionage, Anderson’s book is written in an accessible question-and-answer format that covers nearly all aspects of life in space imaginable. From living in zero gravity to going to the bathroom up there, It’s a Question of Space leaves no stone unturned in this witty firsthand account of life as an astronaut.  
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Space

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2018

Reviews

[kb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many others, I’m fascinated by space travel. I imagine what it would be like to not be in this planet at least once a day (I’m sure you too). So bless all these astronaut and cosmonauts writing about their experiences—I get to vicariously fly through the atmosphere and live in zero gravity!

Read the rest of my review here.

[Ping · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read an ARC of this book, but apart from some layout issues it was fine.

This book is a collection of questions asked my interested users on Quora and the answers Clayton gave in these forum. So it is a nice structure of "question followed my answer"; they also tried to bundle them topic wise, although sometimes it still felt a bit astray. There were also some repetitions and he really wants us to read his first book "The Ordinary Spaceman", but you cannot blame him on that one. ^^

It was a nice mix of questions from banal or trivial to some more technical ones. Sometimes I needed to concentrate a lot to be able to follow, but that was expected at this topic with English not being my native language.

Clay seems down to earth (...) and writes in a casual style, which I liked and sometimes his jokes made me smirk, but often they did not reach me and felt a bit forced.

All in all it was a nice book which offered you Clay's Q&A actions bundled up in a more comfortable way to read.

[Bookbed · Rating 3 out of 5]

"It’s A Question of Space by Clayton C. Anderson has science, humor and soul, and above all, it’s super easy to read. " Continue reading our review here.

Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
Would like to be a reviewer/contributor to Bookbed? Sign up here!
We also accept review requests. More info here.

[Alicia Herrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Librarian: Yes, I'll absolutely be recommending this book for purchase. As it happens my library is currently looking for more books on this subject, as the school recently added a space unit for our Year 5s, and between 4 classes of 26 students each we keep running out of books on the subject! Plus this book covers many of the sorts of things that the students are most interested in, so I can easily see it being a favorite.
Reader: I could totally see myself picking up this book. I've always been fascinated by space. When I was a kid I had dozens of books on the subject, and one of my favorite Christmas memories is the year that my Dad's family all teamed up to buy me a telescope. Even now space travel fascinates me. I have a tendency to gravitate towards it when I'm looking for a good nonfiction book to read.
That being said, I didn't find myself particularly drawn into this book. I found the Q&A format slightly off-putting. The tone just didn't sit right with me. That being said there was plenty of interesting information, and I'd probably pick up other things from this author.
3.5 Stars

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a five-star read. Even if you are not interested in space, it’s so entertaining! The author is so down to earth, he is the exact opposite of what you would expect from a highly trained, science-background astronaut. The style of the writing is chatty and informal. There are the obligatory boring science-y parts but they are so few and far between, and reading about this man’s life in space was amazing. I adored this book.

[Cindy Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cool, his enthusiasm and love for his work comes through powerfully. All the stuff you wanted to know and either weren't sure who or how to ask.

Really cool insider perspective on monumental achievement of getting into space, and getting back.

It maybe more fun to pick and choose than to read straight through- this is a book I will be happy to have to refer back to when I can't quite recall what I need to.
Fun, fascinating, do read!

[Yusif Mammadli · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” – Most children answer that they want to be astronauts, or that’s what I believe at least. While I was not dreaming to be an astronaut when I was a kid, space always attracted me. Maybe that’s the primary reason that I like sci-fi books, movies, and series since most of the time they involve space travel, multi-dimensions, life on other planets/galaxies.

However we have not been successful to contact aliens so far, I sure hope one day we will. I do not want to think that we are truly alone in this vast universe. This book is not about sci-fi or alien races, but is a good reference book about space travel, conditions of living in space (ISS), and includes tips for wanna-be astronauts.

It is basically a Q&A session with one of ISS astronauts Clayton Anderson. I enjoyed reading the book very much. He answers questions with humor and as simple as possible. If I read it as a kid, I think I would have been inclined to become an astronaut myself. From time to time maybe all of us wondered about some of the questions. When I was reading the book I thought of a question which I would have emailed to the author once I have finished the book, but I got my answer towards the end of the book.

Another thing that made me love this book was the fact that the author is so down to earth. You would expect some arrogance from an astronaut in some sense, but no, he is nothing like that. The style of the writing is chatty and informal. I do love science books and occasionally read some, but for some, it might be boring even if they do want to know more about space travel. No worries, the author thought of this too, I believe. Of course, there are some “must” science-y parts but they are so few, you do not even realize it.

Reading about his life in space was outstanding. I really hope that I can go to space, even if commercially.

Check out my blog if interested where I share reviews and some articles: https://mylibraryazerbaijan.wordpress...

[Rachel Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Book received via NetGalley for an honest review.

If you have ever had questions, or have kids with questions, about some of the more routine tasks in space, Anderson has an answer. This book covers a lot of areas from how to become an astronaut to how to keep yourself clean on the ISS. A lot of the questions were things I would never think to ask, but once they were I thought "oh yeah, how does that work?" Fortunately Anderson is really good about answering them.

Admittedly, there are times when Anderson just doesn't know the answer, but he's very good about directing you to resources or people who would know. Some of the answers required a lot more technical expertise than he had, so he called in his friend Robert Frost who actually worked on those sides of the missions. Anderson also keeps a good sense of humor in a lot of his answers. There were some, to me, ridiculous questions, like what if an astronaut murdered all of his fellow astronauts on the ISS. Anderson actually went through a bit of a scenario of what would be required for the killer to do. All the while he made it clear that, given the rigorous psychological testing astronauts have to go through, he didn't think this would ever actually happen.

I think my biggest issue with this book is the editing. He says that the book is from his writings on Quora and it shows. There are a lot of repeat questions and answers spread throughout the book under different topics. Admittedly some of the questions had multiple questions in them so I can see why they were under different categories and thought to be different questions. I just think it would have been more readable had he consolidated the questions and answers instead of just repeating what was on Quora.

Other than that, though, I did like this book and it did answer a lot of questions I didn't even know I had about space and being an astronaut. 3.5 hoots!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by an astronaut who was in space for five months, It’s A Question Of Space is certainly written by an expert in all things astro. And it shows in the answers to these serious and not so serious questions in this book.

There’s some really interesting questions that need to be answered about travelling in space and Anderson certainly answers these brilliantly. Keeping them human but also informative he shares his own personal experience of space travel in this book but also gives insights in to how it all works.

A really great book for a kid, especially one maybe doing a school project, it answers everything you will ever need to know about space and what it takes to be an astronaut.

(I received an arc from NetGalley for a honest review).

[Carmen Ledford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a interesting read. It's a Question of Space provides the reader with an unique perspective. In fact, this perspective of an astronaut that has traveled to space is quite rare. In spite of his lofty career accomplishments, Mr. Anderson does a great job of answering tons of questions about space in a down to earth fashion that is engaging for kids and adults alike. He provides frank insight on what it's like to be a NASA astronaut, both good and bad. I appreciated his encouragement of good priorities being modeled as he mentioned God, family, and career amidst his positive outlook. I also liked that he discussed challenges he's experienced during his career and how he overcame them. The content is informative and fascinating. I originally got this book for my kids to read, but enjoyed reading it myself and learned a good bit about life on the space station.

I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book very much reminded me of Tim Peake's Ask an Astronaut which I read at the beginning of the year. It was a book that consited of loads of questions which people had sent in; from the more serious to the downright silly!
As someone who is really interested in space I found this a really interesting read. I read this book so quickly and kept saying to myself that I would read 'just one more question'.
The only thing that stops me giving 5 stars is that some parts are a little repetitive, for example someone asks if he swallows toothpaste in space and he answers that yes he does, although this has already been spoken about earlier in the book when someone asked what his washing and getting ready routine was like.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy in return for an honest review.

[Myron Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of Clayton C. Anderson's answer to his reddit questions, It's a Question of Space is a quick read. His answers range from short and to the point to very detailed. The quality of the answer is dependent on the quality of the question. Many of the questions are general in nature so the answer could have come from anyone with any type of knowledge of space. The book really shines when the question and thus the answer speaks to Anderson's experiences and expertise. Not every question from the time period covered by the book needed to be included. This book would have been more interesting if it focused on Anderson's expertise. If readers want to learn more about Anderson they are better off reading his autobiography, The Ordinary Spaceman.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this review and more on my blog.

Space had always been interesting to me. I do not know what it is, but I have always wanted to go to space. While I am realistic as to how likely I am going to be able to go there, it does not stop me from dreaming that I can. Books like this give me a look as to what it could be like.

Done in a Q&A format, Anderson answers all the questions that you would ask an astronaut, and some that you may not. I found it interesting how he looks back on being an astronaut and his path to becoming one. He makes it seem possible for anyone who works hard enough to become an astronaut!

If you want to find out what being an astronaut is like, then give this book a go. Chances are that you will enjoy it.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading about space! This book is so fascinating. I read this astronaut's first book which was great. This book has a little bit of overlap, but I still enjoyed all his stories and his writing. It's super fun that he is from a little Nebraska town not far from mine.

[Olivia Ambrose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting! Really fun look into the life of an astronaut. If you have any interest in space, definitely worth a look.

[Cash Brunow · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was really great, I enjoyed leaning things about toe ISS the most though

[Yzabel Ginsberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

[I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.]

I’m going to admit I had no idea who Clayton Anderson was when I requested this book, but it sounded interesting, and interesting it turned to be, indeed. There were plenty of little things I never suspected regarding life on the ISS, and in space in general, and I feel like I’ve learnt a lot. Which I’m sure is absolutely not going to be useful if I write a sci-fi story someday. Never.

It’s a fast read, in Q&A format, which is ideal when, like me, you read a lot during breaks at work, or while commuting. No long chapters that make it difficult to stop (almost) any time. These cover a lot of various things, from how the human body reacts in space to the kind of operations astronauts have to be trained in, from the former space shuttle program to little things like ‘how to you wash yourself in micro-gravity’.

While I felt that Anderson might have misinterpreted a couple of questions (I’m thinking more specifically about the one regarding ‘what do you think of people who say the moon landing is a conspiracy’), overall his answers were simple and often full of humour. The man doesn’t hesitate to make fun of himself, and admits when he goofed on the station. He doesn’t always get into details, and he doesn’t hide it when he doesn’t know something, so perhaps some of the answers were a little lackluster; still, in general, this was fairly informative for me.

Conclusion: 3.5 stars. And I wouldn’t mind reading his other book, for sure.

[nukie19 · Rating 2 out of 5]

as someone who is not only a long-term space nerd but also someone working in the space industry, I love getting my hands on new books about space experiences, Unfortunately, this one really fell flat for me. First up, its definitely written for a younger age-group and I think should be marketed for middle school kids. Second, Anderson mentions that a lot of the book is a compliation of answers he wrote on Quora and it really shows. I'm not sure how many times he needed to repeat himself about how many days he was in space - that might have made sense for answers that were separate but once they are put together, it just becomes repetitive and off-putting. Lastly, I was disappointed that his answers were extremely self-centered; I would have really enjoyed getting perspectives that felt a little more neutral than just a one person experience answer. All-in-all, I might suggest a young future astronaut read this in small doses (certainly NOT cover to cover!) for fun and easy to read info about the astronaut experience, but I wouldn't recommend it to any adults.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley.

[Leah Pedder · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a fantastic premise: an astronaut answering your burning questions about what it is like to be in space, and is an accessible book for younger readers. I would highly recommend this as an accompaniment to an elementary or middle school space unit because the questions that are posed come from user posed questions from the site Quora that were answered by Astronaut Anderson over a period of approximately 3 years and are compiled into the book and sorted into chapters based around a specific cluster of ideas (i.e. daily life, training, missions, etc.).

In my personal opinion, the information in the book is fantastic and extremely approachable. There is no special knowledge that is required going into the book and any interest in the subject is rewarded by personal anecdotes. On the other hand, if you have read extensively on space and manned missions, this book does not offer any exciting new revelations or anything that is particularly out of the ordinary.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions are my own.

It's a Question of Space is a fun and easy read that will answer all those everyday questions that you might have about living in space. Clayton C. Anderson answers in a laid-back and very approachable way - to questions people have asked him over time. Some questions were rather weird and left me wondering who is asking this stuff - others answered things that I wanted to know myself. Very entertaining read.

[Kamis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A quick and easy, but also entertaining read on different aspects of space and life as an astronaut. There were a few questions in here that I'd wanted to know the answers to, and a few I would have never thought to ask. Most of the answers are informative without being too technical and difficult to understand. A great starter book for anyone wanting to understand the basics of life on the ISS.

[Ellen Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading It’s a Question of Space honestly felt like sitting down with a real astronaut and asking him every ridiculous, serious, curious, and random question that pops into your head. Clayton “Astro Clay” Anderson has this way of explaining things that makes space feel both magical and totally human at the same time.

[Nikki "The Crazie Betty" V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book as I devour everything I can get my hands on with regards to space and space travel. Clayton does offer some great insight, and answers some really interesting questions, but unfortunately this book as a whole just didn’t do it for me. Many of the questions he answers are done multiple times throughout the book, the question was just asked in a slightly different way. So, it got a little boring to read the same things over and over again. I also found it hard to focus as I was expecting a little more detail and information on the questions he answers. Most of them are so high-level that once I start getting interested in what he’s talking about, he’s done and moving on to the next question.

I’m sure his actual autobiography would be better, but he makes reference to it so often throughout this book I find myself not wanting to read it all just out of principal because it felt like it was getting shoved in my face.

I think this could’ve done with a little more editing and organization to make it a more compelling Q&A read, but I do think it could be a great book for younger readers who have a very small window of understanding into these concepts and just want a high-level explanation of many things, instead of more in-depth explanations of a few things.

I received a copy of this story via Netgalley, and have provided a review of my own accord.

[Sanah]

I got this book from NetGallery hoping to learn a lot about space and astronauts, as it's a topic I know almost nothing of., however, this book fell short. I was quite disappointed. There was so much room for exploring the questions, instead, the author kept referring to another book he had written or just took snippets from the book and presented them here. I wish he had spoken more actually and had been more present with his answers.

[Clayton Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

[MKF]

DNF

Honestly I felt as if the majority of this book was focused more on him talking about himself then space.