My Dream of Stars; From Daughter of Iran to Space Pioneer

New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xii, [2], 234 pages. Includes Illustrations, Acknowledgments and Preface. Index. Inscribed by Ansari on the title page. Anousheh Ansari (born September 12, 1966) is an Iranian-American engineer and co-founder and chairwoman of Prodea Systems. Her previous business accomplishments include serving as co-founder and CEO of Telecom Technologies, Inc. (TTI). The Ansari family is also the title sponsor of the Ansari X Prize. On September 18, 2006, a few days after her 40th birthday, she became the first Iranian in space. Ansari was the fourth overall self-funded space tourist, and the first self-funded woman to fly to the International Space Station. This book contains the Dare-to-Dream story of Anousheh Ansari, the first Iranian woman in space. Ansari's incredible journey takes us from her early life under an oppressive regime, to America, where she found love and became a successful entrepreneur, to the space station and the fulfillment of her childhood dreams as the first-ever female commercial space flight participant. In "My Dream of Stars," Anousheh Ansari allows readers to experience the magic of space while sharing the triumphant story that brought her there. Her story is a testament to the power of conviction and to the understanding that through true commitment and unwavering focus, even the unimaginable is possible. Homer Hickam is the acclaimed author of the New York Times best-selling book Rocket Boys, which was adapted into the major theatrical release October Sky. He is the author of ten other books as well. In her heartwarming and empowering memoir, space pioneer Anousheh Ansari tells the story of her childhood in Iran and her family's exodus to America after the Islamic Revolution. After settling down in Texas, Anousheh built a computer technology firm from the ground up, which eventually realized a net worth of $750 million and ultimately allowed her to achieve her childhood dream of spaceflight. In her groundbreaking role as the first-ever female commercial spaceflight participant, her story became politicized and fraught with the prejudices and obstacles she had to overcome as an Iranian woman, culminating in a debate over whether she would be allowed to display both the American and Iranian flags on the sleeve of her spacesuit. After her return to Earth, Anousheh started The Ansari Foundation, a quickly growing nonprofit which supports social entrepreneurship, and is especially committed to ensuring the freedom of women around the world and supporting female entrepreneurs. Ultimately, this evocative story shows the triumph of a woman who has become a role model to people around the globe struggling to overcome economic and cultural barriers, as well as those dreamers who look upon the stars and wish to soar among them.

Homer Hadley Hickam Jr. (born February 19, 1943) is an American author, Vietnam War veteran, and a former NASA engineer who trained the first Japanese astronauts. In 1998, Delacorte Press published Hickam's second book, Rocket Boys, the story of his life as the son of a coal miner in Coalwood, West Virginia. Rocket Boys has since been translated into numerous languages and released as an audiobook and electronic book. Among its many honors, it was selected by The New York Times as one of its "Great Books of 1998" and was an alternate "Book-of-the-Month" selection for both the Literary Guild and the Book of the Month Club. Rocket Boys was also nominated by the National Book Critics Circle as Best Biography of 1998 and was the basis for the 1999 film October Sky. Hickam's body of written work also includes several additional best-selling memoirs and novels, including the "Josh Thurlow" historical fiction novels and his 2015 best-selling Carrying Albert Home: The Somewhat True Story of a Man, his Wife, and her Alligator. His books have been translated into many languages. In February 2018, Hickam was appointed by Vice President Mike Pence to serve as a member of the Users Advisory Group of the National Space Council, which had been reestablished by President Donald Trump in June 2017.