emmajolly 's review for:

Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls

5.0

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Hugely inspiring, easy to read, and thoroughly enjoyable: I liked this more than I thought I would. Bear comes across as humble, kind, and honest. His loyalty to his family, friends, and military/work colleagues are evident throughout the book. I was impressed by his strong faith and the role it played (along with the support and teamwork of family/friends/colleagues) in keeping Bear alive through his SAS selection, and, even more dramatically, on Everest. The Everest section was quite long but, despite not being particularly interested in mountaineering, I remaining gripped throughout. (And I loved the detail of how he found a financial sponsor for the trip!)

The following passage for me sums up the attitude Bear shows consistently in his autobiography:
"But I do possess an acute awareness that, through it all, someone has been blessing me greatly.
Make no mistake - luck has played a huge part in all that has happened, and there is not a day that goes by without me being aware of that.
The by-product of being aware of being blessed is learning - against so many of the values of our society - to try to walk modestly, give generously and help those who need a little leg up.
Simple lessons, but they have shaped the way Shara and I try to live our lives together."