Simpson is consistently proving himself to be not only an able (and by his own admission, extremely lucky!) mountaineer, but a skilful and passionate storyteller. In this, his third book, he moves beyond the relatively narrow sphere of his own mountain climbing adventures, gripping though they are, to take a more philosophical look at why people are drawn to adventure, how it affects them, and how modern-day "credit card adventuring" impacts both the environment and people it comes into contact with.
The book is vaguley episodic, covering periods in Simpson's own life and career, from his recovery from the horrific accident he described so vividly in Touching The Void, to his Greenpeace activities, as well as a more general discussion on the appalling human cost of China's invasion of Tibet. Simpson's often acerbic humour shines throughout, as does his refusal to shy away from the difficult questions. His style has grown more confident, and the range of material he tackles is often exceptional. A wonderful book.