Book Review – An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth

I can’t recall many astronauts being entwined within popular culture. Yuri Gagarin obviously was the first but he sadly died seven years later; Neil Armstrong is probably the most famous but he shied away from the media frenzy and Buzz Aldrin gave his name to Buzz Lightyear and appeared on The Simpsons, Futurama,Transformers and Mass Effect 3 so possibly he gave it a friendly hug rather than fully embracing it.

Chris has (whether intentionally or not) created perhaps the best self-help book ever.  By opening up his life to the world, he promotes positivity throughout the (just under) 300 pages that you cannot help but admire.  As a 9 year old boy Chris decided he wanted to be an astronaut and so everything that he studied/read/completed from that point was directed towards the day when Canada would seek astronauts; he was extremely driven.  He sought and thanked anyone that would part with information or knowledge to help him achieve his goal, he had no worries about getting his hands dirty too as no job was to small or below him and he strived to reach higher, though remembering what is important i.e. family, friends & colleagues.  His love for his wife Helene and his children is clear, I believe also that it if wasn’t for his wife Chris possibly would still be a test pilot as she helped push him that little bit further by reminding him of what he wanted, and keeping his head pointing forward when moments seemed bleak.

You can easily see that within these pages is the strong feeling that Chris deplores negativity. Even the smallest of jokes that take a bite out of somebodies character, he won’t crack them. To Chris I believe he sees the spiritual figure of what not only an astronaut, but a human being should be is one that deserves respect and at the same time gives it to others.  Now as a cynical person like myself I shouldn’t be a fan of Cmdr. Chris Hadfield, as people like him generally make me teeth itch as I try to see what skeletons they are hiding behind that smile; here though I have nothing but respect and admiration for this man. I honestly feel that if every person on this planet was a clone of Chris Hadfield we’d be known as, “The Most Driven Planet in the Galaxy” as we arrive at alien worlds, become good friends with said aliens, fix their toilet and build them a hyper drive; they’d probably also question, “Why do they always smile?”

 

Chris has me shown me how humble a person can be and how they can achieve so much at the same time, though you can only achieve if you put the work in (even if you don’t get to play Rocket Man with Elton John).

Book Review – The Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code

STORYLINE:  Robert Langdon, distinguished symbologist is called to a crime scene while in Paris. The murder of the curator of the Louvre plunges Langdon into a game of cat-and-mouse with an unknown enemy intent on finding out the location of the Holy Grail and keeping all the related history and secrets buried forever.

PLAYERS: 

Robert Langdon – is puzzled by the code the curator wants him to unravel when he scrawls Langdon’s name in his final moments. Langdon has to prove himself worthy of the task set before him, even as his mental and professional skills are tested and his life is in danger.

Sophia Neveu – is granddaughter to the slain curator and a cryptologist by profession. Her knowledge and skills are critical when she joins forces with Langdon to uncover the clues that have been kept secret for thousands of years by the Priory of Sion.

I LIKED: the way in which the book was structured. The chapters were short and the writer kept the story moving forward through the eyes and action of different characters.  Brown is an amazing writer to cram so much activity into the time span of a day.

Then there was information about codes that are supposedly in Leonardo Da Vinci’s art, so now I’ll be occupied poring over all I can find on the internet.

I also enjoyed the understated romance between the two main characters and found it refreshing. The little hints were there, so when it was clear Langdon/Neveu liked each other it wasn’t a surprize.

I COULD HAVE LIVED WITHOUT: the length of the book. While the pacing of the story was good, the relentless chase tired me out. By the time the mastermind behind the murders was caught, I was ready for the end of the story. However, the business of locating the secret documents still had to be completed, as well as restoring Sophia’s family to her and wrapping up the romance.

OVERALL COMMENTS: I like a fast paced story and a plotline that keeps me reading. I found both in The Da Vinci Code. I also enjoyed all the historical details about the ‘sacred feminine’ and how pagan symbols were incorporated into religion that has filtered down to us today. Some of the ciphering slowed me down, but I won’t complain. I learned much about pagan symbols, as well as the original meaning/s of words we use today.  I noted the deep involvement of Opus Dei – a Catholic organization – in the plot. I remember that there was quite a brouhaha surrounding the material in the book.  I took The Da Vinci Code for what it is – fiction, with a more-than-generous –helping of research. However, I am fully aware that many of the details are the genuine article.

The Hobbit – Book Review

I bought The Hobbit novel, only lately after watching Peter Jackson’s ‘The Hobbit An Unexpected Party’ movie 3 times. I was too very surprised by the story, direction and cinematography. I couldn’t wait for 2 more years to know what happened on Bilbo Baggins and his queer yet a very hearted journey, so i I picked up the book and started reading it right away!
The following is my honest, truthful to the heart review of the epic adventure novel!

My Review of The Hobbit:
The Hobbit is a very dramatically epic, though provoking and a whole heartedly fantastical adventure novel. I’m now in love with J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing style.

The Drama, action, and some comedic paragraphs portrayed in his writing style are very blended and transitions smoothly from in between fighting action scenes, puzzling the reader or just plain dialogue between characters, Above all the characters were very real (Bilbo felt very life-like, even tough at many times he was not mentioned in many scenes, his presence was always felt and his interactions between Gandalf and the dwarfs were always very exciting and full of joy.) J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing, especially with the long descriptive style of designing the scenes with excellent choice of words and experiencing the feelings of the characters is plain shining gold. Some poems even stick in your head and maybe very hard to fade them away!

The Chapters are displayed heavily by the lightness of characters, the surroundings, and the story setting with exhilarating description and masterful storytelling, while some chapters show darkness and vain(including some tension, comedy and drama) throughout the whole time.

This is truly a very extremely magnificent book. Full of thrills, rides, goblins, action and drama (with a hint of comedy). You’ll be biting your nails through this whole explosive roller coaster the entire time.

Truly The best children book of the 21st and the 20th Century! Period. Certainly the best book I’ve read and enjoyed in a long time.

After finishing The Hobbit, I’ve bought ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy pack. Can’t wait to get started on that too…