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What readers think of Between a Rock and a Hard Place, plus links to write your own review.

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Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Aron Ralston

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

by Aron Ralston
  • BookBrowse Review:
  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Readers' Rating (12):
  • First Published:
  • Sep 1, 2004, 320 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Aug 2005, 368 pages
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Reviews

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There are currently 12 reader reviews for Between a Rock and a Hard Place
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erik chiapppa

Amazing book.
I loved this book. When I say reading this book changed my outlook on life i would not be joking. This story has changed and motivated me to do stuff i would never think about doing prior to reading. Everyone needs to read this book, by far my favorite.
Tracy

Amazing
I just finished reading it "Between a Rock and a Hard Place". Sure, he could've left out past anecdotes, but I really enjoyed how real the story felt and how much you liked the guy by the end. Yes, it was a story about a guy that gets stuck in a canyon and ends up cutting off his arm, but I'm sure Aron Ralston knew that it would be pretty difficult (and sort of boring) to read only about that. Either the book could've been a short story of his survival or he could've waffled on until kingdom come.

I enjoyed his stories of past experiences and his writing was true and realistic, not as grisly as I expected. Overall, an excellent read. I would highly recommend it.
Kaila

Between a Rock and Hard Place
This book is amazing! I loved it from start to finish. It took me about 4-5 days to finish and I've read it more than twice. The thought if cutting your arm off is horrible, but with hallucinations of his future family, that really touched me. Also the thought that he had months of surgery and torment he can still come home and take a joke with his sister like, "Would you like a hand?" and acting just as happy as he would have even if he didn't amputate his arm... Finding his true love three years later and having a son born in 2010 was inspiring and true...
person

good book
It was very good. I liked it. The divine aspect was very appealing to me. I hope others read this book.


even dumb things happen to smart, skilled adventurers and ralston fortunately lived to tell a terrific story about exactly that !
anonymous

too detailed
Between a Rock and a Hard Place is a wonderful story about life and how the choices we make affect it. But, the book went aside from the main story too much. There were so many details that didn't matter, that a great story was almost boring.
Kevin

introspective challenges
Although the author challenges himself in terms of the life choices that he makes, it would have been a great opportunity to analyze the human condition in terms of putting oneself ahead of others. The avalanche chapter in which he never spoke to his "friends" thereafter was intriguing but never probed further. Rolston sacrificed more than his hand, through the choices that he made. Compared to Krakauer, this author is a lightweight.
Tracy

Just OK for me
Yes Aron Rolston overcame incredible odds, cutting off his own arm to save his life. However his writing is simplistic and at times a little dry. It took me almost 3 weeks to finish the book.
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