From the child who dreamed about space while rubbing shoulders with the Cape Kennedy astronauts, to the initiator of the first trip round the world in a balloon and of the Solar Impulse project, Bertrand Piccard has always combined science and adventure to explore the human soul.

By following that trace in the sky, he became a doctor, a psychiatrist and then a hypnotherapist, and turned his efforts towards research, to find out what makes life meaningful.

A mixture of narration, personal experience and reflection, this book illustrates the ideas and thoughts which turned this scientist-adventurer into one of the most sought-after speakers in the world.

Aware of the fact that his readers are not getting ready for a flight in a balloon, but rather trying to find in his quest a source of inspiration for their personal and professional lives, he uses his aerial experiences to develop his concept of the philosophy of life, of human behaviour, and of how to deal with stress and crisis situations.