Nancy A. (Chocoholic) reviewed on 6/11/2014 + 291 more book reviews

This is the rare nonfiction book with an unlikeable protagonist. This is the story of Aron Ralson and his life of adventures, running marathons, climbing mountains, climbing canyons, etc. and how he ended up pinned beneath a stone. Aron was forced to amputate his own arm to escape from the canyon he was pinned in. The problem I had with this book, as mentioned previously, is that Aron is unlikeable, at least as the protagonist of this book. He recounts a number of adventurous events in which he or someone close to him was very nearly killed (this is well before the rock) because of silly mistakes. He seems to have little regard for the people in his life who care about him in taking off on a moment's notice and leaving no one with information on how to find him. After he succeeds in cutting off his arm, he becomes very bossy and arrogant to other people who are just trying to help him. He whined about having an IV drip of antibiotics for several weeks instead of just being grateful he was alive. He also littered the canyon with a number of articles that he didn't feel like carrying back out of the canyon once he was freed; these items included a CD player and some climbing rope which could have easily been stuffed back into the bag he was carrying. I hope the real Aron is more responsible than he comes across in this book.

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