Rating: 
Summary: memoirs of a rich guy who liked to climb
Review: read "the undertaking - life studies of the dismal trade" by tom lynch if you want affirmation of life in the face of death.
Rating: 
Summary: An extremely captivating read.
Review: Once I opened Addicted to Danger, I had a very difficult time putting it down. In fact, if I were a faster reader I would have read the book in one sitting instead of two. The opening paragraph alone, gave me a taste of the mental, physical and technical aspects of climbing even though I have no climbing experience. Then Jim Wichwire proceeds to examine the aspects of climbing and how they are intertwined in a series of fascinating mountaineering stories from his personal adventures. I especially enjoyed the first chapter which quite literally gets your heart pounding as if you were on the mountain yourself. You may not be convinced to start climbing peaks in all corners of the world by this book, but you will be thoroughly entertained and at times astounded.
Rating: 
Summary: Self-absorbed, know-it-all shares mountaineering experiences
Review: I couldn't have been more disappointed by this book. I have enjoyed many of the current (and past) books of this genre, and had heard about some of Wickwire's adventures through the writings of others. The prospects of reading about some of these mountaineering feats in the first person was very appealing. Unfortunately, Wickwire turns out to be an extremely unappealing person who regularly abandons his family (including young children) without remorse, criticizes others and demonstrates himself to be a world-class ego-centrist. On the mountain, he is a first class know-it-all who tells everyone within earshot that they're doing it all wrong. It was only a couple of chapters before I was feeling sorry for his wife, his kids, and for myself for buying this pathetic account.I bought this book because of the endorsement of Amazon.com. Next time, I'll wait to read outside reviews. If you like this genre, I strongly suggest you turn to one of the many excellent other offers available.
Rating: 
Summary: Nationwide Praise for ADDICTED TO DANGER
Review: Rock & Ice, Nicholas O'Connell: "Addicted To Danger conjures a rich, satisfying picture of a difficult, yet remarkable man . . . a thoughtful and candid examination of why (Wickwire) and others keep climbing, even after watching friends and colleagues die. . . . The book draws a sharp illuminating profile of Wickwire, but also sketches fascinating portraits of other climbers: legends Jim and Lou Whittaker, John Roskelley, Marty Hoey and Phil Ershler. Perhaps the most striking portrait is that of his wife, Mary Lou, who managed to cope with a husband addicted to dangerous mountaineering." The News and Observer, Raleigh North Carolina, Marvin Hunt: "Guileless and unguarded, frank and unassuming, Addicted To Danger is a richly enjoyable and informative book, a welcome addition to the climbing literature. . . . When middle age robs Wickwire of the ability to climb, his memoir, written from extensive journals he kept since young manhood and expertly rendered into a narrative by Dorothy Bullitt, provides the opportunity to make sense of his life, and to come to terms with the cost to himself, his friends and family. . . . For readers who prefer base camps to summits, Wickwire is a superb guide into the world of triumph and tragedy we enter only vicariously, satisfied with the pleasure of reading about the extreme ordeals other people seem driven to undergo on the high mountains." Standard Journal, Pennsylvania: "If you enjoy reading true life adventure stories I would highly recommend (Addicted To Danger). This is the type of book you may find very hard to put down once started." Flint Journal, Flint Michigan, Tom Powers: Addicted To Danger is a compelling and an unusally honest account of one mountain climber"s life and the toll it took on his family and himself . . . simple, direct prose." Hartford Advocate, Hartford, CT, John Perritano: "It is at times spellbinding and intriguing, a wonderful acount of how far the body and spirit can be pushed. . . a fascinating glimpse into the mind and soul of a mountain climber." Seattle Times, Nicholas O"Connell: "Wickwire laments that by trying to by trying to balance the roles of husband, father, lawyer and climber, he excelled at none of them. But after reading his book, it"s hard not to observe that Wickwire's ability to strike such a balance may in itself be his greatest accomplishment. It has allowed him to create a life filled with experiences few others will ever achieve." Savannah News, Savannah, Georgia, Doug Wyatt: "Astonishing stories of human beings pushed to their limits of endurance. . . . Here, in his own words, we vicariously experience his amazing life. . . . His honest self portrait and his accounts of the conflicts rending some expeditions show us how mountaineers face substantial emotional, as well as physical, hurdles." Evansville Courier, Evansville, Illinois: "Particularly fascinating for its look at the machinations of big-time climbing expeditions: the planning, logistics, and training as well as the egos and rivalries that can derail an expedition." Seattle Times, Columnist Emmett Watson: "It is a book to raise hair on your neck or bring tears of compassion. . . . Out of Wickwire's diaries came a smooth, novel-like narrative of danger, heartbreak, unrequited love, striving, and tortured ambivalence about age and diminished athletic performance." Publishers Weekly: "Wickwire makes the point with great clarity that he is addicted to danger. Even those not absorbed by this sport will find themselves affected by the author's tales of friends lost on expeditions. His memoir is well worth a read." Details Magazine, Rob Spillman: "This book reveals the mental attitude that allows one to remain calm and focused while hanging over a four-thousand-foot cliff in a blizzard -- and takes you along for a terrifying rush that is life lived on the highest of edges." New York Post, Tom Roe: "With 'extreme' books such as Jon Krakauer"s Into Thin Air scaling best seller lists, Jim Wickwire's Addicted To Danger is undoubtedly poised to follow such high adventures skyward. . . . Addicted To Danger is a gripping tale of Wickwire"s narrow escapes from death -- and it"s sure to keep readers coming back for more." Seattle Post Intelligencer, Joel Connelly: "Addicted To Danger is fascinating and searing. The reader will feel deprived of oxygen at some moments: the instant Marty Hoey pitches backward down Everest, or when young climber Chris Kerrebrock freezes to death, wedged head-down in a glacier on McKinley with Wickwire helpless to do anything about it." Standard Examiner, Ogden, Utah, Janelle Biddinger Hyatt: "A story that at first amazes, then disturbs and continues -- even days later -- to haunt." Kirkus Reviews: "A good adventure story mixed with meditations on the meaning of life and death and dying. . . . The descriptions of his adventures are gripping tales." LEO (Louisville"s alternative paper), Elizabeth Shaw: "An insightful journal of life lived on the edge." Doug Glant, (Book reviewer/author interviewer for KVI Radio in Seattle): "Addicted To Danger is the best book on mountaineering since Herzog"s Annapurna.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best climber in the world but....
Review: I found the book to be very fun to read. Although Jim didn't make it to the top of every climb he atempted he sure had a thrilling time trying to get there. I thought he wrote well of his experiences and lifes story. A good read for those who like real life adventures. I think his wife deserves a medal! I cant believe she stuck with him all those years.
Rating: 
Summary: Gets you inside the mind of one who lives to climb mountains
Review: Having read Into Thin Air, Eiger Dreams, and seeing the movie Everest, I have been vicariously experiencing the adventures of these men and women who feel compelled to climb. Addicted to Danger by Jim Wickwire helped to answer some of the questions about the mindset of these individuals. Chapter one about his account on Mt. McKinley and his friend's death captured my attention early. The triumphs and tragedies were spellbinding. I would like to have known more about the effects his long absences had on his wife and children. I don't think most spouses would be so understanding, but that is another story. Overall, thoroughly enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: "A very self centered man abandons family for the mountains"
Review: A brutal documentation of a selfish, self-centered man who regularly abandons his family, and loses too many friends on the mountain(is it a coincidence?). None of the poetry evoked by Jon Krakauer. What has he learned or what has he really to share with the rest of us? I bought this because Amazon.com highlighted it. I will wait for reviews next time.
Rating:
Summary: Provocative story of passion, duty, honesty and excellence.
Review: I am not a mountaineer. Yet I loved the book for many different reasons, any one of which would have made it immensely satisfying. I have given or recommended the book to many friends, male and female, young and old, mountain-climbers and normal folks. All are independent thinkers who speak their mind, and all gave the book superlative reviews. Dorothy Bullitt and Jim Wickwire artfully employ mountain-climbing in the most exteme conditions as a vehicle for provocatively probing human motivations, aspirations and limitations. The stories of Wickwire's adventures are gripping action thrillers, well worth the price of admission. They are set in an environment as alien and hostile as outer space, an ultimate test of human perseverence and endurance. However, there are even more compelling stories within the stories. The high altitude dramas provide the context for singularly honest inquiries and revelations about human motivations to risk everything in pursuit of ! passion. A closely-related recurrent theme is the struggle to reconcile conflict between pasion and duty. The reader is implicitly invited to compare the relative virtue of wife Mary Lou, consistently committed to family and community, and husband Jim, continually torn between what he yearns to do and what he should do. Mary Lou is among the fortunate few whose passions perfectly coincide with societal norms of duty. The authors insightfully portray the complex human relationships in a community based on a shared passion with no obvious practical utility and decimated by sudden random deaths. Passages from a Marty Hoey letter and a Stimson Bullitt eulogy were elegant and profound. The authors' crisp, spare, clear, and direct prose punctuated by superb photographs are icing on the cake.
Rating:
Summary: Amatuerish writing by an egomaniac with little to say.
Review: I was initially shocked at the large point font. Later I realized that this was necessitated by the author's lack of writing or observational skills. The story starts strongly, but then wimpers out. He concentrates on the soap opera aspects of the climbing team while ignoring the human versus mountain drama. An annoying, frustrating little book after reading "Into Thin Air", "The Perfect Storm" and "Endurance". Look at the cover, then don't bother further with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not worth the trouble
Review: There are so many great mountaineering books out there, this one just isn't worth the time. If you want a book on this subject by a really great author, consider Joe Simpson's "This Game of Ghosts".
| 
