Review by AlyssaMK -- The Altitude Journals

[AlyssaMK]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Altitude Journals" by David J Mauro.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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If you’re a lover of nonfiction (as I am) and specifically anything related to travel, The Altitude Journals by David J Mauro should be on your list. I was really excited to read this book and wasn’t disappointed. Having just finished, I rate it 3 out of 4. The only reason I’m not giving it a 4 is that I found it a little dry in the middle and at points too predictable. It’s otherwise exceptionally well edited and I think it would still appeal to a wide audience of readers- nonfiction lovers, adventure seekers, climbers, dreamers.

The Altitude Journals is a story about climbing, life lessons, and healing. It starts out with author David J Mauro going through a very traumatic divorce and what might appear to be a subsequent midlife crisis. You can be the judge of that. All this is timed out perfectly well with a prior invitation to climb Denali, the highest summit in North America. Mind you, Mauro is not and has never been a climber. He accepts this challenge, which unknowingly to him, sets the course that will lead him to attempt all 7 summits over the next few years. Each summit reveals something unknown to him and much needed in his life for healing. As he trains for each climb, we get glimpses into Mauro’s everyday life- work, improv comedy, relationships with his kids, father, Lin.

These are the things I liked most about the book:
-I like that the book was well structured. Chapters are named by the summit they pertain to. Each chapter details everyday life at that particular time, training, the climb, and a life lesson that was learned in the process. This made the book really easy to follow and gave it a very balanced, realistic feel.
-The lessons Mauro shares, I found applicable to my own life. He shares micro-lessons all throughout the book that apply to far more than climbing.
- I learned so many new things about climbing. I had never been interested in this before, but found certain details fascinating. Example: once your body passes a certain altitude, it’s actually dying and it’s really a race against time from there to the summit and back. Who knew that? I found this and so many other details captivating. The author does a great job of pulling you (the reader) into the lifestyle and community of climbing.
-And last, but not least- the travel element. Thank you for satisfying my travel bug with detailed descriptions of countries and the people there.

These are the things I disliked most about the book:
-The book starts and finishes strong, but feels a little flat in the middle. Denali (the first summit) and Everest (the last) are heavy on details, while the other 5 summits detail less of the actual climb. Or maybe it was the particular details shared. Either way, they felt less memorable. This made it a little challenging to keep reading midway through the book.
-Certain moments felt a little cheesy. I had trouble imagining the author saying thank you to the lion in Africa. There are a few other hard to believe moments like this scattered throughout the book.

The Altitude Journals is a great book as a whole and worth a read. I would again recommend this to nonfiction lovers, adventure seekers, climbers, and dreamers. I hope you found this review helpful!

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The Altitude Journals
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