Combining accounts of legendary mountain ascents with vivid descriptions of his own forays into wild, high landscapes, Robert Macfarlane reveals how the mystery of the world's highest places has come to grip the Western imagination and perennially draws legions of adventurers up the most perilous slopes.

"Defiance had provoked Thompson to enter the male-dominated world of high-altitude mountaineering, but defiance could only take her so far. After a harrowing battle with cancer, Lisa realized she needed to understand what motivated her to take greater and greater risks in the mountains. Finding Elevation chronicles Thompson's path from novice climber to world-class mountaineer, as she becomes the second American woman to summit K2, which is considered...

Part inspiration, part business advice, part heart-stopping adventure, Beyond the Summit tells the gripping story of how Todd Skinner and his team set out to climb the most difficult mountain of their lives. In the process, it shows you how to set and achieve your own exceptional goals.