Spaceman by Mike Massimino

Nothing will make you feel more inadequate as a human being than reading the story of an astronaut. To be an astronaut you have to be in impeccable physical shape while also being exceptionally smart. You spend the morning flying over the Gulf of Mexico in a jet then spend the afternoon working on robots that will work in space. However, the coolest part of the job is that you get to go into space. It still blows my mind that we are able to send people into space.

Though no astronaut is typical, Mike Massimino is just a normal astronaut. He does not hold any fantastic space records, he is just a modest man who worked hard to become an astronaut. What makes his book so great is his humility. He is not some daredevil jet pilot that has an unquenchable need to speed. He is not some crazy adrenaline junky, larger than life space jockey. He is a hard-working, intelligent engineer and family man. Once you read his story it is hard not to sit back and think, “Huh, I could have been an astronaut.”

But in reality, there is no way I could have been an astronaut, but it is always exciting to dream. I am not a space nut, I am just a normal guy who thinks space is interesting. I really liked this book, it was a very fun read. I highly recommend it.