Official Review: The Fearless Path by Curtis Rivers
Posted: 13 Nov 2017, 15:20
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Fearless Path" by Curtis Rivers.]
4 out of 4 stars
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When it comes to fear, Curtis Rivers is a man with some experience. He’s an award-winning movie stuntman, a two-time Guinness World Record breaker, and a member of Hollywood Stuntman’s Hall of Fame. But despite his unrivaled success, Rivers considers himself an ordinary guy, and he believes fervently that the secrets to his success can help anyone, anywhere, anytime.
At the beginning of The Fearless Path, Curtis Rivers invites readers to join him on a journey. It’s based on real events, but readers are encouraged to approach the book as a fiction. Fiction or not, it's a captivating story.
In the first chapter, Believe, Curtis has convinced his wife to let him take off on a solo expedition. He’s met by an Englishman, a guide named Pierce with a lilting accent and a piercing stare. Pierce tells Curtis that everything he sees in the world exists only because it is first a thought in the mind, and encourages Curtis to write down exactly what he wants out of life.
Curtis then treks to a hospital on the Black Sea where he delivers life-saving drugs to a hospital. During the outbound journey, he takes Pierce’s advice, holding onto the thought that the journey would be blessed. Everything falls into place: they were always at the right place at the right time. The journey is close to idyllic. But on the way back, he isn’t as vigorous about planning and envisioning. One of his companions, Sven, is clinically depressed and gets off his meds, so Rivers ends up paying his way. A host of other negative outcomes spoil the trip. He’s poisoned by Bulgarian water, his car breaks down, he’s robbed, and then at the very end of this month-long journey, his bank account is hacked.
It’s far from ideal.
Back at the base camp, Rivers reconvenes with Pierce, his guide. Pierce is disappointed to hear that Curtis has not yet written a list of what he wants out of life. He instructs Curtis to stop framing his thoughts in terms of what he doesn’t want (I don’t want to be strapped for money) and instead frame it in terms of what he does want (I want an abundance of money).
As an inspirational memoir, The Fearless Path certainly delivers. Rivers tackles the subject of “fear” head on, and his experience on the topic adds depth to otherwise pithy statements. The writing style itself is a bit quirky, but I found this enjoyable. In the preface, readers are forewarned that the book they’re about to read comes with many hidden clues. Though one might be tempted to read this metaphorically, Rivers quickly shifts gears and encourages the readers to look back over the last paragraph and circle every 25th letter to find a hidden message. The hidden message ends up being a quote from Winston Churchill. It's a fun little moment that introduces readers to Rivers' offbeat, conversational writing style.
In The Fearless Path, Rivers promises to help readers smash through fear in order to create a life of purpose, fulfillment, and success. It’s a hefty promise, and I half-expected a fluffy book chock full of inspirational quotes. However, the winning quality of Rivers’ book is its practicality. Despite Rivers’ warning that the book is fictional, it definitely reads like a true-to-life story. He uniquely combines mystical experience with practical advice. By tackling the subject of “fear” head on, Rivers has created a book that is equal parts entertaining and practical.
The book was broken down into seven readable chapters. I didn’t notice any significant grammatical errors. As a memoir, this book tells the intriguing story of one man’s journey to self-discovery. As an inspirational handbook, this book leaves readers with many nuggets of helpful advice. Due to these factors, I’m giving The Fearless Path 4 out of 4 stars. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting, easy, and inspirational read.
******
The Fearless Path
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4 out of 4 stars
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When it comes to fear, Curtis Rivers is a man with some experience. He’s an award-winning movie stuntman, a two-time Guinness World Record breaker, and a member of Hollywood Stuntman’s Hall of Fame. But despite his unrivaled success, Rivers considers himself an ordinary guy, and he believes fervently that the secrets to his success can help anyone, anywhere, anytime.
At the beginning of The Fearless Path, Curtis Rivers invites readers to join him on a journey. It’s based on real events, but readers are encouraged to approach the book as a fiction. Fiction or not, it's a captivating story.
In the first chapter, Believe, Curtis has convinced his wife to let him take off on a solo expedition. He’s met by an Englishman, a guide named Pierce with a lilting accent and a piercing stare. Pierce tells Curtis that everything he sees in the world exists only because it is first a thought in the mind, and encourages Curtis to write down exactly what he wants out of life.
Curtis then treks to a hospital on the Black Sea where he delivers life-saving drugs to a hospital. During the outbound journey, he takes Pierce’s advice, holding onto the thought that the journey would be blessed. Everything falls into place: they were always at the right place at the right time. The journey is close to idyllic. But on the way back, he isn’t as vigorous about planning and envisioning. One of his companions, Sven, is clinically depressed and gets off his meds, so Rivers ends up paying his way. A host of other negative outcomes spoil the trip. He’s poisoned by Bulgarian water, his car breaks down, he’s robbed, and then at the very end of this month-long journey, his bank account is hacked.
It’s far from ideal.
Back at the base camp, Rivers reconvenes with Pierce, his guide. Pierce is disappointed to hear that Curtis has not yet written a list of what he wants out of life. He instructs Curtis to stop framing his thoughts in terms of what he doesn’t want (I don’t want to be strapped for money) and instead frame it in terms of what he does want (I want an abundance of money).
As an inspirational memoir, The Fearless Path certainly delivers. Rivers tackles the subject of “fear” head on, and his experience on the topic adds depth to otherwise pithy statements. The writing style itself is a bit quirky, but I found this enjoyable. In the preface, readers are forewarned that the book they’re about to read comes with many hidden clues. Though one might be tempted to read this metaphorically, Rivers quickly shifts gears and encourages the readers to look back over the last paragraph and circle every 25th letter to find a hidden message. The hidden message ends up being a quote from Winston Churchill. It's a fun little moment that introduces readers to Rivers' offbeat, conversational writing style.
In The Fearless Path, Rivers promises to help readers smash through fear in order to create a life of purpose, fulfillment, and success. It’s a hefty promise, and I half-expected a fluffy book chock full of inspirational quotes. However, the winning quality of Rivers’ book is its practicality. Despite Rivers’ warning that the book is fictional, it definitely reads like a true-to-life story. He uniquely combines mystical experience with practical advice. By tackling the subject of “fear” head on, Rivers has created a book that is equal parts entertaining and practical.
The book was broken down into seven readable chapters. I didn’t notice any significant grammatical errors. As a memoir, this book tells the intriguing story of one man’s journey to self-discovery. As an inspirational handbook, this book leaves readers with many nuggets of helpful advice. Due to these factors, I’m giving The Fearless Path 4 out of 4 stars. I’d recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an interesting, easy, and inspirational read.
******
The Fearless Path
View: on Bookshelves
Like Ashley Simon's review? Post a comment saying so!