posted 09-07-2011 08:50 AM               

Scribner spokesman Brian Belfiglio said Wednesday that Giffords "has been fully engaged with the collaborative writing process of the book at every step." An Arizona Democrat, she is still recovering from the Jan. 8 shooting when a gunman opened fire outside a Tucson-area grocery store as she met with constituents.

According to Scribner, the book will be a "deeply personal account" covering everything from Giffords' political career to Kelly's time on the Space Shuttle Endeavour to her recovery over the past several months.

posted 10-19-2011 08:33 PM               

Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope
by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly with Jeffrey Zaslow

From one of the most admired and beloved couples in recent American history, an extraordinarily moving story of public service, risk-taking, romance — and the journey toward recovery. This book delivers hope and redemption in the face of the tragic shooting, and introduces two unforgettable heroes.

About the authors

A third generation Arizonan, Gabrielle Giffords has represented Arizona's 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007. She serves on the Armed Services Committee and is the Ranking Member of the Science Committee's Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee. A graduate of Scripps College, she has a Masters degree from Cornell University. She was a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico and a fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Mark Kelly was a Captain in the United States Navy when he commanded the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavour in May of 2011. A veteran of four space flights to the International Space Station he is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and holds a masters degree from the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School. As a naval aviator he flew 39 combat missions in Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow was the coauthor, with Randy Pausch, of The Last Lecture, the #1 New York Times bestseller now translated into forty-eight languages. His other bestsellers include The Girls from Ames, and as coauthor, Highest Duty, with Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger.

• Scribner; November 15, 2011
  
• Hardcover, 302 pages
  
• ISBN-10: 1451661061
  
• ISBN-13: 978-1451661064

posted 11-15-2011 12:26 AM               

The full 20/20 episode can be watched on ABC's website.

In the beginning of the book, Kelly writes that he and his wife hoped that 2011 would be "the best year of our lives." Kelly would command the last flight of the orbiter Endeavor, Giffords would begin her third term in Congress, and the two would hopefully conceive a child together.

Instead, 2011 was punctuated, first with terror and grief — and then with a daily routine of hard work, occasional setbacks and personal triumphs. Together Giffords and Kelly, a couple bonded by a deep and lasting love, learned what survival really meant with a severe brain injury.

posted 11-15-2011 10:29 AM               

A full and closer-read is necessary, but for space shuttle history enthusiasts who may be interested, there are two chapters devoted to the STS-134 final mission of Endeavour.

Kelly focuses the chapters mostly on his interaction before, during and after flight with his wife (including reprinting the letter he wrote to her in the case that he didn't return from space). Most of the mission details are what you can read in the NASA press kit, but Kelly shares some personal anecdotes surrounding the flight.

In addition to he being scolded for speeding around Pad 39A the night before the launch (he and Giffords were in a NASA-provided convertible), Kelly recounts how his needing to split his time between training and his wife's recovery meant that some of the lesser pre-flight checks were missed.

Fortunately, he had a twin who was also an astronaut...

One problem early on was a "wardrobe malfunction." Before the launch, when I was busy with Gabby's care and my mission training, there were things that I just didn't have time for: inconsequential stuff, like trying on the pants I'd wear in flight. I put on my first pair of pants and realized that there had been a mistake. All of my pants were made for someone who was way taller than six feet. The pants weren't even close to my size. Fortunately, my brother had left pants on the space station, which I found and used for the rest of the flight. It was only one pair, but it was better than freakishly-long, giant pants.

posted 11-15-2011 07:28 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by Spacefest:
Maybe Mark can run in her place!

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"I don’t think so," Space Shuttle Commander Kelly said, when I asked if he would run for the Arizona seat.

posted 11-16-2011 07:41 AM               

quote:

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Originally posted by daveblog:
Mark Kelly will be appearing on tonight's Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

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posted 11-19-2011 04:55 PM               

quote:

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Originally posted by astro-nut:
I purchased my copy of the book at Barnes & Noble yesterday and I also picked up the 10 CD audio book version as well. It is kind of neat listening to Mark Kelly reading the book to you.

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posted 11-21-2011 03:56 PM               

The biographical material and STS-134 is seamlessly integrated.

posted 02-10-2012 08:46 PM               

The accident occurred about 9:15 a.m. Friday in Warner Township about 160 miles northwest of Lansing, according to the Antrim County sheriff's office.

Zaslow's car slid into the path of a semitrailer. He was killed on impact. No other details of the crash were released.

The sheriff's department did not release the name of the victim, but literary agent and friend Gary Morris confirmed Zaslow's death. Morris said he was told of Zaslow's death Friday evening by the author's wife.