Product Description
New in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series: instruction for the beginning to intermediate rock climber by an internationally known guide.

*Author is an American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified rock guide and instructor
*Learning exercises reinforce key skills
*Step-by-step technique illustrated in over 150 photos
Craig Luebben has taught rock climbing basics to hundreds of clients and has conducted self-rescue clinics across the U.S. Here he presents the most common foot positions, hand grips, and body positions and how to use them precisely, from the smear to the crimp to the twistlock. Going beyond static moves, he emphasizes a dynamic style of movement for the greatest climbing efficiency--a style that makes the most of your strength and your time on the rock.

With an emphasis on safety and how to stay within your abilities, Luebben teaches how to evaluate potential hazards and then avoid them. Topics addressed include: risk management, face climbing, crack climbing, gear, knots, anchors, belaying, toproping, sport climbing, trad climbing, multi-pitch free climbs, rappelling, aid climbing, bouldering, training, and self-rescue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

helps
most of what this book covers lets the reader know the slow and cautious way to go about climbing but what i really liked was the small useful tips that littered the pages.

things likehand placement, planning your route,types of grips and exercises for optimizing your ability to not get stuck.

the real benefit of this book, though is the way it hammers home the type of mindset you need to really acheive your climbing goals, the way in which one should try and tackle a climb and the way to keep looking for alternative routes throughout your accent.

Perfect book for anyone interested in climbing
I bought this book along with "Rock Climbing Anchors: A Comprehensive Guide" by the same author. And I just want to say that these books are terrific. A definite must for the bookshelf of anyone interested in climbing.

This book is well written and details many anchoring systems, knots, climbing skills, etc. This book is great if you are interested in any sort of outdoor climbing and if you have any questions about just about any topic in rock climbing at all. And, for more seasoned climbers this book offers many technical tips and suggestions that may make you look at some things in a different (more helpful way).

Bottom line: If you are going to be climbing at all, BUY THIS BOOK.

Practise, but be aware
that the best instructions you get from Luebben and the skills you acquire are no match for Mother Nature.Craig Luebben is dead after being hit by debris from falling ice in the North Cascades 2009.

Poor book
Definitely not the best book out there. I've read a bunch of this books and actually wish I wouldn't spend the money on this one... may be you want to try another one.

Needs better illustrations
It's an easy read and it gives a lot of good information, but I think the illustrations were lacking.Especially the sections of tying knots (it seemed like he was missing steps at times) and equipment descriptions (he'd name off all sorts of gear, but not show a picture of each one).The pictures are in black and white, so it didn't seem like you'd have to try very hard to include lots of them.

I wasn't thinking of using the book as a training manual, but I wanted to make sure I had the concepts right when taking my classes, so I would know the questions I needed to ask. ... Read more

Product Description
When your climbing team is in trouble on the mountain—how to get yourself out of a jam without calling 911. • Self-rescue procedures for teams of two—the most common climbing party size • Techniques equally effective on rock, snow, and ice • Utilizes gear climbers already carry in their rack • Includes 40 one-page rescue scenarios and solutions for analysis The rope is stuck—or too short. A crucial piece of gear is MIA. You’ve wandered off route into dicey terrain. An injury leaves you or your partner in need of help. Climb long enough and finding yourself in a jam far from help is inevitable. In Climbing: Self Rescue, two longtime climbing instructors and guides teach how to improvise your own solutions, calling for outside help only when necessary.

Because few climbers carry fancy (and expensive) search and rescue gear, all skills taught in this book use the items typically found on a climbing rack: rope, carabiners, slings, and cord. Text, illustrations, and photos explain knots, belaying and hauling systems, rappelling, ascension, passing knots, how to safely assist and rig an injured climber, and more. Roughly half of the book is devoted to real-life climbing scenarios and solutions ranging from moderate to severe. Because real-life situations rarely unfold as they do in practice, Climbing Self-Rescue teaches how to analyze and improvise your way out of a crisis.

ANDY TYSON is a guide for Alpine Ascents, Exum and Antarctic-logistics and Expeditions. MOLLY LOOMIS is an instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Alpine Ascents and Prescott College. Tyson is the author of Glacier Mountaineering; Loomis has written for Rock & Ice, Climbing, She Sends, and other publications. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A Must Read...
If you plan to climb more then one pitch or with other climbers as you should be... take a few hours out of your day to learn this information. Escaping the belay is a important process, and this book shows how to do so in several different situations. Rigging for raise and lowering is also covered very well, along with rescue situations and Reppel setup and backup. I still refer back to mine regulatly to ensure im doin things correctly. If your not sure about how you would pass a knot or raise an injuryed second this book can help.

knowledge that could keep you alive
I own Sylvan Rocks Climbing School here in the Black Hills of South Dakota.I see more epics (with other parties) then I care to admit.If you are going out climbing, the knowledge in this book is no optional.Gravity plays for keeps and when something bad starts and gravity takes over, its hard to stop.When it does stop, if you know how to pick up the pieces and use the knowledge offered up in this book, you will greatly improve your chances of getting yourself and your partner down safely.

Sending your project climb is perhaps more fun, but taking the time to read and practice the techniques laid out in these pages is essential knowledge.Going climbing without understanding the basics of self rescue is like driving without a seat belt.Its all fine until you need it.

When we have guest that comes to us wanting to learn how to use these skills I recommend they read this book before they spend the day with us.

Good knowledge to have in your head
Must read if you take climbing seriously. It's a book to have in your bag and in your head!

Indispensible
I've been climbing sport for about a year and a half, some multi-pitch.Just started leading trad this season, thought it was time to learn how to manage accidents/crises.This book has been just right for me.I have Freedom of the Hills, but this covers self-rescue in more depth ("self" means your party, as opposed to calling for search and rescue).It touches just briefly on ice climbing/big wall, covering topics that are applicable to most types of climbing.Table of contents: The Basics, Rescue Knots, Escaping a Belay, Descending, Ascending, Raising, Passing Knots, Scenarios and Solutions, Getting Outside Help (33 pages of 29 scenarios/solutions).The authors do a nice job of directing you to other resources outside the scope of the book.Concise, well organized chapters that build on each other logically.Set up to read straight through but also easy to reference specific topics/knots.Easy to follow diagrams/instructions.Nice mix of photos/illustrations.

Excellent, but suited for more advanced climbers
Ok, I'm fairly new to outdoor climbing, and if I got into some of the situations described here, I would just hang on the rope and scream like a little girl until someone more experienced told me what to do.

That said, if you're willing to spend several hours practicing the techniques, this book will boost your confidence considerably. I think it's more applicable to multipitch climbs, however the techniques are applicable to rappelling as well.

Don't expect to read it and know how to traverse a knot while rappelling. Until you try the techniques a few times and get familiar, you shouldn't trust them while on the rock. ... Read more

Product Description
New in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series: everything climbers need to know about setting climbing anchors, in one comprehensive guide

· Author is an American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA) certified rock guide and instructor
· Learning exercises reinforce key skills
· Proper gear placement shown in more than 300 photos

Climbing anchors allow climbers to safely defy gravity. Solid anchors and proper rope techniques can prevent a fall from turning into a catastrophe, while bad anchors are an accident waiting to happen, says certified guide Craig Luebben, who invented his own type of climbing protection, the Big Bro. Since then, he has taught rock climbing to hundreds of clients and has conducted self-rescue clinics across the United States. He distills more than twenty-five years of experience into Rock Climbing Anchors.

This new entry in the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series, for intermediate-to-advanced climbers, presents modern anchoring ideas and techniques for top-roping, rappelling, sport climbing, traditional rock climbing, and mountaineering—all in one comprehensive guide. Luebben covers the finer points of all types of commonly used anchors: removable anchors including hexes, wired nuts, tri-cams, expanding wedges, expandable tubes, and cams; natural anchors such as trees and boulders; and fixed anchors like bolts and pitons. Photos show a variety of gear placements, accompanied by discussion of the pros and cons of each. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Detailed and Lots of Pictures
I really like this book for the descriptive content. The language is very appropriate mixing physics and theoretical concepts without making it unreadable. Lots of pictures showing good and bad placement of gear. Just what I expected from an anchor book.

A must have for any climber
I bought this book along with "Rock Climbing: Mastering Basic Skills". And I just want to say that these books are terrific. A definite must for the bookshelf of anyone interested in climbing.

This book is well written and has many illustrations to go along with the descriptions of more anchoring systems than I knew existed. The only down side to this book is that some of the photographs do not show the intended information as clearly as they maybe should.

Bottom line: Buy it, you won't regret it!

Great book
Very hands on informative information which has been tested by thousands of climbers and includes aspects as security and speed.

A must in every climber's bag
All the knowledge that you need to know and hopefully won't need to use ever. It's a most for every serious climber.

The best I've found, practically encyclopedic
Much better than the `other' climbing anchors book.Not only more comprehensive, but lacking some misinformation that can be found elsewhere.Describes and provides photos of nearly every technique I've ever learned, plus some new ones. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (4)

The best resource for disciplined climbers
This book helped me a lot to improve in many aspects of climbing, and setup a serious training regime with real objectives. I helps you to work in conditioning exercises SPECIFIC to climbing and to avoid other types of workout that may even be detrimental. I highly recommend it!

amazing book
Amazing book
I love the mental and physical training sections
however it has lack of information (pictures) in technical training

Hands-on approach with in-depth real-life tips and tricks
It is a MUST for any climber, regardless of age, sex, skills or style - it really helps one improve results fast by better understanding how the body acts and reacts before, during and after climing.

It really covers everything a climber needs to know and more.

Simply the best Training book for Climbers
Eric Horst is THE expert on training for climbing.This book is by far the most up-to-date and complete source on everything from the mental totechnical to the physical aspects relating to climbing.It provides and explains the concepts in simple terms and provides the scientific reasoning behind them.Proven strategies that work. ... Read more

Product Description
A brilliant book celebrating improbability as the engine that drives life, by the acclaimed author of The Selfish Gene and The Blind Watchmaker. The human eye is so complex and works so precisely that surely, one might believe, its current shape and function must be the product of design. How could such an intricate object have come about by chance? Tackling this subject--in writing that the New York Times called "a masterpiece"--Richard Dawkins builds a carefully reasoned and lovingly illustrated argument for evolutionary adaptation as the mechanism for life on earth. The metaphor of Mount Improbable represents the combination of perfection and improbability that is epitomized in the seemingly "designed" complexity of living things. Dawkins skillfully guides the reader on a breathtaking journey through the mountain's passes and up its many peaks to demonstrate that following the improbable path to perfection takes time. Evocative illustrations accompany Dawkins's eloquent descriptions of extraordinary adaptations such as the teeming populations of figs, the intricate silken world of spiders, and the evolution of wings on the bodies of flightless animals. And through it all runs the thread of DNA, the molecule of life, responsible for its own destiny on an unending pilgrimage through time.Climbing Mount Improbable is a book of great impact and skill, written by the most prominent Darwinian of our age.Amazon.com Review
How do species evolve? Richard Dawkins, one of the world'smost eminent zoologists, likens the process to scaling a huge,Himalaya-size peak, the Mount Improbable of his title. An alpinistdoes not leap from sea level to the summit; neither does a speciesutterly change forms overnight, but instead follows a course of"slow, cumulative, one-step-at-a-time, non-random survival ofrandom variants"--a course that Charles Darwin, Dawkins's greathero, called natural selection. Illustrating his arguments with casestudies from the natural world, such as the evolution of the eye andthe lung, and the coevolution of certain kinds of figs and wasps,Dawkins provides a vigorous, entertaining defense of key Darwinianideas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (63)

Climbing Mount Improbable
Like most of Dawkins' books, this one just rambles on and on. It's like sitting through a long and boring lecture. He makes his point and then goes over it again and again until you start wondering why you started it in the first place. I love his thoughts and ideas, but reading his text books is a real chore.

Classic unproven assumptions
So many unproven assumptions and wild speculations, along with a misuse of "possible," which can only be used correctly if non-zero probability has been demonstrated using known science.Book should be titled "Sliding Down the Slippery Slope of Mount Impossible."

Very Improbable
I climbed a lot of mountains, but the wishing well must in serious cases always be controlled by good reason. I can not see that D. gave me convincing arguments to climb that mountain.
D. is nothing more than an eloquent protagonist of the atheists of our times. The polemics can be interpreted as a reflex of the fact, that secularisation is on the retreat, as the Bitish Philosopher John Gray announced it lately. He himself is not a Christian believer, but he found that the present enmity towards religion is partly a reaction of the retreat of secularisation.
I also find the argumentation of such people like D. Sam Harris, Philip Pillman, Christopher Hitchens and others not serious or respectable from a scientific view, rather zelous. I think they have to learn to accept that it is the Christian fundament that enables the free discussion of our times at all. There is no way out, if you read the New Testament that it stands for freedom of thought and belief.
Our western society is based on Christian history and Christian principles, at least since we had the reformation, like it or not!. So far critics that make Christianity responsible for lack of freedom, intolerance and wars go far away of what is the question. It must also be remembered that the most central point of departure of atheism critics is the free will of very biblical origin. The free will of man is already of central meaning in the Genesis.
I think that D. makes the same mistake as so many before him. He blames the Christian belief instead the (so-called-) Christians. The Christians deserve all critics. But atheists do stand in the glass house. Sometimes scientific knowledge is taken erroneously for "truth". This is dangerous.
This creates "scientific" fundamentalists and fanatics. Hitler was a big friend of science and Darwinism. And both served his racism! The Holocaust would have been possible without Atheism, but it would not have been possible with true Christianity. The cult about Mao or Lenin is not in opposition to atheism or communism! Atheism as political project was ruled out there. The result is always a substitute for a religion, a religion itself, which can only be hold with tyrannical means. I am no prophet to say that with people like D. in the government who make their credo their political will, we would face nothing more than another dictatorship.
D. has nothing except his failing good reason to hinder his own falling into the trap of conceit. Science and moral do not fit in the same melting pot, you can build the nuclear bomb, and you can throw it, you do not need morale for it. Science can say that the fittest survive and some racists know the method to wipe out those who are useless eaters. It is apparent that those who adore secularism are believing in scientific development. But it is of no benefit if you do not have the right moral for it. From where do You get it? From atheism?

Like a music box that keeps on playing the same tune
The beginning of this book is wonderful: astonishing examples of animal mimicry, convergence and divergence, and the marvels of spiders' web construction. This is the sort of biology I love, and Dawkins is one of the best writers of it.

But he can't keep it up for long. Almost at the beginning we start to see little hints that this is not just a book of biological wonders - well, the title really gives it away, but then there are things like that word "designoid", and soon we have another lesson on the biomorphs from The Blind Watchmaker. Finally he can restrain himself no longer, and we find ourselves among the usual Dawkinsian obsessions: natural selection is the solution to all problems, everything is possible if we divide into a sufficiently large number of steps, evolution is not random, design is an illusion, God would have to be impossibly complex, and so on.

He is really writing the same book over and over, changing the title and the details, but the message remains the same. The fascinating thing is that you could swap whole paragraphs from one Dawkins book to another and no one would notice. And yet each book is apparently written as if the reader has not read any of the others.

To use an evolutionary metaphor, Dawkins' books are like a virus which keeps mutating, changing its coat so we don't recognise it, while it keeps trying to inject the same essential message into our minds.

STILL AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT IMPROBABLE

I read CLIMBING MOUNT IMPROBABLE many years ago.I consider it Dawkins's best work.Since I accept the fact of evolution no less than he does, I have no argument with his explanation of the mechanisms by which improbable evolutionary structures evolved.It is his understanding of the nature of these mechanisms as blind and random that I find completely unconvincing.This review is an elaboration of why.
Among people who disagree with Dawkins's opinions it is common to point out that his views are no less fundamentalist than that of the Creationists he opposes.I am aware that he and his allies do not seem to understand what we mean by this.I shall clarify.In THE SELFISH GENE Dawkins writes that if mankind ever faces an alien race of superior technological development, the most important gauge that mankind has advanced beyond mere savagery will be the theory of evolution.He means by this, of course, the blind and random evolution he champions in his work.To be absolutely certain that thousands of years from now mankind will still believe in Dawkins's selfish gene theory signifies a dogmatic mindset.I think that Dawkins would agree that there was really nothing in THE SELFISH GENE, or in CLIMBING MOUNT IMPROBABLE, that was not already implicit Darwin's original version of the theory.In Kuhn's terminology, he was not trying to establish a new paradigm, just polish the one already in existence.In the interest of not being dogmatic myself, I try to be open-minded to the possibility that Dawkins might be right.But my conviction nonetheless is that he is wrong, and the evidence is really not with him.
Whenever somebody opposes the selfish-gene theory of evolution, there are always people who start ranting about how opposed true science is to the pseudo-scientific theory of Intelligent Design, as if these were the only two conceivable possibilities.It is true, as the ID people insist, that evolution is merely a theory; but gravity is merely a theory also.A theory is the best explanation scientists have for an observable fact, and evolution is just as observably factual as gravity.On the other hand, there have been several theories of gravity, which were all the best explanation thinkers had in their times for the fact of gravity.Physicists are quite confident that the current theory of gravity is unlikely to be replaced by a radically different explanation, but not many of them would dogmatically insist that this could not possibly happen.This is true because science and dogmatism are inherently antithetical.
In a brief review of THE SELFISH GENE I pointed out that Dawkins's theory implies intelligent design.I was being deliberately provocative but not facetious.Explicit in the idea of selfish genes is the idea of determinism.Given the properties of subatomic particles, atoms, and molecules, and their original state of motion instigated by the Big Bang, determinism insists that nothing in the universe could have happened differently than it did.Although the indeterminism of quantum mechanics frees the universe from the clock-work determinism envisioned by nineteenth century physicists such as Laplace, since indeterministic events are blind and random, they would mostly just cancel out.A critic of this review pointed out that determinism does not mean predeterminism.What I am sure he meant by that is that it does not imply INTENTIONAL predeterminism.However, determinism clearly does mean that the events of the universe are predetermined by its initial state. Since consciousness is not an intrinsic part of the universe, the fact that the development of life intelligent enough to reflect upon its origins was a necessary consequence of these initial conditions is mere happenstance.That our existence is merely a fluke is so obviously true that to think otherwise is evidence of foggy-brained superstition.
Life relies upon the perfect meshing of highly complex and specifically-shaped molecules.Protein polymers can consist of hundreds of amino acids that must in turn fold up in unique shapes if they are to function correctly.Even just one mistake in this specific sequence means that the protein will malfunction.These proteins are in turn formed by far more complicated DNA sequences that, of course, had no idea that they were forming proteins. For even the simplest life to have formed in the first place, hundreds of these molecules had to have preformed so and interlock perfectly together in order to self-assemble into an unimaginably complex "gene machine" capable of extracting energy from its environment and replicating itself.This is the process that Michael Behe refers to as `irreducible complexity."We do not have to agree with him that this is proof of Intelligent Design, but if I ID and sheer coincidence were the only two possible choices, I would have to go with ID.
The popular explanations for how these complex molecules could have developed in a blind and random manner are frankly so laughably inept that I can scarcely believe they are intended seriously.For instance, one of them informs us that if we looked at the birthdates of thirty randomly chosen people they would form a highly specific pattern that would be nearly impossible to form by mere coincidence, and yet there it is.Of course, this pattern is not required to mesh perfectly with a random selection of birthdays of a different group of thirty people to perform a specific function.Another argument assures us that although a million monkeys randomly typing at typewriters would require far more than fifteen billion years to write one of Shakespeare's sonnets, if each correct letter the monkey happened to type was maintained in its correct position, the sonnet could be written within a few months (or whatever).This experiment has been successfully performed with computers taking the place of monkeys.If this is really supposed to be a model of how complex molecules form, it is obviously a model for Intelligent Design rather than selfish genes.Another argument is that in many cases complexity is often more obviously the result of random forces than a far simpler construct.For instance, a stone cut into the shape of a cube is far simpler than a stone shaped randomly by the forces of nature.There are two things wrong with this.One, the randomly shaped stone is not required to function perfectly with other randomly shaped stones to perform a specific task.Two, the cube could only have been shaped by highly complex organism.Better arguments than these must exist, but these are the ones available on the Internet for the public; these are the arguments that I hear from the students in my philosophy class who are sufficiently intellectual to be interested in the issue.
While Dawkins's explanations of how improbable organic structures, such as eyes and wings, are clearly brilliant, he does ignore the enormous biochemical complexity inherent in these changes.An example I often like to use is that of the fluke worm. In one phase of its life cycle the fluke inhabits ants that must be eaten by cattle.Since ants are naturally stay on the ground they would not ordinarily be ingested by cattle.In order to be sure that they get eaten, the fluke interferes with the ants' nervous system in such a way as to cause it to climb to the top of grass blades that the cattle will eat.This suicidal behavioral change would require several highly specific alterations in the ants' nervous system that must have occurred more-or-less simultaneously.This example is certainly not evidence for Intelligent Design.I at least would hope that a Supreme Intelligence capable of designing such complexity would not be responsible for something so bizarre and ugly.In fact, there is no better argument against ID than the existence of such parasites as the malarial plasmodium -- unless the Intelligence is sadistic and malevolent.But it is at least reasonable to believe that some primordial awareness must have been involved.
A universe that had no awareness of its existence would be essentially indistinguishable from non-existence.The fact that consciousness exists proves that this self-awareness existed potentially from the very beginning.Dawkins insists that this potential was accidental, while I am convinced that it was intrinsic.The overwhelming majority of scientists disagree with the notion of the intrinsic existence of consciousness. However, their disagreement often seems to result from the repulsion inspired by "creation science," which is clearly dogmatic faith rather than science.On the other hand, the fact that science is only capable of exploring the physical universe does not logically lead to the conclusion that only the physical universe has real existence. If consciousness does have intrinsic existence, then it follows that evolution is not blind, but proceeds along lines leading to a level of complexity capable of self-reflection.If this is true, then evolution is at a stage where we are required to be active participants, since most people are more inclined to hide behind comforting dogmatic belief than to struggle to greater self-awareness.Dawkins is wonderfully proficient at pointing out the dogmatism of religion, but blind to the dogmatism of materialism.


... Read more

Product Description
Jewish by birth, though from a secular family, Alan Morinis explored Hinduism and Buddhism as a young man. But in 1997, in the face of personal crisis, he turned to his Jewish heritage for guidance. In his reading he happened upon a Jewish spiritual tradition called Mussar. Gradually he realized that he had stumbled upon an insightful discipline for self-development, complete with meditative, contemplative, and other well-developed transformative practices designed to penetrate the deepest roots of the inner life.

Eventually reaching the limits of what he could learn on his own, he decided to seek out a Mussar teacher. This was not an easy task, since almost the entire world of the Mussar tradition had been wiped out in the Holocaust. In time, he found an accomplished master who stood in an unbroken line of transmission of the Mussar tradition, and who lived in the center of a community of Orthodox Jews on Long Island. This book tells the story of Morinis’s journey to meet his teacher and what he learned from him, revealing the central teachings and practices that are the spiritual treasury and legacy of Mussar.

To learn more about the author, Alan Morinis, go to www.mussarinstitute.org. Amazon.com Review
How can a person be generous to the poor when his own bank account is almost empty? Mussar, a thousand-year-old Jewish spiritual tradition, offers answers to this and many other questions regarding the distance between religious ideals and everyday realities, as Alan Morinis explains inClimbing Jacob's Ladder. Morinis, a Canadian baby boomer who grew up to become a Rhodes Scholar, anthropologist, and film producer, discoveredMussar teachings at the low point of his midlife crisis. After he made some high-flying business deals that crashed, Morinis found reassurance in the Mussar idea that human life is holy and people can improve themselves. And Mussar, a system of ethical discipline conceived by Orthodox Jews to help them meet thedemanding requirements of observant life, does seem perfectly designed for readers seeking step-by-step instruction for building or rebuilding their spiritual lives. In Climbing Jacob's Ladder Morinis tells the story of how he used Mussar to climb back up to holy life and invites readers to come along on his ascent. --Michael Joseph Gross ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

one man's journey to a vibrant jewish self
Alan Morinis is pioneering the rediscovery of the Jewish practice of Mussar, which
may be thought of as the personal growth practices branch of Judaism. In this book, he recounts
his experience with Rabbi Perr, a modern day Mussar teacher, who embodies the quest for
awareness, accountability, realness, unflinching honesty, and lovingkindness that one embraces
on the path of mUssar. THe book is touching, deeply engaging, and also useful and informative
for one's own practice. Highly recommended!

Road Marker
This is one of those books you look for to guide you down the true path to correct worship of The Most High.
If you have ever asked,"Is this it,is this all there is", this is a book for you.

Climbing Jacob's Ladder
I picked this book up while looking for more books by Pema Chodron. It was not recommended to me. I found it an astounding read. It is full of everyday useful, insightful, and spiritually nourishing information about a sect of Judaism not known to me. It is easy to read and quite inspiring. The author has started an institute that welcomes all faiths to learn more about Mussar. Everyone should have a copy!!!

outstanding
This book is well written and flows.The subject will interest all those who are not afraid of introspection, who are not looking for a shortcut to a happier and fulfiling life and who have the perseverence to persist to reach a long term goal.

a pleasant little book . . .
with, as other reviewers pointed out, a nice selection of practical exercises, like holding a rubber band or some other talisman when you get angry (to remind yourself that almost everyone gets angry and has to get over it), concentrating on one or two words when praying, and trying to think about the positive good you can help create when you are engaged in social action (rather than on who you are angry at for creating the problem). ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (12)

to bad no color pictures
I have the field guide and its all you need... they are the same book.. this one goes into a little more detail but whatev..

Climbing Anchors, 2nd Ed - Review
I found this book to be informative, well presented and enjoyable.
I am still getting my head around the technical material. It does make sense and I will be using it in my climbing endeavours.
One thing that bothered me was the changes in the closeup photos.
I would recommend this book to all climbers planning to leave the gym and head outdoors.

A Wonderful Resource
A great way to learn the fundamentals for new trad climbers, but also a useful reference for everybody else.Clear prose and good illustrations make a technical subject easy to follow.This book should be on every climber's bookshelf.

Should be mandatory for all climbers
Many sections wouldn't apply to a sport climber, but even if you're just top-roping, reading this book is more than worth the time and money. It's more like a toolbox than a how-to guide. Even if you have zero interest in trad, it's nice to know how to place a nut or cam when you have a fifteen foot runout between bolts.

Required reading for outdoor climbers
I was just starting out on outdoor climbing this year when I decided I had to get this book. 'Climbing Anchors' sounded to me at first like it dealt purely with setting up top-rope and belay anchors, but it has a wealth of information on placing trad gear as well.

The first half has detailed discussions on the different types of pro, ranging from natural pro to passive/active pieces and fixed gear. John Long talks about how (and how not to) use these protection systems. It's still pretty up-to-date circa 2008, with the only omission I can think of being the Omega Linkcams.

The latter part deals with falls forces and anchor-building, with a large portion devoted to equalizing anchors. Near the end Long introduces a new equalizing system called the equalette, which is both (somewhat) self-equalizing and resistant to shock loading if a component fails.

After reading this book, I gained enough confidence in gear placement that I was leading easy trad within my first season of outdoor climbing.

The book is well-illustrated throughout with both photographs and diagrams, and the author's assertions are backed with test data where available. It's also surprisingly readable, with the history of the various pieces of gear thrown in, as well as humorous anecdotes from his own climbing career.

Overall an important book for climbers and aspiring climbers to read.
... Read more

Product Description
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 a time.

For eighteen years 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.

A preternaturally cautious climber who once turned back 300 feet from the top of Everest but who would not shrink from a peak (Annapurna) known to claim the life of one climber for every two who reached its summit, Viesturs lives by an unyielding motto, “Reaching the summit is optional. Getting down is mandatory.” It is with this philosophy that he vividly describes fatal errors in judgment made by his fellow climbers as well as a few of his own close calls and gallant rescues. And, for the first time, he details his own pivotal and heroic role in the 1996 Everest disaster made famous in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air.

In addition to the raw excitement of Viesturs’s odyssey, No Shortcuts to the Top is leavened with many funny moments revealing the camaraderie between climbers. It is more than the first full account of one of the staggering accomplishments of our time; it is a portrait of a brave and devoted family man and his beliefs that shaped this most perilous and magnificent pursuit. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (74)

Vicarious Adventurism at it's best
I've read a fair number of mountaineering books and think this is easily one of the best (along with Krakauer's Into Thin Air). Most of us won't have the opportunity to climb Everest or Annapurna, but Viesturs makes you feel like you're right there along side of him as he summits the world's tallest peaks. The storytelling is great, and is a good mix of humor and adrenaline. Highly recommend.

Deeply Moving - Reading this is an Extraordinary Experience
No book I have read this year has affected me as greatly as "No Shortcuts to the Top".I was not expecting much, but this is the most inspiring book I have experienced in years.I write "experienced" not "read" because I truly felt like I was along with the author, sharing the climbs with him. In "No Shortcuts," Ed Viesturs tells the tale of his attempts at all 14 peaks in the world that are over 8000 meters.These summits are in the "death zone" in which humans can not survive long and he set out to climb all of them, without using bottled oxygen.

Ed details his heroics with perfect pacing.By telling us his background and early struggles, we bond with him and understand how very difficult his achievements are.He gives the perfect amount of detail- enough to convey an appreciation of what he accomplished, without being bogged down.

His stories of the deaths of his fellow friends and climbers were haunting.At points during this book, tears came to my eyes.After reading "Into Thin Air", I assumed that most of the deaths on these mountains were of "weekend warrior" amateurs.To the contrary, many of the deaths were extremely experienced, capable mountaineers.These mountains demand respect - even by the best climbers in the world.

Ed Viesturs is a hero, a super "everyman" who set an 18-year goal for himself, planned, trained and acted to achieve it.There is a lot of wisdom here - the idea of respecting the mountain, setting goals, suffering, enjoying the process. The lesson he shares that "getting to the summit is optional, getting down is mandatory" has deep meaning for all of us in other endeavors of life.

Ed has no agenda; the book is not didactic- any connection we make with his mountains and our ordinary lives is purely personal. At the end of the book, he ponders whether there is any meaning in what he does- he's "not saving the world" after all.I can hardly think of an endeavor that has more meaning- inspiring others to achieve greatness in their own lives.

I challenge you to read this book without it moving you deeply.

A good story poorly told
The writing style in this book made it difficult to read.If not for a desire to reach the goal of finishing it; there were times I definitely could have stopped a few hundred pages short.The greatest weakness I believe was the addition of quotes from others praising Ed.

Fun to read
While the book tells the story of what happened including some very dramatic events, it somehow remains too factual to evoke strong emotions from me - I never felt like I was there. I also would have appreciated a little more technical discussion about critical decisions made during the climb rather than simply stating that he decided to turn back 300 feet from the summit. The main character has had incredible experiences climbing tall mountains. Unfortunately his prose is unconvincing. A good editor could have vastly improved the book. Many of the passages that are meant to be humorous simply aren't. The numerous quotes from other people describing him as a great person, climber or as having had a big impact on them make Ed seem boastful.

Great Book with Universal Appeal
Ed Viesturs has written an adventure book detailing his life and ordeal to climb the worlds 14 highest peaks.

What I like most about the narrative is the universal appeal of Ed's storystruggle 'to get to the top' is his down to earth understanding of competition, managing risks, dealing with corporations, balancing family and work, sacrifice, trusting yourself, training, death, career choices, and sport.

In short I think most people, regardless of their field of endeavor, will gain perspective reading this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Climbers at all levels benefit from working to build core strength, opening the door to higher levels of achievement. This new edition of the Mountaineers Outdoor Expert series classic is completely updated and expanded. There is new instruction on yoga, Pilates, and herbal supplements, as well as an expanded section on core training. The book contains more information about rehabilitation after an injury, plus several new training programs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

good trainging guide for climbing
Has good breakdown and suggestions to jump start cardo training specifically for climbing or trekking. I followed the cardio planning to the letter and my conditioning improved drastically.Easy to understand max performance thresholds. Good approach to pointing out what to avoid, what is myth vs fact. pay attention to the tips-he explains what NOT to do, This definitely is accurate and on spot to prevent injuries. Aerobic conditioning chapter is great. He provides a template for cardio planning. Most trainers charge and arm and leg toset this up for you.
I highly recommend purchasing a heart rate monitor for this type of training. Eventually you will be able to work out without the HR monitor since the training will teach you how to pay attention to your body's cues.

Super informative
What a great book. Awesome info. Very detailed. I took this book to work took it with me anywhere I went I couldn't put it down. There is more information in here than just about climbing. In it is nutirional information, wokout techniques and plans. Couldn't have asked for anything else to be included that wasn't already. Great for beginniners and expeienced climbers alike or anyone who wants to improve their workout or overall fitness level. Buy it. Absorb it. Enjoy it.

Very informative - great resource!!
I bought this book as a gift for my son who loves to climb.He told me this was a great resource and very informative. He was very pleased with the book - pay no attention to those reviewers who are rating this 1 star.Wonder how many mountains they have climbed??

A "Must Have" for anyone looking to improve their climbing performance
"Climbing: Training for Peak Performance," has an honored place on my book shelves, nestled between Fred Beckey's "Cascade Alpine Guides" and The American Alpine Journal collections. Soles' writing is crisp and entertaining while imparting detailed information about effective training practices. He is obviously very knowledgeable about climbing, the challenges of the sport, and the best methods of training for those challenges. A "must-have" for any climber who wants to improve their fitness level specifically to improve their climbing.

Climbing: Training for Peak Performance
Great book. Nice to get through all the nutritional information that really makes sense.

If you're going to Climb, spend the time to Train.And the best way to making training work is to "Train Smarter, not Harder" and this book Climbing: Training for Peak Performance, does just thatClimbing: Training For Peak Performance by Clyde Soles ... Read more

Product Description
Fifteen-year-old Vidya dreams of going to college— an unusual aspiration for a girl living in Britishoccupied India during World War II. Then tragedy strikes, and Vidya and her brother are forced to move into a traditional household with their extended family, where women are meant to be married, not educated. Breaking the rules, Vidya finds refuge in her grandfather’s library. But then her brother does something unthinkable, and Vidya’s life becomes a whirlwind of political and personal complications. The question is, will she be strong enough to survive? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Opinion of a fellow writer for young people
I liked this YA book very much. Though it is Vidya's story - her hopes and dreams - it also shows those of the other characters, bringing them in and adding interest and depth.All of the characters are believable - even horrible Periamma and her daughter.It was a nice touch when austere grandfather became gentler to Vidya during story - reminiscent of her own father.
The story flowed well and held my interest.It portrayed problems and stumbling blocks with action and dialogue as well as through telling. Physical settings were described well and were vital to the story - the house in Madras where women were not allowed upstairs in the men's domain, the protest march, and later violence in the streets, also the descriptions of their clothes--all projected a strong sense of place.
Vidya's struggle for knowledge and independence was admirable. I thought the book appealed to the reader's intellect and emotions about equally.It was a good mixture of facts and feelings. I thought the author did a good job showing the British dominance of the Indians, and the fact that some Indians fought for them anyway, and also reminded the reader that they were the largest volunteer group in WWII.It was a good story, well told.

An Enjoyable Read!
In Climbing the Stairs, Padma Venkatraman has created a strong, female character in 15-year old Vidya who faces numerous challenges after her father, who she idolizes, suffers irreversible brain damage in a protest march in 1940's Bombay.The incident leads to major life changes for Vidya and her family when they are forced to move in with her father's family in Southern India.The story, told through Vidya's eyes, unfolds beautifully and resolves equally so as Venkatraman blends together historical events as they relate to Britain controlled India's part in the evolution of World War II and cultural aspects of growing up in a traditional Indian household which transition Vidya from a sheltered girl to a self confident young woman with a voice of her own.This book is a wonderful coming-of-age story.Venkatraman's well developed characters and descriptions of 1940's India make the book an enjoyable read for both young and older adults.

Super Great Story
I like the story. There are a lot of culture things that I can learn from this novle. I can also learn from the girl Vydia, she is great. Though she has to face a lot of problems come from life, she still hold her dream until it becomes true.
Also, for an ESL reader, this book is easy to read and understand. After I read this book, I still sank in the story for very long time. When I face something in my life, I can think about Vydia.

Perfectly Alright
This book was just okay. The story was fine, but I was significantly annoyed with the main character's actions a lot of the time. The way she responded to certain situations didn't make sense to me. I felt like the author was trying way too hard to make a point about feminism and liberation a lot of the time, and dragged it out much farther than was necessary. I know a book is good if I'm willing to read it more than once, and this is a book that I wish I would have checked out at the library instead of purchased, because it will never be opened again. I won't recommend this book to anyone I know.

Not just for teenagers
I picked this book because I was looking for a light read to pass time. It was not only an easy read but it also provoked thought and I learnt something about traditional Indian culture and history. I am not sure why it is classified as 'young adult', that label always makes me think the book is very simplistic, unsophisticated. Nothing is farther from the truth with this one, adults will enjoy the story, I identified and empathised a lot with Vidya.Her struggle to realise her dreams rings true for everyone irrespective of whether they are in their teenage years or well into adulthood. Highly recommended for all ages ... Read more

Product Description
From the Lead Climbing Ranger for Mount Rainier National Park-all the information you need to get to the summit and back, safely.

*41 principal routes and their variations, with aerial photos and route overlays *Extensive material on Rainier's unique weather, terrain, high altitude and glacier training opportunities, and more*New sidebars on mountain history, Rainier personalities, and dramatic rescues

One of Mike Gauthier's primary duties as Lead Climbing Ranger for Mount Rainier National Park is advising climbing parties about what to expect on the mountain. Name any route on Rainier, and he can describe its rewards and specific challenges (he's summited Rainier more than 170 times during all seasons and under intense conditions). Whether you choose the classic Liberty Ridge route, the drama of Success Cleaver, or the rarely attempted Mowich Face, Gauthier provides all the details you'll need for a successful and enjoyable climb.

This new edition presents the latest information on logistics, regulations, and permits. It includes expanded material on understanding and surmounting Rainier's famed glaciers; tips on selecting a guide service; excellent mountaineering training sites around Rainier for those bound for the world's highest peaks; and bonus routes on adjacent Little Tahoma, Washington's third highest peak. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

SIMPLY THE BEST
This is the best guide book out there for Mount Rainier. I have been used this book many times and find it very helpful. It untangles the Park BS and gets you up the trail with the info you need plus it has great route pictures taken from the air... If your climbing Rainier you need this book.

The Best Guide to Climbing Rainier
The many guide books that cover Mount Rainier seem to either skim right over it or cover it in a strangely detailed way that has little assistance to the real climber.Mike Gauthier makes neither mistake.This is a clear, concise description of routes and techniques that will allow the trained climber to take on most of Rainier's routes.

The first 72 pages give an overview of the situation involved in climbing Rainier.Gautheir, head climbing ranger in the park for many years, has seen it all and clearly lays out what you can expect.This is good for the person who is not real familiar with Northwest glacier climbing or thinks "there is a trail to the top, right?"The rest of the book is dedicated to well documented route descriptions and practical advice on how to deal with special situations.He takes the best of the Fred Beckey approach to climb descriptions then tempers it with real-world information that joe-climbers like me need to know.

Great book for climbing Rainier
This is a good book for a lot of practical about climbing Rainier.The info is fairly up to date and itgives a lot of dos and dont's while on your climb.It lists the essential gear for different times of the year and also gives a detailed description of each summit route.Great reference book for those planning to climb.

Guide for Climbing up Rainier
This is a good book, written by one of the most competent guides on Rainier.It gives you the classic route (of which there are several variants) which I will hopefully attempt this spring and some much more challenging routes that involve much slogging through snow and crevasses which are only for the truly masochist among climbers.

Also has good suggestions on how to get properly conditioned, food and water tips, as well as some grate advice on the real reason to hire a guide.Great book, and good value!

Philip Corsano

This author is not just a climber, but also a rescuer.
This book is a great read for anyone interested in climbing Mt. Rainier.It seems targeted for beginner to mid-level climbers, as safety is plainly paramount.Let's not forget, Mike Gauthier is the Head Climbing Ranger at Mt. Rainier.When individuals get in trouble at Mt. Rainier, he very likely will be involved in their rescue.

The first part of the book is information about the mountain and the park.It is well written and easy to read.Even non-climbers will likely find this interesting.The latter part of the book is the actual route decriptions.They are properly brief, but descript enough to make sure the reader will be able to find their way.

This book is unique because the author approaches it as not just someone who has climbed all these routes, but more importantly someone who has been involved in years of rescues.Gauthier obviously has first hand experience climbing routes of all difficulty at Mt. Rainier, but his more valuable lessons have come from the years of rescuing.He has witnessed the mistakes climbers have made, and wisdom from those mistakes is clearly more valueable than uneventful ascents, regardless of how impressive.His writing very much encourages a trip to The Mountain, but at the same time he makes the dangers clear. ... Read more

Product Description
A handbook for experienced climbers covering all the physical and psychological aspects of climbing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Awesome book, great condition!
This book is awesome and it was sent in excellent condition.Would definitely do business with again, thanks!

This book is cult
Although it has been written 15 years ago it's anything but antiquated (apart from the cover maybe). Easy to read and very descriptive. I read it first when I started climbing 13 years ago and it has accompanied me ever since.

Climber's Training Bible
I bought this book about five years ago and have used it extensively. If you are looking for a book on how to climb, this is not the book. If, however, you are looking for a book that will maximize your physical performance and prevent injury, this is the book for you. Packed with hundreds of pages of insightful text, detailed photos and illustrations, and illuminating charts and tables, this book takes twenty-first century sports medicine and science and condenses it into a practical format for the modern climber. I highly recommend this book.

Easy to understand book giving the why and providing the how
I thoroughly enjoyed the blend of pure science and application to on rock performance.

The authors are world renowned climbers with a clear enthusiasm for the sport and lucid understanding of it's foundations.

Succinctly, the authors view performance climbing as a harmonious blend of physical and psychological factors, the former subdivided into co-ordination ( technique ),balance, endurance, strength and flexibility.

The book is premised on the concept of the weak link which determines the greatest hinderance to climbing.

For example a body builder who climbs should not work on strength but rather flexibility and technique.
Similarly, a ballerina should not work on balance and flexibility but rather strength and technique.

The key to pushing the grades is to identify your weakest link and train to improve it.

The book is replete with training regimens, exercises, and techniques which address each area stated above.

The single best strategy implicit in the book is to identify when you reach a plateau and to realize that you are now training incorrectly. You should now strive to identify what is now your weakest link and train it. This cycle should continue as long as climb and wish to improve.

A four grade improvement is possible and should be expected within 3 months of adapting your current climbing strategy to this book.

An excellent resource
This book will not tell you how to hold onto a tiny crimpy hold with one finger while your feet hunt for somewhere to stand. It WILL tell you lots of things about how muscules work, what good training looks like, and what good climbing feels like.

This is not a recipe book, because in climbing, there is no recipe. Everyone climbs under a different set of constraints - strength, weight, skill, etc. This is a book that will give you the tools you need to watch your own climbing and improve it. Read it cover to cover. ... Read more

Product Description
This intermediate guide addresses tools, skills, and techniques used in alpine terrain includng rock, snow, ice, and glaciers at moderate altitude approximately 5,000 metres and lower. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Best book on mountaineering out there
I have read them all and have been climbing for 13 years - this book is more up to date and applicable than Freedom of the Hills and delivers more practical how-to technique and information than any other single climbing book out there. I have read it so much the binding fell apart and I had to have it spiral bound. I teach mountainaineering skills to beginners often and always recommend this book to them. It is the first place I go to when I write curriculum for teaching mountaineering. Every chapter is well organized, with great photos and succincly written text, all presented in a format that the careful reader can go back to again and again to learn how to perfect the craft, because the authors are world class guides and they know what they are talking about. I would recommemend this book to every level of climber over any other book on mountaineering / alpinism . Well worth the money.

Great book
I bought this book as a gift for my brother in law at his request.He is not a frequent climber but a skilled one.He is very happy with the book.The book arrived in perfect condition and very quickly also.

Great skills book!
This is a great intstructional manual from the novice to the more experienced.Much better than Freedom of the Hills, which I also own.I also recommendExtreme Alpinism and The Mountaineering Handbook (these are arguably the 3 best books out for the alpinist).

This book is well researched and easy to read
I bought this book because I had been out of alpine climbing for 10 years and I wanted to get back into it.The authors are professional mountain guides but more than that, alpine climbing seems to be an integral part of who they are.I picked up a lot of very helpful information that covers everything from training, to equipment and boot selection, to alpine travel and avalanche knowledge. It is very suited to the Sierra Nevada range, where I do most of my climbing. This is the best book I have found on the subject.

Mountain judgment calls are everything!
Well, I am completely biased having climbed several times with Kathy.In practice, all her mountain judgment seems so seamless!One minute we're just chatting away and the next we're on an exposed ridgeline for five miles, still calm and collected.It's amazing how much judgment is about the conditions (the mountains and ours), and knowing how to read them correctly.One memorable experience was just killing some time during a complete whiteout, and seeing what was possible with a new GPS gizmo.Anyway, what I've learned from Kathy and this book?How to judge my limits far better than before.It's easy to get overconfident and stop thinking.When I'm alone in the mountains now, I actually pay attention and learn to retreat better.Those mountains will wait for another day -- although the glaciers may not! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Read widely to expand your knowledge
I have learned the most by reading widely; other authors, other perspectives. Reading Maximum Climbing, I have learned a different dimension of mental training. Eric's in-depth presentation of brain training, practical exercises, and cognitive practices, give us insights into the mental game. I have gained some insights from Maximum Climbing. You can too."
--Arno Ilgner
Author of The Rock Warrior's Way: Mental Training for Climbers ... Read more

Product Description
From the editor of Urban Climber magazine: solid, clear instruction that takes gym climbers from novice to master.

*Indoor climbing is growing rapidly-significantly faster over the past five years than surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and mountain climbing according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association*Author is a pioneering instructor and gym climbing course developer *Key exercises reinforce fundamental skills, illustrated in sequential photos

Gym climbing has evolved into a sport in its own right and Matt Burbach has been there to spur it on. He established, developed, and directed the Indoor Climbing School of Earth Treks Climbing Center in Maryland, the largest climbing gym on the east coast. Now he presents the same techniques and training exercises honed by coaching hundreds of climbers.

Burbach covers all aspects of indoor rock climbing in detail, including what to look for in a gym, analysis of equipment and how it works, proper top-rope systems management, and movement technique. More advanced indoor climbers will appreciate chapters on topics such as indoor leading, performance, competition climbing, and bouldering. For outdoor rock climbers now training in gyms, this guide aids the "reverse" transition from climbing on real rock to pulling on plastic. Throughout, Burbach not only demonstrates the proper techniques and skills, but goes one step further to explain why those practices are better. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

So, So... VERY BASIC
When I bought this book I was a novice climber, with only 4 months of work at my local gym and already this book seemed VERY basic.
Would have been good for my first two weeks at the gym, but at that point, even though I was bearly climbing above 5.10 this book didn't help at all.
I wish it would have included a 3 to 6 month comprehensive training program so I wouldn't have had to design it myself, improvising with info from this book and other internet sources.
Maybe it was that I got good guidance at my local gym which basically covered all the tips showcased in this book, but I insist, a good training program is missing here.

A good book
This book is an excellent source of information about every aspect of gym climbing. I found every chapter of it extremely helpful. The best part is that it is not a long boring book. Every bit of it contains information. The pictures help a lot.

recommendable
It is a recommendable book if you want to learn about climbing, lots of pictures that show precisely how to proceed. The best book I found so far.

If you climb you need this book!
Matt Burbach (a.k.a. M@ at Urban Climber Magazine) continues to impress with this instructive and comprehensive book on gym climbing.The photos and descriptions of everything from technique to learning how to lead are really useful for someone like me who is beginning to climb hard routes more consistently.I don't climb outdoors very often, so the other books discussing climbing on "real" rock don't really give me the information I need to improve at my local rock gym.Burbach's book is different.It is specifically geared toward "urban climbers" like myself who climb in gyms and want to improve.I recommend this book to people wanting to maximize their indoor experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Whether acclaimed food writer Madhur Jaffrey was climbing the mango trees in her grandparents' orchard in Delhi or picnicking in the Himalayan foothills on meatballs stuffed with raisins and mint, tucked into freshly baked spiced pooris, today these childhood pleasures evoke for her the tastes and textures of growing up.

This memoir is both an enormously appealing account of an unusual childhood and a testament to the power of food to prompt memory, vividly bringing to life a lost time and place. Included here are recipes for more than thirty delicious dishes that are recovered from Jaffrey’s childhood. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (15)

Biography told with humor, emphasis on food and family.
Very enjoyable account fo growing up in India. Explores food choices and experiences, plus a humorous account of family relations and interactions in an extended family.

not a cookbook not a gem but fun
I love Madhur Jaffrey.I saw her on Sara Moulton's cooking show and she inspired me to cook the daunting cuisine I loved...Indian.Spectacular and very educating cookbooks she has written.Much to the delight of my family and friends.

This is a memoir of sorts but the whole time I was reading it (despite her delightful personality) I felt I was missing something.There were nice intermittent memoirs but not a real thread that wove it all together.And the ominous descriptions of her uncle terminated with a comment that he died one day after she left India.
hmm.
I think her story is lovely but it isn't what I expected of her.But maybe that's just a testament to her expertise as a cookbook author ( no small feat!) and a PBS TV personna..she is very charming and you wish she was your neighbor or friend!

So yes, I enjoyed this book but having seen her before on TV and in cookbook form, the story was loose and needed better editing and guidance with the plot.But I read it on a wine country escape and it did serve as a lovely counterpart to my experience.
If you are at all interested in Indian cuisine, please read her many Indian cookbooks which are all superb.

A View from the Mango Tree Tops
This upbeat and lively memoir gives the reader a sweeping view of life in a large extended family of India's privileged class.Madhur Jaffrey, of cookbook fame, lets us taste the many flavors of her childhood - and all those flavors are delectable. What I liked most about this book is that Ms. Jaffrey's memoirs are not self-absorbed, but deal with the many relatives and friends who formed the pieces of her background.Food is an important element of her memories, but so is learning how to get along with varied and complex personalities of the huge family.Jaffrey knows how to give us brief but informative sketches of the family members without an overload of boring detail.Not all the relatives are completely admirable - and she is forthright in her appraisals - but underlying affection and respect shine through, especially for her parents. She brings a very different society close to us by showing human qualities that we all can understand.Her assessments of herself are equally forthright.My only wish is that she had discussed even morethe disruptions and upheavals caused by the partition of India, but she does give us a taste of the bitterness this event caused.

Climbing the Mango Tree
Very interesting book about Hindu and Muslim culture in India. The Hindu calendaris well described as are the regional foods. We're using this book for a book group and ordered several used copies. They arrived at different times, some within 5 days and one in two weeks.

Food and family flavor this memoir
Mixing together family, food, history and culture, Madhur Jaffrey gives us a fascinating glimpse of upper class life in India. Her delicious descriptions of the daily life of the privileged contrast with what many hear of the poverty and troubles of that country. There are amusing tidbits such as "the art of getting thirty people into two cars" and the mischievous "Holi" day celebrations, and an indepth look at the intricacies of life in a large extended family, plus a sprinkling of family photos. Although she delves into the darker shadows of family troubles and the consequences of WWII and political changes, Ms. Jaffrey keeps those experiences on the light side, leaving me with more questions than answers.

As with many memoirs, there is some disjointedness, but through it all there is the food - delightful, delicious, descriptions to make one drool. The average reader will undoubtedly find the recipes included at the end of the book to be daunting, but a trip to an Indian restaurant should be a most satisfying ending to this book. I enjoyed this book which offers literally a taste of India. My only question - since Madhur failed cookery in school, how did she learn to cook so well?! ... Read more

Product Description
Thousands of sport and traditional routes on the myriad golden domes offer climbers of all abilities endless variety, from classic, well-protected cracks to delicate friction faces to edgy vertical testpieces. Excellent bouldering abounds, and unsurpassed camping in the beautiful high-desert environment encourages extended stays. Simply put, no climber's career is complete without at least one trip to Joshua Tree, and many people find themselves returning year after year. The long awaited reprint of Chockstone's "Joshua Tree Rock Climbing Guide" is the most complete guide available to the area. Maps, photos, and written descriptions give climbers all the information they need to explore and enjoy one of the climbing world's most treasured resources. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

the original JTree guidebook
This book was the basis for Jtree climbing knowledge for years...Now that Randy Vogel already has another guidebook out (which is really good by the way!) and is releasing another one this upcoming January (2008) this book may become out-dated, but still a really good tool if you lack the two new volumes.

Information circa 1992: even the roads have moved!
The material in the 2nd edition is from 1992, NOT 2000 as the Amazon page says.We recently moved to Southern California, bought the book on Amazon, then went to boulder at Hidden Valley Campground.I had trouble getting my bearings... Intersection Rock was in the wrong place... the roads have all moved in that area since the book was written.I met a local in the parking lot and asked him what was up.When he saw the book in my hand he asked if I bought it at the ranger station, then complained that it was still on their shelves given how out of date it is.

I don't know if the publication date is a typo (maybe 2000 was the last reprint date?) but I'm not impressed with the book.Combine the lacking route descriptions (see other reviews) with 15 years since publication and you've got a pretty weak guide book.Spend your $33 on a better, more current book.

Great overall climbing guide
If you don't know where in JTree you would like to climb or if you plan on doing a little bit of all kinds of climbing, this is the book to have.It provides an overview for the whole area with great maps and photographs to easily locate all rocks (and there is a lot of them so the book is thick).Some of the maps and info are out of date and need to be replaced (the Hidden Valley campground/Intersection Rock map and information about showers).I also found myself constantly writing on the map page references for the different rocks.It may also be nice to include a guide on all major toprope, bouldering, and sport climbing sections, although these exist on the web.Overall, I had an amazing trip and knew where to go every day, I just wish I had more than 5 days to climb there.Ooooh, also the book doesn't tell you that you will have no finger tips left or that the ratings are really hard and you shouldn't use them :-)A 5.10c in JTree is apparently not a 5.10c anywhere else, but this is a one of a kind place!

This is the book.
There are others out there, but Vogel's Rock Climbing Joshua Tree is the definitive overall guide that both new and experienced climbers rely upon. However, for more detailed information on routes in specific areas of Joshua Tree (Lost Horse, Indian Cove, Hidden Valley, etc.), don't leave home without Alan Bartlett's excellent guides.

That said, Rock Climbing JTis and will always be a work in progress, as is any climbing guide, and should be viewed as such. Bolts on old routes can become unreliable, new routes are always being established and the ratings themselves are highly subjective. Some 5.8 routes have felt like 5.10, while another 5.8 can seem like a walk-up. Paradoxically, it is the trusted guide that can't always be trusted.

Each route has a star rating, a qualitative scoring process which is again highly subjective. Some routes have descriptions, some don't. Not all routes have accompanying photographs and in this second edition, there is still an annoyingly large number of misspellings and incorrect cross references. But as I said before, this book is a work in progress. It takes years and years of climbing prowess and research to gather information for a guide of this magnitude and despite the highly opinionated nature of this and all climbing guides, it is still an essential piece of climbing gear no Josh climber should do without.

Missing details, but great guide
This is a very comprehensive guide to Joshua Tree for climbers. It is the book that we always take with us as the defintive reference. Generally, the information is accurate and the maps detailing which rock is which in various formations is quite good.

However, there are several notable drawbacks to the book. First - the routes often have no description of them or any guidance as to the trad gear needed for a given route. Second, many of the routes for some areas do not appear in the pictures making route finding without a good desription, difficult. Third, descent information is often not found or has to be interpreted.

It may sound like there are major faults with the book, but in reality it is a good book that is very useful. Just don't expect it to tell you everything you need to know about a given crag. ... Read more

Product Description
In this stunning picture book, Steve Jenkins takes us to Mount Everest - exploring its history, geography, climate, and culture. This unique book takes readers on the ultimate adventure of climbing the great mountain. Travel along and learn what to pack for such a trek and the hardships one may suffer on the way to the top. Avalanches, frostbite, frigid temperatures, wind, and limited oxygen are just a few of the dangers that make scaling this peak one of the most extreme physical challenges one can experience. To stand on the top of Mount Everest is to stand on top of the world. With informative text and exquisitely detailed cut paper illustrations, Steve Jenkins brings this extreme journey alive for young adventurers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest
Nice to find a nonfiction book that is fairly easy to read, well told story and not condescending.

Great Facts, Interesting For Young (and older) Readers
This is a neat book.My seven year old, who has been into a real Mt. Everest phase for about six months, loves it.

In a few pages, this book clearly tells about climbing the earth's highest peak, provides a lot of really interesting factoids about Mt. Everest, maps the way up the mountain and displays some of the equipment high mountain climbers must carry.The reader will also learn about how mountains are formed, a bit about the Sherpas and their reverence for the mountain and many other interesting things.

Both my son and I have enjoyed this very much.It is a good basic book for kids who have learned to read and are moving to more challenging subjects.That this subject is interesting as well is a plus.

I couldn't decide if I liked the illustrations or not.No photos, just Eric Carle-style cut-outs (but much more realistic and finely detailed than Carle's work).The illustrations work well and are detailed, but I would have enjoyed a couple of photographs of the mountain.

A great read for kids and adults alike!
A phenomenal book that takes the reader on a trek up Mount Everest.Torn paper collage illustrations are a beautiful complement to the informative facts about Mt. Everest and mountain climbing.The book is full of fun and interesting facts.I especially appreciated the comparative illustrations that showed the relative heights of the seven highest mountains and the mountain life on Mt. Everest.

beautiful book
My children, ages 4 and 7, love this book.It is beautifully illustrated with collages (do not expect photographs).It has multiple levels of information that make it possible for the children to read it again andagain.

beautiful, creative, absorbing, and my kids love it!
I bought this book because I love Steve Jenkins' other books. His technique is so creative--the papers he uses (I wonder if he makes some of them) and how he uses them evoke so much--texture, color, temperature. My 8 and 10 year old boys loved this book, and we are Mt. Everest nuts. There'splenty of room on the bookshelf for books with photos (Ghosts of Everest:The Search for Mallory & Irvine is truly wonderful), but Jenkins' bookis not only informative--very!--but it is poetry with paper. I highlyrecommend this book, along with Jenkins' other terrific books. ... Read more

Product Description
Climbing - Philosophy for Everyone presents a collection of intellectually stimulating new essays that address the philosophical issues relating to risk, ethics, and other aspects of climbing that are of interest to everyone from novice climbers to seasoned mountaineers.

• Represents the first collection of essays to exclusively address the many philosophical aspects of climbing
• Includes essays that challenge commonly accepted views of climbing and climbing ethics
• Written accessibly, this book will appeal to everyone from novice climbers to seasoned mountaineers
• Includes a foreword written by Hans Florine

Product Description
Rock Climbing Arizona describes 20 of the state's major climbing areas, guiding traveling climbers to an outstanding sampling of the best Arizona has to offer.Easy-to-read overview maps will get you to the climbs; accurate route and topos and photos will help you get to the top; and clearly stated descent information will help get you down.Climbing hisotries, shop and gym listings, and a thorough index complete the package to make Rock Climbing Arizona an essential component of your next climbing trip to the Grand Canyon State.

Arizona is a rock climber's dream come true.High quality granite domes, hidden limestone canyons, majestic sandstone towers, and vast cliff bands of pocketed volcanic rock are only a few of the possibilities.Ascend multipitch crack and face routes at the wild and remote Cochise Stronghold, or cling to perfect edges on the crags of Mount Lemmon, the most visited climbing area in the state.Crank at popular sport climbing areas such as Jacks Canyon and Queen Creek,or push your limits on some of the most difficult climbs in the country at the Virgin River Gorge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Good general guide
Rock Climbing Arizona, like most Falcon guidebooks is a good general guidebook. It documents most of the many climbing areas in the state, and has pretty good descriptions of many of the classic routes. It also covers some areas that were previously undocumented. This guide is the perfect book for someone who is traveling through the state and wants to explore some new areas. It does lack many details and routes, so most climbers will probably end up purchasing other guidebooks for select areas.Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet ... Read more