Mud blood and sweat - Bear Grylls

It says somewhere on the cover that the book is suitable for both adrenaline junkies and armchair adventurers. This is so true. It was fun reading through Grylls' autobiography which was a combination of white-knuckled adventures/accidents, love, faith, and endurance and I had to finish it in 2 nights. The autobiography began with his great grandfather Walter Smiles, who was pretty much a go-getter like him, who was in the British Air Force and Royal Navy during the First World War. He was highly decorated and earned the highest gallantry award from the Russians when he was seconded to the Russian army to fight the Turks. He was knighted in the 30s. I guess in a way that kind of determination and grit lies in the family's blood and Grylls' father although a seemingly more muted person, showed a streak of the adventurous spirit as well. Grylls and he would go on their own little trips for mountain climbing and sailing, and Grylls eventually learnt how to sail on his own at 11. He planted the idea of summitting Everest in Grylls' head; it was also his dream I guess but he didn't make it and died when Grylls was 26 and had summitted Everest 3 years ago. 

Throughout the book, you get the sense that grylls is a man who can't sit still, and who needs constant action. Throughout his childhood it'd all been what's fun and challenging. The next challenge he took on which always appeared in an intro of him was the British SAS. He failed the selection the first time round and went back for a second round of grueling tests. Such perseverance is very much admired. After a few years in the army, while skydiving, his parachute failed to launch and he broke his back. He was confined to bed for some time and that dream of Everest came to haunt him even more. by the time he recovered, he knew he would only be a liability to the army and whatever he was trained for, would never be put to any use because of his injury. He decided to quit the army and pursued his dream of climbing Everest. This worried his family, with his mother blaming his father for putting the stupid idea in his head. Through lots of effort, luck, and wit, Grylls managed to find sponsorship for his climb and began his training. While visiting a friend and training for his climb, he met his future wife, Shara. Within a fortnight, he knew this was the person he would eventually marry. However, he still had a mountain to climb and it was a dream he wouldn't give up for anything. He left his family and Shara for the 3 months' stay in the Himalayas. It was grueling to say the least, and with much luck, he survived. It fills me with a sense of wonder/ puzzlement (in a good sense of the word) me the extremes people go to , to "conquer" a mountain, oftentimes risking their lives and knowing very well, that they may die trying. Is it worth it to climb the highest mountain? I know the mountains make one feel alive and there's this strange sense of peace when you are in the midst of those majestic mountains but I'm not sure if I'd ever want to put my life in danger for that. But nonetheless, I admire mountaineers' grit and their ability to go through hell for their dream. 

I like that he mentioned about his faith in many parts of the book, how he knew it was God who had held his hand when he was afraid (although fear and Grylls didn't seem to go hand in hand) and thought he could no longer go on. How he had had many close shaves with death and escaped its clutches. How he had copied and brought along bible verses on his climb, how he mumbled verses on his long road marches. Verses from Isaiah came up a few times and coincidentally this is the book we are studying during bible study. 

The book continued with how that one Everest climb began to change his life, with him giving motivational talks around the world and eventually catching the attention of a channel 4's executive's son. This was how his tv life began. 

I also liked how he and his wife began their life together with nothing, living on a dilapidated barge on the River Thames. They eventually bought an island and led a I would imagine, quiet and simple life. 

Looking at his and his children's childhood, it seems like such a sharp contrast to the lives of children in Singapore. Their childhoods had been built around simplicity, warmth, fun and adventures (although Grylls was sent to boarding school at 8) with plenty of time spent exploring the outdoors, with less focus on academic success. Most weekends in Singapore  we see parents waiting outside tuition centers or enrichment classes for their kids.... Our society focuses so much on academic success and measure success on how high one can climb on the social ladder, and how much one can acquire. I'm sure everyone knows the value of these things- they fade and do not last, and yet, we can't help ourselves and be embroiled in the rat race. 

All in all, it's quite an inspiring and wonderful book. 8.5/10

27/5-29/5 2016

"There is no education like adversity."  Benjamin Disraeli.