I first picked up Moon Shot after reading a quote from former astronaut Mike Massimino in an article about how to find happiness. That might seem like an odd place to find life advice—a man who’s been to space talking about how to find joy on Earth—but that’s what hooked me.

Mike said:

“Since going to space I’ve stopped complaining about the weather. Because in space, there is no weather…”

That line paused me—right in the middle of my Sunday walk on the Prairie Path, my bright pink running shoes kicking up dust. I ordered the book that afternoon.

Turns out, Mike Massimino is not your typical astronaut. He grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Long Island. He was afraid of heights. Didn’t have 20/20 vision. Failed the swim test. But he also didn’t give up.

And that’s really the point of the book:
You don’t need to be a genius to do something great. But you do need to keep showing up.