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Rating: 
Summary: Ascents and Epiphanies
Review: I rated this book somewhat higher than other reviewers have while agreeing that the prose style suffers from a poor translation and that many of Shelton's comments in the "Application and Action" sections seem superfluous. Nonetheless, Messner's achievements are breathtaking (no pun intended) and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing his personal account of what each achievement required. What was his primary motivation? "For my own part, I do not come to Everest or any other mountain because I have an ambition to climb it at any price. [Whenever he deemed necessary, Messner was prudent.] My primary desire is to get to know it, in all its magnitude, its difficulty and harshness. I am determined to forego the summit if I can't reach it by breathing equipment." I recently saw an IMAX film based on Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. Messner and two other prominent mountaineers appeared in the film, re-tracing a portion of the Shackleton saga. I am among those who find it almost impossible to grasp what people such as Shackleton and Messner somehow accomplished in what were (literally) life and death situations. Hence my appreciation of this book in which Messner discusses the specific details of preparations and then provides an eyewitness account of various ascents while sharing his personal thoughts and feelings about what he correctly characterizes as the "magnitude" of at all. I also learned a great deal about various do's and don'ts. The former never guarantee success but the latter invariably result in failure and perhaps tragedy. I read this book with substantial appreciation and also, I admit, a sense of wonder. Messner's heroism is obvious but also his humanity. He is a man, not a myth, and would be the first to stress that point. I am among countless others who view him as an exceptional man and are deeply grateful for what he has agreed to share with us.
Rating:
Summary: Ascents and Epiphanies
Review: I rated this book somewhat higher than other reviewers have while agreeing that the prose style suffers from a poor translation and that many of Shelton's comments in the "Application and Action" sections seem superfluous. Nonetheless, Messner's achievements are breathtaking (no pun intended) and I thoroughly enjoyed sharing his personal account of what each achievement required. What was his primary motivation? "For my own part, I do not come to Everest or any other mountain because I have an ambition to climb it at any price. [Whenever he deemed necessary, Messner was prudent.] My primary desire is to get to know it, in all its magnitude, its difficulty and harshness. I am determined to forego the summit if I can't reach it by breathing equipment." I recently saw an IMAX film based on Shackleton's Antarctic expedition. Messner and two other prominent mountaineers appeared in the film, re-tracing a portion of the Shackleton saga. I am among those who find it almost impossible to grasp what people such as Shackleton and Messner somehow accomplished in what were (literally) life and death situations. Hence my appreciation of this book in which Messner discusses the specific details of preparations and then provides an eyewitness account of various ascents while sharing his personal thoughts and feelings about what he correctly characterizes as the "magnitude" of at all. I also learned a great deal about various do's and don'ts. The former never guarantee success but the latter invariably result in failure and perhaps tragedy. I read this book with substantial appreciation and also, I admit, a sense of wonder. Messner's heroism is obvious but also his humanity. He is a man, not a myth, and would be the first to stress that point. I am among countless others who view him as an exceptional man and are deeply grateful for what he has agreed to share with us.
Rating: 
Summary: Computers cannot translate books
Review: Rheinhold Messner has long been a hero of mine and his books have inspired me to take on challenges beyond my own dreams. This latest book is not in the previous mould. It has been translated from the original German edition entitled "Berg Versetzen: das Credo eines Grenzgangers". Unfortunately I can only guess that the editor of these collection of Messner's thoughts, Ken Shelton was a bit pushed for time and ran the oroginal german text through a computer translation programme and staight into print without proof reading. Some of the passages verge on gobbledegook and even crude spelling mistakes have found their way on to the printed page. Even worse, at the end of each chapter the editor has added patronising postscripts (action items) purportedly relating to the preceding text. In the end I could not bring myself to read these sections - they made me feel ill. How the respected Sir Chris Bonnington came to put his name to the list of testimonials at the beginning is beyond me. A great pity - all connected with this book have let themselves downMike Rooke, England
Rating:
Summary: Computers cannot translate books
Review: Rheinhold Messner has long been a hero of mine and his books have inspired me to take on challenges beyond my own dreams. This latest book is not in the previous mould. It has been translated from the original German edition entitled "Berg Versetzen: das Credo eines Grenzgangers". Unfortunately I can only guess that the editor of these collection of Messner's thoughts, Ken Shelton was a bit pushed for time and ran the oroginal german text through a computer translation programme and staight into print without proof reading. Some of the passages verge on gobbledegook and even crude spelling mistakes have found their way on to the printed page. Even worse, at the end of each chapter the editor has added patronising postscripts (action items) purportedly relating to the preceding text. In the end I could not bring myself to read these sections - they made me feel ill. How the respected Sir Chris Bonnington came to put his name to the list of testimonials at the beginning is beyond me. A great pity - all connected with this book have let themselves down Mike Rooke, England
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