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In the Spirit of Ronald E. Mcnair, Astronaut, An American Hero
This is a book about an American Hero, Astronaut, Ronald E. Mcnair
- GenresBiographyNonfiction
241 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 5, 2025
When the challenger exploded I was watching in my school library with students and teachers from my school. One of the finalists from the search for a teacher to put in space was at our school and in the library with us. I remember my teachers weeping. I remember the teacher who turned off the TV in horror. Students were in shock. Fast forward a few decades and I am now a teacher who reads Ron’s Big Mission to students every year as it is part of my reading curriculum. I love the story. The first time I got to the back of the book and it had information about Ron and the Challenger accident I cried. I ran across this book on Amazon and I thought it would be a good read for me because I will be teaching Ron’s Big Mission in a couple of weeks. I am so glad I read this book. I learned so much about Ron McNair he truly is an American hero, he is my hero. His memory will live on every year in my classroom as we celebrate this amazing man. Thank you Carl for sharing Ron’s story with us.
January 27, 2020
As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar, I wanted to read this book to get a better understanding of the man who’s dedication and sacrifice is responsible for exposing me to the desire to pursue a PhD program. His story is heartfelt and inspiring!
March 14, 2023
Good and easy read. Enjoyed it for sure.
August 21, 2017
In this poignant biography of Ronald McNair, the black astronaut who perished in Challenger, his brother Carl recounts the seemingly insurmountable odds that McNair overcame to earn a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT and go on to become one of the first pioneers of the space shuttle. While he only made it to space once prior to the launch that ended his life, McNair has inspired generations of space enthusiasts and educators to create a foundation that will continue to diversify the upper reaches of science and technological innovations, benefiting us all. Favorite quotes:
"You are good enough ... He needed someone to believe in him and tell him he was good enough to accomplish whatever he set out to do."
"Ron didn't fly to the stars - he climbed there one step at a time."
"'You know how I feel about education,' Ron told the kids. 'Education is the step-ladder that allows you to climb to new heights. The more you learn the farther you can ascend. If you are happy cropping tobacco and picking cotton, you can drop out of school right now ... But just showing up for class isn't nearly enough. To get the most out of school and make the most of my learning experiences, I've cultivated three personality traits. These three habits have served me well, and they'll work for you, too ... Number One is discipline. I know what you're thinking. 'Discipline is what my parents and teachers do to me when I act up.' That's one form of discipline, but the best discipline is the kind you apply to yourself. Instead of waiting for someone else to push you in the right direction, push yourself. Decide where you want to go, what you need to do to get there, and then make yourself do it. Stay motivated and follow through ... Character Trait Number Two is what I call hanging it over the edge ... I learned about hanging it over the edge from the California surfers who stick out one foot over the front of the board. Mountain climbers use the same phrase. Anybody can walk up to the edge, but only someone with determination can go another couple of inches and hang it over the edge. Don't be afraid of uncertainty. Take risks. Every time you face what you fear, you come away stronger. I'm not encouraging you to be foolhardy or reckless. But if you want to reach the mountaintop, you'll have to take a few chances to get there ... The third character trait that got me into space is the rejection of worry. If you're lying awake at night worrying about your problems, you're wasting energy. If it's a problem you can attack, do it. Worry won't make that problem go away, but you might. Or if the problem is out of your hands, forget it and move on. You'll do no good worrying about things outside your control."
"In Ron's mind, no conflict separated science from faith. Knowledge is one way of seeing the world; faith is another. He refused to pass through this rich and beautiful life squinting through one eye when he could explore reality with both eyes open"
"You are good enough ... He needed someone to believe in him and tell him he was good enough to accomplish whatever he set out to do."
"Ron didn't fly to the stars - he climbed there one step at a time."
"'You know how I feel about education,' Ron told the kids. 'Education is the step-ladder that allows you to climb to new heights. The more you learn the farther you can ascend. If you are happy cropping tobacco and picking cotton, you can drop out of school right now ... But just showing up for class isn't nearly enough. To get the most out of school and make the most of my learning experiences, I've cultivated three personality traits. These three habits have served me well, and they'll work for you, too ... Number One is discipline. I know what you're thinking. 'Discipline is what my parents and teachers do to me when I act up.' That's one form of discipline, but the best discipline is the kind you apply to yourself. Instead of waiting for someone else to push you in the right direction, push yourself. Decide where you want to go, what you need to do to get there, and then make yourself do it. Stay motivated and follow through ... Character Trait Number Two is what I call hanging it over the edge ... I learned about hanging it over the edge from the California surfers who stick out one foot over the front of the board. Mountain climbers use the same phrase. Anybody can walk up to the edge, but only someone with determination can go another couple of inches and hang it over the edge. Don't be afraid of uncertainty. Take risks. Every time you face what you fear, you come away stronger. I'm not encouraging you to be foolhardy or reckless. But if you want to reach the mountaintop, you'll have to take a few chances to get there ... The third character trait that got me into space is the rejection of worry. If you're lying awake at night worrying about your problems, you're wasting energy. If it's a problem you can attack, do it. Worry won't make that problem go away, but you might. Or if the problem is out of your hands, forget it and move on. You'll do no good worrying about things outside your control."
"In Ron's mind, no conflict separated science from faith. Knowledge is one way of seeing the world; faith is another. He refused to pass through this rich and beautiful life squinting through one eye when he could explore reality with both eyes open"
January 11, 2026
I received this book as a Christmas gift, as I’m always interested in learning about people in the space program. Two names spring to mind when thinking of the Challenger accident: Ellison Onizuka & Ron McNair. Onizuka for the space tracking station in the Bay Area, ie the Blue Cube, was named after him. Ron McNair as he was the first person to play a musical instrument in space & he was slatted to record the first song in space on his 2nd mission. He was a friend to Jean-Michel Jarre, a French electronic musician who I am a big fan of, especially durring high school. If you listen to Jarre’s live Houston album, you’ll hear a dedication to Ron McNair & the song that he was to play while in space.
The book _Challenger_ had in depth biographies of each astronaut, but mainly from their specializations and those they worked with. This book, by Ron McNair’s brother, fills in the family side of the astronaut. It is very clear Carl still loves his brother very much & wants the world to know just how much Ron was an inspiration to all of those around him.
Ron was an amazing person. Sixth degree black belt in karate (master level +2), an accomplished musician, a teacher, laser researcher, and a father on top of being an astronaut. Anyone of those would take emmense dedication and he did them all.
I didn’t realize that Ron McNair was the primary photographer of Challenger mission 41B, when the MMU’s were first used. He is the person behind the camera for the amazing world famous shots of the astronauts floating free of the shuttle. According to his brother, Ron was given the assignment of photographer without any background. So Ron read a number of books on photography & composition to get himself ready.
The book is a wonderful peak into the loving family of Ron McNair. They all looked out for each other and were immensely proud of Ron. I sure wish we could find and highlight more people like Ron McNair to give us hope and inspiration to do big things.
The book _Challenger_ had in depth biographies of each astronaut, but mainly from their specializations and those they worked with. This book, by Ron McNair’s brother, fills in the family side of the astronaut. It is very clear Carl still loves his brother very much & wants the world to know just how much Ron was an inspiration to all of those around him.
Ron was an amazing person. Sixth degree black belt in karate (master level +2), an accomplished musician, a teacher, laser researcher, and a father on top of being an astronaut. Anyone of those would take emmense dedication and he did them all.
I didn’t realize that Ron McNair was the primary photographer of Challenger mission 41B, when the MMU’s were first used. He is the person behind the camera for the amazing world famous shots of the astronauts floating free of the shuttle. According to his brother, Ron was given the assignment of photographer without any background. So Ron read a number of books on photography & composition to get himself ready.
The book is a wonderful peak into the loving family of Ron McNair. They all looked out for each other and were immensely proud of Ron. I sure wish we could find and highlight more people like Ron McNair to give us hope and inspiration to do big things.
August 23, 2025
In the Spirit of Ronald E. McNair
At first I was skeptical about reading this book. I’m a fiction-lover to my core, and I knew that this book would inevitably make me sad as it shared the story of one of the astronauts whose life was lost on that fateful Challenger mission. But this was the book chosen for book club, so I dutifully began.
It only took a few pages before I was intrigued. Soon I was deeply inspired and enthralled. Yes, there were definitely moments where I read as tears streamed down my face, but I also laughed and gasped and sat in wonder at the beautiful story of this amazing man.
My favorite thing about this book was that it was a faithful work of love not only for Ronald E. McNair but also for Jesus Christ. Ron’s relationship with God was a core component of his life, and his brother faithfully wove that into the fabric of this book.
Carl S. McNair’s love and admiration for his brother made this a tremendous work, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
At first I was skeptical about reading this book. I’m a fiction-lover to my core, and I knew that this book would inevitably make me sad as it shared the story of one of the astronauts whose life was lost on that fateful Challenger mission. But this was the book chosen for book club, so I dutifully began.
It only took a few pages before I was intrigued. Soon I was deeply inspired and enthralled. Yes, there were definitely moments where I read as tears streamed down my face, but I also laughed and gasped and sat in wonder at the beautiful story of this amazing man.
My favorite thing about this book was that it was a faithful work of love not only for Ronald E. McNair but also for Jesus Christ. Ron’s relationship with God was a core component of his life, and his brother faithfully wove that into the fabric of this book.
Carl S. McNair’s love and admiration for his brother made this a tremendous work, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone.
January 6, 2019
A short and sweet, inspirational biography. After reading this, I can say Dr. Ron McNair is one of my heroes. Definitely worth a read!
May 28, 2022
The pictures at the back of the book were truly beautiful.
November 9, 2014
As I finished reading this book, two distinct audiences came to mind as to who I would recommend this for.
The first is of course, people who enjoy reading astronaut biographies, especially those who like reading about the shuttle program. It is a fast read and very light on the tech talk. This was a plus for me.
However, I could also easily recommend this for Christian readers as well. McNair's faith was a large part of his life and it comes through in the writing as well.
There were some issues (an extra word here and there, a couple typos) that another round of editing should have caught and it dragged just a bit at the end, but overall these small things should not not discourage you from reading this.
The first is of course, people who enjoy reading astronaut biographies, especially those who like reading about the shuttle program. It is a fast read and very light on the tech talk. This was a plus for me.
However, I could also easily recommend this for Christian readers as well. McNair's faith was a large part of his life and it comes through in the writing as well.
There were some issues (an extra word here and there, a couple typos) that another round of editing should have caught and it dragged just a bit at the end, but overall these small things should not not discourage you from reading this.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews