Touch the Top of the World: A Blind Man's Journey to Climb Farther than the Eye Can See: My Story

by Erik Weihenmayer

Book Overview

The incredible bestselling book from the author of No Barriers and The Adversity Advantage Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that would leave him blind by the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0452282942
• Release Date: March 2002
• Publisher: Plume
• Length: 342 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

To blindly go where no man has gone before...

Ok, that's not true. But Erik Weihenmayer has gone where no blind man has gone before and very few men and women with 20/20 vision will be able to follow his footsteps.This is more than a mountaineering book: it's the life story about a child who had to grow up with a visual handicap that put him more and more in the dark. First unwilling to accept this fact, but later unwilling to accept society's view of blind people. Being a good climber he just didn't quit because of his blindness, but found new ways of reaching the top, culminating in climbing the top of the world, Mt Everest and becoming one of the few people who have climbed the "7 summits".This is an amazing story about courage, and vision in more meanings of the word. Erik has climbed Denali, Aconcagua, El Capitan and Everest amongst others. But he also moved to a new state whilst being completely blind, trained his dog, fell in love, got married on the top of a continent, led a fellow climber through the dark woods and many other things you might not expect from a blind man.Although a close relative of mine has a blinding eye disease as well, this book inspired myself personally to just go out and do it, whatever 'it' is for me. Great inspiration and entertainingly written.This new edition contains a new part about the Everest climb which was not included in the older editions.

Excellent!

The author is a young, totally blind man who has climbed many of the world's tallest peaks, and in May of 2001 conquered Everest. This is quite an extraordinary story of his life thus far, and he tells the tale with wit, power, and insight way beyond his years. I especially liked his delightful treatment of his first experience in mingling with other blind youngsters; he shares both his painful and joyful moments with frankness and insight. His account of getting to know a pretty girl in the group and coming to understand her beauty as a thing of many dimensions, far beyond vision is so richly evocative and moving it'll bring tears to your eyes. Give yourself a treat and get this book.

A Triumphant Life

This is an ease read but surprisingly soul-awakening book for me. There are statements on life lessons strung together like jewels hidden everywhere in this book, from the start to finish, mostly on self-assumed constraints that are common to everyone, sighted or not. I found vicariously the family love, friendship, and community support invigorating. I sensed the humor, strength, commitment, and perseverance Erik W carries with him daily, not just to the mountain top, which makes this book an absolute page-turner. Thanks Erik W for writing this book and share intimately with the readers the details of your journeys and the poeple in your life, we all have a lot to learn and draw from your experiences touched by the top of the world.

Just Terrific

This is just a terrific book, filled with humor, wisdom, pathos and adventure. The author poignantly describes his childhood descent into blindness, his efforts to ignore it, his initial rebelliousness, and his gradual coming to terms with his handicap. Before long, the reader, like Erik, no longer sees blindness as a handicap, but as one of many hurdles life tosses in our way. It is certainly less of a burden to him than was the sudden, tragic death of his mother, which he movingly addresses and comes to terms with. He finds purpose to his life, he finds love, and he finds friendship and adventure on the mountains that he climbs. Buy this book and give it to any friend who has an inclination toward self-pity, and it may change their life. Read it and be inspired by the resiliency and strength of the human spirit.

This Book Has Changed My Life

There are few books which really change the way you think about how you approach your life. This is definitely one. In his youth, Erik encountered two losses which would devastate most of us, gradually losing his sight and, just when he seemed to be starting to fight his way through that trauma, losing his mom to a car accident. Amazingly, he collected himself, with the help of his teachers and school counselors, and the very strong support of his family. His dad encouraged him to join the wrestling team, and a blindness school offered up a program in rock climbing, and Erik was on his way. He began to shape a vision for his life which would guide him to this day. He wanted to live an independent life, live by his own rules. He wanted to cast aside the limitations which others imposed on him, and rise to the level of his own God-given potential. And he wanted to live an extraordinary life, not just an ordinary one.He lives with this uplifting view of life. The glass is always half full. Blindness is just a nuisance. He can't play baseball, but he can climb, so it doesn't matter. When he cannot do something at first, he doesn't attribute his failure to blindness, but to the fact that he hasn't discovered YET the secret system which will help him accomplish his goal. These uplifting messages are told through his unbelievable and sometimes outragous tales, with humor that has you laughing out loud, even if you're in a crowd; and with both victories and defeats which keep your emotions on a rollercoaster ride. Keep a handerchief handy. This is one of the best books I have ever read, and it has encouraged me to live my life with even more zest and adventure. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down. Wow!