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Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe
A stunning and inspiring memoir charting a life as an astronomer, classically-trained actor, mother, and Black woman in STEM, searching for life in the universe while building a meaningful life here on Earth
As a kid, Aomawa Shields was always bumping into things, her neck craned up at the sky, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. A year into an astrophysics PhD program, plagued by self-doubt and discouraged by a white male professor who suggested that she—a young Black woman who also loved fashion, makeup, and the arts—didn’t belong, she left astronomy and pursued acting professionally for a decade, before a day job working for NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope drew her back to the stars. She was the oldest and the only Black student in her PhD cohort. This time, no professor, and no voice in her own head, would stop her. Now an astronomer and astrobiologist at the top of her field, Dr. Shields studies the universe outside our Solar System, researching and uncovering the planets circling distant stars with just the right conditions that could support life—while also using her theater education to communicate the wonder and magic of the universe with those of us here on Earth. But it’s been a journey as winding and complex as the physics she has mastered.
Life on Other Planets is a journey of discovery on this world and on others, a story of creating a life that makes space for joy, love, and wonder while being driven by one of our biggest Is anybody else out there? It is about the possibility of living between multiple worlds and not choosing—but instead charting a new path entirely.
As a kid, Aomawa Shields was always bumping into things, her neck craned up at the sky, dreaming of becoming an astronaut. A year into an astrophysics PhD program, plagued by self-doubt and discouraged by a white male professor who suggested that she—a young Black woman who also loved fashion, makeup, and the arts—didn’t belong, she left astronomy and pursued acting professionally for a decade, before a day job working for NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope drew her back to the stars. She was the oldest and the only Black student in her PhD cohort. This time, no professor, and no voice in her own head, would stop her. Now an astronomer and astrobiologist at the top of her field, Dr. Shields studies the universe outside our Solar System, researching and uncovering the planets circling distant stars with just the right conditions that could support life—while also using her theater education to communicate the wonder and magic of the universe with those of us here on Earth. But it’s been a journey as winding and complex as the physics she has mastered.
Life on Other Planets is a journey of discovery on this world and on others, a story of creating a life that makes space for joy, love, and wonder while being driven by one of our biggest Is anybody else out there? It is about the possibility of living between multiple worlds and not choosing—but instead charting a new path entirely.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 11, 2023
47 people are currently reading
3231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
July 20, 2023
Outstanding. This book found me at a pivotal time, just as I prepare to return to study as an older student. Loved it so much. Women in Science is my new favourite niche genre
November 25, 2023
I picked this book up from the library display on a whim, and what a wonderful whim it was. This was a beautifully written memoir, perfectly weaving together the author’s personal journey with scientific facts and questions that fascinated me as a space geek. I had never heard of Aomawa Shields. Hers is a relatively unique memoir in that she is an exceptional person due to the uniqueness of her career path and achievements, but she is also very ordinary in many ways. I felt truly moved by the way she described accepting the complexity of herself as a person with many different wants and needs and interests, how they change over time, and how a nonlinear path with no true “ending” can be fulfilling and is perfectly valid. She acknowledges her privileges at least once, which was important. She is a little oddly defensive about her spirituality, but that’s understandable given her field. The prose is just lovely, almost poetic without becoming inaccessible. I would love to read another book by this author.
October 6, 2023
An interesting book, but got to be a bit TMI at points. I *really* didn’t need to know how comet-like her baby’s perfect poop was.
I generally liked the book, but think I would’ve enjoyed it more if there was more focus on her scientific work.
I generally liked the book, but think I would’ve enjoyed it more if there was more focus on her scientific work.
April 1, 2024
I picked this up in T&C when I was looking generally for a book that would motivate me to start prepping for my Astrobiology masters. Turns out the first book I touched was an autobiography of an Astrobiologist and her life trying to break into the field while trying to find space in her life for her spirituality and femininity. It’s safe to say this was the most motivating and perfect book for me to have grabbed by chance, and that the universe is just as excited as me to start my masters. 🤍🤍
November 12, 2023
The work-home balance is one many of us juggle and Aomawa writes it in a way one can feel that desire to do it all. I was drawn to this memoir when I saw she was a black women leading the way in STEM. She will be added to my list of role models talked about in my 6th grade classroom!
I loved hearing the astronomy side of her life and then was brought back to earth with her need to go all in with her personal relationships. As soon as her precious daughter was brought into the story, I was hooked. I, too, love diving 100% into my career but then hold a burning desire to throw all my energy into my family. I enjoyed feeling kinship with the author on so many levels <3
I loved hearing the astronomy side of her life and then was brought back to earth with her need to go all in with her personal relationships. As soon as her precious daughter was brought into the story, I was hooked. I, too, love diving 100% into my career but then hold a burning desire to throw all my energy into my family. I enjoyed feeling kinship with the author on so many levels <3
July 21, 2023
I enjoyed the book! I interviewed the author, Aomawa Shields, and you can read it in WIRED magazine:
"An Astrobiologist’s Search for Life in Space—and Meaning on Earth"
https://www.wired.com/story/an-astrob...
"An Astrobiologist’s Search for Life in Space—and Meaning on Earth"
https://www.wired.com/story/an-astrob...
March 22, 2024
Dr. Shields is an associate professor of astronomy and physics at UC Irvine whose pathway into a scientific career was interspersed with almost a decade of pursuing a performing arts career. She's since parlayed her talents in public speaking and storytelling into being a more effective science communicator -- definitely a much-needed, powerful skill for a scientific career!
I enjoyed reading Dr. Shields' memoir, especially her story of discontinuing graduate school during her first attempt when she was unfocused and her courage to reenroll in a doctoral program in her 30s, and the financial struggles and bad money habits she picked up along the way. As a fellow hard sciences PhD, I can attest to the fact that PhD programs are hard, and while everyone struggles with a different set of factors, money is almost always a concern, as well as the existential pressure of identifying and forging a viable career path ahead to serve as motivation for continuing along the difficult PhD journey.
I think this memoir could have been a bit shorter by trimming Dr. Shields' recollections of her childhood and prep school years -- these parts felt somewhat self-indulgent. It was also an interesting narrative choice to address the reader as almost a student in one of her classes, asking if we remembered certain astronomy factoids she mentioned earlier in the book. I think this would be a great choice if her primary audience was adolescents and young adults interested in STEM careers (and Dr. Shields should definitely consider writing a book for this audience, similar to her outreach programs), but it felt a bit odd for the general audience of this memoir.
Further reading - select memoirs or biographies of scientists:
The Sky Is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words, edited by Virginia Trimble
The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers by Emily Levesque, PhD
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, PhD
A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science by Rita Colwell, PhD
A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, PhD
The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Ben Barres, PhD
The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science by Kate Zernike (largely a biography of Nancy Hopkins, PhD)
I enjoyed reading Dr. Shields' memoir, especially her story of discontinuing graduate school during her first attempt when she was unfocused and her courage to reenroll in a doctoral program in her 30s, and the financial struggles and bad money habits she picked up along the way. As a fellow hard sciences PhD, I can attest to the fact that PhD programs are hard, and while everyone struggles with a different set of factors, money is almost always a concern, as well as the existential pressure of identifying and forging a viable career path ahead to serve as motivation for continuing along the difficult PhD journey.
I think this memoir could have been a bit shorter by trimming Dr. Shields' recollections of her childhood and prep school years -- these parts felt somewhat self-indulgent. It was also an interesting narrative choice to address the reader as almost a student in one of her classes, asking if we remembered certain astronomy factoids she mentioned earlier in the book. I think this would be a great choice if her primary audience was adolescents and young adults interested in STEM careers (and Dr. Shields should definitely consider writing a book for this audience, similar to her outreach programs), but it felt a bit odd for the general audience of this memoir.
Further reading - select memoirs or biographies of scientists:
The Sky Is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words, edited by Virginia Trimble
The Last Stargazers: The Enduring Story of Astronomy's Vanishing Explorers by Emily Levesque, PhD
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, PhD
A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science by Rita Colwell, PhD
A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman by Lindy Elkins-Tanton, PhD
The Autobiography of a Transgender Scientist by Ben Barres, PhD
The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science by Kate Zernike (largely a biography of Nancy Hopkins, PhD)
December 18, 2023
I couldn't put down this memoir and read this in a few days. Honestly, I'm glad that Aomawa stuck with both acting and astronomy in varying capacities and got tenure as a professor. It's difficult being one of the few women of color in a STEM field dominated by men, speaking from personal experience. While I come from another STEM field like Computer Science, Aomawa, wrote her memoir that intricately intertwines astronomy, science communication, motherhood, social justice, and her personal life in her memoir.
December 5, 2024
dnf :/ I found the memoir a bit flat and can't say I was very engaged. But very happy for Aomawa and all she's managed to accomplish! Sounds like she's thriving.
December 27, 2024
Xmas gift. Super impressive & inspiring story. Some pieces of the book are super useful re: entering academia.
The writing itself was a bit hard to get into - some pacing / structure issues and a bit of oversharing in some areas and undersharing in others
The writing itself was a bit hard to get into - some pacing / structure issues and a bit of oversharing in some areas and undersharing in others
August 16, 2023
I don't know that a memoir has touched me so personally for quite some time. Hearing Aomawa talk about never feeling like she fit in, or that she always felt everything was forced in her twenties resonated with me so much. But then her finding herself and learning how to take up her space as a brilliant mind in a male and white-dominated field... it was phenomenal. I listened to the audiobook that she narrates and listening to her tell her own story was amazing. She really makes you feel like she is giving you a warm hug, and mentally I needed that.
This was my favorite quote from the book:
"The different faces of the moon I see throughout each month don't change what the moon actually is; a whole, complete, spherical body hurdling through space in slow orbit around the earth. The moon is bright in places, dark in other places, smooth in places, rough and cratered in other places. I see the moon in light and in shadow. I know that without these parts of the moon, the universe would be the less. I see the moon whole, no part missing, no part detracting from its brilliance, as it lies suspended in perfect union with the vast universe. I am the moon.” Ch. 10 “Life on Other Planets” Aomawa Shields, PhD
This was my favorite quote from the book:
"The different faces of the moon I see throughout each month don't change what the moon actually is; a whole, complete, spherical body hurdling through space in slow orbit around the earth. The moon is bright in places, dark in other places, smooth in places, rough and cratered in other places. I see the moon in light and in shadow. I know that without these parts of the moon, the universe would be the less. I see the moon whole, no part missing, no part detracting from its brilliance, as it lies suspended in perfect union with the vast universe. I am the moon.” Ch. 10 “Life on Other Planets” Aomawa Shields, PhD
March 9, 2024
Maybe I’ve read too many of these that I found this story a bit off putting to me. I wish she would have focused more on the adversity she overcame but her journey to science felt more privileged than most. Highly successful parents, private prep high school, MIT, UCLA…it certainly is a great role model story for young female scientists but I wish she focused more on what made her journey unique.
August 9, 2023
I received a copy of this book for free in a Goodreads giveaway.
Interesting and well-written memoir by Aomawa Shields, a professor of astronomy and former professional actor, who took a very interesting route to get to where she is. She details her fascination with both astronomy and acting from a young age, leading to her enrolling at MIT as an undergraduate. She also talks about her struggles during her first stint as a PhD student, which led her to dropping out of that program and pursuing an MFA in acting. Some attempts at breaking into science communication, including getting to know Neil deGrasse Tyson himself, led to her going back and getting her PhD from a different university, and I appreciated her detailed description of the process of getting a PhD, including the qual and so forth, since the whole thing is quite a mystery to those of us who haven't gone through it. Shields also describes her specific struggles, as a Black woman in a field that is incredibly white and male, as well as going back to graduate school later in life. The book often goes into a lot of technical detail about climate and possible life on exoplanets, at times feeling maybe a bit too detailed, but the author still manages to maintain a fairly light and casual tone, and it does effectively convey her interest and passion for the subject. She talks about the struggle that women in particular have of balancing an academic career and a family, as she gets pregnant during the first year of her tenure-track faculty position. There were some places in this book, though, where there were times in the author's life that I wish the book had covered in more detail. The author describes her decision to go back to school for a PhD in her 30s, which meant that her husband had to give up his job and basically his whole life to move with her, but the book barely mentions what must have been many difficult conversations between them before the move. Or maybe they weren't that difficult or numerous, but the author describes her guilt about uprooting her husband afterwards, without really going into a lot of detail about the disagreements that must have happened. Or when the author gives birth to her daughter, there's a lot of details about the time up to and including the birth, but then the book abruptly cuts to when her daughter's about fourteen months old. Surely that first year must have been difficult, raising an infant while trying to make it as an assistant professor? But this was definitely an interesting memoir from an interesting person who's lived an interesting life, and it seems like she has plenty more to do in life.
Interesting and well-written memoir by Aomawa Shields, a professor of astronomy and former professional actor, who took a very interesting route to get to where she is. She details her fascination with both astronomy and acting from a young age, leading to her enrolling at MIT as an undergraduate. She also talks about her struggles during her first stint as a PhD student, which led her to dropping out of that program and pursuing an MFA in acting. Some attempts at breaking into science communication, including getting to know Neil deGrasse Tyson himself, led to her going back and getting her PhD from a different university, and I appreciated her detailed description of the process of getting a PhD, including the qual and so forth, since the whole thing is quite a mystery to those of us who haven't gone through it. Shields also describes her specific struggles, as a Black woman in a field that is incredibly white and male, as well as going back to graduate school later in life. The book often goes into a lot of technical detail about climate and possible life on exoplanets, at times feeling maybe a bit too detailed, but the author still manages to maintain a fairly light and casual tone, and it does effectively convey her interest and passion for the subject. She talks about the struggle that women in particular have of balancing an academic career and a family, as she gets pregnant during the first year of her tenure-track faculty position. There were some places in this book, though, where there were times in the author's life that I wish the book had covered in more detail. The author describes her decision to go back to school for a PhD in her 30s, which meant that her husband had to give up his job and basically his whole life to move with her, but the book barely mentions what must have been many difficult conversations between them before the move. Or maybe they weren't that difficult or numerous, but the author describes her guilt about uprooting her husband afterwards, without really going into a lot of detail about the disagreements that must have happened. Or when the author gives birth to her daughter, there's a lot of details about the time up to and including the birth, but then the book abruptly cuts to when her daughter's about fourteen months old. Surely that first year must have been difficult, raising an infant while trying to make it as an assistant professor? But this was definitely an interesting memoir from an interesting person who's lived an interesting life, and it seems like she has plenty more to do in life.
July 28, 2023
I borrowed this on a whim after seeing the cover and thinking it sounded like a really cool. Shields sounds like she's had a really interesting life: moving from the sciences (astronomy) to acting and then back to astronomy. It's not that people can't or don't move or make such career changes but it seemed like such a leap that I wondered what could make her leave and what would make her go back.
In a what is really a bunch of essays, Shields talks about her life and journey, how she was drawn to the stars, what drew her away (a male white professor told her she didn't belong, sigh) that led her to pursue acting and then what drew her back again. It is an interesting story and journey, especially as being someone who is someone who might not think would be an astronomer, etc.
I won't lie: this was a struggle and I was ultimately disappointed. It seemed like she had a super interesting story and I did like the light and conversational tone of the text, but it was not as gripping as I thought it would be. I found it could not keep my interest. As a minor issue she does talk about seeing God's work in her career (but it is also not a particularly religious or preachy text). Sometimes this can be a bit of a barrier for me as a reader and I tend not to be as into books where the author is religious (and this is across all religion).
It could be that this just was not a book for me, as much as I wanted it to be. I do think it's super important that she wrote this book and will give other Black girls who want to travel to the stars (either metaphorically or physically) some food for thought, other than the fantastic 'Hidden Figures' book/film. Which is not a criticism of that work either but I am glad to see more and more Black women scientists (and other scientists from other marginalized groups) sharing their experiences in some form with us.
If you like essay collections this could be a good pick up. If you know someone in your life who might be like Shields, this also might be a good gift. If you're just someone who has a casual interest in astronomy, are not particularly familiar with the author but was somewhat interested, etc. a library borrow might be best, as it was for me. I would, however, definitely read other works by Shields and will keep an eye out for more.
In a what is really a bunch of essays, Shields talks about her life and journey, how she was drawn to the stars, what drew her away (a male white professor told her she didn't belong, sigh) that led her to pursue acting and then what drew her back again. It is an interesting story and journey, especially as being someone who is someone who might not think would be an astronomer, etc.
I won't lie: this was a struggle and I was ultimately disappointed. It seemed like she had a super interesting story and I did like the light and conversational tone of the text, but it was not as gripping as I thought it would be. I found it could not keep my interest. As a minor issue she does talk about seeing God's work in her career (but it is also not a particularly religious or preachy text). Sometimes this can be a bit of a barrier for me as a reader and I tend not to be as into books where the author is religious (and this is across all religion).
It could be that this just was not a book for me, as much as I wanted it to be. I do think it's super important that she wrote this book and will give other Black girls who want to travel to the stars (either metaphorically or physically) some food for thought, other than the fantastic 'Hidden Figures' book/film. Which is not a criticism of that work either but I am glad to see more and more Black women scientists (and other scientists from other marginalized groups) sharing their experiences in some form with us.
If you like essay collections this could be a good pick up. If you know someone in your life who might be like Shields, this also might be a good gift. If you're just someone who has a casual interest in astronomy, are not particularly familiar with the author but was somewhat interested, etc. a library borrow might be best, as it was for me. I would, however, definitely read other works by Shields and will keep an eye out for more.
December 27, 2023
Life On Other Planets is a stunning and inspiring memoir by astronomer Dr. Aomawa Shields about her life as an astronomer, classically-trained actor, mother, and Black woman in STEM. Dr. Shields describes how she fell in love with astronomy and acting (it involves the movie SpaceCamp and randomly auditioning for a play) and grappled with both career paths. She also talks about identity, grind culture, the pressures of productivity, and the importance of rest and community. The narrative beautifully unfolds her challenges as a Black woman in a predominantly white and male field, making her triumphs all the more inspiring.
I loved learning all about her life. The author is wildly talented in two different fields. Her decision to work in astronomy and acting adds a unique dimension to her story, showing readers the synergy between science and art and that you don't have to choose only one path. The book delves into the complexities of astrophysics but also explores the broader landscape of balancing passion, identity, and societal expectations. Life on Other Planets celebrates diversity, breaking stereotypes, and embracing the vast possibilities within ourselves and beyond. It's a good reminder that our place in the universe does not have to be one specific place. It can be an all-encompassing thing.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
I loved learning all about her life. The author is wildly talented in two different fields. Her decision to work in astronomy and acting adds a unique dimension to her story, showing readers the synergy between science and art and that you don't have to choose only one path. The book delves into the complexities of astrophysics but also explores the broader landscape of balancing passion, identity, and societal expectations. Life on Other Planets celebrates diversity, breaking stereotypes, and embracing the vast possibilities within ourselves and beyond. It's a good reminder that our place in the universe does not have to be one specific place. It can be an all-encompassing thing.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://www.momsdonthavetimetoreadboo...
September 7, 2023
Out of this world! I watched the Ted Talk that Aomawa Shields gave a couple of years ago and I found myself rewatching it several times for both inspiration and joy. I could not have been more delighted to find out that she wrote a memoir! An incredible journey about keeping your eyes on wonders of the cosmos while feeling your feet on planet earth.
My favorite moments in the memoir is how she can relate the events in the cosmos to events that occur in our everyday lives! How do you chase what your passion and find out if it’s your destiny? She reminds us all that despite however small we might feel at times, we all have the biggest potential to shine.
“The difference faces of the moon that I see each month don’t change what the moon actually is; a whole, complete spherical body hurdling through space in slow orbit around the Earth. The moon is bright in places, dark in other places, smooth in places, rough and cratered in other places. I see the moon in light, and in shadow. I know that without these parts of the moon, the universe would be the less. I see the moon whole. No part missing. No part detracting from its brilliance as it lies in perfect union in the vast universe… I am the moon.”
My favorite moments in the memoir is how she can relate the events in the cosmos to events that occur in our everyday lives! How do you chase what your passion and find out if it’s your destiny? She reminds us all that despite however small we might feel at times, we all have the biggest potential to shine.
“The difference faces of the moon that I see each month don’t change what the moon actually is; a whole, complete spherical body hurdling through space in slow orbit around the Earth. The moon is bright in places, dark in other places, smooth in places, rough and cratered in other places. I see the moon in light, and in shadow. I know that without these parts of the moon, the universe would be the less. I see the moon whole. No part missing. No part detracting from its brilliance as it lies in perfect union in the vast universe… I am the moon.”
September 18, 2023
A little disclaimer: Aomawa Shields is a friend of mine, so of course I love her book, but it's a great book even if she is not my friend.
This book is important because Aomawa is such a multi-faceted person who doesn't fit the traditional mold of being a Scientist or Astronomer. She is a Black woman, grew up with not a lot of money, and while her love of space propels her far, so does her love of acting and the arts. Her memoir details how she went from feeling like she had to choose between acting and astronomy to realizing she could do both; also dealing with systemic racism and impostor syndrome, and Covid, and deciding to become a parent, and all that. This book is a great read for folks of marginalized backgrounds and/or with many interests who feel like they need to fit themselves into a box that society built. No! Being yourself is the only way! You can do the thing!
Personally, I loved the early parts of the story because I hadn't met Aomawa yet, and vaguely knew a few of the background bits but it was fun to have them fleshed out. She was so boy crazy! That was hilarious. And I am even mentioned, I get two sentences. I feel lucky to have made a little impact on the life of such a cool person.
This book is important because Aomawa is such a multi-faceted person who doesn't fit the traditional mold of being a Scientist or Astronomer. She is a Black woman, grew up with not a lot of money, and while her love of space propels her far, so does her love of acting and the arts. Her memoir details how she went from feeling like she had to choose between acting and astronomy to realizing she could do both; also dealing with systemic racism and impostor syndrome, and Covid, and deciding to become a parent, and all that. This book is a great read for folks of marginalized backgrounds and/or with many interests who feel like they need to fit themselves into a box that society built. No! Being yourself is the only way! You can do the thing!
Personally, I loved the early parts of the story because I hadn't met Aomawa yet, and vaguely knew a few of the background bits but it was fun to have them fleshed out. She was so boy crazy! That was hilarious. And I am even mentioned, I get two sentences. I feel lucky to have made a little impact on the life of such a cool person.
July 14, 2023
Dr. Aomawa Shields was in the first year of her astrophysics PhD program when a white male professor told her that she wasn't dedicated enough to the field if she also loved things like art, theatre, poetry, and fashion. She spent 10 years working as a professional actor before regaining the courage to pursue her dream. In this memoir, Shields shares her journey to becoming an astronomer and astrobiologist, creating her own path despite being the oldest student and only Black person in her PhD cohort, and why she dreams of life elsewhere in our universe. I really appreciate how Shields discusses things like imposter syndrome and the forces both external and internal that made her feel like an outsider in the world of astronomy. Her story is fascinating and written in a compelling way, and I love how she ties in some of her research topics. It's an inspiring memoir with approachable descriptions of astronomical concepts that will make you look at the stars in a new way.
December 28, 2023
Inspirational and enjoyable.
Confession: I listened to the audio version of this book, which was performed by the author, and was fabulous!
Shields is brilliant. She is witty. Her professional training as an actor lends well to her performance. This memoir is really a biography because it spans all her years throughout numerous high and low points (though mostly high since she truly is a high achiever). In 2023, we live in an age of self reflection, so nearly every personal non-fiction piece seems to be categorized as "memoir."
I am interested in astronomy, but can easily feel overwhelmed trying to process information about space, galaxies, and other universes. This continuing thread discussing space within and beyond our universe was captivating, and Shields' down-to-Earth perspective was informative.
Truly wonderful!
Confession: I listened to the audio version of this book, which was performed by the author, and was fabulous!
Shields is brilliant. She is witty. Her professional training as an actor lends well to her performance. This memoir is really a biography because it spans all her years throughout numerous high and low points (though mostly high since she truly is a high achiever). In 2023, we live in an age of self reflection, so nearly every personal non-fiction piece seems to be categorized as "memoir."
I am interested in astronomy, but can easily feel overwhelmed trying to process information about space, galaxies, and other universes. This continuing thread discussing space within and beyond our universe was captivating, and Shields' down-to-Earth perspective was informative.
Truly wonderful!
February 19, 2024
This is a tricky book to rate. There are some tremendous bright spots in this book. I genuinely loved reading about an incredibly successful woman and how she navigated self-doubt. The chapters about being a mother were also super beautiful. But as someone who read a lot of memoirs, this wasn't my favorite. I didn't always find the pacing and structuring easy to get through. That being said, I'd still recommend this to someone interested in STEM, navigating traditionally exclusionary spaces as a woman of color, or someone who is struggling with a moment of self-doubt (and really, who isn't doing that at some point).
3.6
3.6
November 27, 2023
"No star is ever lost we once have seen, we always may be what we might have been."
"We could inhabit spaces dominated by white people - white men - and excel."
"But dreams don’t die. If left unpursued, they recede, and then lie dormant. But they persist, nudge, sometimes elbow you right in the gut and demand to be acknowledged.”
"If a child of Steve's and mine was meant to be on this Earth, I wanted to let that happen. I no longer wanted to stand in the way. It wasn't that I felt we needed to have a child to make us a family. But if it was God's will for our family to expand - well, I wanted to show up for that and leave a place at the table."
"We could inhabit spaces dominated by white people - white men - and excel."
"But dreams don’t die. If left unpursued, they recede, and then lie dormant. But they persist, nudge, sometimes elbow you right in the gut and demand to be acknowledged.”
"If a child of Steve's and mine was meant to be on this Earth, I wanted to let that happen. I no longer wanted to stand in the way. It wasn't that I felt we needed to have a child to make us a family. But if it was God's will for our family to expand - well, I wanted to show up for that and leave a place at the table."
May 15, 2024
This book blends memoir with explanations of the author's scientific field, astrobiology. Both strands are compelling, but the jumps from one strand to the other are jarring as they are not well-connected. I recommend the book for those who are interested in the career trajectories of women and minorities in academic science fields - it has a lot to say about overcoming systemic roadblocks. I also recommend the book to anyone who suffers from imposter syndrome, as Shields describes how she ultimately finds ways to ameliorate her feelings of inadequacy.
September 21, 2023
I found this to be one of the most interesting books I've read in a while. Dr. Shields does an amazing job of combining her personal struggles of who she is and what she wants in life with her professional struggles and what she had to work thru to get there. It was educational as well due to the scientific information she included. She is an awesome role model for any young woman with desired to progress in the field of astronomy.
November 21, 2023
This was a fantastic read. I loved the way Aomawa wove bits of space science into her life story and the occassional direct "you" addresses made me feel as if we were talking together in real life.
Life paths only make sense in hindsight, so I really enjoyed the author's journey to what she loves and accepting all parts of herself into one person.
Definitely recommend if you like autobiographies, science, astronomy, or women in professional careers.
Life paths only make sense in hindsight, so I really enjoyed the author's journey to what she loves and accepting all parts of herself into one person.
Definitely recommend if you like autobiographies, science, astronomy, or women in professional careers.
November 26, 2023
I’m really glad this book exists as an important story of black women in academia, as well as an exploration of what it’s like to desire two different career paths and the follow flames of curiosity. About half way through, I realized that I wasn’t as passionate about the nitty gritty of astronomy as I’d like to be so I did some skimming to the end. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t great, just not the perfect fit for me.
December 1, 2023
I first heard Dr Shields on NDT’s Star Talk podcast, not on her TED Talk as she brings up throughout the book, but I was instantly hooked. A really great journey, and a great insight into the world of academia and her own time spent going through it. I would love for her to write a book like Harry Cliff’s How to make an Apple Pie from Scratch, detailing the history of everything we know about Astrobiology.
Terrific read for the year.
Terrific read for the year.
October 16, 2023
This book made me feel like I could achieve anything in life. Dr Shields shares fascinating tidbits about exoplanetary research throughout the human-experience focused narrative.
An easy read with incredible candor and vulnerability from the author, feel-good take aways and some difficult truths.
It made me cry and giggle. Read it.
An easy read with incredible candor and vulnerability from the author, feel-good take aways and some difficult truths.
It made me cry and giggle. Read it.
October 29, 2023
She is inspiring about being open to making even big changes, on hanging on to dreams in spite of hard times, and on letting diverse interests flourish (hers are drama and astronomy). The style made it tough going for me at times. Conversational is nice, but this felt like an effortful approach to sound conversational.
3+
3+
November 2, 2023
Interesting scientific facts about a subject I knew little about (planets and stars in other galaxies) presented in layman terms. They led me, like Shields, to marvel at the size, scope and origin of the universe. Other than a handful of these times, I failed to connect with her predicaments, experiences and ambitions and at times found some of the personal stuff a bit self indulgent.
Read
February 9, 2024Though this wasn’t my favorite memoir of all time, a lot of things were exactly what I needed to hear right now. The author is incredible, and her advice about navigating science/research specifically as a woman (and in her case, a black woman) really resonated with me. I’ll carry a lot of what she had to say as (if?) I continue in this weird, fun and difficult world of academia.
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