I received this book from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really found this book slow and repetitive. The author went into the fine details of camp life a little too much. It's fine to go into detail once about something but don't do it a second or even a third time, don't pad the story. We the readers get the drift. Also, I felt there was a lot of self-aggrandizing going on. The author comes across as someone who WANTS you to know how much HE has done. How he helped the people of Nepal, organizing charity events don't you know, after the horrendous earthquake of 2015 in which he was a non-participant. (He felt the quake but witnessed the death and destruction after he left his camp, which escaped without any harm. He also was airlifted out of harm's way fairly quickly.) He describes how his eyes teared up, come on! This is privileged rich drivel and isn't needed in the narrative. "Surviving the Mountains Deadliest Day" is just using a terrible catastrophe to sell book copies. Cringe-worthy. But on the plus side, at least the author's $11,000 for his first attempt at Everest wasn't taken from him by the Nepali government at a time when they could really have used it. ( )

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The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again by Jim Davidson is a memoir of the author’s experience being trapped on the mountain during a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, and going back. Mr. Davidson. The author is an avid climber and motivational speaker.

The book starts off with the author on Mt. Everest, moments before the biggest disaster to every hit the mountain occurs. Correspondingly, Mr. Davidson establishes the terrifying scene very quickly and efficiently, drawing a chilling picture to the reader.

The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again by Jim Davidson is not just an adventure story, but one of resilience and courage. Having the advantage of a keen eye, and a degree in geology gives this story a unique perspective than the other thrill seekers.

The author doesn’t sugarcoat the dangers mountaineers face on Everest. Frankly, his training and education might even be a handicap since his mind can process the possibilities of dangers all around. This is not just a climbing story, Mr. Davidson shares his feelings, fears, and thoughts. The difficulties in leaving behind a family for weeks or months to pursue a passion, and the cost some people pay both financially and emotionally.

Above all, the author takes the reader up the mountain with him, almost step by step. I’ve read several books about this subject, but this one really made me feel the effort and sacrifice needed to achieve a summit – not to mention luck.

It’s important to realize that every little thing that might go wrong at those altitudes could be a catastrophe. Mr. Davidson makes that particularly clear over and over again – and he’s right.

Mr. Davidson is a keynote speaker, as well as a motivational speaker as his bio shows. This book is, I assume, geared towards that market and credentials for future jobs. That is fine, by all means, it’s still a fascinating story, well told, insightful, with self-reflection and honesty. ( )

In 2015, Jim Davidson was attempting to summit Mount Everest when a deadly earthquake hit Nepal. He tells the story of his experience with the terror of the quake, the sadness in the loss of life, and the disappointment in the loss of his dream. His writing draws you into the trip, its aftermath, and how his life was changed. It was a captivating look at the extreme nature of climbing mountains and the physical and mental fitness required to attempt such a feat.
A great book for any adventure lover.

I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Surviving the Mountain’s Deadliest day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again

What a stunning true story of adventure, disaster and resilience. Jim Davidson, a high altitude climber shares gripping adventures from summiting Mount Everest, surviving earthquakes, avalanches and escaping alone from deep glacial crevasse.

In April 2015, Jim Davidson was climbing Mount Everest when a 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal. He was stranded above base camp for 40 hours before he was brought to safety but important to him was getting back to base camp and help people get to safety and trying to rebuild. This disaster ended his first attempt to reach the summit. He finally achieved his dream with an estimate of 60 other climbers when he returned two years later.

M. Davidson describes in details his 36 years of climbing experiences and the physical and mental preparation one needs to do. Three keys points he tells us: more training than you have ever done in your life, increase the difficulty and be discipline enough to keep up with it and hit it harder the next time.

“The Next Everest” is said in the first person narrative. Step by step M. Davidson tells us his next move in words filled with emotions. When he describes the tremors and aftershocks, the avalanche and the rumbling noises you can feel in his words how scared he was but in crisis he stayed cool and calmly acted decisively to make things better and safer for everyone. A lot is said in this book, I would say even too much at times such is a lengthy description of human poop...yes even that detailed, although he did tell us to make a point. Every word is vividly said as he describes his ascends and descends in order to reach the summit of the highest peak in the world.

The 2015 tragic incident was well publicized around the word. I remember it so well.

In a few words:

This is a poignant account that captures the true essence of Mount Everest and the resilience of the human spirit. I will let you discover this gem of a book and the treasures it hides....

My thanks to St.Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC: this is the way I see it. ( )