Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Rating:
Summary: Gear Head
Review: "It's not what you do, it's who you are." I know a lot of people like Aron. They live very exciting lives, but they always wind up gettting hurt. We all have choices and life is what you make of it. When you fall down, get back up. If you write a book - please focus on the important things. If you set out to prove something - prove it to yourself. Don't make the same mistakes twice and really think about what you're doing before something bad happens. And when someone says they will meet up with you later and they don't, please WORRY about them. Everyone should get out there and experience life, but if you're going to do it alone don't do anything stupid. There are lots of things to learn from Aron's story. And after all that he has done he still seems very positive about life. I think that is the most important thing about the book. Lots of fluff, but an inspiration nonetheless.

Rating:
Summary: Misunderstanding Risk
Review: Aron is a decent adventure writer, particularly for a novice writer. Fortunately for Aron he made it this far in life to tell of the remarkable events in the canyon. Mr. Ralston is prone to accomplishment for accomplishment's sake, but his race to capture and "bag" peaks was often wasted by careless vanity and an irrational quest for numerosity and self-glory. Worst of all, Ralston drags others down in his suspect voyeurism, like the two experienced climbers who followed him into avalanche country on a backcounrty ski experience. Although Ralston seems to have learned almost nothing post-accident, his wise, intuitive, and inspiring acts when trapped in a most hopeless situation exemplify how we all long to live and long to choose life above all esle. One only hopes that he has learned something from the experience and will seek peace in other things that matter, like forming meaningful human relationships, respecting the land, and drawing the type of courage that can only come from knowing when to call it quits.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent first book
Review: I thought this would be the obligatory "had a media-hyped, gripping (so-to-speak) experience, might as well write a book" kind of thing. I was pleasantly surprised by the coherence and quality of this book. Along with his slot canyon epic, Aron weaves together stories from his life that illustrate his choice of and joy in a high-risk outdoor lifestyle. A thoughtful book that outdoor adventurers and armchair enthusiasts can enjoy and learn from.

Rating:
Summary: Very good first book. Mostly good. Well worth reading.
Review: I'll give this guy a break because it's a rare person who goes and writes a nearly professional book by himself about his own story. He needed a better editor is what he needed.

I found the interspersed bits to be a bit annoying because they broke the flow. But those bits are easy to skip over, and one can find where the tale picks up again. A good editor should have let him know that. But each one was well written of itself. He's a talented writer, just not experienced yet. But even that's not a fair comment. Even experienced writers like JK Rowling lose it without good editing. (Witness the last interminable potboiler, nearly lacking in humor from the Harry Potter series.) So I lay what flaws are there on the editors.

As a result, he comes off as a bit of a slow learner and self centered to those who are distant from such things. But I don't think that's real or fair. For those who have never been into such risk taking and challenges, it all must seem rather stupid and harebrained. But really it isn't so - no more than injuries sustained boxing, or in gymnastics, or even football (American football) or rugby. All those sports require facing serious dangers and a pretty much everyone who plays them gets hurt, often quite badly. Some get crippled or die. But people still love to play, and will go running back out there as long as they can.

That's how I read his interspersed accounts. It was his way of saying, "This is my sport, and I love it." He wouldn't have it differently even if it kills him, and he knows that it kills some like him every year. So, sure, I no longer have the impulse to get up and risk my life in ice and snow and wind. But I've risked it, and recieved serious injury from gymnastics and bicycling.

It's a very well written and honest story from someone who went to the edge of dying and came back by the skin of his teeth. I don't think he's "stuck on himself" at all. He's a fun loving young guy who has made a life for himself that he loves, with good friends. Not for everyone, but what is? How many people want to get in the boxing ring? How many want to do rings bad enough to do it?

What is life without some risk? This guy was very experienced. He did a short day hike that should have been no big deal at all. Got snagged on a freak boulder.

And cut off his hand.

Most of us would have died.

Rating:
Summary: Determination always pays off
Review: In this Publishers Weekly bestseller, Aron Ralston (a then 27-year old rock climber) relates to us one of the most extraordinary survival stories ever written. He tells the story of being trapped in an isolated Blue John Canyon while facing death. His incredible memoir is told in first person with the author showing humor, inspiration, and honesty. Ralston gives a detailed account of his survival ordeal while in the deep and narrow canyon. He didn't know that this would be the beginning of his six days of hell.

The accident happened while he was hiking in Utah. Ralston went on the trek alone without informing any of his friends. This was going to be his chance to become a better solo climber. It was about 2:41 p.m. and he was eight miles from his truck. He climbed down off a wedged boulder when the rock suddenly came loose. Before he could get out of the way, the falling 800-pound stone pinned his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall. With very little water, and not enough food, Aron was about to begin what was to be the worst nightmare he had ever experienced.


Now what would you do when if you were faced with something like this? Would you just die hanging there from dehydration or starvation? Ralston made the ultimate and most extreme act to save his life...he gave up his arm? This was a remarkable book. It is destined to become a classic adventure story! I can't believe I read the whole thing! It amazed me!! I don't think I could have made that kind of sacrifice.

Readincolor Reviewer
Rosie

Rating:
Summary: good story, but too much filler
Review: Ralson's story in itself is fascinating and all the details pertaining directly to it really help you understand how one can arrive to a state of being capable of cutting off your own limb.
However, I get a feeling that he tries too hard to resemble the writers that, perhaps, inspired him, like Krakauer and Simpson and in that, in my opinion, he fails.
I believe he does have an ability to tell a story well, but he lacks some sort of filter which gives writing a sense of quality and wholeness.

He comes off as too self-involved, almost too attached to his own story, not being able to let go of any detail, no matter how tiny, tedious or irrelevant it is. In addition to that, a lot of the stories of his earlier experiences are not significant enough in comparison to his main story and seem to have filler function.

The article in OUTSIDE, seems to be a better read, because it is much better filtered. It does however, stop in the middle of the story.

In my opinion the book is still worth reading, because the main story does make up for all the other flaws.

Rating:
Summary: Wait for the made-for-tv movie
Review: There isn't anything of importance in this book that wasn't already covered by the news media. Lots of filler material describing past misadventures that left me with the feeling that this kid does stupid, dangerous things just to get an exciting story to tell his friends. Way too much ego caressing. I'm sure Aron will be in the news again - I just hope we don't hear of others that were with him or of those that had to rescue/recover him.

Rating:
Summary: Past meets the Present.
Review: This book has a brilliant design. There was no better way to write it. The chapters are alternating. It starts with current time (Blue John Canyon). The next chapter deals with the past - profiling Aron's life and what led to the current. The next chapter is back in Blue John Canyon. And so it goes, alternating back and forth.

We get to know Aron from these alternating chapters about his past. Without them, the book would be hollow. They build the background for understanding Aron. They tell the story of how he got in such topnotch physical condition, which was paramount to surviving the ordeal. His years of climbing and love of adventure explain why he was in Utah.

As the book progresses, the time-periods get closer together, until finally they catch-up when Aron arrives on Friday night in the Canyonlands parking lot. Similarly, with Aron being trapped in Blue John Canyon, this allowed his past to catch-up with the present - - just like what happened with the book. He used the time to "internally monologue" about his life and philosophies. He thought about what brought him to the point of being trapped in the canyon. He realized the importance of family and friends.

In summary, one of the themes in this book is "past meets the present." And it is something many of us can identify with. We need to understand who we are, by reconnecting with who we were. For Aron, the past and present combined to give him the strength, smarts, and stamina to survive an ordeal of epic proportions.

The reader is given a chance to be at-hand with Aron in Blue John Canyon. His lucid and lyrical prose is outstanding. You will be in tears as Aron writes about the deliverance from his tomb. This book will inspire you. Aron's desire to live will motivate you to also live your life to the fullest. All of this from one book! Amazing!


Rating:
Summary: Over-rated
Review: This book would have been fine if the author had just stuck to the story of what happened to him in the canyon. His description of the hike and the boulder pinning event, followed by his courageous decision to finally free himself and the subsequent rescue are very well done. But then the book would have been about 150 pages instead of 342. Instead he has decided that we all need to know the details of every mountain he has climbed, the expensive vacations he has taken, and of several parties he has recently attended.
What you will decide after reading the whole book is that Mr. Ralston is a little too stuck on himself. He wants us to be inspired by his life in which he dropped out of established society to become basically a full time recreationalist. Apparently we are supposed to slave away at our 40-50 hour a week dreary jobs but dream of being Aron Ralston-superclimber who conquers mountains and faces death (even if its because of his own poor judgment). Aron travels the world climbing every mountain so that we can feel better.
I'm glad Aron survived the canyon and shared his experience with us. I just wish he had a little more respect for all the thousands of people who work in companies making the high-tech gear so he can have fun. He doesn't seem to realize that there are literally hundreds of thousands of dedicated people who work for the aircraft manufacturers, airline industry, auto industry, etc. without whom Aron couldn't continue his frivolous lifestyle, and the dedicated medical professionals to whom he owes his life.


Rating:
Summary: Life Saving Advice
Review: What I liked about the book was that it contains some practical life saving advice, like the idea of carrying the water in your mouth instead of swallowing it to moisture the airways.

A started reading at the point were he had his epihany of actually breaking his bone instead of trying to cut it and could not put it down from then on. Embarassing to say I even shed a few tears during the reunification with his family, but I guess only a family man could feel that way :)

Oliver Fritsch
Author of VocationLab: Find your Purpose in Life!