Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston [book]

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston [book]

Publisher: Atria Books; Reprint edition, 2004
Language: English
Paperback: 368 pages  
ISBN: 1451618506

Plot Summary:
This is a memoir by Aron Ralston, who was a seasoned mountaineer and wilderness explorer who was determined to climb all of Colorado's peaks in the wintertime solo. In this memoir he details being trapped in the Utah wilderness and his life before the accident. Before Aron went on the adventure that put his life in peril he worked for Intel and decided that he wanted to do something different with his life- so he quit and became a wilderness adventurer, climbing, hiking and biking all over. On the day that he is trapped he fails to tell anyone where he is going and brings only the necessary tools for hiking for a short amount of time. He bikes into a canyon listening to music (Phish) and hikes in the canyon. He meets 2 women and they hike together for part of his planned journey until they break off and attempt to get him to join them; he goes his own way, but tells them that he will try to meet up later. After this he falls into his entrapment and his arm gets caught between a large 800 pound boulder and a wall of rock that are located in a slit of the canyon. The story then describes the next five days with his minimal resources that include a video camera and a too little amount of water.
During his entrapment he goes back and forth between deciding he is going to die in the canyon, devising ways to escape, and reminiscing about his life up until this point. He even creates a video to his family and family before it is his time to go that is heartfelt and tells of his belief of death in the imminent future. He knows that he is away from all civilization, that no one knows where he is and that he is in danger of dying purely do to lack of food and water- not to mention the elements. He describes every night as hell, until her eventually creates a tourniquet (he was a mechanical engineer) and makes the decision to cut his own arm off with a dull pocket knife. He then manages to escape to people and is taken to the hospital. After the novel he talks about how he still did not give up the life that he loves, even though it took his arm. He still goes on adventures and has a new outlook on life- appreciating every minute of it.

Critical Evaluation:
I think that this book was very well written, it was powerful and really captures the audience with the parallel stories of his life before the accident and his life during the accident. I think that it creates a vivid picture of someone close to death thinking back and analyzing his life before it could be over. The pictures in the book really give the story the visuals that one may need to see the dire situation that he was in by himself miles and miles from anyone. He writes from a sincere perspective and Aron really makes you feel as if the reader is with him in the days that he was trapped and coming to the realization that he would need to gather his tools to cut his arm off. The story is one that shows how short life is and about people's strong will to survive. The end of the book also presents a good vision of him continuing to do the things that he loves despite his disadvantage and life changing experience.

Reader's Annotation:
Aron is adventurous and an outdoors man, but when a typical trip turns into a nightmare, it makes Aron re-evaluate his life and make a decision that will save and change his life.

Websites to look Into:
He has no website by this has more information about him:
http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Aron-Ralston/22480941

The Author:
In 2005 Ralston became the first person to climb all 59 ranked and/or named Colorado's fronteirs solo in winter, which was the project he was working on before his accident that caused him his arm.
Awards:
Abraham Lincoln Book Award Master List
Green Mountain Book Award Master List

Similar Books:
"Into the Wild" by John Krakauer
"The Ledge" by Jim Davidson & Kevin Vaughan

Booktalking Ideas:
Comparing it the movie that was made based on the book
Talking about the dangers of not telling people where you are

Genre:
Non- Fiction, Adult Crossover

Interest Age:
16+

Challenge Issues:
Strong Imagery
This book can be a challenge because it is graphic and it contains pictures of the event that caused Aron to cut his own arm off. If anyone is squeamish it would be difficult to read, but I would combat it by saying that it is a real story and it accounts for a harrowing experience that changed a man's outlook on life.

Why this Book?
This book is a heroic tale of a man that survived by sheer willpower. I think that it is a testament to determination and the will to survive in the event of dire circumstances. It is an ideal book for young adults because it is captivating and true.