No Shortcuts to the Top
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Review
Ed Viesturs is not merely one of our strongest mountaineers; he s also one of the most remarkable. He s demonstrated that it s possible to climb the world s highest peaks without taking reckless chances, and without sacrificing one s honor or integrity. He has never hesitated to help other climbers in need, even when it meant putting himself in danger or sacrificing his own opportunity to achieve a summit. Ed, simply put, is a genuine American hero. --Jon Krakauer
From the drama of the peaks, to the struggle of making a living as a professional climber, to the basic how-tos of life at 26,000 feet, No Shortcuts to the Top is fascinating reading. --Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Ed Viesturs the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks without bottled oxygen is an animal. A human animal blessed with enormous strength balanced by intelligence, honesty, and a heart of gold. And besides, HE IS A NICE GUY. This is a great read for those of us who climb, those who want to learn to climb and live to tell about it, and those who like great adventures. --Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mount Everest
From the drama of the peaks, to the struggle of making a living as a professional climber, to the basic how-tos of life at 26,000 feet, No Shortcuts to the Top is fascinating reading. --Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Ed Viesturs the first American to climb all fourteen 8,000 meter peaks without bottled oxygen is an animal. A human animal blessed with enormous strength balanced by intelligence, honesty, and a heart of gold. And besides, HE IS A NICE GUY. This is a great read for those of us who climb, those who want to learn to climb and live to tell about it, and those who like great adventures. --Jim Whittaker, first American to climb Mount Everest
Product Description
This gripping and triumphant memoir follows a living legend of extreme mountaineering as he makes his assault on history, one 8,000-meter summit at a time. For eighteen years Ed Viesturs pursued climbing's holy grail: to stand atop the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, without the aid of bottled oxygen. But No Shortcuts to the Top is as much about the man who would become the first American to achieve that goal as it is about his stunning quest. As Viesturs recounts the stories of his most harrowing climbs, he reveals a man torn between the flat, safe world he and his loved ones share and the majestic and deadly places where only he can go. A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto, Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory. It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air. In addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs's odyssey, No Shortcuts to the Top is leavened with many funny moments revealing the camaraderie between climbers. It is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A thoroughly enjoyable read. It does not concentrate solely on the Ed Viesturs attempt to climb all the world's 8,000 metre peaks, but also includes some insights into his personal life and feelings, and the drive which enabled him to achieve his dream. There is just enough technical information for the reader to understand how the climbs are achieved. What does show throughout the book is Ed Viesturs total respect for other climbers and his willingness to recognise their achievements. He appears not to like being called a "nice guy" which is a pity, because that is clearly what he is.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is really different from the usual climbing fare. Ed Viesturs is a climber who was able to turn back at critical points, an attribute that few share. I'd throughly recommend this as an alternative to the derring do of most climbing books. He seems to be a very determinded as well as displayhing a rare type of courage -- the courage to say no. A very refreshing read.
It is basically his biography starting with his early years and then on to the stories behind his ascents of the world's 14 8000m peaks. The first American to achieve this feat
It is basically his biography starting with his early years and then on to the stories behind his ascents of the world's 14 8000m peaks. The first American to achieve this feat
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent book! Anybody who has struggled on a mountain, been gripped by fear or lain in their tent worrying about the upcoming day will connect with this author. The little digressions into other mountaineers' experiences and his family and private life make this book of broad appeal.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Simply incredible and mindblowing
This is the best book I've read to date. They layout and style of the writing is very easy to drag you right into Ed's world, experiencing feats of mankind that are outstanding. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Uberdude
Amazing book
This has got to be one of the best mountain books i have ever read !!!! It is so adventurous as it shows him climbing the worlds 14 tallest peaks!! Read more
Published 13 months ago by natwil 9 :)
Awesome and inspiring
If you ever want to know what it's like being a struggling mountaineer, worrying about lack of money, stressed about giving up a career you've worked so hard to achieve and just... Read more
Published 15 months ago by GrizzlySteve
'Highly' recommended for the intelligent climber
No Shortcuts to the Top is Ed Viesturs' autobiography starting briefly in his early life, capturing the roots of his drive, focus and fitness, before going into more detail on the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Andrew White
ZZzzzzz!
If you are looking for action and adventure and tales of danger and near death rescues above the "death zone" this is'nt for you. Read more
Published 18 months ago by JS Whitehead
A good solid mantra
I understand the perspectives of two of the reviewers on here that they found this book dull. That is not to say that I agree however, I found it informative and more academic as... Read more
Published 19 months ago by A. S. Edwards
I loved it!
I am not a climber, but these book showed me what it takes either physical and mentally to try and succeed in mountain climbing especially the 14 highest peaks! Read more
Published 19 months ago by Eng Mauricio A. Santos
Sullied by ill-judged comments
A plodding book with ghost writer and editorial interference much in evidence.
Is the book's title a dig at Reinhold Messner who beat him to complete all 14? Read more
Is the book's title a dig at Reinhold Messner who beat him to complete all 14? Read more
Published 23 months ago by Jim Herd
no short cuts to the top
Just finished reading this book, terrific for those interested in high altitude mountaineering. The strength & endurance of the people engaged in this type of climbing is simply... Read more
Published on 27 April 2010 by Samuel G. Martin
Top plodder - that's his prose & his approach to climbing
Have to say I was very disappointed by this book and frankly astonished it had received so many five star reviews. Read more
Published on 21 April 2010 by Mr. Ben Tisdall
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