Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet—And Our Mission to Protect It
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-11-07 00:51:10
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Nicole Stott
- ISBN：1541675045
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Summary
Inspired by insights gained in spaceflight， a NASA astronaut offers key lessons to empower Earthbound readers to fight climate change
When Nicole Stott first saw Earth from space， she realized how interconnected we are and knew she had to help protect our planetary home。
In Back to Earth， Stott imparts essential lessons in problem-solving， survival， and crisis response that each of us can practice to make change。 She knows we can overcome differences to address global issues， because she saw this every day on the International Space Station。 Stott shares stories from her spaceflight and insights from scientists， activists， and changemakers working to solve our greatest environmental challenges。 She learns about the complexities of Earth’s biodiversity from NASA engineers working to enable life in space and from scientists protecting life on Earth for future generations。 Ultimately， Stott reveals how we each have the power to respect our planetary home and one another by living our lives like crewmates， not passengers， on an inspiring shared mission
When Nicole Stott first saw Earth from space， she realized how interconnected we are and knew she had to help protect our planetary home。
In Back to Earth， Stott imparts essential lessons in problem-solving， survival， and crisis response that each of us can practice to make change。 She knows we can overcome differences to address global issues， because she saw this every day on the International Space Station。 Stott shares stories from her spaceflight and insights from scientists， activists， and changemakers working to solve our greatest environmental challenges。 She learns about the complexities of Earth’s biodiversity from NASA engineers working to enable life in space and from scientists protecting life on Earth for future generations。 Ultimately， Stott reveals how we each have the power to respect our planetary home and one another by living our lives like crewmates， not passengers， on an inspiring shared mission
Reviews
Kimberly （spacetoread）
，
Back to Earth is not your typical astronaut memoir。 While Stott obviously touches on her time in space， she emphasizes how the lessons she learned in space about preserving our planet and Earth’s startling fragility can be learned right here on Earth。 She calls us all to be cremated aboard Spaceship Earth and to work together to address crises， specifically the climate crisis。 Drawing parallels to her time in space and utilizing interviews with influential and smart people， Stott gives us an ove Back to Earth is not your typical astronaut memoir。 While Stott obviously touches on her time in space， she emphasizes how the lessons she learned in space about preserving our planet and Earth’s startling fragility can be learned right here on Earth。 She calls us all to be cremated aboard Spaceship Earth and to work together to address crises， specifically the climate crisis。 Drawing parallels to her time in space and utilizing interviews with influential and smart people， Stott gives us an overview of her argument and also concrete steps to take to shift our mindset。 I enjoyed this book！ 。。。more
Yaman Kaytaz
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Enjoyed this book and found it an eye opener！
Valerie Young
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The passion and inspiration of Astronaut Stott oozes from this book。 It is so tangible and infectious。 This is one of the few books of hope I’ve read on climate change。 However， some of her recommendations to stop climate change disregard socioeconomic differences。 It’s easy to be hopeful when your social circles are billionaires， scientists and engineers， but it is not practical for everyone。
Tom Donaghey
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tBack To Earth （2021） by Nicole Stott。 She was on the International Space Station for over 100 days spanning two trips。 Her time there was well spent doing various research projects and helping cement relations between the various countries represented by the personnel she found there。 But her most important discovery was the Earth itself。tI found this book to be very similar to many of the other books I have read written by astronauts。 Again and again the authors stress and strain about the bea tBack To Earth （2021） by Nicole Stott。 She was on the International Space Station for over 100 days spanning two trips。 Her time there was well spent doing various research projects and helping cement relations between the various countries represented by the personnel she found there。 But her most important discovery was the Earth itself。tI found this book to be very similar to many of the other books I have read written by astronauts。 Again and again the authors stress and strain about the beauty of our planet， it’s fragility and how seeing it in toto is a near holy experience。 Since this book came out， a certain Captain Kirk has made the trek into the fringe of space。 Most of us were intrigued to hear what he had to say about the experience。 tMr。 Shatner shared the awe and wonder and uniqueness of the trip， just as every astronaut before him has done。 Perhaps if every person on the planet actually left the planet， we all would be more appreciative of the planet。tBut we’re not。tIn this book Astronaut Stott sets forth the case for working together to solve our petty squabbles and unite as a planet against the horrors we have unleashed upon it， and by extension， on ourselves。 Rich or poor， we all suffer from the misuse of our resources。 In Back To Earth she talks of ways we need to use to save our slowing dying spaceship Earth。 。。。more
Carol
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A fantastic read about space， the environment， and the power of wonder。 You really share the author's joy and awe of living in space and appreciate her lessons for taking care of planet earth。 A fantastic read about space， the environment， and the power of wonder。 You really share the author's joy and awe of living in space and appreciate her lessons for taking care of planet earth。 。。。more
Chris Stott
，
A fascinating and fantastic read - I highly recommend！I know， you think I’m writing a great review for Back To Earth simply because Nicole wrote it。 That’s not the case。 What is the case is that this really is a great book。 For the last two years I’ve watched Nicole diligently research and write this amazing book， interviewing stunning people who are making a real difference in our world， all working to make it a better place。 I learned so much from reading it。 I’m inspired by reading it。 It’s a A fascinating and fantastic read - I highly recommend！I know， you think I’m writing a great review for Back To Earth simply because Nicole wrote it。 That’s not the case。 What is the case is that this really is a great book。 For the last two years I’ve watched Nicole diligently research and write this amazing book， interviewing stunning people who are making a real difference in our world， all working to make it a better place。 I learned so much from reading it。 I’m inspired by reading it。 It’s a really really really good book all told in her unique voice from her truly unique point of view。 Buy it！ Buy it as a gift！ Most importantly enjoy it…and know that even in these darkest of times that there is a light at the end of the tunnel。 。。。more
Kara Babcock
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Writing a memoir of any kind is hard。 When you set yourself the challenge of using your experience as one of the few humans who have “slipped the surly bonds of Earth” to teach us about ecological awareness， the bar rises further。 Back to Earth has a certain kind of charm to its optimistic idea that orbiting the planet helps you feel like we’re all in this together。 Maybe I’m just getting pessimistic at the ripe old age of 32， but this book didn’t quite work for me。 Then again， it’s entirely pos Writing a memoir of any kind is hard。 When you set yourself the challenge of using your experience as one of the few humans who have “slipped the surly bonds of Earth” to teach us about ecological awareness， the bar rises further。 Back to Earth has a certain kind of charm to its optimistic idea that orbiting the planet helps you feel like we’re all in this together。 Maybe I’m just getting pessimistic at the ripe old age of 32， but this book didn’t quite work for me。 Then again， it’s entirely possible I’m just not Nicole Stott’s target audience。Thanks to NetGalley and Perseus Books for the eARC in exchange for a review。I don’t mind Stott’s premise—it’s neat！ I agree that seeing our planet from space should make us feel more connected。 We should think more about ecosystems， about the water cycle， about the importance of bug species。 So for Stott to spend some time devoted to these issues， while also talking about what life is like in space， is a good things。 I think there is an audience for this book who will love it， so don’t read this review as a critique of the book’s very existence。With that being said， there was something that rankled me as I read this book。 It took me a while to realize what it is: Stott has a very white， very American， very individualist idea of progressiveness。 She happily acknowledges injustices in the world like millions of people who don’t have access to clean drinking water。 But she spends a lot of time praising the activities of people like Scott Harrison， who founded charity: water， rather than engaging with the underlying reasons why people don’t have clean drinking water （for example， here in Canada it’s because of ongoing colonialism and a federal government that is entirely performative in its reconciliation with Indigenous peoples）。 Similarly， Stott explores the mechanisms behind climate change and goes so far as to acknowledge that companies and countries both need to cut emissions—we are all in this together， she exhorts—yet she always returns to what we as individuals should be doing。（The whiteness continues with a bizarre editorial decision to name one of the chapters “Respect the Thin Blue Line。” It’s referring to the Earth’s atmosphere， but the resonance with the slogan for the pro-police， anti-Black Blue Lives Matter movement did not escape me。 Read the room， editors。）I get it。 The book is meant to inspire readers （who are probably far younger than myself） to take action。 And the best way to do that is to talk about what concrete actions you can take as an individual。 However， this can flatten the complexity of these problems and perpetuate a narrative of individualism that is counter-productive to real change。In recent months， multiple billionaires have gone to space （or not quite， depending on the definition of “space” that you use）。 It hasn’t inspired any miraculous transformations of conscience on the part of these people。 They still have their billions， and our system is still capitalist and corrupt。 Going to space does not automatically change people for the better or create feelings of unity and solidarity。Back to Earth attempts valiantly to draw parallels between issues of environmental justice。 Yet it’s clumsy and misses the mark because its focus is too myopic。 Stott wants us to care about the planet， and by extension， all the people and creatures on it。 This format is fine on the surface， and I believe it is possible to read this book in a surface-level way。 There is a lot of good information you could learn from this; I enjoyed reading about the successful attempts to ban chlorofluorocarbons。 Alas， I am also somewhat tired of books that come close to getting to the root of these problems yet ultimately don’t engage with them。 I’m sure Stott has her reasons。 Maybe she feels like it isn’t her place， like her role as an ex-astronaut is to inspire rather than share an opinion she might view as uninformed。 Maybe she just wanted to write something conscious yet also light。 I can get behind that。 But it isn’t what I wanted to read。Originally posted on Kara。Reviews， where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter。 。。。more
Barbara
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I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway。
Stefanie
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This was out of the typical realm of books I usually read， mostly ill read fiction， but I was hooked from the first chapter。 I really like space/science fiction and this was just so witty。 Highly recommended
Stephen
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A staple of astronaut memoirs is the attempt to communicate the near-religious experience of seeing the Earth from space for the first time， a moment which no picture （authors like Massimino aver） can really capture。 Earth appears both beyond momentous and achingly vulnerable， its billions of human lives protected only by the thinnest whisp of an atmosphere。 Nicola Scott makes the implications of that fragile image her theme， musing on lessons that her work in NASA， and particularly her time abr A staple of astronaut memoirs is the attempt to communicate the near-religious experience of seeing the Earth from space for the first time， a moment which no picture （authors like Massimino aver） can really capture。 Earth appears both beyond momentous and achingly vulnerable， its billions of human lives protected only by the thinnest whisp of an atmosphere。 Nicola Scott makes the implications of that fragile image her theme， musing on lessons that her work in NASA， and particularly her time abroad the shuttles and the station， have taught her。 Across three shuttle missions and two ISS expeditions， Stott has lived well over a hundred days in space。 Life aboard the Station， where only a thin skin of metal protected Stott and her crewmates from death， where their resources were scarce and closely monitored， and everyone out of necessity shouldered responsibility for their common fate， made her doubly aware of the importance of stewardship once back to Earth。 Stott’s memoir of her time in space is unusual in that it lacks the usual forward-driving narrative， the strictly biographical arc。 Instead， she focuses on her mission of raising awareness about the dangers of climate change， and of encouraging those who are resigned to despair to take up the sword again and get in the fight。 “Focus”， however， is something of a misstatement; the book is organized into seven principles that she’s developed in the course of her life。 These are not strictly rooted in climate change or disaster response， and on the whole are fairly general: “Stay grounded”， “Make haste slowly”， “Live as crew， not passengers”。 Each receives a series of reflections drawn from Stott’s life， so despite the lack of an overt biographical focus， the reader who is interested in Stott’s background will pick up details as they progress — including the fact that her father was an amateur pilot who built his own airplanes。Stott doesn’t launch into a thorough argument about Co2’s effects or human culpability， but instead touches on widespread talking points ranging from the greenhouse effect to water scarcity， while at the same time offering a defense of ISS activity against claims from critics that the money could be spent better elsewhere。 The lessons themselves are nice enough， but not penetrating or compelling。 While I admire her passion and professional accomplishments， the book left me wanting。 I still enjoyed reading it， for her brief stories about the people she’d worked with， her hushed wonder at seeing the Earth from space， and so on， but it never seized my imagination or made me think more deeply or differently about its content。 。。。more
Meaghan Babin
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This book is really great for lovers of space and astronomy。 I found it really informative and enlightening。 Overall， it's a really great read。 This book is really great for lovers of space and astronomy。 I found it really informative and enlightening。 Overall， it's a really great read。 。。。more
Justine
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