Person
Every book Terry Virts recommended on podcasts
Terry Virts appears on long-form interview podcasts as a retired astronaut and pilot who shares insights on space exploration, cosmology, and global perspectives shaped by viewing Earth from orbit. During his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience, Virts discussed several books that shaped his life and intellectual pursuits. He enthusiastically recommended Hans Rosling's Factfulness, noting that Bill Gates had also championed the work and emphasizing its value in understanding positive global trends and statistics. Virts also reflected on Tom Wolfe's classic The Right Stuff, explaining how reading it during high school served as the primary motivation that inspired him to pursue a path toward becoming an astronaut despite having no prior family background in aviation. Additionally, Virts discussed contemporary science and fiction, mentioning that he was reading The End of Everything by his friend Katie Mack to explore cosmology and the end of the universe, and bringing up Cixin Liu's acclaimed Chinese science fiction novel The Three-Body Problem during a conversation regarding interstellar communication and extraterrestrial life.
Books recommended by Terry Virts
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The Right Stuff
The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe is a classic account documenting the early days of the United States space program and the test pilots turned astronauts of the Mercury project.
Discussed“the right stuff was i it's what motivated me to be an astronaut i read that book as a in high school and it kind of i didn't know anything like no one in my family had ever been an astronaut or a pilot”
Where to get it
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Factfulness
Factfulness by Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling, and Anna Rosling Rönnlund is a nonfiction book that uses global data to challenge common human misconceptions and pessimism about the state of the world.
Recommended“there's a book called factfulness have you ever read that no by hans rossling highly highly you need to read it uh bill gates recommended it about a year ago and i it's amazing”
Where to get it
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The End of Everything
Discussed“so i'm reading this book right now called the end of everything by a friend of mine katie mack wrote it it's about the end of the universe and it's really cool”
Where to get it
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The Three-Body Problem
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu is a sweeping science fiction novel exploring humanity's first contact with an alien civilization against the backdrop of China's cultural revolution.
Discussed“there's a a novel called the three-body problem it's a chinese novel by xi xin liu it's probably the most famous book on earth”
Where to get it
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Rogan Experience #1577 - Terry Virts | The Joe Rogan Experience | 2020-12-11 | 5 |