3 out of 4 stars
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The Altitude Journals by David Mauro
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
We press on to read some books despite them being impenetrable as they contain a subject we are hard pressed to understand. Other books we flip through joyously laughing despite the content being forgettable and inconsequential. Other books, the likes of inspirational self-help books, keep us within its grasp by the inspiration they breathe into our lives. When I picked up The Altitude Journals, I did not expect it to be all three at once – technical, funny, and inspirational - all encapsulated in a mere 456 pages.
The Altitude Journals follows the journey of David J. Mauro, a person crumbling from the weight of divorce, taking the pivotal life decision to embark on the deadly sport of mountain climbing. Many have been in Mauro’s shoes and took on less life-threatening hobbies, like professional golfing or electronic music DJ-ing. But for Mauro, the calling to climb was less about the pull of the hills, but the push of his own need to succeed at something larger than himself.
In this book, we follow Mauro as he attempts to summit the peak of each continent, fighting the -40F temperatures of Antartica to the compressing humidity of Papua New Guinea. His account reveals to us both the beauty and the nightmare of mountain climbing. Some paragraphs pen the beautiful landscapes of Mother Earth as if heaven lies within human reach, while others sober us quickly to the elements of being human. After all, one still has to sh*t, cry, and resolve human drama despite being 10,000ft above sea level and encapsulated by heavenly clouds. Escaping reality is not what mountain climbing is for, but rather a running towards to the depths of what living is.
One of my favorite parts of the book speaks to the “Chuck-It” list, the opposite of a bucket list, as it contains things we would not do or become. To Mauro for many years, mountain climbing was entirely on the chuck-it list, just like it will and has been for many of us.
This is true for me, having found many items placed squarely into the chuck-it list come crawling out to take hold of me. In the moments that I have listened, I have been rewarded pleasantly with a new meaningful life path.…we turn to our bucket list when choosing where to place our energies. This is us speaking. But every once in a while, something from the chuck-it list chooses us.
In this way, Mauro’s book takes us on an unlikely journey of a man that arrives at the feet of Everest, moved and pushed by a gentle beckoning voice. Through his words and humor, you will find yourself wishing you were also gasping for air and dying slowly at 20,000ft above ground in Nepal. Read this book to learn more about mountain climbing, read it also to have a lighthearted laugh on your couch, but also read it to find new resolve to live your life to the fullest.
I gave it 3 out of 4 stars, as the inspiration skated dangerously close to sappy and did not reached a depth that would qualify it as 4 out of 4. Also because it contained some minor but still undeniable spelling errors. It would be a great read for those looking for an adventure and those who enjoy reading personal memoirs. As this book is peppered with some conventional wisdom passing for inspiration, if you are one to sneer from one-liners, this may not be the book for you. Otherwise, I highly recommend.
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The Altitude Journals
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