Review of The Altitude Journals
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Review of The Altitude Journals
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Altitude Journals" by David J Mauro.]
David J. Mauro, a successful financial planner, is one of 65 Americans (at the time of writing at least) to have completed the Seven Summits - a challenge in which one climbs the tallest mountain on each continent. He described his journey and both the literal and figurative mountains he climbed while preparing for and completing this challenge in his book, The Altitude Journals.
The author is immensely open and honest with the reader. He builds a strong relationship with them in the prologue, in which he describes his childhood, his childhood dreams and the divorce that lead to him to climb Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, and ultimately the start of the challenge. He continues to build this relationship as he talks about both his triumphs and his struggles, never shying away from his (sometimes embarrassing) failures in his journey. You read not only about how he conquered each peak, but also about how he thawed cheese in his armpits, peed in a bottle, struggled with diarrhea, his close encounters with frostbite, and how he questioned if he would even be able to reach the summit.
The book is divided into eight sections - a prologue and a chapter for each mountain he climbed. You see the author grow, both as a climber and as a person, over the course of the book. Each mountain and each climb has a distinct personality (for the lack of a better word). You can feel the different atmosphere of each climb and each team he worked with, although he did run into old friends in some of his climbs. Photos are scattered throughout the work, showing more of the author's experience. He includes links at the end of the work that presumably lead to photo galleries of each climb, but I could not get these to work. This is unfortunate as I would have loved to have seen more images of his experiences, particularly as the photos included do not fully encapsulate what he describes.
I think many readers would be able to relate to the author and his struggles, regardless of their climbing experience. While I may not have climbed at such high altitudes, I can relate to the author's feelings of exhaustion and inadequacy during his earlier climbs. And these feelings translate well to all struggles of life. The author too makes this link, describing how his climbing and personal lives intersect. It is through these climbs that he learns the meaning of love and how to navigate the human world better. As the book continues, the narrative starts focusing less on the physical climb and more about his life and emotional experiences. Until the last chapter, that is, which comprises a quarter of the book and speaks of his struggles while climbing Everest.
I would rate this book four out of four stars. Although there are one or two minor errors, it is well written and captures the author's seven year journey in a captivating way. I believe that this book would would appeal most strongly to adventurers, particularly those who enjoy mountain climbing. Many others would still enjoy this book, however, as the author speaks far beyond the technical challenges of such feats. While there is some profanity, I think the book is suitable for all ages (if the reader is comfortable with it). There is no sexual content, and the writing is easy to follow. Now that I know it exists, I am inspired to try to complete this challenge one day, although I am unsure if I will ever be able to afford it. Well done to the author in fulfilling his childhood dream, in a way. Although it may not be the Olympics, he has represented his country by successfully completing a challenging feat that so few have.
******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
David J. Mauro, a successful financial planner, is one of 65 Americans (at the time of writing at least) to have completed the Seven Summits - a challenge in which one climbs the tallest mountain on each continent. He described his journey and both the literal and figurative mountains he climbed while preparing for and completing this challenge in his book, The Altitude Journals.
The author is immensely open and honest with the reader. He builds a strong relationship with them in the prologue, in which he describes his childhood, his childhood dreams and the divorce that lead to him to climb Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, and ultimately the start of the challenge. He continues to build this relationship as he talks about both his triumphs and his struggles, never shying away from his (sometimes embarrassing) failures in his journey. You read not only about how he conquered each peak, but also about how he thawed cheese in his armpits, peed in a bottle, struggled with diarrhea, his close encounters with frostbite, and how he questioned if he would even be able to reach the summit.
The book is divided into eight sections - a prologue and a chapter for each mountain he climbed. You see the author grow, both as a climber and as a person, over the course of the book. Each mountain and each climb has a distinct personality (for the lack of a better word). You can feel the different atmosphere of each climb and each team he worked with, although he did run into old friends in some of his climbs. Photos are scattered throughout the work, showing more of the author's experience. He includes links at the end of the work that presumably lead to photo galleries of each climb, but I could not get these to work. This is unfortunate as I would have loved to have seen more images of his experiences, particularly as the photos included do not fully encapsulate what he describes.
I think many readers would be able to relate to the author and his struggles, regardless of their climbing experience. While I may not have climbed at such high altitudes, I can relate to the author's feelings of exhaustion and inadequacy during his earlier climbs. And these feelings translate well to all struggles of life. The author too makes this link, describing how his climbing and personal lives intersect. It is through these climbs that he learns the meaning of love and how to navigate the human world better. As the book continues, the narrative starts focusing less on the physical climb and more about his life and emotional experiences. Until the last chapter, that is, which comprises a quarter of the book and speaks of his struggles while climbing Everest.
I would rate this book four out of four stars. Although there are one or two minor errors, it is well written and captures the author's seven year journey in a captivating way. I believe that this book would would appeal most strongly to adventurers, particularly those who enjoy mountain climbing. Many others would still enjoy this book, however, as the author speaks far beyond the technical challenges of such feats. While there is some profanity, I think the book is suitable for all ages (if the reader is comfortable with it). There is no sexual content, and the writing is easy to follow. Now that I know it exists, I am inspired to try to complete this challenge one day, although I am unsure if I will ever be able to afford it. Well done to the author in fulfilling his childhood dream, in a way. Although it may not be the Olympics, he has represented his country by successfully completing a challenging feat that so few have.
******
The Altitude Journals
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Vandella by M. Ch. Landa
