Addicted to Danger : A Memoir About Affirming Life in the Face of Death

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Summary: More like Conrad than Krakauer
Review: A less dramatic but more accurate title would be "Addicted To Competition, While Confronting Complex Moral Choices." One who would call this a mountaineering action tale would call Conrad's novels sea stories. Both it and they, of course, concern moral decisions in a life of action and risk. Here is a man who found himself gifted as a climber and, with a single-minded ruthlessness, pursued his avocation to the summit of that austere band of mountaineers. A man with neither a habit of introspection nor a philosophic bent, yet possessed of strong principles, struggled with he issues that his life put before him. Like most of us, he did not win them all. Some concerned his duties to his family - wife and five children. Others to his law partners. He often neglected them, and put them, through himself, at risk. Yet his personal conduct did them honor, and as to economic results, he fully delivered the goods. On a peak, he did not pause to smell the edelweiss or drink in the panorama. Yet back in town, his tastes are cultivated; he derives deep pleasure from classical music, enjoys the mastery of Joseph Brodsky's poetry and Nabokov's prose. More choices. His conflicts of principle often were intensified by the reminders to him of the tightrope he trod when repeatedly, in one horrifying and spectacular episode after another, a friend climbing beside him would fall to his/her death. Co-author Bullitt has written this with high skill in Wickwire's voice, presenting both the drama on the slopes and cliffs, in ice and snow, and the moral and personal choices made, for better or worse, but always faced.

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Summary: awesome book, hope to do this some day
Review: Excellent pictures, and great job on describing his addiction to mountains.

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Summary: Great Book
Review: I give the book 4 out of 5 stars. Wickwire did an outstanding job describing his life and adventures. His ability to describe the tragedies that occurred around him, astounded me. At the same time, the strength of his wife astounded me even more. I was not too keen on his prophetizing about the afterlife, but he did a great job at presenting it and then moving on to the next adventure. I felt his disappointment at not attaining one of his goals. At the same time, I felt the same contentment he had when he realized he would not attain the goal. I think that best describes the book. Wickwire described his feelings enough that you, sitting in your easy-chair, could feel what he was feeling. Whether it was freezing near the summit of K2, or the tragic feelings of losing friends in the pursuit of his addiction.

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Summary: Addicted to danger? I don't think so
Review: The title of this book is misleading and inapropos. I never got the sense that Wickwire climbed for that frisson of fear, which is a rush for a lot of folks. It IS clear that Wickwire had an addiction to mountain climbing and was quite good at it. I was pleased that he mentioned his climbing defeats as well as victories, because this sport appears to be more about process, and less about the rush of summiting every time. Two things struck me about the novel: first, his rather refreshing honesty in assessing his mistakes and weaknesses, both on the mountain and in the rest of his life. As he confessed his love for Marty Hoey, I felt it must be hard for a wife to read that her husband was in love with another woman. As Wickwire portrays Mary Lou, however, she probably knew it before he did. Second, it would appear that Wickwire has had to live with a lot of grief in his life. I don't know anyone who can recite such an extensive roster of close friends who have died literally by one's side; that must be a enormous load to bear. I never got the sense,however, that Wickwire was plagued with survivor guilt, which seems to occur commonly in the wake of such accidents. After reading recently-released climbing books (Krakauer's, Boukreev's and now this one), I am left with the sense that the reasons men and women climb are intensely personal; ultimately climbing seem to be about achieving one's personal best and an individual "state of grace." I did not get the sense that Wickwire had found that state of grace after any of his climbs, but perhaps he is still working on it.

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Summary: Mountaineer recounts and reflects
Review: Yes, it's another book about mountain climbing and the inevitable tragedies and loss of life associated with it. Yes, it's filled with unbelievable stories of voyages most of us just can't fathom taking. And, yes, it's too short. Though his stories are quite typical of this genre of book, he adds a good deal of inward reflection as to why he is drawn to risk his life, his family, his career, and even the lives of others to pursue this extreme sport. No major revelation is made by the author, but his genuine search and struggles are laid on the table for us to view and consider, as well as himself. The book is very honest, and keeps all of us wondering why he continues to return to the mountains. If that's not enough for you to read the book, consider this: it's full of wonderful pictures (b&w) of each adventure!

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Summary: Narcussus and the Mountain(s)
Review: This is an incredible adventure story; however, perhaps the more amazing aspect of this story is the incredible egoism of Jim Wickwire. Wickwire is America's most accomplished moutaineer, and this book starkly portrays the self-determination, drive and ego necessary to excel. Wickwire's dirve and bravery may be laudable. Less commendable is the ease with which he abandons family and law partners as he trains for and then carries out his various expeditions. Admiration dims when Wickwire attempts an ascent of Everest and decides that he will earn more personal fame if he summits without bottled oxygen. Wickwire recognizes the personal danger involved, but doesn't seem to care a whit for family and business associates dependent on him back home. Wickwire's story makes clear that more than a little ego is necessary to accomplish the climbs he made, but also that it is a short step to reckless narcissism. There's another book here -- Mrs. Wickwire's story.

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Summary: One Of The Best
Review: I could not put it down. Wickwire should teach a survival course. He has survived more near death experiances than anyone could know. I wish I had a chance to meet him considering he grew up 50 miles from where I grew up. Peace to all Jim give us another book..PLEASE YOUR BRILLIANT

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Summary: An uncompromising retrospective about a climber's choices
Review: The invisible work of co-author Dorothy Bullitt is one of this book's most noteworthy (and overlooked) attributes. Ms. Bullitt worked for months with friend and colleague Jim Wickwire to fulfill their mutual pact to be unstintingly honest and uncompromising in the telling of this tale. World class climber, successful attorney, family man, and husband, perhaps in that order, Jim Wickwire, here reveals a self-critical portrait of a deeply flawed man who faces extraordinary challenges driven by inner needs he only begins to grapple with in this book. On expedition climbs at high altitude, Wickwire tests the limits of human endurance and reveals how the comfortable virtues of civilized existence dissolve with the thinning air and the immediacy of survival. You need not be a climber to appreciate the life-and-death challenges of climbs of the earth's highest peaks, miles above sea-level, where the biosphere ends and outer space begins. This page turning climber's tale works on several levels: adventure, memoir, tribute, and morality play. The subtext of this exciting book is a question left unanswered: with all of his compromises, regrets, and self-absorption, would Jim Wickwire, given the chance, have done it any differently? Men and women with whom I have shared this book respond to Jim Wickwire as both hero and cad, each gender assigning its own proportions. I found myself reacting with distaste and envy at the choices Wickwire made; my wife largely with distaste at his wife's sacrifices. Seldom will you see a man reveal himself with such unvarnished truth. The fact that Dorothy Bullitt has made herself so transparent to the character portrayed is remarkable craft. In the end, the revelation of Jim Wickwire's character, warts and all, may be either viewed as a critical turning-point for Wickwire's growth as a human being, or as one last binge of self-indulgence a la "enough of me talking about me, what do you think of me?" An engagingly quick read on one level, I found myse! lf haunted by the provocative questions lying just beneath the surface. This book will catalyze discussions between friends, book club members, and those in committed relationships. In the end, we must each ask ourselves the same questions which Jim Wickwire is beginning to ask of himself.

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Summary: Climb Every Mountain
Review: People say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover. I'm glad that I didn't follow their advice. I was drawn to the lonely figure perched on the edge of the mountain depicted on the cover of "Addicted to Danger." What I discovered upon reading this compelling page-turner was not the life of a lonely adventure-seeker but a man who sought the companionship of others to help him achieve his ambitions. It's clear that his wife, Mary Lou, was his biggest source of strength -- not some macho climbing partner. I was especiallly drawn to Wickwire's self-revelations which come amidst descriptions of death-defying experiences. I would highly recommend this book to the avid and armchair adventurer as well as to the avid and armchair psychologist.

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Summary: Excellent
Review: An excellent book that details Jim's experiences climbing. Introspective look at what makes a climber keep going in the face of danger. A great read.