It's a Question of Space

This book very much reminded me of Tim Peake's Ask an Astronaut which I read at the beginning of the year. It was a book that consited of loads of questions which people had sent in; from the more serious to the downright silly!
As someone who is really interested in space I found this a really interesting read. I read this book so quickly and kept saying to myself that I would read 'just one more question'.
The only thing that stops me giving 5 stars is that some parts are a little repetitive, for example someone asks if he swallows toothpaste in space and he answers that yes he does, although this has already been spoken about earlier in the book when someone asked what his washing and getting ready routine was like.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-copy in return for an honest review.

Clayton Conrad Anderson is a retired NASA astronaut. He previously wrote The Ordinary Spaceman: From Boyhood Dreams to Astronaut

In this book, Anderson answers questions that were asked on Quora. The questions are about the life of an astronaut, the International Space Station, space walks and aliens. Some of the questions I always asked myself (for example, is it difficult to get dressed in space?).

The answers Anderson gives in his book are easy to read and understand, nothing too technical. He writes from his own personal perspective. Some questions are answered with a serious tone, other answers have more humor ('I was Superman every day!').

This book gave me a nice insight in the life of Anderson as an astronaut. I would recommend this book to everyone who loves space or who dreams about being an astronaut.

I really love reading about space, about astronauts, about their life, about their adventures, so I was definitely looking forward to reading this book about an American astronaut. Sadly, it was just way boring and at times I wonder if this would really be for the YA/Teen age or if it would be better suited for the older audience.

I also had expected a bit of other things between the questions (like fun facts, or something about the space station, or well, anything actually), but instead it is just continually questions/answers with a few sporadically added photographs.

So not recommended.

Written by an astronaut who was in space for five months, It’s A Question Of Space is certainly written by an expert in all things astro, and it shows in the answers to these serious to not so serious questions in this book.

There’s some really interesting questions that need to be answered about travelling in space and Anderson certainly answers these brilliantly. Keeping them human but also informative he shares his own personal experience of space travel in this book but also gives insights in how it all works.

A really great book for a kid, especially doing a school project as it answers everything you will ever need to know about space and what it takes to be an astronaut.

If you have ever had questions, or have kids with questions, about some of the more routine tasks in space, Anderson has an answer. This book covers a lot of areas from how to become an astronaut to how to keep yourself clean on the ISS. A lot of the questions were things I would never think to ask, but once they were I thought "oh yeah, how does that work?" Fortunately Anderson is really good about answering them.

Admittedly, there are times when Anderson just doesn't know the answer, but he's very good about directing you to resources or people who would know. Some of the answers required a lot more technical expertise than he had, so he called in his friend Robert Frost who actually worked on those sides of the missions. Anderson also keeps a good sense of humor in a lot of his answers. There were some, to me, ridiculous questions, like what if an astronaut murdered all of his fellow astronauts on the ISS. Anderson actually went through a bit of a scenario of what would be required for the killer to do. All the while he made it clear that, given the rigorous psychological testing astronauts have to go through, he didn't think this would ever actually happen.

I think my biggest issue with this book is the editing. He says that the book is from his writings on Quora and it shows. There are a lot of repeat questions and answers spread throughout the book under different topics. Admittedly some of the questions had multiple questions in them so I can see why they were under different categories and thought to be different questions. I just think it would have been more readable had he consolidated the questions and answers instead of just repeating what was on Quora.

Other than that, though, I did like this book and it did answer a lot of questions I didn't even know I had about space and being an astronaut. 3.5 hoots!

Great read for those interested in the everyday of space travel. Anderson answered questions that I never even knew I wanted to ask.
My 9 year old son loved it too.

Very cool, his enthusiasm and love for his work comes through powerfully. All the stuff you wanted to know and either weren't sure who or how to ask.

Really cool insider perspective on monumental achievement of getting into space, and getting back.

It maybe more fun to pick and choose than to read straight through- this is a book I will be happy to have to refer back to when I can't quite recall what I need to.
Fun, fascinating, do read!

I loved space growing up and always had a ton of questions about it. This book is the perfect place to find all those answers and more! The author doesn't know every answer, but he does have a lot of good resources to find the answers. (I checked a few of them out and they are awesome!) Space lovers should get their hands on this book as soon as it comes out!

Librarian: Yes, I'll absolutely be recommending this book for purchase. As it happens my library is currently looking for more books on this subject, as the school recently added a space unit for our Year 5s, and between 4 classes of 26 students each we keep running out of books on the subject! Plus this book covers many of the sorts of things that the students are most interested in, so I can easily see it being a favorite.
Reader: I could totally see myself picking up this book. I've always been fascinated by space. When I was a kid I had dozens of books on the subject, and one of my favorite Christmas memories is the year that my Dad's family all teamed up to buy me a telescope. Even now space travel fascinates me. I have a tendency to gravitate towards it when I'm looking for a good nonfiction book to read.
That being said, I didn't find myself particularly drawn into this book. I found the Q&A format slightly off-putting. The tone just didn't sit right with me. That being said there was plenty of interesting information, and I'd probably pick up other things from this author.
3.5 Stars

Like many others, I’m fascinated by space travel. I imagine what it would be like to not be in this planet at least once a day (I’m sure you too). So bless all these astronaut and cosmonauts writing about their experiences—I get to vicariously fly through the atmosphere and live in zero gravity!

Following a Q&A format, retired astronaut Clayton C. Anderson (or Astro Clay) gives readers more than just a glimpse of what it’s like to live and work inside the International Space Station with this book. He responds to each question with as many details he can provide, and with such humility and openness that left me in awe. I mean, he’s kind of like a superhero, isn’t he?! (Well, reading between the lines, I think he secretly wants to be Superman.) He covers almost everything—from training to coming back to Earth, from how he slept and showered in the ISS to what he felt about the Challenger and the Columbia disasters.

More, I loved how his passion for what he does (or used to do) resonate in his every answer, and I also enjoyed how he is not afraid to let people know that he doesn’t know something. (There are parts in which he straight up replied along the lines of ‘I wish I could tell you but I don’t know!’) Here are some of my favorite parts, that had me giggling, pondering and yep, searching on Google for more!

On distance

My life’s priorities are not negotiable, and my family is right there at the top.
On applying as an astronaut
If there’s a key to success in these nerve-racking interviews, I would say you just have to be yourself. Don’t put on airs and try to be someone you’re not. (Reminds me of the story of the astronaut candidate who refused to sit down for his interview even after being told multiple times it was okay. He didn’t fare too well.) NASA wants to see if you are genuine; whether you have “platform skills,” or the ability to communicate effectively; and how you respond under pressure. Do you have a sense of humor? Can you clearly and efficiently present your ideas? Can you keep them from falling asleep? Those are the sort of things they are looking for.
On the Moon landings as a hoax
Hmmm, I guess a bunch of folks think that all of the Moon landings were hoaxes. Maybe they are also part of the group that thinks Earth is flat.

On extraterrestrial life

And let’s face it: if there’s an alien species out there capable of traveling through space and covering distances of light years to Earth, then they’re probably intelligent enough to contact us any time they want.
On sleeping in zero gravity

I love to sleep. If there were an Olympic medal for sleeping, I’d be right there, fighting for the gold.
On the veracity of his answers

I, Clayton C. Anderson, answer questions posted on social media platforms such as Quora and anywhere else on my own. I do not have a media management team—I can’t afford one—unlike some of my colleagues. I love trying to inform folks who ask questions via social media platforms, but I provide answers that are anecdotal in nature. I choose to not provide a bunch of highly technical information. You can google that stuff!
On spaceflight

Spaceflight is dangerous. Spaceflight is unforgiving of mistakes.

(^ But of course, we can all train for it, apply and hope for the best! As Astro Clay says, keep looking up!)

However, the book could be more structured or organized, like having sections specific to topics, to make it easier for the reader to follow the life of an astronaut in space.

All in all, 'It’s A Question of Space' by Clayton C. Anderson has science, humor and soul, and above all, it’s super easy to read. For those who are into space travel or the astronaut life, picking up a copy shouldn’t even be a question. *wink* Now onto adding his first book, The Ordinary Spaceman, to my TBR pile!

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. Thank you. All opinions are my own.

It's a Question of Space is a fun and easy read that will answer all those everyday questions that you might have about living in space. Clayton C. Anderson answers in a laid-back and very approachable way - to questions people have asked him over time. Some questions were rather weird and left me wondering who is asking this stuff - others answered things that I wanted to know myself. Very entertaining read.

I’m going to admit I had no idea who Clayton Anderson was when I requested this book, but it sounded interesting, and interesting it turned to be, indeed. There were plenty of little things I never suspected regarding life on the ISS, and in space in general, and I feel like I’ve learnt a lot. Which I’m sure is absolutely not going to be useful if I write a sci-fi story someday. Never.

It’s a fast read, in Q&A format, which is ideal when, like me, you read a lot during breaks at work, or while commuting. No long chapters that make it difficult to stop (almost) any time. These cover a lot of various things, from how the human body reacts in space to the kind of operations astronauts have to be trained in, from the former space shuttle program to little things like ‘how to you wash yourself in micro-gravity’.

While I felt that Anderson might have misinterpreted a couple of questions (I’m thinking more specifically about the one regarding ‘what do you think of people who say the moon landing is a conspiracy’), overall his answers were simple and often full of humour. The man doesn’t hesitate to make fun of himself, and admits when he goofed on the station. He doesn’t always get into details, and he doesn’t hide it when he doesn’t know something, so perhaps some of the answers were a little lackluster; still, in general, this was fairly informative for me.

Conclusion: 3.5 stars. And I wouldn’t mind reading his other book, for sure.

A quick and easy, but also entertaining read on different aspects of space and life as an astronaut. There were a few questions in here that I'd wanted to know the answers to, and a few I would have never thought to ask. Most of the answers are informative without being too technical and difficult to understand. A great starter book for anyone wanting to understand the basics of life on the ISS.

This book has a fantastic premise: an astronaut answering your burning questions about what it is like to be in space, and is an accessible book for younger readers. I would highly recommend this as an accompaniment to an elementary or middle school space unit because the questions that are posed come from user posed questions from the site Quora that were answered by Astronaut Anderson over a period of approximately 3 years and are compiled into the book and sorted into chapters based around a specific cluster of ideas (i.e. daily life, training, missions, etc.).

In my personal opinion, the information in the book is fantastic and extremely approachable. There is no special knowledge that is required going into the book and any interest in the subject is rewarded by personal anecdotes. On the other hand, if you have read extensively on space and manned missions, this book does not offer any exciting new revelations or anything that is particularly out of the ordinary.

This was a interesting read. It's a Question of Space provides the reader with an unique perspective. In fact, this perspective of an astronaut that has traveled to space is quite rare. In spite of his lofty career accomplishments, Mr. Anderson does a great job of answering tons of questions about space in a down to earth fashion that is engaging for kids and adults alike. He provides frank insight on what it's like to be a NASA astronaut, both good and bad. I appreciated his encouragement of good priorities being modeled as he mentioned God, family, and career amidst his positive outlook. I also liked that he discussed challenges he's experienced during his career and how he overcame them. The content is informative and fascinating. I originally got this book for my kids to read, but enjoyed reading it myself and learned a good bit about life on the space station.

I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not obligated to write a positive review.

IT'S A QUESTION OF SPACE by Clayton C. Anderson is going to appeal to quite a few students as we have seen an increasing interest in space exploration during the past few years. The author, also known as "Astro Clay," is a retired astronaut who has used social media and the internet, especially Quora, to answer questions and share his knowledge about space travel. Now, by working with the University of Nebraska Press, he has compiled this collection "in one single place, [where he explains that] you may find insight – if not always straight and technical answers – to the questions proffered ... by individuals from around the world."

Anderson's experiences are varied, including six space walks and space shuttle flights with Atlantis, Endeavor, and Discovery; the International Space Station; and the Russian Soyuz tma-10 capsule. His writing is amusing and entertaining, practical, and enthusiastic while the questions he has chosen are certainly wide ranging. Here are just a few examples:

What does it feel like to be inside a space suit?
Could an astronaut play football in space?
How do astronauts sleep while in space?
How do I become an astronaut?
What consumer products are actually used by astronauts in space?

IT'S A QUESTION OF SPACE is a great book to open and page through randomly. We will have our copy on display once school resumes. Enjoy!

I was really looking forward to this book as I devour everything I can get my hands on with regards to space and space travel. Clayton does offer some great insight, and answers some really interesting questions, but unfortunately this book as a whole just didn’t do it for me. Many of the questions he answers are done multiple times throughout the book, the question was just asked in a slightly different way. So, it got a little boring to read the same things over and over again. I also found it hard to focus as I was expecting a little more detail and information on the questions he answers. Most of them are so high-level that once I start getting interested in what he’s talking about, he’s done and moving on to the next question.

I’m sure his actual autobiography would be better, but he makes reference to it so often throughout this book I find myself not wanting to read it all just out of principal because it felt like it was getting shoved in my face.

I think this could’ve done with a little more editing and organization to make it a more compelling Q&A read, but I do think it could be a great book for younger readers who have a very small window of understanding into these concepts and just want a high-level explanation of many things, instead of more in-depth explanations of a few things.

I received a copy of this story via Netgalley, and have provided a review of my own accord.

A collection of Clayton C. Anderson's answer to his reddit questions, It's a Question of Space is a quick read. His answers range from short and to the point to very detailed. The quality of the answer is dependent on the quality of the question. Many of the questions are general in nature so the answer could have come from anyone with any type of knowledge of space. The book really shines when the question and thus the answer speaks to Anderson's experiences and expertise. Not every question from the time period covered by the book needed to be included. This book would have been more interesting if it focused on Anderson's expertise. If readers want to learn more about Anderson they are better off reading his autobiography, The Ordinary Spaceman.

When I was younger, around 11-12 years old, I was obsessed with the moon landing. I have always loved learning about space, thanks in part to my 1st grade teacher who would send students in turn home with a moon journal to keep track of the moon and it's phases. In 3rd grade I had to give a presentation on a historical figure and dress up as them, and I chose Neil Armstrong. When I was 11 and home-schooled by then, I had to give a report on Neil Armstrong's life. I read the book First Man (which was just turned into a movie in 2018) My love of learning about the galaxy has only grown since then, which is why I wanted to request an early copy of this book. It is something I would have loved to have owned about 8 years ago, and it is a very good book for inquiring young minds.

It's a Question of Space is an astronaut, Clayton C. Anderson, who lived in space for 167 days answering questions sent to him via social media about what it's like to be in space and be an astronaut. Growing up I always wanted to be an astronaut so I was drawn to this book to find out what it would really be like. There's also a fun mention of Lance Bass in the book, so that is always a plus.

This was a very interesting read and I liked it as a Q&A moreso than just a book to read through since if I wasn't particularly interested in a question (though I will admit there weren't many of those) I could just skip over it to the next question. I learned a lot and really enjoyed this book!

I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated. This book was released July 1, 2018 from University of Nebraska Press.

I love books written by astronauts, but had never read Anderson's previous works. This book was such a treat that I bought it and two other books by him. In it's a Question of Space Anderson provides witty answers to questions posted on Quora. The Q&A format of the book makes it accessible and a great book to pick up and read when one is pressed for time.

Love this book. What a great way to get people to be interested in astrophysics. As someone who once considered being an astrophysicist I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Space had always been interesting to me. I do not know what it is, but I have always wanted to go to space. While I am realistic as to how likely I am going to be able to go there, it does not stop me from dreaming that I can. Books like this give me a look as to what it could be like.

Done in a Q&A format, Anderson answers all the questions that you would ask an astronaut, and some that you may not. I found it interesting how he looks back on being an astronaut and his path to becoming one. He makes it seem possible for anyone who works hard enough to become an astronaut!

If you want to find out what being an astronaut is like, then give this book a go. Chances are that you will enjoy it.

Great book written by an astronaut who spent 5 months in space. This book answers all the questions you have and some you didnt even know you had! Perfect book for kids (of all sizes/ages!) who want to know more about what its like to be in space

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. It answered all of the questions kid me had about being an astronaut, as well as a bunch I’d never thought to wonder about. I found this book entertaining.

It's a Question of Space by Clayton C. Anderson was a fun light read for people who are interested in learning about what its like to work on the international space station and be a part of NASA. Clayton C. Anderson has written a memoir prior to this book as well.

This book is set up in a Q & A format and is divided into chapters with a common theme. I did like that there were photos included in the answers. It's a short quick read and will be enjoyable for people interested in space exploration.