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...
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Sep 19, 2008
Tiffany
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This book was pretty inspirational. I totally want to go out there and start climbing really big mountains too! Maybe not Everest, but Rainier? Yes! This book is super exciting at first, but then toward the end, it gets a little tiring to read. Wow! I can't believe it...another passage about yet another summit attempt of a mountain you've already climbed five times? Anyway, the guy is an awesome mountaineer and has done some amazing things, but unless you're a mountain nerd like me, you might w
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Aug 05, 2011
Agnese
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The life of a mountaineer and his pursuit of the fourteen 8000ers. A very engaging book that succeeds in depicting the passion, determination, and emotional waves that animate Viesturs and lead him repeatedly to the top of the world and from there with the same intensity back home. The last chapter is an unnecessary reiteration of the meaning of mountaineering, in which the author feels the need to explain - maybe first of all to himself - the significance of a life spent in the accomplishment
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Feb 02, 2011
StitchKitsch
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This is the autobiography of his early life and mountaineering career. Ed Viesturs was born in Rockford, Illinois to immigrant parents. From early in his life he showed dedication to accomplish large goals and was a star swimmer for his high school. In high school he read Annapurna and became infatuated with the idea of climbing. He was one of the first mountaineers to make a living out of what he loved and become a commercial climber. During college, he moved west to University of Washingt
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Jan 05, 2011
David
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Fast-paced account of the mountaineering exploits of the author, particularly his feat of reaching the summits of all 14 of the world's mountains exceeding 8,000 meters in height. Describes his relatively conservative approach to managing the risks, which led him to turn back just short of several summits due to bad weather, avalanche-risk conditions of the snow, etc. on several occasions. Annapurna in particular thwarted him several times before he finally got to the summit.
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Jun 22, 2010
Karen
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Ed Viesturs was the 6th person ever to reach all fourteen 8,000 foot peaks without supplemental oxygen. He tells his journey personally, explaining his ambition, the decisions he made, and the struggles he dealt with along the way.
I was impressed by many of the decisions he made when the goal was so close, but simply not worth the risk (i.e. turning around when the Everest is 300 feet away!). I appreciated the way he followed his instincts. He made me wish I had a dream as ambitio More...
I was impressed by many of the decisions he made when the goal was so close, but simply not worth the risk (i.e. turning around when the Everest is 300 feet away!). I appreciated the way he followed his instincts. He made me wish I had a dream as ambitio More...
Feb 17, 2010
Matt
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As many others have written, this is a thrilling recounting of many adventures, and yes, Viesturs does somehow manage to come off as a bit arrogant even while you believe that he is a good and trustworthy fellow. Maybe you just have to have a bit of an ego in order to take on such great challenges and succeed. One more substantial critique is that the chronology of the book gets confusing--he'll jump around, start talking about one expedition, then return to that expedition chapters later, by
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Mar 16, 2008
MaryBeth
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I thought this book was an excellent read. Ed's triumph of the world's 14 highest mountains is extraordinary and it was fascinating to read his detailed account of each ascent. The only drawback for me was the tone in which the book is written. Often times, Ed comes off as self righteous and pompous, but I'm not sure if that's his actual voice coming across or that of the co-author. Despite the arrogance, this book is a definite "read" for those who enjoy outdoor adventures.
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Nov 09, 2009
Katie
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Just finished reading No Shortcuts to the Top, by Ed Viesturs with David Roberts. Ed Viesturs is a celebrity on par with the greatest athletes in the world, though I suspect most people have never heard of him. I hadn't heard of him before the company I work for began sponsoring him. Wanting to find out more, I borrowed this book from my boss. In No Shortcuts to the Top, I learned much about mountain climbing-- an activity which one could say Ed Viesturs is the reigning American Champion.
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Dec 20, 2009
Michael
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Just about the fastest 350 pages. It's a truly thrilling adventure memoir. I was tempted to skip the seemingly superfluous narratives/digressions, but in the end, I found his discussions on his personal life some of the most interesting. While not as addictive as his depictions of rescues and summitting, his side narratives had a weird way of revealing his insecurities and fears. Having such lofty goals has its consequences on one's personal life. How could you be a good father when you are gone
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Jun 24, 2011
Kelly
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Ed Viesturs is one amazing guy. I told my husband that if he ever wants to climb Everest the only way I will give my consent is if Ed takes him. My husband every so often picks a new hobby and then we spend a year or so getting everything we can find related to that activity. Right now it's alpine climbing. We've read books, watched documentaries and even Hollywood movies about climbing and done our own climbing. (though were definitely newbies and are nothing even close to Ed's level) Ed's book
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Nov 10, 2009
Donald
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After reading Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" several years ago, I've slowly been making my way through books that cover the 96 season at Everest. While not focused on Everest, this book does include Ed's perspective on that disasterous season. For that alone, I liked the book.
Viesturs covers his quest to climb all the world's 8,000+ meter peaks without using bottled oxygen. As the 6th man to ever accomplish this, and the first American, he certainly is a man apart. The stor More...
Viesturs covers his quest to climb all the world's 8,000+ meter peaks without using bottled oxygen. As the 6th man to ever accomplish this, and the first American, he certainly is a man apart. The stor More...
Dec 31, 2008
Diane
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I always enjoy a good mountaineering or sailing or survival book.I like this type of book the way I like a good mystery, for its simplicity in my complex world - since these books are nonfiction they make me realize that most of the complexity I experience is probably self generated. I could never be a mountain climber and have no interest in climbing even a fairly easy peak - I just like reading about the challenges.
Ed tells a very straight forward story of his mission to climb the More...
Ed tells a very straight forward story of his mission to climb the More...
Jun 29, 2009
Adam
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Following Ed Viesturs on his Expedition 8000 was strenuous to say the least. While he claims that this is just not another climbing book, recounting his ascents, I find that to be only partially true.
The book does follow him on his journey to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks which of course is quite a laudable feat! The first half of the book does prove to be rather enticing as Viesturs recounts a number of heroic rescues that he was involved in. In no way does he do so in ord More...
The book does follow him on his journey to conquer the world's 14 highest peaks which of course is quite a laudable feat! The first half of the book does prove to be rather enticing as Viesturs recounts a number of heroic rescues that he was involved in. In no way does he do so in ord More...
Feb 24, 2011
Jyoung927
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probably more deserving of 4.5 stars, but oh well. not so much because the writing is top-notch (it's plenty good, but not the best ever), but rather because i find the man amazing. being an avid reader/watcher of all things mountain climbing, i'd for sure heard the name ed viesturs before, but never really knew much about him. it's amazing the kinds of things a man will to do achieve his dream. surely there have been better climbers, but rarely does a combination of such skill, character, and m
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Mar 17, 2009
Steve
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I liked this book, though I used to be a decent rock climber. I'm always interested in what it takes for real people to achieve major (and challenging) life goals, with integrity (unlike many CEOs these days). He balance prudence with ambition, which makes it less "sexy" in the short term but the emotional turmoil of facing those setbacks time and again is interesting to me. I learned about Annapurna being a damn tough mountain, and it was interesting to see his perspective of the d
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Jul 09, 2010
Amy
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Amazing stories about climbing the world's highest peaks, and the value of resilience in setting long-term goals.
My gripe is that the book needs a better edit. It skips back and forth in chronology in a way that I found strange at times, especially when relating a story about someone whose death had been described in previous chapters.
Also, I thought that Viesturs was a little too "kiss-and-tell" with regards to his affair with a climber who later died. His de More...
My gripe is that the book needs a better edit. It skips back and forth in chronology in a way that I found strange at times, especially when relating a story about someone whose death had been described in previous chapters.
Also, I thought that Viesturs was a little too "kiss-and-tell" with regards to his affair with a climber who later died. His de More...
Jul 02, 2010
Julia
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Normally I would not add an audio book to my list, especially an abridged on, but this audio book was well written and well read by the author, and I would recommend highly it in either audio or print form.
Viesturs is an American mountaineer. He spent 14 years trying to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world. Of special interest is the section on his 1996 climb of Mount Everest. This was a year of disaster and misjudgement that cost many people their lives, including experienced p More...
Viesturs is an American mountaineer. He spent 14 years trying to climb the 14 highest peaks in the world. Of special interest is the section on his 1996 climb of Mount Everest. This was a year of disaster and misjudgement that cost many people their lives, including experienced p More...
Jun 28, 2011
Lori
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While I found reading about all the mountain expeditions interesting, I had a problem connecting with the author. I think he reminded the reader too many times about how great he was at making decisions, what an incredible athlete he was, how attractive he was to the ladies. . . He very well may be all of these things, and he has accomplished incredible feats, but I found his propensity to brag exhausting at times. I think a friend of mine who also enjoys mountaineering books warned me away f
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Dec 29, 2010
Andrew
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Ed Viesturs is the man! You pick this book up because of the allure climbing the highest peaks in the world gives off and you don't put this book down because of the adventure and sense of accomplishment you gain from Ed's accounts, and when you finally do put the book down you find yourself wanting to quit your day job, drop everything and go climb Everest! Ed Viesturs describes an intimate relationship with the highest peaks in the world and proves that with hard work and dedication you real
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Dec 22, 2009
Lotte
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Viesturs and Roberts cover not only Viesturs' amazing climbing career but also details of the climbing experience not found in other similar books. Viesturs is a "cautious climber" who manages the risk and has proven over decades that he's willing to turn around, even near the top, when that is the prudent decision. My first time to read this quote from the 1936 ascent of Nanda Devi. In his account of summitting, British climber Tilman wrote, "I believe we so far forgot oursleves
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Jan 16, 2010
Mackenzie
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Thinking of a friend, I picked this book up at the Statesman Journal book sale. It sat on my shelf for a while. I had never heard of Ed Veisturs, so his stardom on Everest and the 13 other highest peaks was new to me. Halfway through I realize he was part of the group that filed "Everest" for Imax theatrer, a movie I saw -- with all its wonder and glory -- in an Omni Theater.
The book is fascinating, although it doesn't have the narrative, gripping plot line that I was some More...
The book is fascinating, although it doesn't have the narrative, gripping plot line that I was some More...
Jan 05, 2009
Zinta
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I was handed this book by a colleague, saying, "Hey, you're Latvian, too, aren't you?" Indeed, I am, and if perhaps my first spark of interest in this book came from that - Ed Viesturs' father, Elmars Viesturs, came to the U.S. very much by the same route as my own parents, refugees from the Soviet occupation of Latvia - then it soon enough veered far more to his achievements in mountainclimbing. I'd heard of Viesturs before. I'd seen a few film clips of his remarkable feat in summitin
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Oct 16, 2008
Mazola1
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No Shortcuts to the Top is the story of famed mountaineer Ed Viesturs' career climbing the world's highest mountains. Viesturs is only the sixth person to climb all fourteen of the world's 8000 meter mountains without supplemental oxygen. This book tells how he did it. It also offers insight into what it takes to accomplish a feat of this magnitude and live to tell about, with all his fingers and toes intact. No Shortcuts to the Top is a fascinating inside look at an inspirational achievement.
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Feb 05, 2009
Karen
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This is a fascinating look at mountaineering by arguably the world's best, or at least America's best. There are some really amazing accounts of what happens on these 8000 meter peaks. Although it is completely not in my character to ever mountain climb, for some reason I am very intrigued by it and the history of it. I found especially interesting his discussion of natural instinct -- learning to follow your instincts, and the evolution of instinct. A couple of great quotes: "If your
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Mar 17, 2008
Susan
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"For eighteen year 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."
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Jan 28, 2008
Rainbolt
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Great read. After finishing, I'm more convinced than ever that mountain climbers are a few fries short of a Happy Meal. But, should I ever get a personality transplant and decide that I would like to try mountain climbing, he is the guide I would want.
Ed's approach and philosophy are commendable (getting down is mandatory, summiting is optional), as is his determination to finish the task of climbing all the 8000+ meter peaks without bottled oxygen. Don't know many people who More...
Ed's approach and philosophy are commendable (getting down is mandatory, summiting is optional), as is his determination to finish the task of climbing all the 8000+ meter peaks without bottled oxygen. Don't know many people who More...
May 27, 2007
Erik
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What distinguishes Ed Viesturs from the lot of "Joe and I climbed a mountain" first-person narratives that are out there is not so much the scope of his achievement as the fact that he has a new climbing (and life) philosophy.
The conventional school of thought about mountain climbing, as of lately, fueled by a recent spurt of accidents and by writers like David Roberts who've experienced its dangers and triumphs firsthand, is that on the whole, it's not worth the risk. It' More...
The conventional school of thought about mountain climbing, as of lately, fueled by a recent spurt of accidents and by writers like David Roberts who've experienced its dangers and triumphs firsthand, is that on the whole, it's not worth the risk. It' More...
Jan 11, 2010
Sonja
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This was one of the best mountain climbing books I have read. Viesturs really gives one a sense of what it is like to climb mountains - re food, clothes, gear, planning, logistics, etc. He tells about his personal life, how he got interested in climbing, how he pursued it, what he learned, etc. One could visualize experiencing it all from an armchair. He really puts a personal touch on it. I'm glad he could make a living from doing something he truly enjoyed and that he survived all his cli
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Oct 01, 2009
Michelle
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While not necessarily the best written book (these types of books rarely are), I found the book entertaining. I appreciated learning more about his life as well as the lives of some of his fellow climbers. I also enjoyed the details he provided around the actual climbs, including specifics such as what he would wear, how he would camp, what he would eat/drink, and how he would use the bathroom high up on the mountain. It absolutely amazes me that people are able to climb such high peaks in su
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Dec 06, 2009
Sam
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I hear a lot of complaints about the writing in this book, but I thought the writing was good. The book was co-authored by David Roberts, who is regarded as one of the best writers in the mountaineering genre. For me, the most interesting aspect of this book was the coverage of the early 90s when Viesturs made the initially impoverishing decision to commit to high-altitude mountaineering. The decision worked to his favor, but he could not have known that at the time.
