Chasing Space audiobook

Tennis, outer space, jets, astronauts, dogs, STEAM education, NASA, and football all rolled into one easily digestible package.I enjoyed this one! I think it would be really well suited to younger readers as a good motivational and inspirational read. Leland overcame a number of challenges to get to where he is today, and I think he touched on a lot of the bigger topics. I personally wish we had gotten a more in depth view into how her personally responded to some of his struggles, but I think it makes for a perfect conversation started for middle grade readers, especially those with an interest in space or looking for representation of themselves in STEAM.

"I never aspired to a life off the ground, much less to become an astronaut. I knew that whatever path of life I was on, I wanted to do my best.""While I had a passion for doing many things, my goals hadn't included exploring the cosmos. The universe pulled me there. I somewhat serendipitously ended up at NASA because of a tenacious recruiter. I never imagined space travel until the possibility was presented to me. Just hearing the words that I would make a good astronaut changed me. Getting to my ultimate goal of orbiting the Earth involved a process of mastering many challenges, which now included recovering as fast as I could.""Despite the abundance of advanced degrees and even Nobel laureates who work at NASA, the agency's rumor mill isn't always accurate.""Space travel was an anticipated thrill, but music had always been an important part of my life. I didn't want to imagine living without it.""One school of thought maintains that success in the face of staggering odds requires a potent combination of self-control and "grit.""I don't recall my parents ever telling us to study or pressuring us to get good grades; they simply expected us to be good and to work hard. Our parents had their lives, and Cathy and I had ours. Everyone was expected to carry their own load. They didn't hover over us or bader us to make sure we got our homework in or studied for a big test. I didn't always get A's, but I always worked hard because that was the sunspoken expectation.""The fact that others believed enough in me to give me a second chance-even after I failed before-inspired me to persevere against the odds and to never give up.""In my case, I had always had a mastery of mind over matter and an ability to endure a pretty high degree of discomfort every day to reach a goal way out on the horizon. I figured I was just born this way, or that it happened pretty quickly after I arrived.""I believe that everything happens for a reason, and it was slowly becoming clear to me what I supposed to do next.""I wanted them to know that failures in life are the building blocks for later success, and that anything was possible. Even my serendipitous path to space.""When I met Watson and Montgomery in 2010, Montgomery was nearing ninety. Still, he remembered the terror he felt nearly fifty years ago when he first walked into that NASA lab full of angry white men who didn't think he belonged there. After the panel ended, I had a chance to speak with him during the reception. He came up to me and shook my hand. "You know," he said. "You astronauts, you're the bravest people I ever met." I couldn't believe he was saying this to me, this from a man who opened doors at the space agency so I could someday fly in space. I'm sure the notion of a black astronaut at NASA was thinkable during Montgomery's time at the agency. "No sir," I said. "I heard your story. You are the bravest person I ever met.""The year I applied, for the class of 1998, twenty-five U.S. astronauts were chosen from a pool of 2,500 applicants with six international astronauts added to round us out to thirty-one. Most of those who have made it into the Astronaut Corps had been turned away before, some more than a dozen times.""Somehow the former football player with no smoldering aspiration to be an astronaut got in on his first try. The NFL Players Association calculates that the odds of a high school player getting into the NFL are about 0.2 percent. In 1998, I became the only person ever admitted in two of the most select clubs inn the country.""Diligence, prayer, and belief in oneself could indeed make good things happen.""What I learned from meeting the scientists, engineers, and space officials during the training sessions was that there are key similarities that unite us, no matter where we're from or our cultural differences. Everyone wants the best for their children, food on the table, and a roof over their head. They desire diginity and respect. Most just want to be heard.""Our country includes an abundance of marvels and splendors, many of which are too distant or inaccessible for most Americans to witness firsthand. In some respects they compared to the wonders of the cosmos, and I was quite grateful to be able to explore them.""On the one hand, we possessed the technical savvy to create vehicles and satellites capable of reaching distant regions of the heavens. On the other, we still haven't figured out the solutions to some very basic questions on Earth, such as how to keep every one of God's children, safe, fed, and warm.""Extreme emotions of elation or despair weren't part of my makeup, despite my life's unforseen twists and turns.""Because of my medical situation, my path was far from typical: I ended up training for nearly ten years, starting from my AsCan days in 1998.""There we were, French, German, Russian, Asian American, African American, listening to Sade's silky vocals and having a meal in space. Out the window we could see Afganistan, Iraq, and other troubled spots. Two hundred and forty miles above those strife-torn places, we sat in peace with people we once counted among our nation's enemies, bound by a common commitment to explore space for the benefit of all humanity. It was one of the most inspiring moments of my life.""Going to space is transformative on so many different levels. I tell future explorers that when you work with others, make sure you work together as a team. Learn to see all people as potential space travelers together no matter what language they speak, no matter what they look like, no matter what food they eat, and know that we're all in this together. Work hard and share the fun.""Space also inspired me to think about how we reach the next generation, how we prepare others to take our place and go off somewhere else and do much better things. It was a notion I would return to with increasing regulairty in the years to come.""No matter what happens in our lives, we have to keep moving forward," I told them. "We have to keep doing our best, no matter what the circumstances. It is about your heart, dedication, and spirit.""My experiences in the Astronaut Corps had taught me that you never know what will happen from day to day. It's best to experience life as fully as possible while you have the time, health, and opportunity.""When bobby and I worked together to move ELC-2 out of the shuttle payload bay and hand it off to the space station's robotic arm, we helped resolve a long-standing historical injustice. Forty-three years after reacism forces Ed Dwight from the astronaut program, we became the first African American men to fly together on a shuttle mission.""Seeing the world without geographic boundaries really puts things in perspective and makes one wonder why there is so much division, hatred, and malice.""I stressed that our children needed more than just access to the benfits that STEAM education offered; they also needed the necessary support systems to ensure that acess leads to success.""Luther Vandross song-Dance with my Father: "That song easily conjures up all the charm and comfort of home but returning to one's roots isn't just about nostalgia. It's also about responsibility, the desire to do something meaningful for those who have given you so much."

Success is not linear, easy, or without challenge, but it is attainable with grit, perseverance, and help from others! This is the chief message I took from this book!I’m thankful to have read this inspirational and poignant story about achievement, perseverance, overcoming challenges, handling the unexpected, second chances, and seizing opportunities. I could relate to Leland’s constant linkage to family, home, and friends throughout his journey. I think you will as well. I also appreciate his candor about racism and discrimination.This story of one mans journey from humble beginnings to the NFL and NASA is riveting and inspiring. I’m blessed to have met and get to know Leland since he is a distinguished alum from the Univeristy of Richmond, where I work, and a member of our Board of Trustees. I highly recommend and encourage anyone to read this wonderful story. You will be moved. Share it with young people, especially marginalized and underrepresented groups, so they can see themselves in Leland in hopes they will be inspired and change their trajectory in life.

Melvin isn't the most lyrical writer, but he certainly captures the special moments as well as more down-to-earth activities from his long career at NASA, with side-trips into his work making STEM learning more available for kids everywhere, and his brief time playing pro football and hosting niche television shows. His voice is honest and down-to-earth. Accused of cheating on an exam and nearly getting kicked out of college, training at NASA in Houston, and at Russia's Star City, a chance meeting with Katherine Johnson, camping with his dogs, flying on Atlantis, and celebrating his birthday in space.....This is the story of a life that's by turns Big, yet also quite humble, and very, very human. An especially good read for students, who will appreciate Melvin's character-building failures and soul-searching insights, as well as his amazing triumphs.

Keeping eyes on the prize ... with a Plan BLeland Melvin is a sharp, multi-dimensional guy who didn’t quit when things got difficult. And he never put all his eggs in one basket, though at any given time he gave his current task his best effort. That’s how his parents raised him, and it’s a good recipe for success ... for any of us, regardless of race or culture.I’m a white guy, so I probably don’t have the permission to say this. I went to a small, private university on the West coast, not unlike Melvin’s Alma mater, University of Richmond. I saw many athletes, black and white, who came to college thinking they would be the next pro standout, so they had no Plan B. Most failed and went home with nothing.But like Melvin, an African-American friend of mine came from a two-parent family where Dad was a roll model (career military). My friend was on a football scholarship and would have gladly gone to the NFL, but he was a realist and had a Plan B.“I’m getting a quality education and I want to be a dentist and go home to serve my community,” he said. And he succeeded.That’s an important lesson this book offers for all of us. Don’t quit easily but adjust goals to reality of the moment and achieve your best destiny. It’s an important and worthy lesson.

** spoiler alert ** This book was interesting as it explains the journey of Leland into NASA and the exploration of space. I hadn’t heard of Leland’s story before as one the few Black Astronaut. He was an athlete who got a scholarship to pursue a degree in chemical engineering. He got drafted into the NFL but had a short life there because of a hamstring injury. Thankfully he was able to get recruited by NASA by the diversity initiative in place to recruit minorities where he did a master in optical lasers and worked into the research lab for several years. Then he applied to become an astronaut where he was accepted to be trained. His dream of going to space almost went up to smoke when he had an accident during training where he lost his hearing. Thankfully he recovered and went on to space for 2 different missions. Afterwards he became a STEM and STEAM advocate for youth all over the world. He remains a great example of what is feasible when you believe and pursue your dreams. I really enjoyed getting to know his journey in this book. He has spent a total of 24 years in his career at NASA. That remains a strong legacy that can impact future generations.

I just had the pleasure of both reading Leland Melvin's book and hearing him speak at the Virginia Festival of the Book. Both were very enjoyable experiences!Leland is a man that has done what no one else has done - been drafted by the NFL and been on a NASA space shuttle mission (twice). Amazingly, neither of these were his life long goals.Listening and reading Leland is to experience the joy of a man who has grown up in a loving family, taken advantage of every opportunity open to him, utilized second chances to better himself, and, despite many obstacles in his path, seems to really enjoy life. Leland now works to improve the educational and life chances of the next generation - something he does with care, humor, and passion.This isn't the best book I have ever read about NASA and space exploration. Rather it is a personal tale told with humility and passion - a rare gift. Leland is a rare individual and reading his book gives you a chance to accompany him on his enjoyable ride.