Review by MaLingle -- The Altitude Journals
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Review by MaLingle -- The Altitude Journals
The Altitude Journals, A Seven-Year Journey from the Lowest Point in My Life to the Highest Point on Earth, by David J. Mauro, captured my attention from page one and and held it fast though to the end of the last chapter. I found myself connecting with the writer and his story, which made the book difficult to set aside. HIs ability to speak frankly about his personal anguish, of loosing his brother, his dissolved marriage, his hurts and fears about future relationships and parenting his boys, made him a relatable and likable story teller. The path he takes to pull himself out of the darkness was a journey in extremes.
In life, we all struggle with ups and downs. This book takes the reader from the author's personal lowest point emotionally, to a physical height that only a very elite number of individuals in life will every attain. However, as the reader, you do not find yourself being envious of his journey or his accomplishments, but encouraged through his boldness to speak openly about the hurts, to try something new, and his revelation that this new "calling" will not only put him at risk physically, but will eventually be the tool that emotionally and mentally restores him to a place of being whole again.
In his journey, there are many people along the way that play a role in his life. David does a great job of identifying and looping back to the cast of characters with reminders throughout the book of how we met them originally in the journey, when we meet them again. His telling of his story is clear and dramatic, yet not overly sensationalized. He gives the reader enough details to acutely feel his struggles, to empathize with him, or to cheer him on, but at no point are the descriptions graphic in nature.
His heartfelt and sometimes painstaking journey is well chronicled. His depictions of the areas of the world that he has traveled to, their cultures and people groups, gives you a glimpse into parts of the world that you may never personally come in contact with, but because of his descriptions (and photos), can visualize what their lives are like. What their climate and cultures are like and of course the breathtaking beauty of the elevations and the surroundings.
Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Aconcagua, Vinson Massif, Carstensz Pyramid, and Everest all have taken on sharper images in my mind, and have allowed me to consider how often times we allow our personal disappointments to overtake us. If you are going through a difficult time, or just want to be encouraged and motivated to try something that is new to you, I highly recommend reading The Altitude Journals.
It was a pleasure to read and experience this journey with author, David J. Mauro. I did not find anything in this book that I did not like. I give his book a four out of four stars rating for capturing my attention, for encouraging me to think outside the box and to remember that life is what you make of it. Yes there will be difficulties and trials. No amount of preparation can stop them from happening. View life and your circumstance from a place of desiring to learn and grow and then get about experiencing and living life to its fullest with eyes wide open! In addition to my 4 star rating, I found the book to be well edited, no grammatical errors.
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The Altitude Journals
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