Touch the Top of the World

In life the best stories are often from people uniquely qualified to tell them and this is definitely one of those stories. You don't have to be a climbing enthusiast to draw tremendous inspiration from Erik Weihenmayer's courage and determination in reaching the summits of the world's largest peaks under his own steam. He's not only an example for others with vision impairments or serious disabilities, he is a living example of how much more any human can achieve when they don't let the naysayers shut them down.

On 8/14/11 - my husband and I got an opportunity to hike a 13'er with Erik W. and it was an amazing unforgettable experience. He is so down-to-earth and approachable. We each got a chance to "lead" him which was an honor. I hadn't read the book before our meeting but I had brought it along for him to sign, and just now got a chance to read it and was just amazed at everything he has accomplished. A true inspiration for those with the gift of sight and I can only imagine for those without. Erik W. has discovered so many other gifts much more worthwhile.

Touch the Top of the World is really inspirational. It helps people realize that nothing is impossible.

From Publishers Weekly
In this moving and adventure-packed memoir, Weihenmayer begins with his gradual loss of sight as a very young child. By the time he became fully blind in high school, he had already developed the traits that would carry him to the summits of some of the world's highest mountains as well as onto the frequently hazardous slopes of daily life: charm, resilience, a sense of humor, a love of danger and a concern for others. His eloquent memoir exhibits all these traits. Weihenmayer--a thrill seeker who skydives, climbs mountains and skis--devotes the first half of the book to his adolescence, punctuated by his loss of sight, his mother's sudden death and his diligent efforts not only to pick up girls, but first to show more figure out which ones were attractive. With its many tales of pranks, adventures and the talents of his guide dog, this half alone is worth the price of admission. He goes on to chronicle his young adulthood, including his teaching career and his passion for climbing, seeded during a month-long skills camp for blind adolescents and blossoming on his harrowing ascent of Mount McKinley. He describes fearsome ascents of Kilimanjaro--with his fianc‚e, so they can be married near the crater summit--El Capitan and Aconcagua's Polish Glacier. Weihenmayer tells his extraordinary story with humor, honesty and vivid detail, and his fortitude and enthusiasm are deeply inspiring. With the insightful intimacy of Tom Sullivan's classic If You Could See What I Hear and the intensity of the best adventure narratives, Weihenmayer's story will appeal to a broad audience. show less

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