The Right Kind of Crazy
A True Story of Teamwork, Leadership, and High-Stakes Innovation
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Narrated by:
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Christopher Grove
About this listen
From Adam Steltzner, who led the Entry, Descent, and Landing team in landing the Curiosity rover on the surface of Mars, comes a profound book about breakthrough innovation in the face of the impossible.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is home to some of history’s most jaw-dropping feats of engineering.
When NASA needed to land Curiosity - a 2,000-pound, $2.5 billion rover - on the surface of Mars, 140 million miles away, they turned to JPL. Steltzner’s team couldn’t test their kooky solution, the Sky Crane. They were on an unmissable deadline, and the world would be watching when they succeeded - or failed. At the helm of this effort was an unlikely rocket scientist and accidental leader, Adam Steltzner. After barely graduating from high school, he followed his curiosity to the local community college to find out why the stars moved.
Soon he discovered an astonishing gift for math and physics. After getting his PhD he ensconced himself within JPL, NASA’s decidedly unbureaucratic cousin, where success in a mission is the only metric that matters.
The Right Kind of Crazy is a first-person account of innovation that is relevant to anyone working in science, art, or technology.
For instance, Steltzner describes:
- How his team learned to switch from fear-based to curiosity-based decision making
- How to escape “The Dark Room” - the creative block caused by fear, uncertainty, and the lack of a clear path forward
- How to tell when we’re too in love with our own ideas to be objective about them - and, conversely, when to fight for them
- How to foster mutual respect within teams while still bashing bad ideas
The Right Kind of Crazy is a book for anyone who wants to channel their craziness into creativity, balance discord and harmony, and find a signal in a flood of noise.
©2016 Adam Steltzner and William Patrick (P)2016 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Are you losing your "war of art"? Are you being defeated by a tendency to procrastination, self-doubt, fear, distraction, and perfectionism? Are you self-sabotaging your loftiest artistic entrepreneurial dreams? The antidote is in nine words: Put your ass where your heart wants to be. Can you shift your artistic identity—your "ass"—from the shallow, fearful, superficial ego to the wise, loving, fearless self? Can you commit to your dream for the long haul and for keeps? Steven Pressfield delivers the tough-love inspiration to help you make this life-altering transformation.
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Critic reviews
"Steltzner's enthusiastic, passionately written memoir is an insider's guide to engineering wizardry and a testament to the effectiveness of team-minded engagement, rational problem-solving, and the concept of 'making ideas reality'. A motivational journey for armchair astronauts and readers fascinated by the unlimited wingspan of human potential." (Kirkus Reviews)
“Steltzner is a genetic cross between Einstein and Elvis Costello who has mastered the art of managing complex tribes of humans. The Right Kind of Crazy is a fabulous - and ongoing - story.” (Juan Enriquez, coauthor of Evolving Ourselves)
“Crazy ideas stay crazy until they become reality. The problem is, it takes a lot of people working together to turn crazy into amazing. Adam Steltzner should know - he did it. In this book he shows us that doing what others think is impossible takes more than grit and courage. It takes the ability to inspire people.... It takes leadership.” (Simon Sinek, optimist and author of Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last)
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- By Shellbin on 02-04-12
By: Dan Parry
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The Culture Code
- The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups
- By: Daniel Coyle
- Narrated by: Will Damron
- Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world's most successful organizations - including Pixar, the San Antonio Spurs, and the US Navy's SEAL Team Six - and reveals what makes them tick. He demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind.
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Anyone in a leadership position should read this
- By Kimberly on 03-04-18
By: Daniel Coyle
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Explore/Create
- My Life in Pursuit of New Frontiers, Hidden Worlds, and the Creative Spark
- By: Richard Garriott, David Fisher
- Narrated by: Christopher Grove
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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An inventor, adventurer, entrepreneur, collector, and entertainer, and son of legendary scientist-astronaut Owen Garriott, Richard Garriott de Cayeux has been behind some of the most exciting undertakings of our time. A legendary pioneer of the online gaming industry - and a member of every gaming Hall of Fame - Garriott invented the multi-player online game, and coined the term "Avatar" to describe an individual's online character. In this fascinating memoir, Garriott invites listeners on the great adventure that is his life.
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The Modern Day Explorer
- By Elijah on 04-17-17
By: Richard Garriott, and others
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Apollo
- By: Charles Murray, Catherine Bly Cox
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 18 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Apollo is the behind-the-scenes story of an epic achievement. Based on exhaustive research that included many exclusive interviews, Apollo tells how America went from a standing start to a landing on the moon at a speed that now seems impossible. It describes the unprecedented engineering challenges that had to be overcome to create the mammoth Saturn V and the facilities to launch it. It takes you into the tragedy of the fire on Apollo 1, the first descent to the lunar surface, and the rescue of Apollo 13.
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Best book ever for space, ops, and engineering fans
- By JDM on 10-29-19
By: Charles Murray, and others
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The Smart Swarm
- By: Peter Miller
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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In a world where speed and flexibility are valued more than ever, leaders from the corporate boardroom to the military are looking for answers from seemingly unlikely experts - the ones in the grass, in the air, in the lakes, and in the woods. In this innovative audiobook, veteran National Geographic editor Peter Miller shows how swarm species, such as ants, bees, and fish, can teach us to tackle some of the most complex conundrums in business, politics, and technology.
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FLOCK TO THIS BOOK!
- By serine on 04-25-16
By: Peter Miller
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First Man
- The Life of Neil A. Armstrong
- By: James R. Hansen
- Narrated by: Jeremy Bobb
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. In First Man, author James R. Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over 50 hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this "magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) is an unparalleled biography of an American icon.
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Not really 'unabridged'
- By A Reader on 06-06-18
By: James R. Hansen
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In the Shadow of the Moon
- A Challenging Journey to Tranquility, 1965-1969
- By: Francis French, Colin Burgess
- Narrated by: Gary L. Willprecht
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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In the Shadow of the Moon tells the story of the most exciting and challenging years in spaceflight, with two superpowers engaged in a titanic struggle to land one of their own people on the moon. Drawing on interviews with astronauts, cosmonauts, their families, technicians, and scientists, as well as rarely seen Soviet and American government documents, the authors craft a remarkable story of the golden age of spaceflight as both an intimate human experience and a rollicking global adventure.
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Interesting book for space afficionados
- By Leslie F. on 04-21-16
By: Francis French, and others
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Rise of the Rocket Girls
- The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars
- By: Nathalia Holt
- Narrated by: Erin Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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In the 1940s and '50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they didn't turn to male graduates. Rather, they recruited an elite group of young women who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible.
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Struggles In Space Exploration
- By Sara on 06-11-16
By: Nathalia Holt
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Smarter Faster Better
- The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business
- By: Charles Duhigg
- Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The author of The Power of Habit and “master of the life hack” (GQ) explores the fascinating science of productivity and offers real-world takeaways to apply your life, whether you’re chasing peak productivity or simply trying to get back on track.
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Read the last chapter first
- By A. Yoshida on 04-29-16
By: Charles Duhigg
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How to Build a Car
- By: Adrian Newey
- Narrated by: Richard Trinder
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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The world's foremost designer in Formula One, Adrian Newey OBE is arguably one of Britain's greatest engineers and this is his fascinating, powerful memoir. How to Build a Car explores the story of Adrian's unrivalled 35-year career in Formula One through the prism of the cars he has designed, the drivers he has worked alongside and the races in which he's been involved.
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Snooze fest
- By moo on 02-09-20
By: Adrian Newey
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Joy, Inc.
- How We Built a Workplace People Love
- By: Richard Sheridan
- Narrated by: Tim Andres Pabon
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Joy, Inc. offers an inside look at how Sheridan and Menlo created a joyful culture, and shows how any organization can follow their methods for a more passionate team and sustainable, profitable results. Sheridan also shows how to run smarter meetings and build cultural training into your hiring process. Joy, Inc. offers an inspirational blueprint for listeners in any field who want a committed, energizing atmosphere at work - leading to sustainable business results.
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Hey Menlo.
- By Stacey Colón on 03-25-16
By: Richard Sheridan
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Autonomy
- The Quest to Build the Driverless Car—and How It Will Reshape Our World
- By: Lawrence D. Burns, Christopher Shulgan
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 11 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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In Autonomy, former GM executive and current advisor to the Google Self-Driving Car project Lawrence Burns offers a sweeping history of the race to make the driverless car a reality. In the past decade, Silicon Valley companies like Google, Tesla and Uber have positioned themselves to revolutionize the way we move around by developing driverless vehicles while traditional auto companies like General Motors, Ford, and Daimler have been fighting back by partnering by with new tech start-ups.
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Easy listen, non-technical perspective
- By James S. on 09-14-18
By: Lawrence D. Burns, and others
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Our Robots, Ourselves
- Robotics and the Myth of Autonomy
- By: David A. Mindell
- Narrated by: David Chandler
- Length: 8 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In Our Robots, Ourselves, David Mindell offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the cutting edge of robotics today, debunking commonly held myths and exploring the rapidly changing relationships between humans and machines. Drawing on firsthand experience, extensive interviews, and the latest research from MIT and elsewhere, Mindell takes us to extreme environments-high atmosphere, deep ocean, and outer space - to reveal where the most advanced robotics already exist.
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MUST READ
- By ryan salcido on 10-01-16
By: David A. Mindell
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Rocket Billionaires
- Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the New Space Race
- By: Tim Fernholz
- Narrated by: Erin Moon
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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For the larger-than-life personalities now staking their fortunes on the development of rocket ships, the new race to explore space could be a dead end, a lucrative opportunity - or the key to humanity's salvation. Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos take center stage in this fast-paced narrative as they attempt to disrupt the space economy, feed their own egos, and maybe even save the world.
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Interesting book; hard to listen to
- By K. Thai on 04-12-18
By: Tim Fernholz
What listeners say about The Right Kind of Crazy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Rob
- 09-07-16
For space AND business geeks
I'm not often planning a 10-year mission to land a Mini Cooper-sized UFO on a hostile planet like Mars but the lessons Steltzner suffers through while doing just this can be applied to every day life. I'm a space and business geek...this satisfies both sides of that coin.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Wingnut
- 07-07-16
Engaging
Good mix of lessons in problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership. The subject-matter of Mars landings keeps the story engaging.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Barbara Jerin
- 01-17-21
Great listen
Great book for engineers of all types and curious people. Highly recommended. Also great story telling.
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- C. Harley
- 03-30-17
Is it ever going to end.
Is there anything you would change about this book?
Focus it more on the narrative of the Curiosity rover and less on the complete history of Mars exploration. Provide fewer details about which room something occurred in and more about how the engineering problems were worked out. Remove most of the relationship and wife stories, because they seemed out of place and didn't really add the narrative. Drop a lot of the pretentious self analysis, because it really felt like rose colored glasses and hindsight and not in the moment thinking that fit with the narrative.
What could Adam Steltzner and William Patrick have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
Choose if this is an autobiography, a philosophical introspective about good engineering and lessons learned, or a really great story about the challenges encountered while building the Curiosity rover.
Which character – as performed by Christopher Grove – was your favorite?
It's mostly first person storytelling, so no-one else really stood out.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Probably not. With the right cast and some great editing, it might be interesting. As is, it would be a pretty boring story.
Any additional comments?
1 - Apparently, tough engineering problems are solved by going to the desert and drinking a lot. Or by brining in someone new after months of effort. And all projects just take as long as they're going to take, but still end up on time-ish. Very little schedule concerns are really discussed.
2 - I recommend watching some of the mars rover landing animations before getting too far in. A lot of what is described can be hard to visualize at the level of detail necessary to understand the problems and solutions described. I had a copy of the physical book too, some sketches or napkin drawings could have made sections of this book really great.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Søren
- 01-19-16
team leadership 101 and awesome space crafts.
Great book about curiosity to learn more, being a team and cool entry-descent-landing tales from Mars.
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- John Hill
- 04-17-19
Awesome book
Awesome book, I really enjoyed listening to it. It gives great insights on how our space exploration gets done.
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- Bee Dooner Farms
- 02-08-16
Excellent recount of an amazing story
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes - Interesting story of leadership and management faith
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Right Kind of Crazy?
When Nasa finally approved rover on a rope
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- Milford Cubicle
- 02-19-16
narrator's accent was distracting
I enjoyed the book but found the perofrmance distracting. The narrator has a strongly clipped north-eastern accent and I found his pronunciation of words to be distractingly weird at times. Sometimes I had to back up and listen again to understand what he was saying.
It was also weird to hear the 'voice' of the author, who is from California, read in this accent. I found it incongruous.
I got over it about halfway through the book but was still left scratching my head why this narrator was chosen for this particular book.
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- Hans L.
- 09-17-21
Thoroughly Enjoyable
One part Mars fanboy service, one part engineering, one part leadership lessons. A little for everyone... except young adults on account of a few curse words.
Clear, easy reading.
I really liked hearing the evolution from the lotus blossom + airbags of Pathfinder to the invention of the sky crane of MSL and Perseverance.
It gets personal and had plenty of lump in to your throat moments.
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- Igor Costa
- 02-11-16
All that craziness expected
The book taught me about a lot of points of life as professional. Specially related to the common goal. Which drives to success of the project and the leading aspect of human nature for connections in the ongoing activities.
Highly recommended for those who are willing to be an executive some day.
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1 person found this helpful