Ed Viesturs chronicle of his quest to climbing all fourteen 8,000s without bottled oxygen is the best mountaineering memoir in recent years. It is a personal and moving story and a great revival for those of us who prefer safe climbing. Ed has always put safety first and has been criticized by some for not having the guts to pull of spectacular climbs.

This book is proof that there are other ways to measure achievment and that a perfect safety record is at least as impressive as a daring climb. The way up to only one peak left is interesting and entertaining and the chapter on the ascent of Annapurna (which has a 41% death toll) is magnificent. Highly recommended!