In this first volume of his memoirs, Frank White, author of The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, applies what he learned from interviewing some 40 astronauts to an examination of his own life.

In talking with space travelers about the view of the Earth from orbit or on a lunar mission, White found that they see a unified, coherent system that is beautiful and serene. At the same time, they know that on the surface, this unity gives way to great diversity, and even chaos. He asks if our lives might be similar, and if, with the “Overview Effect of Time,” we can see unity and purpose in what might otherwise appear to be random and unclear.

In My Life as Seen from Orbit, the author looks at the first six orbits (years) of his existence on Earth and discovers some surprising truths by adopting an “Overview Perspective.”