Defying Limits
Lessons from the Edge of the Universe
by Dave Williams
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Pub Date Oct 30 2018 | Archive Date Nov 02 2018
Simon & Schuster Canada | Simon & Schuster
Description
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.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781501160950 |
| PRICE | CA$32.00 (CAD) |
| PAGES | 272 |
Featured Reviews
Carolyn W, Reviewer
Dr. Dafydd (David) Willams has written an inspirational book where he encourages everyone to set life goals and to live each minute of their everyday life at its fullest. He is a man to be much admired and his optimistic spirit emulated. Dr. Williams has led a remarkable life; a man of many talents, resources and honours. I will not list all his remarkable achievements, but would urge people to check out his biography on Wikipedia for a full description of his life’s work.
David decided at age 7 to become an astronaut at a time when there were no Canadians exploring space. His childhood interests helped to build towards this goal and prepared him for other careers as well. His parents encouraged him to explore forests and streams near home, diving lessons at a young age, kits which encouraged scientific, mechanical, chemical discovery, learning and construction, instructions in dissection botanical specimens, and assembling model planes. He attributed any success to having a curious mind and regarded failure as a learning process causing him to go back and figure an alternate means to succeed.
In later years he did experience some drawbacks. He was a mediocre undergraduate student, lost friends in the Challenger explosion, and had an interruption in his career due to cancer. He achieved great success as an emergency room doctor, a teaching medical lecturer, worked in scientific research in neurophysiology,Director of Heart and Stroke Advanced Cardiac Life Support. Completed training as an astronaut in 1993. He spent a total of 381 hours in space including two space walks. He was the first non -American to hold a senior management position with NASA. His early interest in diving lead to twice working as an Aquanaut in an underwater laboratory where scientific experiments were conducted. He also qualified as a pilot during his early years.
His determination and many interests all cumulated in his selection as an astronaut working at the space station. He also seems to have maintained a happy and supportive family life. His wife of many years was one of the first female pilots for Air Canada.
Although the focus of the book is on science it is an easy read and much can be easily envisioned by the reader. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy of this book and a chance to learn about this extraordinary man.
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