Review by Radiant3 -- The Altitude Journals

[Radiant3]

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

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Altitude Journal is a memoir written by David J. Mauro. It starts with a period of time when the author finds himself at probably the lowest point in his life. In the midst of loneliness and unhappiness, he is unsure of himself and his future. He is invited to go mountain climbing with his brother-in-law Ty. A once deferred dream is revived. His destination is to climb one of the highest mountains in North America. It belongs to an elite group known as the "Seven Summits". They are the highest mountains peaks of each continent of the world.

After the first climb, he doesn't give further thought to the others but an inner calling beckons him to climb another mountain and then another. As his personal life improves, he finds himself being drawn to climb another mountain. With every mountain that he conquers, he chronicles the unique and extraordinary experiences of each.

This was a remarkable and inspirational story. I genuinely appreciated how each mountain was a personification of the author’s own hurdles and challenges. After each climb, he learned precious lessons about aspects of himself and his life. It was as if he was not just confronting the mountains but his problems. The story gives hope to people since by learning of others who have overcome difficulties and triumphed, they may also be able to summon the strength within themselves to do the same. The reader may come to understand that everyone has their own figurative mountains to overcome.

The author is an extraordinary example of courage, perseverance, and inspiration. All the climbers were worthy of admiration because of their determination, especially Carol, a sixty-five-year-old woman who was able to complete all seven summits. Even though she experienced tremendous difficulty, she persisted.

I really enjoyed the conversational tone of the author. I felt as if the author wrote from his heart. The story itself was neatly and efficiently organized according to each mountain. While following the story, I looked forward to learning about the next summit, since it led to another adventure. The story was related in an interesting and exciting manner. The descriptive parts conveyed just the right amount of detail. There were no issues with the grammar and the book seemed professionally edited. The momentum of the story flowed effortlessly until the very end.

I did not find anything to detract from the superb quality of this book. The mechanics of the story, as well as the emotional side of the book, were excellent. Overall, I gave it a rating of 4 out of 4. I would recommend this for all adult readers because there are so many life lessons to be gained from this story. More specifically, those who enjoy adventures and memoirs would undoubtedly appreciate this memoir. I would not recommend this book for readers who prefer a light, relaxing read.

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The Altitude Journals
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Like Radiant3's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Jlbaird85]

Wow, this sounds like an inspirational story. It is amazing how nature can speak to our souls and help us overcome hardships in life! Thanks for the great review!

[angiejack456]

I loved this book! I recently finished it and found it incredibly interesting as well as inspiring. I was surprised at how many life lessons I found while reading. Glad to see from your review that you enjoyed it as well.