Book 11 - 2020
Book 11: Defying Limits: Lessons from the Edge of the Universe by Dr. Dave Williams - 215 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
An inspirational, uplifting, and life-affirming memoir about passion, resilience, and living life to the fullest, from Dr. Dave Williams, one of Canada's most accomplished astronauts. I had dreamt about becoming an astronaut from the time I watched Alan Shepard launch on the first American sub-orbital flight on May 5, 1961. Eleven days before my seventh birthday, I committed to a new goal: one day, I would fly in outer space. Dr. Dave has led the sort of life that most people only dream of. He has set records for spacewalking. He has lived undersea for weeks at a time. He has saved lives as an emergency doctor, launched into the stratosphere twice, and performed surgery in zero gravity. But if you ask him how he became so accomplished, he'll say: "I'm just a curious kid from Saskatchewan." Curious indeed. Dr. Dave never lost his desire to explore nor his fascination with the world. Whether he was exploring the woods behind his childhood home or floating in space at the end of the Canadarm, Dave tried to see every moment of his life as filled with beauty and meaning. He learned to scuba dive at only twelve years old, became a doctor despite academic struggles as an undergraduate, and overcame stiff odds and fierce competition to join the ranks of the astronauts he had idolized as a child. There were setbacks and challenges along the way--the loss of friends in the Columbia disaster, a cancer diagnosis that nearly prevented him from returning to space--but through it all, Dave never lost sight of his goal. And when he finally had the chance to fly among the stars, he came to realize that although the destination can be spectacular, it's the journey that truly matters. In Defying Limits, Dave shares the events that have defined his life, showing us that whether we're gravity-defying astronauts or earth-bound terrestrials, we can all live an infinite, fulfilled life by relishing the value and importance of each moment. The greatest fear that we all face is not the fear of dying, but the fear of never having lived. Each of us is greater than we believe. And, together, we can exceed our limits to soar farther and higher than we ever imagined.
Thoughts:
I discovered Dr Williams' biography whilst trying to burn 7 hours between flights at Vancouver airport (on one of the last flights home as Canada shut its borders due to Coronavirus). He may be famous in Canada, but I'd not heard of Dr Williams; he is perhaps overshadowed by his more well known fellow astronaut and countrymen, Chris Hadfield (they were recruited to the CSA in the same year). However, I think I enjoyed Dr Williams' biography more than Chris'. He tells his story, drawing attention to the lessons he's learnt along the way whilst sharing some fascinating stories. As much as I loved the space stories, I was actually most moved by some of his stories from his time as a doctor, particularly at the end of the book. Dr Williams seems like a wonderful, compassionate, thoughtful man. Like most astronauts, I think he'd be a super interesting person to chat to. Recommended.
11 / 50 books. 22% done!
3247 / 15000 pages. 22% done!
Currently reading:
Journey to the West by Cheng-En Wu - 673 pages
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton - 496 pages
The Husband List by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly - 309 pages
And coming up:
The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - 500 pages
The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth by Gordon L. Dillow - 267 pages
Description from bookdepository.co.uk:
An inspirational, uplifting, and life-affirming memoir about passion, resilience, and living life to the fullest, from Dr. Dave Williams, one of Canada's most accomplished astronauts. I had dreamt about becoming an astronaut from the time I watched Alan Shepard launch on the first American sub-orbital flight on May 5, 1961. Eleven days before my seventh birthday, I committed to a new goal: one day, I would fly in outer space. Dr. Dave has led the sort of life that most people only dream of. He has set records for spacewalking. He has lived undersea for weeks at a time. He has saved lives as an emergency doctor, launched into the stratosphere twice, and performed surgery in zero gravity. But if you ask him how he became so accomplished, he'll say: "I'm just a curious kid from Saskatchewan." Curious indeed. Dr. Dave never lost his desire to explore nor his fascination with the world. Whether he was exploring the woods behind his childhood home or floating in space at the end of the Canadarm, Dave tried to see every moment of his life as filled with beauty and meaning. He learned to scuba dive at only twelve years old, became a doctor despite academic struggles as an undergraduate, and overcame stiff odds and fierce competition to join the ranks of the astronauts he had idolized as a child. There were setbacks and challenges along the way--the loss of friends in the Columbia disaster, a cancer diagnosis that nearly prevented him from returning to space--but through it all, Dave never lost sight of his goal. And when he finally had the chance to fly among the stars, he came to realize that although the destination can be spectacular, it's the journey that truly matters. In Defying Limits, Dave shares the events that have defined his life, showing us that whether we're gravity-defying astronauts or earth-bound terrestrials, we can all live an infinite, fulfilled life by relishing the value and importance of each moment. The greatest fear that we all face is not the fear of dying, but the fear of never having lived. Each of us is greater than we believe. And, together, we can exceed our limits to soar farther and higher than we ever imagined.
Thoughts:
I discovered Dr Williams' biography whilst trying to burn 7 hours between flights at Vancouver airport (on one of the last flights home as Canada shut its borders due to Coronavirus). He may be famous in Canada, but I'd not heard of Dr Williams; he is perhaps overshadowed by his more well known fellow astronaut and countrymen, Chris Hadfield (they were recruited to the CSA in the same year). However, I think I enjoyed Dr Williams' biography more than Chris'. He tells his story, drawing attention to the lessons he's learnt along the way whilst sharing some fascinating stories. As much as I loved the space stories, I was actually most moved by some of his stories from his time as a doctor, particularly at the end of the book. Dr Williams seems like a wonderful, compassionate, thoughtful man. Like most astronauts, I think he'd be a super interesting person to chat to. Recommended.
11 / 50 books. 22% done!
3247 / 15000 pages. 22% done!
Currently reading:
Journey to the West by Cheng-En Wu - 673 pages
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton - 496 pages
The Husband List by Janet Evanovich & Dorien Kelly - 309 pages
And coming up:
The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant: Volume 3: White Gold Wielder by Stephen Donaldson - 500 pages
The Odyssey by Homer - 324 pages
Fire in the Sky: Cosmic Collisions, Killer Asteroids, and the Race to Defend Earth by Gordon L. Dillow - 267 pages