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Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See
The incredible bestselling book from the author of No Barriers and The Adversity Advantage
Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that would leave him blind by the age of thirteen. But Erik was determined to rise above this devastating disability and lead a fulfilling and exciting life.
In this poignant and inspiring memoir, he shares his struggle to push past the limits imposed on him by his visual impairment-and by a seeing world. He speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness: the mother who prayed for the miracle that would restore her son's sight and the father who encouraged him to strive for that distant mountaintop. And he tells the story of his dream to climb the world's Seven Summits, and how he is turning that dream into astonishing reality (something fewer than a hundred mountaineers have done).
From the snow-capped summit of McKinley to the towering peaks of Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro to the ultimate challenge, Mount Everest, this is a story about daring to dream in the face of impossible odds. It is about finding the courage to reach for that ultimate summit, and transforming your life into something truly miraculous.
"An inspiration to other blind people and plenty of us folks who can see just fine."� Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Into Thin Air
Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that would leave him blind by the age of thirteen. But Erik was determined to rise above this devastating disability and lead a fulfilling and exciting life.
In this poignant and inspiring memoir, he shares his struggle to push past the limits imposed on him by his visual impairment-and by a seeing world. He speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness: the mother who prayed for the miracle that would restore her son's sight and the father who encouraged him to strive for that distant mountaintop. And he tells the story of his dream to climb the world's Seven Summits, and how he is turning that dream into astonishing reality (something fewer than a hundred mountaineers have done).
From the snow-capped summit of McKinley to the towering peaks of Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro to the ultimate challenge, Mount Everest, this is a story about daring to dream in the face of impossible odds. It is about finding the courage to reach for that ultimate summit, and transforming your life into something truly miraculous.
"An inspiration to other blind people and plenty of us folks who can see just fine."� Jon Krakauer, New York Times bestselling author of Into Thin Air
342 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2001
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August 20, 2017
شاید در میونه راه چیزی رو از دست بدی که به نظرت با اهمیت بوده؛ ولی هرچیزی که برای تکمیل خودت نیاز داری، در درونت یا درست در پیش چشمته؛ فقط باید دستت رو به سمتش دراز کنی؛ اغلب آسون نیست، ولی همیشه ماجراجویی بزرگیه.ـ
اریک واینمار با بیماری خاصی پا به دنیا میذاره که سبب میشه در سن سیزده سالگی، اندک بینایی اش رو هم از دست بده؛
ولی همین اریکه که اولین فاتح نابینای قله اورست میشه، اولین فاتح نابینای هفت قله*، کوهنوردی حرفه‌ا� که قلل مغرور بسیاری رو زیر پا میذاره؛ قله‌های� که افتخارشون ناکام گذاشتن سالم‌تری� کوهنوردهاست.ـ
تمام اینها که گفتم دستاوردهای چشمگیری هستن اما به نظرم اریک موفق به انجام کاری شد که از همه این‌ه� مهمتره؛ اریک زندگی‌ا� رو ساخت که دوست داشت، یه زندگی عادی.ـ
قبل از اینکه اریک کوهنوردی رو شروع کنه فعالیت های فراوانی رو امتحان کرده بود، اریک ورزشکار بود، کشتی میگرفت، یه مدتی هم مربی کشتی شد؛ اریک معلم شد، معلم مدرسه ای عادی با بچه هایی کاملا سالم؛ و تو همین مدرسه بود که عاشق الن شد، ازدواج کرد و صاحب فرزندی به نام اِما شد و...ـ
اما شاید مهمترین و جذاب‌تری� بخش از زندگی اریک این باشه که چطور به اینجا رسید؟
چرا از بین این همه آدم بینا و نابینا که زندگیشون لنگ میزنه، اریک موفق به ایجاد چنین توازنی شد؟
به نظر من جواب در حمایت فوق‌العاده� خانواده‌ا� هست؛ مادری که هرگز از اریک ناامید نمیشه و یادش میده هیچوقت تسلیم نشه؛ پدری قوی که همواره پشت اریک ایستاده و بهش شهامت میده؛ دختری که اریک رو همونجوری که هست میبینه و متعهد میشه با عشق، در کنارش به زندگی ادامه بده.ـ
اینها که میگم شاید به نظرتون خیلی شعاری بیان اما با خوندن نیمه اول کتاب و مشخص شدن کیفیت این حمایت ها، روشن میشه که چرا اریک سرنوشتی متفاوت از سایر افراد در پیش میگیره.ـ
نیمه� اول کتاب بسیار الهام‌بخ� و انگیزشی هست، موردی که در نیمه� دوم، با گرایش بیشتر به کوهنوردی و صعودهای اریک، افت قابل توجهی داره و حتی گاهی خسته‌کنند� میشه؛ هرچند این بخش هم جذابیت‌ها� خاص خودش رو داره، مثل آشنایی بیشتر با فعالیت‌ها� کوهنوردی و لحظاتی نفسگیر از صعودهای فوق‌العاد� اریک واینمار.ـ
در مورد ترجمه� اثر باید بگم که با ترجمه‌ا� حرفه‌ا� روبه‌ر� نمیشید اما میتونید عشق و علاقه� مترجم رو در بین سطور و پاورقی ها جستجو کنید چرا که بهروز خباز بهشتی هم از علاقه‌مندا� کوهنوردیه و حتی صعودی مشترک با اریک به قله آرارات داشته.ـ
از نکات مثبت در نشر این کتاب، خرید حق نشر اون هست و از نکات منفی بگذریم! فقط کاش ناشر اهمیت بیشتری به کیفیت کار میداد.ـ
احساس میکنم اونطور که باید، حق مطلب رو ادا نکردم اما امیدوارم مطالعه این کتاب براتون لذت و انگیزه به همراه داشته باشه. :)ـ
به هفت قله‌ا� که بلندترین قله‌ها� هفت قاره جهان هستند اصطلاحا «هفت قله» یا «هفت چکاد» گفته می‌شو�.ـ*
نوردیدن و رسیدن به هر هفت قله یکی از چالش‌ها� بزرگ در رشته کوهنوردی به‌شما� می‌آی� و این چالش نخستین بار در دهه ۱۹۸۰ از سوی ریچارد باس مطرح شد.(برگرفته از ویکی پدیا)
اریک واینمار با بیماری خاصی پا به دنیا میذاره که سبب میشه در سن سیزده سالگی، اندک بینایی اش رو هم از دست بده؛
ولی همین اریکه که اولین فاتح نابینای قله اورست میشه، اولین فاتح نابینای هفت قله*، کوهنوردی حرفه‌ا� که قلل مغرور بسیاری رو زیر پا میذاره؛ قله‌های� که افتخارشون ناکام گذاشتن سالم‌تری� کوهنوردهاست.ـ
تمام اینها که گفتم دستاوردهای چشمگیری هستن اما به نظرم اریک موفق به انجام کاری شد که از همه این‌ه� مهمتره؛ اریک زندگی‌ا� رو ساخت که دوست داشت، یه زندگی عادی.ـ
قبل از اینکه اریک کوهنوردی رو شروع کنه فعالیت های فراوانی رو امتحان کرده بود، اریک ورزشکار بود، کشتی میگرفت، یه مدتی هم مربی کشتی شد؛ اریک معلم شد، معلم مدرسه ای عادی با بچه هایی کاملا سالم؛ و تو همین مدرسه بود که عاشق الن شد، ازدواج کرد و صاحب فرزندی به نام اِما شد و...ـ
اما شاید مهمترین و جذاب‌تری� بخش از زندگی اریک این باشه که چطور به اینجا رسید؟
چرا از بین این همه آدم بینا و نابینا که زندگیشون لنگ میزنه، اریک موفق به ایجاد چنین توازنی شد؟
به نظر من جواب در حمایت فوق‌العاده� خانواده‌ا� هست؛ مادری که هرگز از اریک ناامید نمیشه و یادش میده هیچوقت تسلیم نشه؛ پدری قوی که همواره پشت اریک ایستاده و بهش شهامت میده؛ دختری که اریک رو همونجوری که هست میبینه و متعهد میشه با عشق، در کنارش به زندگی ادامه بده.ـ
اینها که میگم شاید به نظرتون خیلی شعاری بیان اما با خوندن نیمه اول کتاب و مشخص شدن کیفیت این حمایت ها، روشن میشه که چرا اریک سرنوشتی متفاوت از سایر افراد در پیش میگیره.ـ
نیمه� اول کتاب بسیار الهام‌بخ� و انگیزشی هست، موردی که در نیمه� دوم، با گرایش بیشتر به کوهنوردی و صعودهای اریک، افت قابل توجهی داره و حتی گاهی خسته‌کنند� میشه؛ هرچند این بخش هم جذابیت‌ها� خاص خودش رو داره، مثل آشنایی بیشتر با فعالیت‌ها� کوهنوردی و لحظاتی نفسگیر از صعودهای فوق‌العاد� اریک واینمار.ـ
در مورد ترجمه� اثر باید بگم که با ترجمه‌ا� حرفه‌ا� روبه‌ر� نمیشید اما میتونید عشق و علاقه� مترجم رو در بین سطور و پاورقی ها جستجو کنید چرا که بهروز خباز بهشتی هم از علاقه‌مندا� کوهنوردیه و حتی صعودی مشترک با اریک به قله آرارات داشته.ـ
از نکات مثبت در نشر این کتاب، خرید حق نشر اون هست و از نکات منفی بگذریم! فقط کاش ناشر اهمیت بیشتری به کیفیت کار میداد.ـ
احساس میکنم اونطور که باید، حق مطلب رو ادا نکردم اما امیدوارم مطالعه این کتاب براتون لذت و انگیزه به همراه داشته باشه. :)ـ
به هفت قله‌ا� که بلندترین قله‌ها� هفت قاره جهان هستند اصطلاحا «هفت قله» یا «هفت چکاد» گفته می‌شو�.ـ*
نوردیدن و رسیدن به هر هفت قله یکی از چالش‌ها� بزرگ در رشته کوهنوردی به‌شما� می‌آی� و این چالش نخستین بار در دهه ۱۹۸۰ از سوی ریچارد باس مطرح شد.(برگرفته از ویکی پدیا)
April 17, 2015
As a blind person, my most recurrent thought while reading this book was "Holy crap, why is he risking his fingers this way?" Sub-zero temperatures, even lower windchills, and clawing your way over jagged rocks by hand? Not for me, thank you very much.
Actually, even if I had 20/20 vision I'd still have no desire to climb even a small mountain, so the rather drawn-out and technical descriptions of his climbs didn't interest me as much as they probably should have. I found the more mundane parts of the book, where he talks about his family life, school and work to be much more engaging and relatable.
I know the book is meant to be an inspiration, but I didn't really find it to be so. Okay, he climbed Mount Everest, good for him. But there's nothing much in climbing Mount Everest that offers me any practical ideas for how to handle day-to-day stuff. Maybe it's just too big-picture for me.
Also, and this comes on the heels of those two lunatics climbing El Capitan, I just don't find much to admire in that kind of thrill-seeking recklessness, even when it's accompanied by charisma and great skill. So much of that behavior just seems juvenile and selfish, especially for somebody with a family to support.
In conclusion my big take-home lesson from this book was "Better you than me, buddy."
Actually, even if I had 20/20 vision I'd still have no desire to climb even a small mountain, so the rather drawn-out and technical descriptions of his climbs didn't interest me as much as they probably should have. I found the more mundane parts of the book, where he talks about his family life, school and work to be much more engaging and relatable.
I know the book is meant to be an inspiration, but I didn't really find it to be so. Okay, he climbed Mount Everest, good for him. But there's nothing much in climbing Mount Everest that offers me any practical ideas for how to handle day-to-day stuff. Maybe it's just too big-picture for me.
Also, and this comes on the heels of those two lunatics climbing El Capitan, I just don't find much to admire in that kind of thrill-seeking recklessness, even when it's accompanied by charisma and great skill. So much of that behavior just seems juvenile and selfish, especially for somebody with a family to support.
In conclusion my big take-home lesson from this book was "Better you than me, buddy."
August 1, 2012
I liked this book, but I actually liked the parts that really had nothing to do with mountain climbing a little bit more. The book is mainly about climbing mountains, and the main guy just happens to be blind. I don't have a desire to climb mountains, and after reading this book I have less of a desire to climb mountains, if that is possible. Actually, I think it might be an advantage to climb mountains blind, because you cannot look down and think, "Yikes! The drop down is much farther down than I thought it was!" There are so many elements that make rock climbing a dangerous sport, blindness seems like a little thing compared to that. I did like reading about his experience with his first guide dog, how he adapted to working, his relationship with his mother, and the creativity of his friends. He is surrounded by some really great people. I laughed a little. I cried a little. I winced at the pain a lot! While he was climbing the mountain, I wanted to turn around and go home (and I wasn't even there)! He explains in the book how life is a mountain. I believe it is. It still does not make me want to go out and climb an actual one.
August 21, 2014
The human part of the story, having sight and Erik's memory, and then the trouble started at a young age since he was blind at 13/14.
This poignant and optimistic tack in lieu of other family tragedy would encourage anyone and perhaps have them closing the book and more grateful of what they do have.
Mountain climbing is always mysterious to me. Especially the seven peaks with all of the history of danger and Erik wanting to do it initially is beyond courageous however, his continuing with it after his marriage left me wondering what the real objective was. His over the top detailed explanations were too much. Does the average reader really want to know all the specifics of a climb, and especially when much was repeated.
If Erik is devoted to his wife and now baby girl, I felt something amiss with all of what he continued to do afterwards. The best part of the book was the beginning, for sure.
This poignant and optimistic tack in lieu of other family tragedy would encourage anyone and perhaps have them closing the book and more grateful of what they do have.
Mountain climbing is always mysterious to me. Especially the seven peaks with all of the history of danger and Erik wanting to do it initially is beyond courageous however, his continuing with it after his marriage left me wondering what the real objective was. His over the top detailed explanations were too much. Does the average reader really want to know all the specifics of a climb, and especially when much was repeated.
If Erik is devoted to his wife and now baby girl, I felt something amiss with all of what he continued to do afterwards. The best part of the book was the beginning, for sure.
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June 6, 2016 " شاید این یک تعصب باشد .. ولی من باور نمیکنم که انسانی ؛ علت صعودش به قله را دیدن منظره ی اطراف بیان کند ..
هیچکس سختی کوهستان را برای دیدن یک منظره تحمل نمیکند .. قله ؛ تنها جایی برکوهستان نیست . قله در قلب و ذهن ما جای دارد . قله ؛ پاره ای از یک رویاست که به حقیقت می پیوندد .. و مدرکی مسلم براین است که زندگیمان بامعناست .. قله نشانی از آن است که می توانیم با قدرت اراده و توان جسممان ؛ زندگی را به آنچه میخواهیم و آنچه دستانمان قدرت خلق آن را دارند ؛ تبدیل کنیم ..!
هیچکس سختی کوهستان را برای دیدن یک منظره تحمل نمیکند .. قله ؛ تنها جایی برکوهستان نیست . قله در قلب و ذهن ما جای دارد . قله ؛ پاره ای از یک رویاست که به حقیقت می پیوندد .. و مدرکی مسلم براین است که زندگیمان بامعناست .. قله نشانی از آن است که می توانیم با قدرت اراده و توان جسممان ؛ زندگی را به آنچه میخواهیم و آنچه دستانمان قدرت خلق آن را دارند ؛ تبدیل کنیم ..!
January 23, 2009
This guy is blind and has climbed every mountain on earth. I cant even fit in my pants. This book really helps you realize how lazy you are. which is why I burned it and ate some ice cream.
November 9, 2008
This was a decent read that had me laughing at times. Thanks to his very graceful acceptance of his condition, he tells the story in a way that doesn't draw attention to his disability in the expected sense. He continually places it in a reducible context...which is very odd, considering that most people probably purchase the book because they don't anticipate the normalcy that he seeks. He himself admitted, offhandedly, that blind people can be as shallow as anyone else about dating (142-143)!
To the reviewer who said that his achievement in climbing was just blind luck, you missed the point he made so excellently: "people's perceptions of our limitations are more damaging than those limitations themselves" (165), and he went on to say how many factors go into success (or failure), but people are often only looking at his blindness (166-167, 205).
This achieved a favorable balance whereby it's neither a travelogue nor armchair philosophizing. (You don't feel like you're trapped on the mountain with him forever or like he's constantly repeating sightless observations on life.) I enjoyed his perceptions about summits and the life climb (195, 207-208). The autobiographical details remained fairly relevant, but not always.
To the reviewer who said that his achievement in climbing was just blind luck, you missed the point he made so excellently: "people's perceptions of our limitations are more damaging than those limitations themselves" (165), and he went on to say how many factors go into success (or failure), but people are often only looking at his blindness (166-167, 205).
This achieved a favorable balance whereby it's neither a travelogue nor armchair philosophizing. (You don't feel like you're trapped on the mountain with him forever or like he's constantly repeating sightless observations on life.) I enjoyed his perceptions about summits and the life climb (195, 207-208). The autobiographical details remained fairly relevant, but not always.
March 24, 2017
My sister LOVES Eric Weihenmayer; he is her hero and she talks about him on a daily basis. She surprised me recently with a signed copy of this book. It was a very effective way to force me to read it so we could talk about him together.
Weihenmayer -who went blind by the time he started high school- is inspiring because he works around and conquers limitations that would be valid excuses to not do something. His mountain climbing is impressive, but what I loved reading about was when he worked as a teacher. The ways he adapted his class, for example having students write in the board for him, sound like they made a richer experience for the whole classroom. I loved reading about him meeting and falling in love with his wife.
I've been thinking about this book a lot and trying to figure out how to handle things in a more creative way. His story is a reminder to not hold ourselves back or let others hold us back, but to push ourselves and be brave enough to live life fully.
Weihenmayer -who went blind by the time he started high school- is inspiring because he works around and conquers limitations that would be valid excuses to not do something. His mountain climbing is impressive, but what I loved reading about was when he worked as a teacher. The ways he adapted his class, for example having students write in the board for him, sound like they made a richer experience for the whole classroom. I loved reading about him meeting and falling in love with his wife.
I've been thinking about this book a lot and trying to figure out how to handle things in a more creative way. His story is a reminder to not hold ourselves back or let others hold us back, but to push ourselves and be brave enough to live life fully.
March 29, 2023
My husband heard him speak at a conference a few weeks ago and was very impressed. So I went out the next day to get his book.
Totally inspiring! Makes me wonder if I ever really do anything really difficult in my life? I feel like I need to climb a mountain or run a marathon or something.
I hope he writes more about the climbs he did after this book. I want to read about Everest!
Totally inspiring! Makes me wonder if I ever really do anything really difficult in my life? I feel like I need to climb a mountain or run a marathon or something.
I hope he writes more about the climbs he did after this book. I want to read about Everest!
April 26, 2012
I read this book years ago after I met Erik and heard him speak. This is the story of his life - not only his climbing, but his experiences growing up that helped form him into the courageous and outstanding person he is. Everyone should read this.
December 7, 2016
To be certain, this was not at all the book I was anticipating. I remember hearing the news, many years ago, that a blind man had reached the summit of Everest and had come down safely. At the time such a feat seemed simply impossible, so I filed the story in the recesses of my brain with the understanding that some day I would take the time to learn more about it. When I finally decided to read Touch the Top of the World, I did so with the expectation that it be a memoir centered around that monumental experience on the highest mountain on the planet.
Instead and to my surprise, Everest was only the latest chapter to be added, as the book went to the printer (indeed, it even comes after the epilogue), in Weihenmayer's amazing saga of crushing one barrier after another. As Touch the Top makes it clear, Everest was only the culmination (at the time) of a life-long struggle to come to terms with a disability and, having accepted it, to push body and mind far beyond the limitations of blindness. I was impressed by Weihenmayer's deeply personal narrative, sharing with the reader intimate details about his family, as well as detailed accounts of the many experiences that made him into the confident climber and family man that he turned out.
Of course, all of Weihenmayer's successes were possible because of the unrelenting support provided by a wide-ranging network of people who understood what he would not be defined by lack of sight and were fully behind his seemingly impossible, yet groundbreaking adventures. While purely from a mountaineering perspective this book is somewhat thin (the main climbs other than Everest chronicled are Denali, El Capitan and two attempts on Aconcagua), its message is clearly that what matters most is the journey, not the destination(s).
Touch the World is an inspiring introduction to the legend that Erik Weihenmayer has become. As we know now, he went on to complete the Seven Summits, after which he switched gears and delved into other sports like ultra running, rafting and kayaking, with accomplishments that very few sighted people can match. Weihenmayer is living proof that impossible can indeed be nothing.
Instead and to my surprise, Everest was only the latest chapter to be added, as the book went to the printer (indeed, it even comes after the epilogue), in Weihenmayer's amazing saga of crushing one barrier after another. As Touch the Top makes it clear, Everest was only the culmination (at the time) of a life-long struggle to come to terms with a disability and, having accepted it, to push body and mind far beyond the limitations of blindness. I was impressed by Weihenmayer's deeply personal narrative, sharing with the reader intimate details about his family, as well as detailed accounts of the many experiences that made him into the confident climber and family man that he turned out.
Of course, all of Weihenmayer's successes were possible because of the unrelenting support provided by a wide-ranging network of people who understood what he would not be defined by lack of sight and were fully behind his seemingly impossible, yet groundbreaking adventures. While purely from a mountaineering perspective this book is somewhat thin (the main climbs other than Everest chronicled are Denali, El Capitan and two attempts on Aconcagua), its message is clearly that what matters most is the journey, not the destination(s).
Touch the World is an inspiring introduction to the legend that Erik Weihenmayer has become. As we know now, he went on to complete the Seven Summits, after which he switched gears and delved into other sports like ultra running, rafting and kayaking, with accomplishments that very few sighted people can match. Weihenmayer is living proof that impossible can indeed be nothing.
April 13, 2016
If you ever think you just can't do something, remember Erik -- the first blind person to climb Mt. McKinley -- and on track to climb the highest mountains on each continent! Unbelievable story of courage and determination.
March 10, 2008
He's an amazing person, an ok writer, but the book was too long.
February 27, 2009
Autobiography of a man who lost his sight as a teenager, but went on to climb mountains.
March 1, 2024
Chosen for the PopSugar Reading Challenge 'Written by a Visually Impaired Author' prompt. 'Touch The Top of the World' was given to me years ago by my cousin who loves hiking and mountain climbing, and she may have actually met Weihenmayer at some point around the time of her reading the book. Since mountain climbing isn't exactly my forte, but I do trust in my cousin's book recommendations, I put it on my long 'To Read' pile and finally had occasion to bring it to the top. I'm glad I did because it was a very enjoyable book and I am impressed by his tenacity of not letting his blindness stand in his way.
Unlike some other blind authors I've read, Weihenmayer never really had much sight as a child, so for him, all he's known is blindness and readers don't get the sense that he's longing for what he's missing. Instead, he tries to figure out how he fits into a sighted world and challenges the perception that blindness is a barrier to doing things like mountain and rock climbing. Sure, he can't do it alone, but it's not a good idea for anyone to embark on some of his adventures as a solo climber, sighted or not. He goes into a lot of detail regarding what it takes to do these climbs, but I didn't feel bogged down by the technical jargon despite it not being a subject with which I have a lot of familiarity. I found his writing to be interesting, and rarely did I feel pity for him, and those instances were more 'wow, that was a really crummy thing to have happen' than 'how unfortunate that he couldn't see and avoid that situation'.
It was nice having the updated version that included his conquering of Everest, as it seemed from the cover that the book was written prior to that accomplishment, then reissued once he wrote those additional chapters. Reading about all it took for him and his team to reach the summit, plus so many of their other climbs, gave me renewed appreciation for the dedication of people like him and my cousin. When he's talking about some of the dangers climbers face, I felt at times that he was the lucky one who couldn't see the sheer drop-offs on either side of a narrow trail or the wall of ice with just fingertip-width grips to use to reach the top. That he insisted on being an equal party in these climbs when it came to hauling gear, setting spikes and ladders in the ice walls, and hiking without being tied to one of the others in the group shows his commitment to reaching his goals under his own power, not being carried to them.
Unlike some other blind authors I've read, Weihenmayer never really had much sight as a child, so for him, all he's known is blindness and readers don't get the sense that he's longing for what he's missing. Instead, he tries to figure out how he fits into a sighted world and challenges the perception that blindness is a barrier to doing things like mountain and rock climbing. Sure, he can't do it alone, but it's not a good idea for anyone to embark on some of his adventures as a solo climber, sighted or not. He goes into a lot of detail regarding what it takes to do these climbs, but I didn't feel bogged down by the technical jargon despite it not being a subject with which I have a lot of familiarity. I found his writing to be interesting, and rarely did I feel pity for him, and those instances were more 'wow, that was a really crummy thing to have happen' than 'how unfortunate that he couldn't see and avoid that situation'.
It was nice having the updated version that included his conquering of Everest, as it seemed from the cover that the book was written prior to that accomplishment, then reissued once he wrote those additional chapters. Reading about all it took for him and his team to reach the summit, plus so many of their other climbs, gave me renewed appreciation for the dedication of people like him and my cousin. When he's talking about some of the dangers climbers face, I felt at times that he was the lucky one who couldn't see the sheer drop-offs on either side of a narrow trail or the wall of ice with just fingertip-width grips to use to reach the top. That he insisted on being an equal party in these climbs when it came to hauling gear, setting spikes and ladders in the ice walls, and hiking without being tied to one of the others in the group shows his commitment to reaching his goals under his own power, not being carried to them.
June 19, 2023
Erik Weihenmayer was born with a degenerative eye disorder, which caused him to lose some of his eyesight at a young age and ultimately caused total blindness. Instead of letting his blindness define him, he continued to go after his dreams despite the constant naysayers. With the aid of his close friends and climbing partners, he summits numerous mountains, including the ultimate hiking mecca of Mount Everest, that he summitted 22 years after going blind. This was an inspiring memoir where he describes making significant strides for the blind community the more he pushed himself to not let blindness define him or anyone else. His clear love for his family was incredibly heartwarming as well.
One of my favorite quotes is: "I don't climb mountains to prove to anyone that blind people can do this or that. I climb for the same reason an artist paints a picture: because it brings me great joy. Bud I'd be lying if I didn't admit my secret satisfaction in facing those cynics and blowing through their doubts, destroying their negative stereotypes, taking their very narrow parameters of what's possible and what's not, and shattering them into a million pieces.
When those parameters are rebuilt, thousands and thousands of people will live with fewer barriers placed before them, and if my climb can play a small role in opening doors of opportunity and hope for those who will come after us, then I am very proud of what we were able to achieve."
One of my favorite quotes is: "I don't climb mountains to prove to anyone that blind people can do this or that. I climb for the same reason an artist paints a picture: because it brings me great joy. Bud I'd be lying if I didn't admit my secret satisfaction in facing those cynics and blowing through their doubts, destroying their negative stereotypes, taking their very narrow parameters of what's possible and what's not, and shattering them into a million pieces.
When those parameters are rebuilt, thousands and thousands of people will live with fewer barriers placed before them, and if my climb can play a small role in opening doors of opportunity and hope for those who will come after us, then I am very proud of what we were able to achieve."
November 18, 2018
This book tells about the author, how he became blind and the obstacles he overcame to hike some of the highest mountain peaks in the world.
I found this book while cleaning out my dad's house and figured I'd like to read it before giving it away. I thought the first half to two-thirds of the book was very interesting. I liked hearing about how the author's sight gradually disappeared by his early teens, and then I really was interested to read how he coped with that in his early adulthood as he went to school and got a career and lived on his own, and even how he met his wife. I was less interested in reading the last third of the book, which went into detail of how he climbed the mountains and rocks that he was working on. It was a bit too detailed for my interest and knowledge of mountain climbing.
I found this book while cleaning out my dad's house and figured I'd like to read it before giving it away. I thought the first half to two-thirds of the book was very interesting. I liked hearing about how the author's sight gradually disappeared by his early teens, and then I really was interested to read how he coped with that in his early adulthood as he went to school and got a career and lived on his own, and even how he met his wife. I was less interested in reading the last third of the book, which went into detail of how he climbed the mountains and rocks that he was working on. It was a bit too detailed for my interest and knowledge of mountain climbing.
August 22, 2022
The spoiler alert is in the title of the book so I won't worry about that. It would be ironic if he died at the end. Now you don't know, do you???
Anyhow here goes:
So....if I'm being real, real honest, it's "ok". I enjoyed the book but I don't see myself recommending anyone else read it. I was pulling hard for the author and absolutely acknowledge his amazing achievements but, it's almost like he wrote the book about a decade early. The novice in all of us (non-mountain climbers) has heard of Denali, El Cap, Everest, K2, and maybe Kilimanjaro. I'm sure whatever that Aconcagua Mountain was cool but.....yeah....no one cares. Maybe if he had climbed Everest by then, that would have been a minor footnote.
Anyhow, rock on with your bad self Mr. Erik Weihenmayer! Godspeed to you and your family!
Anyhow here goes:
So....if I'm being real, real honest, it's "ok". I enjoyed the book but I don't see myself recommending anyone else read it. I was pulling hard for the author and absolutely acknowledge his amazing achievements but, it's almost like he wrote the book about a decade early. The novice in all of us (non-mountain climbers) has heard of Denali, El Cap, Everest, K2, and maybe Kilimanjaro. I'm sure whatever that Aconcagua Mountain was cool but.....yeah....no one cares. Maybe if he had climbed Everest by then, that would have been a minor footnote.
Anyhow, rock on with your bad self Mr. Erik Weihenmayer! Godspeed to you and your family!
June 19, 2017
I am quite glad, I read Weihenmayer's No Barriers before I read this one, as I might not have stuck around till he grew up otherwise; I thought he was such an annoying idiot as a teenager, but I knew from that book that he would become a decent adult eventually so I was able to push on. I was a little disappointed that the edition I read was published before he had completed the seven summits because I wanted to read the story of each of them.
I really enjoy the description of trails and climbing he gives particularly when he speaks only from his own experience and it is about what is felt and heard rather than what is seen. Though mountain climbing is not for me I can readily appreciate the viewpoint of someone for whom it is a grand adventure when reading a book like this.
I really enjoy the description of trails and climbing he gives particularly when he speaks only from his own experience and it is about what is felt and heard rather than what is seen. Though mountain climbing is not for me I can readily appreciate the viewpoint of someone for whom it is a grand adventure when reading a book like this.
January 16, 2022
"But a summit is so much more than the view. I may be biased, but when people say they summit mountains for the view, I don't believe them. No one suffers the way one does on a mountain simply for a beautiful view. A summit isn't just a place on a mountain. A summit exists in our hearts and minds. It is a tiny scrap of a dream made real, indisputable proof that our lives have meaning."
To be clear, the only reason I read this book was because this book is part of the required curriculum I am teaching this year. I had never heard of this book before and if I wasn't teaching this book, I would have abandoned it. The part of the story where Erik is climbing various mountains is significantly better than the part of the book where Erik is growing up. In his teenage and college years, Erik is, to put it bluntly, an asshole. He spends a large part of his pages writing about checking out books with sexual content, getting a Playboy written in Braille, developing a rating system with his buddies where the friends who haven't lost their eyesight rate the attractiveness of women talking to Erik... Erik uses his friends' ratings to determine how he talks to these women. There were enough of these moments to move me from uncomfortable to angry as I listened to this book.
I get why this book is being used: the message of overcoming a horrific challenge to do what you want is a message teens always need to hear. This true story of a young person going blind and then living a relatively regular life is inspirational, indeed. I wish this book had a young reader's edition where some of the issues I had with the book were edited down or out completely. I do not like that this is the model of "success" we are pushing to today's young people. Erik isn't a human I want to promote in my classroom but since I have no say over the curriculum I am teaching, I seem to be at a dead end. I will definitely be cutting parts of this book as I read it with my students.
TW: death of a parent
To be clear, the only reason I read this book was because this book is part of the required curriculum I am teaching this year. I had never heard of this book before and if I wasn't teaching this book, I would have abandoned it. The part of the story where Erik is climbing various mountains is significantly better than the part of the book where Erik is growing up. In his teenage and college years, Erik is, to put it bluntly, an asshole. He spends a large part of his pages writing about checking out books with sexual content, getting a Playboy written in Braille, developing a rating system with his buddies where the friends who haven't lost their eyesight rate the attractiveness of women talking to Erik... Erik uses his friends' ratings to determine how he talks to these women. There were enough of these moments to move me from uncomfortable to angry as I listened to this book.
I get why this book is being used: the message of overcoming a horrific challenge to do what you want is a message teens always need to hear. This true story of a young person going blind and then living a relatively regular life is inspirational, indeed. I wish this book had a young reader's edition where some of the issues I had with the book were edited down or out completely. I do not like that this is the model of "success" we are pushing to today's young people. Erik isn't a human I want to promote in my classroom but since I have no say over the curriculum I am teaching, I seem to be at a dead end. I will definitely be cutting parts of this book as I read it with my students.
TW: death of a parent
December 9, 2021
Like many other reviews state, I found the more mundane day to day sections of the book more interesting than the mountain climbing bit. I would read a whole book just about his experience teaching without being able to see his students. I myself am an elementary school teacher and I can’t imagine a day in the classroom without all 5 of my senses on point. Oddly that seems more jarring and inspirational than climbing the highest peaks of the world. Perhaps I can just conceive of it better. Anyhow, I have read this book twice. Both times while going through major life transitions and I found it to be a very comforting read to keep alongside me during tough times.
June 13, 2022
I listened to the audiobook, which seemed rather lengthy. The first half of the book was really interesting to me as the author described his diagnosis and experiences leading up to his blindness. I enjoyed hearing about the adaptations he made, and how he became a teacher and the way he ran his classroom specifically. The second half of the book focused more on his climbing. I've read a lot of books about climbers' experiences on Mt. Everest and the other 7 summits, so it was fascinating to me to hear about how the author was able to make such dangerous climbs blind. This was a really interesting and inspiring book.
January 11, 2022
On 8/14/11 - my husband and I got an opportunity to hike a 13'er with Erik W. and it was an amazing unforgettable experience. He is so down-to-earth and approachable. We each got a chance to "lead" him which was an honor. I hadn't read the book before our meeting but I had brought it along for him to sign, and just now got a chance to read it and was just amazed at everything he has accomplished. A true inspiration for those with the gift of sight and I can only imagine for those without. Erik W. has discovered so many other gifts much more worthwhile.
May 13, 2020
*Sigh.*
Not sure why I explored Everest literature so fervently back in 2016. Apparently it was important that I read each Everest account ever written by anyone who’s ever attempted the world’s highest point.
I suppose a blind man climbing the big hill is a worthy gimmick, and a thoroughly marketable book...no wonder it was published.
It’s decently written, it’s an inspiring story, etc. But am I the only person tired of the sheer volume of books written on this matter?
Not sure why I explored Everest literature so fervently back in 2016. Apparently it was important that I read each Everest account ever written by anyone who’s ever attempted the world’s highest point.
I suppose a blind man climbing the big hill is a worthy gimmick, and a thoroughly marketable book...no wonder it was published.
It’s decently written, it’s an inspiring story, etc. But am I the only person tired of the sheer volume of books written on this matter?
March 26, 2023
Pretty amazing story. I can’t imagine climbing mountains as a blind person. I would be terrified of stepping off a cliff! But Erik is a fighter and doesn’t let fears keep him from living his best life. His family sounds like they were the perfect family for him to grow up in as they didn’t allow him to see himself as a burden. They were all great encouragers and cheerleaders. His relationship with Ellie is just a trip…both have great senses of humor. Enjoyed this book.
May 24, 2021
Quite unbelievable at many points, until you realize this is 100% true and a testament to the plasticity of the human brain and strength of human will to figure something out even if it seems impossible.
A must read for anyone who feels like they need a reminder that they are capable of whatever they set their minds to.
A must read for anyone who feels like they need a reminder that they are capable of whatever they set their minds to.
August 31, 2022
Well this book was pretty darned good. I mean I cared a lot more about his early life learning to be blind and get around and stuff, and the camp he went to that introduced him to climbing. It got to a lot of technical details about climbing that I didn't really care about, but anyway, the first half of it and some later pieces were good enough to justify a 4 star rating.
November 26, 2022
Intriguing and inspiring story of a boy with a rare disease who becomes blind and his subsequent exploitation of self and meaning. He finds freedom in the unlikely pursuit (for a blind person anyway) of rock climbing. I was pulled more toward the story of his life and development and intrigued by the climbing but his writing got repetitive.
December 6, 2019
Thoroughly enjoyed the first part about the journey of becoming blind and working through various struggles. I got lost a bit and bored with the climbing stories because they were a bit too technical for me. But overall, and enjoyable read. 3.5 stars.
May 21, 2020
the author's mind set, his mom, his dog, his life... its just beautiful the way he described the situation and things, he took me to his world. he is the definition of the quote" but life goes on.." i loved it
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