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To the Last Breath: A Memoir of Going to Extremes
by
Francis Slakey (Goodreads Author)
A journey to the most extreme points on Earth and deep inside the human spirit Before Georgetown physics professor Francis Slakey decided to climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean, he had shut himself off from other people. His lectures were mechanical; his relationships were little more than ways to fill the evenings. But as his journey veered...more
Hardcover, 272 pages
Published
May 8th 2012
by Simon & Schuster
Win a Copy of This Book
To the Last Breath: A Memoir of Going to Extremes
by Francis Slakey (Goodreads Author)
by Francis Slakey (Goodreads Author)
Release
date: May 28, 2013
Before Georgetown physics professor Francis Slakey decided to climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean, he had shut himself…more
Giveaway dates:
May 14
- May 28, 2013
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Jul 26, 2012
La Petite Américaine
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Shelves:
auto-bios-etc,
kicked_ass
**Update** Once again, I'm left astounded by Goodreads reviewers. The shitty books get rave reviews and the outstanding ones get bad reviews because "this book wasn't what I expected"?? Normally I don't give a damn if someone doesn't like a good book, but come on. You're pissed off that a book with Everest on the cover turned out to be a memoir and not a mountain climbing guide? You've got to be kidding me. Ugh, go read Fifty Shades of Grey or something.**
This book was absolutely wonderful. Not...more
This book was absolutely wonderful. Not...more
Perhaps miscast as mountain woe? Oddly enough, since the cover is a guy climbing a mountain, I thought it would be about climbing mountains. At some point, although he's "stood on the summit of the highest mountain in Africa, South America, Europe, Asia, Antarctica, and North America," I had to think pretty hard about when all this happened. Not in this book, I guess. I read a few pages about him being on Everest, and then several about him sitting in his tent in Antarctica. The moral is, don't...more
9 likes · like · see review
A truely engaging story of climbing and surfing every continent in the world. The stories from those adventures are attention grabbing and the story of personal growth in the process is sweet as well. Franci Slakey methodicaly move through his planning of the adventures he is going to attemp and ends up being sucessful. Along the way he learns a lot about opening up to life and to others and ends up testifying before congress in order to help find justice for victims of a violent attack that he...more
Last weekend, when the author of this book, a Georgetown science professor was in San Francisco speaking to a group of Georgetown alums, he asked us to consider the limit of risk we were willing to accept. Despite having read Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" twice and having watched all the Everest documentaries that are available to be streamed on Netflix, I have no trouble identifying climbing Everest as a risk I would be unwilling to take on. Not so for Professor Slakey, who describes in this b...more
I was a little disappointed by this memoir. According to its description, it is an exciting journey of a man who challenges himself to climb the highest mountains and surf in every ocean, experiencing the extremes of nature and the dangers of civil unrest in dangerous locations. Rock on!! In actuality, it was chapter after chapter of him rambling on about being detached, unsympathetic, closed off, self-isolating, etc...it just goes on and on. There is very little about the actual mountain climbi...more
3 likes · like · see review
I would have enjoyed this memoir a lot more if 1) it had been filed under the biography section in our library, and not the adventure/ climbing section 2) had it been more focused on Slakey's legitimately impressive global feats, and 3) if it wasn't written in the tone of a teenager's livejournal. I felt like I was reading an insincere high school student's college admittance essay, trying to convince me that they are more unique than their neighbor because they have overcome a personal struggle...more
I read an advanced copy of To the Last Breath. This is not my style of book whatsoever -- I rarely read non-fiction, what little non-fiction I do read is never memoir, and I tend to find adventure tales, not to mention personal transformation tales, a little boring -- but I read it in two sittings, and have not stopped raving about it since. I loved it. This is a really spectacular book, and I think a lot of people are going to get a lot out of it.
The book jacket will do a better job of explain...more
The book jacket will do a better job of explain...more
To the Last Breath was my second book that I have acquired through giveaways on goodreads.com and so far I have come to believe that the books I have won are trying to find me. I have rarely read non-fiction books, and the ones that I have read did not interest me at all. But this book ironically has come to reopen my view on the genre. It was able to completely captivate my attention whenever I opened it up. The hook was in that I was able to connect to his story. Usually I perceive anything I...more
I listened to this on audio (read by the author) in one sitting and was fairly disappointed. I didn't turn it off - it was worth finishing at least - but I balked at his character, style, and facts. There were some glaring errors, such as the fact that there are no Redwoods in Yosemite (there are Giant Sequoias). And what ended up really getting to me was the stylistic choices. The book was awkward, an artificial "page-turner" by cutting off stories partway through and inserting a long, tangenti...more
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In all honesty, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this memoir. Not because I had heard bad things, or anything like that; I just wasn't expecting to really get as into the story as I did. Slakey does a fantastic job sucking the reader in, and making what could have been a more technical and boring story quite the page-turner, earning itself 4 out of 5 stars from me.
I started reading this book because mountain climbing and surfing had always appea...more
In all honesty, I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this memoir. Not because I had heard bad things, or anything like that; I just wasn't expecting to really get as into the story as I did. Slakey does a fantastic job sucking the reader in, and making what could have been a more technical and boring story quite the page-turner, earning itself 4 out of 5 stars from me.
I started reading this book because mountain climbing and surfing had always appea...more
I was prepared for this book because the reviews kept saying how egomaniacal and self-obsessed this guy was. And it's true (although he sort of came off as more pathetic to me), but because I was prepared that didn't bother me as much. I just wanted to vicariously live through someone doing all this extreme climbing from within the comfort of my living room without having to lift a finger, and the book was somewhat good in that regard.
However, he strayed WAY off in a few points onto excessively...more
However, he strayed WAY off in a few points onto excessively...more
this book is not what i expected at all...i expected it to be about the author climbing the tallest peak on every continent and surfing in every ocean, since that's what it claims to be about. it's not. and if that's what you're looking for, this book is probably not for you. it describes climbing everest and mentions, with very little detail, a couple other climbs - in antartica, notably. it notes at various points how many of the oceans he's surfed in, but doesn't detail a single surfing exper...more
I put this on my travel shelf, but it's actually a well-written story of adventure, self-discovery, and grace. Slakey was a dare-devil kid - one of his earlier stunts was jumping out from a four-story building into a shallow pool, again and again, only to learn that a 6-year-old had seen him and tried it.
As an adult, he was still a driven, competitive thrill-seeker. This is the story of his journey from being a self-centered alpha to someone who truly understands how connected we all are - conn...more
As an adult, he was still a driven, competitive thrill-seeker. This is the story of his journey from being a self-centered alpha to someone who truly understands how connected we all are - conn...more
I like the fact that his was ore than the usual epic conquer-the-mountain story. The author let's the reader know right away that he is/was a jerk and lists a childhood trauma as part of the reason for his aloofness and need to go to extreme. I skimmed the parts where he was surfing but followed his tales of climbing in Yosemite, Nepal, Alaska and other places. As a former climber I could relate to his calculated focus on the problem at hand. What I couldn't relate to was knowingly traveling to...more
Interesting memoir about how the author's quest to climb the highest peak on each continent and surf each ocean transformed his life in unexpected ways. The author of this memoir begins as a very self-contained, isolated, selfish person. But just as I was starting to wonder whether I would really keep reading the author finally starts to connect with the people around him, consider the fact that there are things in the world science may not be able to explain, and grow as a human being. While th...more
This book was enjoyable. The premise is that Francis Slakey wants to climb the tallest mountain on every continent, and surf the waves of every ocean. To The Last Breath had some pretty interesting anecdotes about Slakey's travels, some amusing and some harrowing, as well as interesting accounts of his climbs. I just wish there was more attention paid to the climbs Slakey went on (I don't think every climb was chronicled in this book, and there were only 7 to talk about), but the focus of the bo...more
What did I think? This guy has a charmed life. He starts out with problems relating to the rest of the world, sets himself some impossible goals, nearly gets himself killed while climbing the highest peak on every continent and surfing every ocean, and learns about himself,the interconnections between events, and how to see things from others' perspectives along the way. There are lots of detours- at times this sounds like a person talking around a campfire and meandering into other narratives b...more
I was drawn to put this book on my to-read list due to its listing on Good Reads. The write up for it was interesting that I signed up for the give-away. I won it! It came in the mail during a very busy time. I picked it up and thought, well, I need to read this. It would have been easy to put down if it hadn't been good. It was good. The writer is local for me, but I may never run into him. IF he does a signing, I think I might attend. He has a story to tell and he told it well.
As a global nom...more
As a global nom...more
I'd like to give this book three and half stars, but since that isn't possible, I'll bump it down to three.
I knew going into To the Last Breath that this wasn't an "adventure" novel, it says so right on the front, but I can't help but wish there was more mountain climbing and surfing. Don't get me wrong, I think it is important and even admirable that Slakey realizes that he can't just shut the world out after climbing Vinson Massif in Antartica, but this realization comes in just a page (maybe...more
I knew going into To the Last Breath that this wasn't an "adventure" novel, it says so right on the front, but I can't help but wish there was more mountain climbing and surfing. Don't get me wrong, I think it is important and even admirable that Slakey realizes that he can't just shut the world out after climbing Vinson Massif in Antartica, but this realization comes in just a page (maybe...more
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It has some incredibly compelling sections to it, but the core message is about how Slakey transformed from being an asshole to being somewhat less of an asshole. There's an audience for that kind of literature, but for a lot of people, that's mostly considered common sense. I had the opportunity to hear Slakey guest lecture for a course, and I wish he had spent more time in the book discussing the concrete examples of his current work. Swapping...more
After reading other peop;e's reviews I will say this is a time to rely on the old cliche "don't judge a book by it's cover.." - The story details the author's climbs and his pursuits in acheiving it to the highest points on every continent and the discoveries and life changing events that he endured in the process. I like the details of the different villages and cultures that he stumpbled upon - much different then our own. I thought his writing was fluid, and it captured my attention...it was...more
I was so disappointed in this book. First, Slakey is a jackass. It's been a long time since I have had a writer irritate me as much as this guy did. His story is essentially the tale of a sociopath who finally grew up when he turned 40 and learned to be nice to others.
Second, there was some bait-and-switch marketing going on. This book was promoted as a mountain-climbing memoir -- He Scales High Peaks On Every Continent! -- but Slakey constantly skimped on the actual climbing stories. He opened...more
Second, there was some bait-and-switch marketing going on. This book was promoted as a mountain-climbing memoir -- He Scales High Peaks On Every Continent! -- but Slakey constantly skimped on the actual climbing stories. He opened...more
2 likes · like · see review
One man's journey to conquer the physical becomes his emotional deliverance. Francis Slakey begins his quest with a goal in mind - set a record, to be the first man to climb the highest mountain on every continent and to surf every ocean. The challenge he sets out in front of him seems simple at the time: 8 peaks, 4 shorelines, 12 experiences to check off his To Do List. He is driven by his indifference to the world to shrug it off in this independent series of adventures. The world, as it turns...more
Francis Slakey has agreed with descriptions of himself as self-absorbed, insensitive, disconnected. From his point of view, these traits presented certain advantages to help him accomplish his goal(s) to climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean. While he had climbing partners, he was removed from them to the point he offered little help when one partner lost his boots, forcing him to climb down a mountain with little to no foot protection.
A physics professor at Georgeto...more
A physics professor at Georgeto...more
I've read a lot of books by climbers, so I knew that you had to have a huge ego to climb Mt. Everest. But I barely made it through the first chapters of this book because the author paints himself as such a self-absorbed, arrogant, loner. Then he climbs Mt. Everest and I was hooked. The author's goal is to climb the highest peak on each of the 7 continents and surf in each of the 4 oceans. Along the way he evolves into a caring human. Surprisingly, the greatest dangers he faces are not while sca...more
This book is about a very well educated man who decides to climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean. He is totally goal
oriented. He vows never to marry, have children , own property or to let anyone or anything interfere with his goal. It is difficult to care about this
man because he seems to be such a jerk. Most of the descriptions of his mountain climbing are limited. More details would have made this a better
book. In the end, he is somewhat transformed, but not enoug...more
oriented. He vows never to marry, have children , own property or to let anyone or anything interfere with his goal. It is difficult to care about this
man because he seems to be such a jerk. Most of the descriptions of his mountain climbing are limited. More details would have made this a better
book. In the end, he is somewhat transformed, but not enoug...more
An all-together fun read. Lively stories come together to give a complete picture of the author. His adventures are certainly fun to read about, and at by their conclusion, a reader feels as though he heard them first-hand. Some stories are engaging and fun to read, while others seem misplaced, but together they provide a good balance of adventure and personal growth.
I found the author's analysis of his adventure a bit heavy-handed. The final chapters read like an after school special, laying o...more
I found the author's analysis of his adventure a bit heavy-handed. The final chapters read like an after school special, laying o...more
Dec 22, 2012
C.L. Stambush
added it
I loved the opening but then stopped reading about 20 pages into it. The story took a turn toward the mundane. I suppose the author was tying events from his childhood into the story so readers would understand what drove him to climb all those mountains. The scene that caused me to quit had to do with him being a rather ridiculous child. While in HS he injured his hand and decided to use the injury as an excuse to not attend school or do his work. When he returned to school -- completely unprep...more
To The Last Breath: A Memoir of Going To Extremes weaves a compelling story. The woof of the book is adventure by mountain climbing and surfing exotic, faraway locations. The warp is the personal growth of a traumatized child into a decent man. You could enjoy this book just for the color of harsh travel alone. The moralizing is brief, clear and uplifting.
I think this is a great gift book for anyone who liked Moby Dick or Into Thin Air or Johnny Tremain.
I think this is a great gift book for anyone who liked Moby Dick or Into Thin Air or Johnny Tremain.
True story of Francis Slakey's travels as he aims to climb the highest mountains
and surf a wave in every ocean. He is a science teacher so he has the time to make
these journeys, which I believe took 12 years to complete. He encounters some amazing
people along the way and shares his travel stories with his readers. At the end of his
journey he is a different person and a much better teacher to his students. A very
entertaining read.
and surf a wave in every ocean. He is a science teacher so he has the time to make
these journeys, which I believe took 12 years to complete. He encounters some amazing
people along the way and shares his travel stories with his readers. At the end of his
journey he is a different person and a much better teacher to his students. A very
entertaining read.
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Francis Slakey is the Upjohn Lecturer on Physics and Public Policy at Georgetown University and the Associate Director of Public Affairs at the American Physical Society, where his focus is the intersection of science and society.
The founder and co-director of the Program on Science in the Public Interest, a Lemelson Associate of the Smithsonian Institution, and a MacArthur Scholar, Dr. Slakey has...more
More about Francis Slakey...
The founder and co-director of the Program on Science in the Public Interest, a Lemelson Associate of the Smithsonian Institution, and a MacArthur Scholar, Dr. Slakey has...more
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“If you get to the end of your life and you have regrets that you could have done better, then you blew it.”
—
3 people liked it
“It is remarkable, the lines that connect people. You can strike up a conversation with someone, a stranger even, and discover that you have a friend in common, that your aunts were from the same town, or that his best friend can grease your way into Bhutan. It seems on those occasions that we are all like strands of DNA, spun around each other in a double helix.”
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1 person liked it
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21 de Sep 15:47
21 de Sep 16:04