The Orbital Perspective: Lessons in Seeing the Big Picture from a Journey of 71 Million Miles

Debut author Garan, an astronaut who has spent 178 days in space, offers a well-considered set of strategies for curing social ills and improving the world, gleaned from the history of space travel and his thoughts while viewing Earth from the International Space Station (ISS). His philosophy centers on global cooperation, inspired by the creation of the ISS, the “largest, most daring peacetime international collaboration in history,” during which the U.S. and Russia overcame long-standing rivalries, language barriers, and cultural differences in pursuit of a common goal. As another compelling example, Garan recalls the successful rescue of the trapped Chilean miners, for which NASA officials were enlisted, along with psychologists and various private enterprises. Other current innovations done through mass collaboration discussed here include a satellite system for detecting weather and natural disasters, a project to advise farmers in developing countries on what and how much to plant, and user-driven websites like Wikipedia. Garan highlights some important structural flaws in humanitarian work as it’s currently practiced, noting that donors reward short-term methods and “new and shiny” results over consistency and a broader scope. His thesis that “Earth is a small town with many neighborhoods in a very big universe” rings powerfully true, and his lessons are particularly apt for those working in the nonprofit sector. [em]Agent: Amy Moore-Benson, AMB Literary Management. (Feb.) [/em]