an honest man
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I was touched by his honesty, the explorations into his motivations for climbing, for pushing himself, and also the things that drive his companions. As more and more of them are taken by the mountains...
Harrowing eye-opener about the plight of the people in Tibet. He writes with a passion and strange detachment when he encounters the boys along the paths.
This book made me look at how much we all are compatmentalising the plight of the people in far away countries. How much can we do just by raising the awarenss? Thanks very much to Joe for including his personal reactions to the political events.
It also cleared up some misconceptions I had about mountaineering. I thought that you would get all mushy about the closeness to nature, and the quiet and feel the awsome wonder of it all, hone your instincts etc, instead they are unaware of approaching avalances because the walkman is blaring out "White wedding...or some such stuff"
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This man's life touches the truths and averts the voids
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The overwhelming rollercoaster of mixed emotional feelings that Joe recalls in following those two young girls down a mountain track is the most beautiful writing and honest emotional descriptions I have ever read. The laughter, the courage, the fear, the playfulness, the concern, hurt and laughter make such an enduring impact, you cannot fail to examine your own qualities as a human being. Read it and reappraise your own life values.
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Simpson is undoubtedly a top-drawer writer, of any genre.
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Simpson is consistently proving himself to be not only an able (and by his own admission, extremely lucky!) mountaineer, but a skilful and passionate storyteller. In this, his third book, he moves beyond the relatively narrow sphere of his own mountain climbing adventures, gripping though they are, to take a more philosophical look at why people are drawn to adventure, how it affects them, and how modern-day "credit card adventuring" impacts both the environment and people it comes into contact with. The book is vaguley episodic, covering periods in Simpson's own life and career, from his recovery from the horrific accident he described so vividly in Touching The Void, to his Greenpeace activities, as well as a more general discussion on the appalling human cost of China's invasion of Tibet. Simpson's often acerbic humour shines throughout, as does his refusal to shy away from the difficult questions. His style has grown more confident, and the range of material he tackles is often exceptional. A wonderful book.
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Excellent writing, sobering subject
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This is one of my very favourite books- dog eared and coffee-cup stained from all of the times I have dived back in. There is so much here to treasure: Joe's humor, which is both dry and wondefully silly, his knack for making tragic events somehow understandable, and his bravery: both the physical and the mental kind. He brings up his own trouble with moral principles and personal yearnings, and makes it accessible, sad, and inspiring. It is more than a book about climbing, and more than a book for boys who want to head out for the great outdoors. It is fascinating, amusing, sobering, and totally essential for every type of reader . Highly, highly reccommended.
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Frightening
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A good book that is heavier than Joe's previous exciting adventures. After outlining his life as a professional mountaineer in Sheffield he goes on to give an informative and concerning account of Tibetan life under Chinese rule. Joe Simpson's writing is maturing with each book.
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