By Any Means Necessary!: An Entrepreneur's Journey into Space

On October 1, 2005, Greg Olsen, a successful high-tech entrepreneur, climbed aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket and blasted off for the International Space Station. He was only the third private citizen to make that trip. In this inspiring and entertaining book we learn how a self-described "average guy" went from underachieving juvenile delinquent who almost didn't get into college, to PhD scientist with 12 patents in electronics. We witness the entrepreneurial spirit, hard work, and occasional strokes of luck (or "grace," as he calls them) that propelled him to start and sell two companies, one of them for $600 million in stock. And we accompany him as he overcomes health issues, a bout of debilitating despair, and the Russian medical bureaucracy to achieve his dream of becoming a space traveler. Along the way Olsen reflects on the mental outlook and work habits that made his success possible. It's a wild ride - one that will leave you with a new sense of optimism about human potential.