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Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet―And Our Mission to Protect It

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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

304 pages, Hardcover

Published October 12, 2021

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Nicole Stott

3 books6 followers

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
Profile Image for Clay Davis.
Author 3 books135 followers
December 17, 2021
There some good insights into space exploration in this book. The author engages in dangerous naivete in hopes that certain world powers that use slave labor and use anti-satellite weapons that endanger orbiting space crews will help with climate change.
Profile Image for Chris Stott.
13 reviews2 followers
October 12, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Kara Babcock.
1,980 reviews1,421 followers
October 8, 2021
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.

Creative Commons BY-NC License
Profile Image for Howard.
283 reviews4 followers
April 27, 2022
I love this. a geat environmental book from a woman that had to go to the International Space Station to realize how fragile the environment on earth is. Lots of very practical advice on environmental science, and how we all can contribute. This is a great educational read. I enjoyed it immensely.
Profile Image for Petra.
708 reviews42 followers
December 19, 2021
I was SO prepared to love this!

This book contains amazing insights, but they’re hidden in a not really well-told story. The main point of Earth being a ship and us behaving as a crew of said ship is great. But did it need to be repeated a thousand or so times? I don’t think so.

The problem I had with it is that the mix of personal stories and climate change points just didn’t feel cohesive at all. It felt all over the place.

It’s a 3.5-read for me. Her story is inspiring and there are some gems hidden in the book, but the writing style and structure leave a lot to be desired.
97 reviews
June 8, 2022
Nicole Stott is one of my biggest heroes and all-time favoritest human beings.

I became aware of Nicole while attending my beloved alma mater The University of Central Florida, as she had attended UCF as well in the early 1990s to pursue an M.S. in Engineering Management. It just so happened that upon starting my own graduate school adventure at UCF in 2009, pursuing an M.S. in I/O Psycholgy, that Nicole launched to space for the first time aboard Space Shuttle Discovery (my favorite Space Shuttle!) on STS-128 (carrying the Leonardo logistics module to the International Space Station, named after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, obviously!) and stayed on the ISS for a few months before returning on STS-129 (a mission close to my heart as it was the only one I got to actually watch from NASA Kennedy Space Center property - thanks to some amazing I/O Psychologist friends who had connections). She later flew again on STS-133, the last flight of Discovery in early 2011 as my M.S. was winding down. So it was VERY COOL to have a fellow Knight in space to be an inspiration while I was often up very late writing research papers in the lab.

Since Nicole retired from NASA nearly a decade ago I keep hearing stories about her without even looking. In one instance I remember there were cold-stunned endangered sea turtles in New England being flown south to warmy sunny NASA KSC in Florida to be re-released. "Well that's just awesome!" I thought. And then the news reported that it just so happened SHE WAS THE RING-LEADER BEHIND THE WHOLE RESCUE OPERATION.

So I was incredibly excited when I heard Nicole was releasing a book about her adventures (released on October 12th, 2021, the 42nd anniversary of my all-time favorite book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)! I've been reading the biographies of astronauts and cosmonauts in quasi-chronological order by launch date to learn what exactly makes The Right Stuff tick, so I pre-ordered Back To Earth as soon as I could.

As someone who is currently working on the NASA Artemis missions to take people back to the moon, I love her frequent referencing to the famous picture Earthrise taken by Bill Anders aboard Apollo 8 in 1968 showing the Earth, in full, as it "rose" above the moon's horizon. That picture is often credited with kick-starting the environmental movement as it was then people could see just how small and fragile the Earth is, and calls for peace as no physical country boundaries were visible. Similarly, she talks about the Overview Effect, a psychological phenomenon that some individuals encounter when they understand just how small and connected everything is which inspires those individuals to change their behaviors.

Nicole's book details her encounters and friendships with others who experienced something akin to the Overview Effect, regardless of whether or not they ever went to space. Many of these amazing people are now running companies and non-profits trying to make the world a better place. The one that sticks out to me the most, and maybe it was because it was the last example given in the book, is a dude who was researching how to re-grow coral in a lab and purely by accident discovered a method that was significantly faster than the highly-controlled method he was trying before. He's now running Plant a Million Corals ( https://plantamillioncorals.org/ ) working to restore coral reefs around the world.

While I love these stories and think the people she uses are incredible human beings, I would have loved to hear more of Nicole's personal stories. I greatly enjoyed reading about her experiences as an astronaut on board the Shuttle and ISS, and her time as an aquanaut sixty feet below the surface in a lab near the Florida Keys. Perhaps I was hoping/expecting this book to be more autobiographical ala Chris Hadfield's An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth in which he detailed his life journey to becoming an astronaut and some of the challenges he's faced. This book just felt more about other human beings and nature than about Nicole herself. Which, if she did in fact get zinged by The Overview Effect that makes perfect sense!

I would love to see Nicole have some sort of YouTube web series where she goes on these adventures with other Earth-lovers and promotes the work they're doing so we can happily click links and easily donate to their causes without even thinking about it through PayPal. Reading the physical hardback I'm wishing I had taken notes so I could go look up further details and throw money at these people. The end of the book says I can find out more about these organizations by going to the book's website, but I couldn't find that info.

Soooo here's hoping she pursues such a project, and releases another more cookie-cutter by-the-numbers book that starts with "I was born in New York..." and goes from there. Though maybe I just selfishly want to read a chapter where she discusses her time studying at UCF.
Profile Image for Kristine.
185 reviews
August 8, 2023
I worked in Mission Control during both of Nicole Stott's space missions, and I was impressed with her performance as an astronaut. I was then a grad student at MD Anderson Cancer Center when her Spacesuit Art Project was in-work, and I was impressed with her willingness to serve. I was excited to read her book and have been looking forward to reading it since it was released. I was hoping for a more personal story of her life and career, but this book is ~90% a specific flavor of environmental activism and ~10% short lessons on spaceflight basics with a few anecdotes.
July 15, 2022
3.5 stars.

In the first book by a female astronaut I've read, Nicole Stott discusses her experience in space and what she learned from it that goes back to how we can improve life on Earth. She interviews experts and also discusses personal experiences.

Yay:
*Stott's passion for protecting our planet is obvious and you'll be inspired as well.
*I learned some unique details, like how microplastics affect the ocean and how odors in space can lead to problems. Also, some cool stuff about coral.
*Space tourists using their trips to bring attention to causes. I had no idea about any of that.
*Stott brings legit hope to the table instead of just global warming doom and gloom.

Nay:
*Organization in the writing. Some info doesn't relate back to going to space, like the section on bugs--she reconciles it with her trip to space because her class was called the "Bugs" but it was a stretch. I didn't feel like all the information presented connected back to her greater arguments, which are very generalized.
*Not a lot of actionable steps the average person can take that we don't already know.
*It sometimes reads like a paper or list of items/quotes.

If you read a lot of space books like me, there wasn't much that other astronauts haven't written about in regards to climate but you will learn some things. If you're new to the topic and want to hear an astronaut's perspective, this will be a good one for you.
Profile Image for Katelyn Brown.
12 reviews3 followers
June 22, 2023
Started out slow, but in the end, it was a great book with awesome themes of sustainability and hope for our planet.
Profile Image for Stephen.
1,658 reviews111 followers
August 20, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Tyler.
203 reviews6 followers
December 1, 2021
Nicole Stott chose to write a different kind of book than the memoir that most astronauts have written. Rather than simply telling her life story, she instead chose to draw on her experiences as an astronaut to explain how her background has given her a new perspective on the Earth we all call home. For instance, most people are inclined to think only about the climate that surrounds their own part of the world. Yet Stott encourages us to believe that "everything is local," because she saw the interconnectedness of people across planet Earth from her perch on the International Space Station more than 200 miles above it. People may be inclined to think of the sky as enormous, yet Stott knows from firsthand experience that this layer of life sustaining atmosphere is remarkably thin. People may be inclined to take a gloomy perspective on the state of the Earth's environment, knowing that one million species are now endangered and the Earth's temperature has been on the rise. Yet Stott saw the spirit of cooperation every day on the International Space Station and believes that people can also cooperate across international lines in making Earth a more habitable environment rather than giving in to greed. Along with sharing her own wisdom, Stott also provides insights from several people she interviewed who have embraced their role as crewmembers on "Spaceship Earth." For instance, she explains how David Vaughan learned to expedite the growth of coral through his laboratory research and how Scott Harrison has funded projects to bring clean water to developing countries. The reader gains the sense above all else that Stott is an optimistic person who believes in the ability of human beings to unite and protect Earth's environment, despite all of our differences. We must hope for the sake of future generations that she is correct.
Profile Image for Susan.
336 reviews9 followers
May 11, 2022
I really liked this book! I have never had much of an interest in space and space exploration, so I learned a lot about that, but more importantly, I learned more about what is happening globally to help with climate change.
Sometimes climate change and what to do about it seems overwhelming. Even though I care, and my husband and some of our friends care, it seems like the majority of people on this planet are working and living their daily lives without connection to, and appreciation for the health of plants and animals (including human animals) on our planet. My husband and I try to do our small part to live with a small carbon foot print (although we can certainly do more). This book shares information on what NASA and other organizations and entrepreneurs are doing to help save human life on this planet. I am inspired that so many countries work together in harmony and for the greater good on the international space station, and I learned how that is also happening to some extent here on Earth like the story of banning CFC's. I knew they had been banned years ago, but did not know the story behind it. It was/is a global initiative to save the ozone layer.
If the world can get together to save the ozone layer and work on other projects together such as the Paris Climate agreement, then I can have hope for mankind.

Nicole Stott is a positive thinker, and she is optimistically productive in her efforts to help save humankind by global and outer space initiatives. I especially enjoyed learning more about how the coral reefs are being restored. Did you know that 50% of Earth's oxygen comes from the sea? I didn't. I believe that "Back to Earth" and "Braiding Sweetgrass" are probably the two most important books I will read this year! I hope you will read them too!
879 reviews10 followers
October 21, 2021
Back 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.
I 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.
Mr. 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.
But we’re not.
In 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.
Profile Image for Allison Austin.
10 reviews
November 30, 2023
My husband bought this book for me after he attended a speaking engagement with the author, Nicole Stott. He told me he thought I would ‘enjoy this book,’ because we share similar views. Me? I thought, I share similar views with someone who has been to space? An astronaut. I thought well I love books and I love this planet so I will invest the time, and I am so happy to tell you, yes I share Nicole’s opinions and views. She speaks so fondly of her journey to space, of being a kind and caring human, the importance of every aspect of life on the planet and how we Earthlings can make our experience here on the planet better. I encourage you to read this book, learn a little bit from the author and make the changes you are able to make, no matter how small to help improve the health of our thin blue line.
Profile Image for Kimberly (spacetoread).
245 reviews15 followers
November 3, 2021
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!
Profile Image for Chris Geggis.
52 reviews2 followers
February 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, which I read for my science book club. There were many great pieces to it, but I'd have to say my favorite was near the end when she describes getting back to earth in the space shuttle. As I read it, I ended up doing a fair amount of research on the side because she touched on a lot of interesting topics. I've long been fascinated with the space program. I've read a few books about it, but this was the first firsthand account of going up and coming back that I've read. I'm very glad she decided to write a book about it, and I applaud her effort.
7 reviews
May 20, 2022
I think this book is AMAZING. I've never been a big fan of Non-Fiction books, but this is totally different. I've always had an interest in space travel. I remember always wanting to be an Astronaut (Astronaut-Ballerina at some point haha) and although I've become more interested in other fields, space travel, and NASA for that matter, will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you, Nicole Stott!
21 reviews
November 1, 2021
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.
Profile Image for Emanuil.
15 reviews
November 22, 2023
Very interesting and compelling book. Gives you hope and provides sufficient explanation of why we should look after the planet and what each of us can do to help.

Definitely recommended, especially for young adults who want to understand the importance of care for the planet, as well as those adults who are curious about space.
Profile Image for Stephanie.
49 reviews5 followers
October 5, 2021
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
98 reviews
May 15, 2022
Wasn't expecting an inspiring book about climate change but I admire that the author is using her "celebrity" status to bring light to some of our misuses of earth. Felt superficial and cheesy, but I enjoyed reading about her personal experiences nonetheless.
December 16, 2023
There were moments I felt like the book dragged on but overall I enjoyed it. There were many moments where I could imagine myself in space with the astronauts. Especially meaningful read having recently listened to the author speak, and yes, I have pictures!
261 reviews6 followers
July 29, 2021
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.
5 reviews
October 14, 2021
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.
66 reviews
November 30, 2021
I loved how it explores the wonders of outer space and how precious our planet earth is as well.
Profile Image for Kristina Sanchez.
Author 5 books239 followers
April 29, 2022
A love letter to the planet. A call to action to all of us to take our job as crew members of planet Earth seriously.

I love the repeated phrase to slow down to hurry up.
Profile Image for Peter Kalnin.
339 reviews30 followers
May 20, 2022
Nicole Stott eloquently shares what she has experienced and learned from her time as an astronaut and from her studies of planetary ecology. This is a MUST READ.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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