Review by Davinasmith18 -- The Altitude Journals

[Davinasmith18]

[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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In the book The Altitude Journals, David J. Mauro grants readers exclusive access to a riveting account of his astounding seven-year journey climbing and summiting the tallest seven mountain peaks. At age 44, David escapes the lowest point in his life, while climbing to the highest point of the earth. David displays courage and grit as he ascends and descends the mountains of Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson Massif, Carstensz Pyramid, and finally Everest.

The strength of the novel lies in the author's ability to subtly correlate the journey up a mountain to the journey of life. From the moment David began his first climb he offered compelling words of wisdom that I may apply to a variety of everyday situations. As a novice climber, he makes a few mistakes but realizes that mistakes provide you with an opportunity to learn something that can make the next day better. When the author talks about his Denali experience, he says, “it could never be taken away” it will always be his experience, one that makes him feel special and restored a belief in himself. There is a strong underlying message regarding the power of personal experiences and living life to the fullest. Experience is something that will always stay with you; it makes you believe in yourself and appreciate your strengths. Sometimes problems cause us to doubt ourselves, but Mauro believes that a person learns to believe in themselves by facing their problems.

What I really like about the book is the powerful insights. The author does a magnificent job describing the wonders and trials one may face climbing to the highest peaks and mounts. I extrapolated the message that moving to a higher level requires struggle, and you must prepare yourself mentally and physically. Another underlying message I drew from the story is we will often share our journey with others, but none the less a journey is wholly personal. We do not need approval from others, and we should not expect other people to understand or appreciate our journey.

No matter what we choose to do in life, there will be people who question our purpose. Mauro described feeling self-conscious about his tattoos and having to hide away a part of himself because it bothered some people. Mauro highlights the importance of listening for guidance and following the path set out for you. He finds strength practicing positive self-talk and asking the right questions. When he finds himself asking “how am I going to ever make it up to the headwall?. He realizes that he needs to ask himself a better question and he asks himself “is this the day the dream dies?”

The book was rich in detail and resonant with imagery. I applaud the author for following his heart and taking control of his life. I give the book a 4 out of 4 stars because even though I have no desire to climb mountains, I learned invaluable lessons about life and I realized that it is our personal experiences that make us human. I recommend this book for teens and adults or anyone who has a dream that seems impossible.

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The Altitude Journals
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[angiejack456]

I loved the insights in this book as well. I found this memoir more helpful than any self-help book. Thanks for your review of this fantastic book!