How astronaut Chris Hadfield changed the life of a Hong Kong education entrepreneur

Chris Hadfield’s autobiography, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth (2013), presents a down-to-earth account of the Canadian astronaut’s personal story, including life lessons work has taught him, such as the need to plan meticulously for all eventualities and anticipate problems. Serena Fan, founder and executive director of pioneering educational venture the Hong Kong Children’s Discovery Museum, explains how the book changed her life.

“I read the book in 2015 or 2016. I had just finished grad school in the United States, studying education. I decided to come back to Hong Kong to figure out what I wanted to do. I don’t remember how I picked up the book, but I do know I devoured it in two days. It’s not a topic I’d normally read about, but I saw the title and just started reading it.

“I remember being mind-blown. Only a few books have done this, and this one has so many lessons. This is why the book is always in the back of my mind, especially when I’m preparing for anything big.

“The biggest ‘wow’ moment was learning how calm astronauts are when there’s a disaster. Chris Hadfield says astronauts are often asked whether this is real – such as how calm they are during the disaster in Apollo 13.”

“Hadfield explains they are able to remain calm during a crisis because they have spent thousands of hours thinking about what needs to be done if something goes wrong. They don’t panic because they know what the protocol is.”