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Ready for Launch: An Astronaut's Lessons for Success on Earth
Using ten life-changing moments from his path to space, astronaut Scott Kelly shares his advice for mastering fear and failure and turning our daily struggles into rocket fuel for success—the perfect gift for graduations and other milestone moments!In this insightful and funny read, Scott Kelly shares how a distracted student with poor grades became a record-breaking astronaut and commander of the International Space Station. People think that astronauts are always perfect. "Failure's not an option," right? But as Scott shares in his deeply intimate book, he believes that it's our mistakes and challenges that have the potential to lead to greatness. Not everyone's road to achievement is a straight line. Most of us need to navigate a bumpier road full of obstacles to get where we want to be. Scott’s story is for everyone who believes that shooting for the stars is beyond their reach!
107 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 12, 2022
17 people are currently reading
181 people want to read
About the author
Scott Kelly
9 books268 followersScott Kelly is a former military fighter pilot and test pilot, an engineer, a retired astronaut, and a retired U.S. Navy captain. A veteran of four space flights, Kelly commanded the International Space Station (ISS) on three expeditions and was a member of the yearlong mission to the ISS. In October 2015, he set the record for the total accumulated number of days spent in space, the single longest space mission by an American astronaut. His identical twin brother is Mark Kelly, also a former astronaut.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
December 10, 2024
Scott Kelly is a retired NASA astronaut probably most well-known for his year-long stay on the International Space Station, designed to study the long-term effects of spaceflight on humans (this was the topic of his prior book, Endurance: A Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery). In comparison to that book, Ready for Launch is a bite-sized read (128 pages/<2 hour audiobook) that closely follows the formula of other astronaut general life advice books like Chris Hadfield's An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth and Mike Massimino's Moonshot: A NASA Astronaut’s Guide to Achieving the Impossible. I enjoyed this quick listen, though I wish this book was longer (something I rarely say!) and included more stories from Kelly's fascinating career. Though, as a recent reader of Cady Coleman's memoir Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change, it's interesting to hear Kelly's impressions of her vs. hers of him that she shares in her book. Between the two narratives, it's obvious that both show ways of having a mature, productive interpersonal relationship with a work colleague whose style is very different from your own.
My statistics:
Book 300 for 2024
Book 1903 cumulatively
My statistics:
Book 300 for 2024
Book 1903 cumulatively
May 2, 2022
Very inspirational! This slim book contains the hard-won life lessons that astronaut Scott Kelly lives by.
April 26, 2022
Reads like the condensed version of Endurance, a biography about his life leading up to and during his record-breaking stretch on the ISS. I enjoyed Endurance and this was quite similar. Very short book that retreads many of the same life lessons and previously detailed stories. This one does have the benefit of more time passing since his time in space, but while it should benefit from nostalgia and retrospect, the conclusions are no different than those in Endurance stories and the messaging and advice are unchanged.
Maybe seems like a harsh review because I was hoping for new tales, insights or changed/challenged perspectives on life, adversity, success and failure - but it's still an easy to digest guide from an esteemed astronomer that has achieved great things. That, in my opinion, still makes it worth the read.
I suppose another way to look at it is that years after Kelly's time in space, his outlook and resolve remaining unwaivered is a testimony to his unshaken faith in the space program, the power of determination, and the need for global unification in reaching common goals.
In retrospect, I think the book advertises itself correctly. This may not be targeted at those whom already read Endurance. Ready for Launch's brief motivational speeches and life lessons make this an ideal inspirational gift to that recent high school or college graduate that is ready to do great things of their own.
Maybe seems like a harsh review because I was hoping for new tales, insights or changed/challenged perspectives on life, adversity, success and failure - but it's still an easy to digest guide from an esteemed astronomer that has achieved great things. That, in my opinion, still makes it worth the read.
I suppose another way to look at it is that years after Kelly's time in space, his outlook and resolve remaining unwaivered is a testimony to his unshaken faith in the space program, the power of determination, and the need for global unification in reaching common goals.
In retrospect, I think the book advertises itself correctly. This may not be targeted at those whom already read Endurance. Ready for Launch's brief motivational speeches and life lessons make this an ideal inspirational gift to that recent high school or college graduate that is ready to do great things of their own.
June 16, 2024
I wish there was a little more to this, but this was still really cool.
July 7, 2022
Very short book. Just a bit of life advise.
December 4, 2022
This was a quick read & had great advice for young people. I feel like it is geared mostly towards middle school students - the advice is really general and the stories are quick and lacking specifics that would engage older readers. I love that he touches on fake news, the need for diversity, and how we need to rely on each other’s strengths and differences in order to succeed. The best advice was to own your mistakes & stop making excuses. He started off as an underachieving student, which is fascinating when we see where he ended up. This was good, but could have been great by engaging readers more specifically.
April 7, 2023
Compact and Inspiring. Many life lesson truths, imbued with Kelly’s credible powerful voice. The photos are stunning, and I only wish for better printing paper with color images.
His praise of Russian cosmonauts predates Putin’s invasion, and I can imagine those globally connected scientists silently suffering in that increasingly shut in police state. Now Kelly is open in support if Ukraine and the US is moving to the Artemis Accords and commercial space stations. Missed opportunities for peaceful cooperation.
Every young man should read this book, and I hope society can create more opportunities and roles for children to achieve their many various dreams.
His praise of Russian cosmonauts predates Putin’s invasion, and I can imagine those globally connected scientists silently suffering in that increasingly shut in police state. Now Kelly is open in support if Ukraine and the US is moving to the Artemis Accords and commercial space stations. Missed opportunities for peaceful cooperation.
Every young man should read this book, and I hope society can create more opportunities and roles for children to achieve their many various dreams.
November 14, 2021
Scott Kelly has distilled his book "Endurance" into ten life lessons for middle/high school students. In each lesson, Kelly takes an important event in his life, explains what he learned and demonstrates how he applied it later in different situations. In a classroom setting, these lessons would make good read-alouds and discussions. A definite recommend.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.
Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.
April 24, 2022
I have admired astronaut Scott Kelly for years. Not just his endeavors in space, but also the down to earth way he has chronicled them in his books. His life has been filled with adversity, but he has managed to learn from his mistakes. In this book he compiled pieces of advice he would give based on his experiences.
August 12, 2022
XXXXX
ONLY BY TAKING THE BIGGEST RISKS CAN YOU REACH THE BIGGEST REWARDS
XXXXX
"My hope is that by the end of this book, your perspective --
(1) about yourself
(2) about what's possible
(3) about your place in the world --
will change too."
The above quote (in italics) comes from this incredibly inspirational book by Scott Kelly He is a retired NASA astronaut best known for spending a record-breaking year in space. Kelly is a former US Navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and veteran of four spaceflights. His twin brother is retired astronaut (and now senator) Mark Kelly.
This book, according to the small print on the copyright page, is classified as "juvenile literature." It is intended for those aged 12 & up. However, I found that there is nothing juvenile about this book and that it is good for anyone willing to accept some good advice.
Specifically, using ten life-changing moments from his path to space, former astronaut Kelly shares his advice for mastering fear & failure, and turning our daily struggles into rocket fuel for success.
This book is part memoir, part how-to-guide.
Besides giving life-changing advice, Kelly does an exceptional job of exploring the difficult parts of being an astronaut as well as offering a peek behind the curtain at the most thrilling parts of his job.
Those with an interest in space exploration (as most younger people are) will probably be immediately hooked, but others will appreciate (I know I did) Kelly's straightforward, no-nonsense approach to things like conspiracy theories, risk taking, good leadership, the importance of science and truth, etc.
Finally, the book is enhanced with black and white photographs. All are captioned except the photo that is found at the beginning of each chapter. After looking at this photo, I realized that it was an image of the "Eagle Nebula."
The Eagle nebula is a young open cluster of stars discovered in 1745 and is found in our Galaxy, the Milky Way. The "eagle" refers to the visual impression of the dark silhouette near the center of the nebula.
In conclusion, this is a brief but inspiring, energizing guide to life or, more specifically a successful life, illustrated with space anecdotes.
XXXXX
(2022; introduction; 10 chapters, final thoughts; main narrative 115 pages; acknowledgments; about the author)
XXXXX
ONLY BY TAKING THE BIGGEST RISKS CAN YOU REACH THE BIGGEST REWARDS
XXXXX
"My hope is that by the end of this book, your perspective --
(1) about yourself
(2) about what's possible
(3) about your place in the world --
will change too."
The above quote (in italics) comes from this incredibly inspirational book by Scott Kelly He is a retired NASA astronaut best known for spending a record-breaking year in space. Kelly is a former US Navy fighter pilot, test pilot, and veteran of four spaceflights. His twin brother is retired astronaut (and now senator) Mark Kelly.
This book, according to the small print on the copyright page, is classified as "juvenile literature." It is intended for those aged 12 & up. However, I found that there is nothing juvenile about this book and that it is good for anyone willing to accept some good advice.
Specifically, using ten life-changing moments from his path to space, former astronaut Kelly shares his advice for mastering fear & failure, and turning our daily struggles into rocket fuel for success.
This book is part memoir, part how-to-guide.
Besides giving life-changing advice, Kelly does an exceptional job of exploring the difficult parts of being an astronaut as well as offering a peek behind the curtain at the most thrilling parts of his job.
Those with an interest in space exploration (as most younger people are) will probably be immediately hooked, but others will appreciate (I know I did) Kelly's straightforward, no-nonsense approach to things like conspiracy theories, risk taking, good leadership, the importance of science and truth, etc.
Finally, the book is enhanced with black and white photographs. All are captioned except the photo that is found at the beginning of each chapter. After looking at this photo, I realized that it was an image of the "Eagle Nebula."
The Eagle nebula is a young open cluster of stars discovered in 1745 and is found in our Galaxy, the Milky Way. The "eagle" refers to the visual impression of the dark silhouette near the center of the nebula.
In conclusion, this is a brief but inspiring, energizing guide to life or, more specifically a successful life, illustrated with space anecdotes.
XXXXX
(2022; introduction; 10 chapters, final thoughts; main narrative 115 pages; acknowledgments; about the author)
XXXXX
October 16, 2024
An astronaut’s account of their life will probably always be one of the most inspiring things to me. I’m glad I read Scott Kelly’s Endurance earlier this year as it went into more detail about his life experiences. While this book was a short read, it definitely had some great insights into his mindset too.
One of the most surprising parts of this book for me was when Kelly talked about the difference in bonuses between astronauts and cosmonauts. So the U.S. astronauts only get an extra $5 per day when they are in space, while Russian cosmonauts can earn between $350 to $700 daily, depending on their experience. However, the base salary of a U.S. astronaut is much higher so they are less reliant on those bonuses to begin with. But what really blew my mind was that cosmonauts’ bonuses are tied to their performance, so every time they make a little mistake, even something as stupid as flipping the wrong switch could literally mean loss from their pay! There’s even a person in Russian Mission Control whose sole job is to track every error and go, “Yep, they fucked this one up!” And when the cosmonauts return to Earth, they have to sit down with this “mistake tracker” and an accountant to argue over each success and each failure to negotiate what their final bonus would be! So the cosmonauts constantly bicker on board in order to avoid accountability of the mistakes. Imagine! Arguing on a high-risk space mission over every single error! Kelly called it “blamesmithing” 😂
That’s bloody wild to me! 😂
Fav quotes -
“Fear wasn’t something to brush aside, but instead was one of life’s greatest teacher. Often, what’s on the other side of fear is rewarding. Change is scary, failure is scary. Life can be scary. But if you don’t push yourself, challenge yourself despite the uncertainty, you will never know what you can achieve.”
“Our capacity for learning and growing is infinite, and if you are prepared to learn from every lesson, every failure and every person you meet along the way, nothing can stop you. You can realize your dream by reaching for the stars.”
One of the most surprising parts of this book for me was when Kelly talked about the difference in bonuses between astronauts and cosmonauts. So the U.S. astronauts only get an extra $5 per day when they are in space, while Russian cosmonauts can earn between $350 to $700 daily, depending on their experience. However, the base salary of a U.S. astronaut is much higher so they are less reliant on those bonuses to begin with. But what really blew my mind was that cosmonauts’ bonuses are tied to their performance, so every time they make a little mistake, even something as stupid as flipping the wrong switch could literally mean loss from their pay! There’s even a person in Russian Mission Control whose sole job is to track every error and go, “Yep, they fucked this one up!” And when the cosmonauts return to Earth, they have to sit down with this “mistake tracker” and an accountant to argue over each success and each failure to negotiate what their final bonus would be! So the cosmonauts constantly bicker on board in order to avoid accountability of the mistakes. Imagine! Arguing on a high-risk space mission over every single error! Kelly called it “blamesmithing” 😂
That’s bloody wild to me! 😂
Fav quotes -
“Fear wasn’t something to brush aside, but instead was one of life’s greatest teacher. Often, what’s on the other side of fear is rewarding. Change is scary, failure is scary. Life can be scary. But if you don’t push yourself, challenge yourself despite the uncertainty, you will never know what you can achieve.”
“Our capacity for learning and growing is infinite, and if you are prepared to learn from every lesson, every failure and every person you meet along the way, nothing can stop you. You can realize your dream by reaching for the stars.”
November 24, 2023
This is one of those books in the category of "Okay, you're gonna be leaving the nest soon, we're concerned that there's Some Stuff (TM) no one bothered to tell you yet" that parents like mine gave to kids like me when I was a teen. But, of course, this one is both written from the perspective of an astronaut who struggled as a kid himself, and with everything pertaining to space. It's filled with anecdotes relevant to some important life lessons that many of us missed whilst cramming for math exams, or that teachers forgot to teach in between Shakespeare and Supply-and-Demand. Some of it's even relevant to us adults who, for whatever reason, didn't think about this or that.
December 23, 2021
I received an ARC of this book for a fair review:
This book is essentially a "greatest hits" compilation from the author's book 'Endurance'. It focuses on a few great pieces of advice backed up by the author's real life experiences and stories. A great read for fans of astronauts, high school students getting ready to graduate, and more.
This book is essentially a "greatest hits" compilation from the author's book 'Endurance'. It focuses on a few great pieces of advice backed up by the author's real life experiences and stories. A great read for fans of astronauts, high school students getting ready to graduate, and more.
May 17, 2022
Loved the tone and the general topic of the book and there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it, so I gave it 3 stars, but didn't like the drifting into politics from time to time and have to admit that it left me a bit "meh" from time to time.
Decent writing, fun stories, and great lifelong lessons, but not quite enough to elevate it to great.
Decent writing, fun stories, and great lifelong lessons, but not quite enough to elevate it to great.
October 15, 2022
Astronaut Scott Kelly relays the wisdom he gained through his experience as a Navy fighter pilot and astronaut. Kelly uses his antecodtes to show the power one has on their own life and destiny. Kelly notes that failure is important to establish patterns that lead to success. The wisdom shared is timeless and important.
September 11, 2022
Short. To the point. I enjoyed some of the details shared from lessons he has learned and his interactions with others. At just over 100 pages, I can only imagine what other lessons would have been cut, but this is still an inspirational read for me.
October 30, 2022
This was a good book written by a retired astronaut. He used his experiences as an astronaut to point out life lessons he’s learned. It was most interesting just to learn about the life of an astronaut. It’s even more complex and risky than I’d thought. Short easy read. Now, as always, to apply.
June 20, 2023
Lessons learned from an astronaut on land and in space. If you need a quick dose of life lessons, you should pick this up- this book is short and sweet but contains many valuable reminders on things like leadership, teamwork, failure, and success. Failure is an option! Just not the one you want.
April 25, 2022
Quick read. Definitely recommend.
May 15, 2022
Audio. I can imagine this becoming a popular leadership book in business programs or middle schools.
May 19, 2022
A great read highly recommend
May 26, 2022
A short book that would be a great read for middle school and up. Scott talks about his failures and inspirations and how the motivated him. Important lessons to learn early.
June 14, 2022
Concise and motivating
June 28, 2022
Kelly keeps this book short and sweet while adding in some interesting stories and personal advice.
Read
October 10, 2022Short but awesome book. I highly recommend it if you have a need to uplift your spirit!
October 17, 2022
This book talks about lessons of how to get ready to be astronaut. My favorite chapter was Failure is a Option. If you ever want to become an astronaut this is the book I would recommend.
December 21, 2022
Diversity = force multiplier 💪🏼 (3.5 stars)
January 4, 2023
This book is brief and to the point. I liked it very much and it has practical guidelines you can apply in your life, irrespective of your age.
October 19, 2023
Listened to the audiobook. It was very short but full of amazing and inspirational stories.
November 27, 2023
Interesting ideas about learning from failures and being a good leader.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews