Leland Melvin was born in 1964 in Virginia. He attended the University of Richmond on a football scholarship, where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry. While attending the school, he played football in the position of Wide Receiver and was also team captain his senior year. He went on to obtain a Master of Science degree in Materials Science Engineering from the University of Virginia. He began his career with NASA in 1989. He was selected for astronaut training in 1998, but an accident left him with severe hearing damage. He wound up regaining some hearing and was cleared for space flight. He logged over 500 hours in space, flying on two missions aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. Since his retirement, he has given lectures about science and engineering.

This was a pretty good book. I love a memoir and I also love a space book. I cannot imagine the training involved to be an astronaut, especially those who have multiple difficult degrees to obtain. Melvin is a very intelligent man, and his way with words is captivating. This was a very inspirational book, even if you aren't trying to be an astronaut. It's a reminded to never give up and to keep a positive attitude.