High Exposure is somewhat of an autobiography about David Breashears' climbing life, as well as his answer to why he climbs. The story starts when he is a young boy with a violent father, and from there he becomes enamored with mountain climbing. All of his stories about the mountains he climbed were pretty entertaining, although after a while of reading they all started to run into each other and I couldn't remember which climb was which. Breashears does a good job of explaining climbing culture and terms to readers who are not climbers, and his passion for climbing makes you want to go climb a (little) rock yourself. One of my favorite parts of the book was when he described helping with the filming of Cliffhanger. He describes watching the stunt woman prepare for the opening scene (which has her free fall on a cable), and thinking she was somewhat crazy. The funny thing is, he describes how the risk in climbing appeals to him, even climbing without ropes. The book begins and ends by talking about Breashears' experience with the disaster on Everest in 1996. It was interesting to see the story from his point after reading Into Thin Air from Krakauer's point of view last year. Overall, the book was good, but not spectacular, and would not be appealing if reading about people climbing big rocks bores you.

I was looking forward to reading David Breashears' High Exposure because his name had been mentioned many times in other mountaineering books I read and enjoyed.

However, this book dragged for me until he started writing about the IMAX filming that coincided with the infamous 1996 Everest disaster. I appreciated the extra tidbits of information from him that I didn't get from other books about the disaster.

I did enjoy reading about his early life, his family hardships, and how he started making a name for himself rock climbing, but the middle just didn't do it for me. I really felt for his neglected young bride; perhaps he should stay married to his camera and think twice about ever getting married to a real live woman again.

It's probably not fair to judge Breashears against Krakauer as a writer, but Krakauer just has a way with words. He is almost poetic when he describes the most mundane events of mountain climbing or hiking. There are parts of his Into the Wild that do read like poetry.

I recently bought the Everest DVD, and it is breathtaking and well made. So even if I don't enjoy Breashears as a writer, I do enjoy him as a film maker and appreciate his work with bringing the sport of mountaineering to the couch-potato masses.

David Breashears' story of his climbing life is interesting, insightful and very readable. As his film-maker career blossoms and develops through the book, I appreciated his humility in learning a new skill while remaining true to his first love.

It's well worth picking up if you like reading about cold and climbing. Breashears, who's multiple climbs of Everest were burdened by camera equipment, was director and leader of the IMAX expedition of the world's highest peak. He can put you on the edge of your seat, with words or film.

Interesting book from David Breashears, best known (at least to me) as the IMAX Everest cinematographer. The book chronicles his life, especially focused on his development first as a climber and then as a cinematographer. The climax of the book is events on the disastrous 1996 Everest season, when the author was filming at Everest as the disaster unfolded. The book ends rather abruptly at that point, which I found disturbing and unfulfilling. The book has very little personal reflection (the author discusses the failure of his marriage in such dry clinical terms that it was hard to empathize when it finally ends).

Having just read Ed Viesturs book about K2 whetted my appetite for more climbing stories. It's always interesting to hear how someone got involved in a sport, especially an inherently dangerous one like free climbing, ice climbing or high altitude climbing. Breashears' style of writing was very matter-of-fact, almost emotionless, unlike Viesturs' engaging passionate voice. Perhaps Breashears' passion for filming slightly overshadowed the huge accomplishments of high-altitude climbs. Whatever the reason, I came away from this book feeling a dislike for the way Breshears treated his family and crew in exchange for the perfect shot - or the chance at the perfect shot.

What Viesturs had in a feeling of camaraderie and respect for his fellow climbers seemed more admirable than the cold, perfectionist outlook that Breashears had when he was on a job. And that's the feeling I got after he stopped free climbing and ice climbing - it just became a job that he was contracted to do.

I'm still an inveterate armchair climber - but that doesn't mean that I like them all.

Having read Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" several years back, I was probably overdue on this one. It's an amazing account of mountain climbing in general, Himalayan expeditions in particular, and Mount Everest intimately, especially the '96 tragedy. One can only hope to catch a furtive glimpse of the raw exposure such nearly insane adventurers endure. Not my cup of tea, but fascinating all the same. I think I need to re-read the Krakauer account again.

Another excellent Everest book! I own a paperback copy, but I just finished the Audiobook version. The book focuses on Breashears career in climbing and film making and culminates in a behind the scenes look at the making of the 1998 IMAX Film about Everest (which was filmed during the disastrous 1996 season). A must read alongside Anatoli Boukreev's "The Climb", Ed Viesturs' "No Shortcut's to the Top" and Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air".

Really good. I have a great deal of respect for people who fashion careers out of the things they love. How many people can turn a love of mountain climbing into real and fulfilling (not to mention paying) work? Great.

It was also interesting to read Breashears account of the 1996 Everest disaster. Some of the things he observed seem very different from Jon Krakauer's point of view...especially Breashears impressions of Rob Hall. Things that make you go hmmm..

In High Exposure, high altitude mountaineer and cinematographer David Breashears tells his story. While the book concentrates on Breashears' climbs, it also tells about his upbringing, and the path he travelled to become a professional climber. This information is interesting because the people who climb the world's highest mountains seem to be a breed apart, often causing those of us who enjoy reading of their exploits, but shiver when climbing a ladder, to wonder what makes them tick. Always, the question what makes them do it nags at us.

While Breashears doesn't exactly answer that question, he does paint a picture of the type of driven person that climbs mountains with single minded intensity and passion. A little like Captain Ahab maniacally chasing Moby Dick, they persist in doing things that are highly dangerous to life and limb as well as being highly corrosive to relationships. A small part of Breashears' book deals with his marriage to a smart, beautiful and independent-minded fellow climber. While it is apparent that most of the single male climbers in Breashears' circle would have given their left nut to have a relationship with her, eventually (and perhaps inevitably) the marriage ended, a victim of Breashears' fanatical devotion to climbing. Is that any surprise? Not at all. Among other things, this book explains why.

I almost didn't order this book because I've read so many books about climbing Mt. Everest but I'm glad I did. This was more a memoir - telling about his life, growing up, what made him tick, how he handled life, etc. And he became a photographer kind of by accident but it turned out he was really good at it. I felt badly for him that his relationship with his wife didn't work out because he was so busy all the time with his career that he didn't have time for her. Maybe that's the way he wanted it - all the adventure, trying to make money, etc., but sad in a way, too. I have empathy with him on the way Everest is now - with way too many, inexperienced people climbing it, and the way the guides make it "easier" by fixing ropes everywhere, especially in places where "real" climbers don't use them - after all, it is supposed to be a challange. This book was well written.

“The stresses of high-altitude climbing reveal your true character; they unmask who you really are. You no longer have all the social graces to hide behind, to play roles. You are the essence of what you are.”