Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder, and Making Change

"An inspiring, insightful read about how to overcome insecurities, build bonds, and break barriers. There’s no bigger childhood dream than becoming an astronaut, and there’s no bigger adult aspiration than becoming more like Cady Coleman. This is an inside look at what it’s like to be in outer space—and a guide to leading a meaningful life."
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think Again

In 2010, Cady Coleman boarded a rocket and blasted off into space for her third NASA mission, a six-month expedition to the International Space Station where she was the only woman on her six-person crew. After years spent overcoming obstacles in competitive, high-performance environments, including grappling with her own doubts and training in a spacesuit that was too big, Coleman became a success story in a role that wasn’t built with her in mind—an astronaut who is also a mother, Air Force colonel, scientist, and leader. Her determination and amazing experiences give her a unique perspective on how to set yourself up for success, in space and here on Earth.

In Sharing Space, Cady shares counterintuitive insights integral to her success, such as how to know when to adapt and when to press for change instead, how to leverage insecurities to beat expectations, and how to be the glue that holds a disparate team together, shaping it to thrive. Illustrated with stories from her life and training, Cady takes readers from meteorite hunting in Antarctica to launching a $1.6 billion telescope into space to the wonder of spending six months living and working in zero gravity. This book will inspire anyone eager to escape a box in which they have been (wrongly) placed and to develop the confidence to succeed, even when they’re not an obvious “fit.”

Cady Coleman is a former NASA astronaut, retired United States Air Force colonel, scientist, pilot, musician, and mom. A sought-after speaker on a wide range of topics, including leadership and team building, Cady is known for her advocacy for inclusion in STEM/STEAM fields. She is also a highly regarded media adviser and on-air expert for space news and exploration. Cady lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband, glass artist Josh Simpson. They have two adult sons and two enormous Maine coon cats, Saber and Max.