When you think of a NASA astronaut, the image that probably comes to mind is one of the charismatic, athletic hero, ready to take on the stars. But former NASA astronaut turned business speaker and bestselling author Mike Massimino was pretty much the opposite. He was the underdog throughout NASA training: one of the weakest swimmers and a 'gangly, scrawny, working-class kid from Long Island with bad eyesight and a fear of heights.' Still, after working hard and working smart, Massimino made it to the International Space Station and had a successful career as an astronaut. Now, he uses his experience to bring readers valuable, actionable and entertaining advice for how to get back up and make possible the seemingly impossible. Moonshot shares Massimino's hard-earned lessons and how to apply them in work and life. With humour and a unique storytelling ability, he inspires readers to identify the passion in their work, use teamwork and innovation to solve problems, provide leadership in the face of adversity, and never give up when pursuing a goal. Written with characteristic wit and a big heart, Mike operates as our mission control to navigate us as we achieve our own personal and professional moonshots.

Hoping to break out of a sales slump at Marvel in the early 1960s, veteran comic creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby hit on the idea of doing a super team. Kirby, who thought superheroes were due for a revival after 15 years of being pushed aside by romance, horror, and war comics, saw it as smart business. Lee just once wanted to "do the type of story I myself would enjoy reading." The Fantastic Four forever changed their careers, their lives, and the comic book industry. Some of the most iconic moments in Marvel history are here, starting with Reed Richards, his girlfriend Sue Storm, his best friend Ben Grimm, and her little brother Johnny Storm crash landing their rocket after it has been hit cosmic rays and discovering they have been transformed into Mr. Fantastic, the Invisible Girl, the Thing, and the Human Torch in issue No. 1. They were emotionally complex characters, who weren't always sure whether their powers were a benefit or burden. Stories were set in New York City, not some fictional stand-in, and Marvel heroes regularly crossed over into each other's books. The art was dynamic and the writing conversational and engaging. Lee and Kirby were like the Lennon and McCartney of comic books. Where the talents of one ended and the other began was not always clear, but together one plus one equaled three. Collected here in an XXL-size volume are the first 20 issues reproduced from the most pristine pedigreed original comics, which were cracked open and photographed in close collaboration with Marvel and the Certified Guaranty Company. Featured alongside the comics is an in-depth essay by acclaimed Marvel writer Mark Waid, a foreword by former NASA astronaut Mike Massimino, and original art, photographs, and other rarities. Welcome true believers to the Marvel Age of Comics. (c) 2022 MARVEL About the series MARVEL COMICS LIBRARY is an exclusive, long-term collaboration between TASCHEN and Marvel. The rarest classic comics, including Spider-Man, Avengers, and Captain America are meticulously reproduced in their original glory, in extra-large format. The library offers collectors a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lay their hands on the world's most desirable comics. Each volume includes an essay by a comic book historian along with hundreds of photos and artifacts, including rare original comic book artwork.

'This terrific memoir... is utterly gripping' Mail on Sunday 'Read this book and be inspired to reach for the impossible' Brian Greene Many children dream of becoming an astronaut when they grow up, but when a six-year-old Mike Massimino saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon he knew what he wanted to do when he became an adult. But NASA rejected him; then when he applied again they turned him down because of his poor eyesight. For the next year he trained his eyes to work better and finally, at the third time of asking, NASA accepted him. So began Massimino's 18-year career as an astronaut, and the extraordinary lengths he went to to get accepted was only the beginning. In this awe-inspiring memoir, he reveals the hard work, camaraderie and sheer guts involved in the life of an astronaut; he vividly describes what it is like to strap yourself into the Space Shuttle and blast off into space, or the sensation of walking in space, as he did when he completed a mission to service the Hubble telescope. He also talks movingly about the Columbia tragedy, and how it felt to step into the Space Shuttle again in the aftermath of that disaster. Massimino was inspired by the film The Right Stuff, and this book is not only a tribute to those fellow astronauts he worked with, but also a stunning example of someone who had exactly those attributes himself.