The TV and survival icon, Bear Grylls, had conquered almost every fear that a human could imagine.  He has climbed Everest, eaten spiders, jumped out of an upside down airplane.  He has even jumped a snowmobile out of a helicopter.  Bear is seen as an inspiration to not only outdoorsmen, but anyone who dares to live life to the fullest.

I first came across this book this past summer when I was in an airport in London.  I was walking around looking for something to do for the next eight hours that I would be on a plane.  I found this book in a book store and I immediately bought it.  I am more than just a fan of Bear Grylls.  I am what one would call a Bear fanatic.  After reading this book I am much more than that and I feel that anyone who reads this book will feel the same.  As soon as I began the book I physically could not put it down.  I would try just for a few minutes but then once again I was reading it.

The book is about much of Bear’s life from when he was a young boy until now,  as a TV star.  It also is about his family and friends who have made him who he is today.  Throughout the whole book he makes the reader realize how much of an effect friends and family really have on you.  Initially I thought this book was only going to be about his most recent adventures for his TV show Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel; however it surprised me that he wrote about much more than being in the woods.  He wrote about when he was in private school; he spent most of his time there climbing on the buildings late at night.  He was very much a boy looking for an adventure just like today.  Before reading this I had always pictured Bear as a stand up, perfect model for society, who never did anything wrong or was thought of as inappropriate.  I had this belief until I reached one chapter that changed my entire perspective of him.  Bear has been arrested for public nudity.  This fact shocked me and I will let you read it for yourself but it involved Bear running down the road with no pants on.

Bear truly did inspire me in this book.  He taught me to never give up however bad it gets.  Bear was in the army and wanted to try to make it into that S.A.S.  The S.A.S is the British Special Forces.  He is not the most physically strong person and did not make it the first try but it wasn’t because of a lack of determination, for sure.  It was because of his physical strength.  He tried again the next year and made it. This showed his true perseverance.  It was that when bear wrote something that I still think about every day and will never forget.  “When its raining smile, and when you’re going through hell keep going.”

If that wasn’t enough to convince you to read this book then here is a list of a few of the interesting and amazing things he has done throughout his life.  He has broken his back skydiving in Africa and then climbed Everest while he was still healing.  He has circumnavigated the UK in 30 days on a jet ski.  He holds the record for the highest altitude for a formal dinner party; he achieved this by eating dinner in a suit with his friend suspended from a hot air balloon.  He has rowed 22 miles naked in a homemade bathtub on the Thames River.  Those are just a few of the many incredible things that this man has done.  It is my true belief that every person should read this book because it has helped me live my life to its fullest and hopefully will do the same for you.