Rarely have I disliked an author as much as I dislike Messner — rude, opinionated, self-absorbed. Strangely, he includes bits from his girlfriend's diary which describe him as irritable at best and downright cruel at time. At one point, he informs her that he intends to dump her after the expedition is over. He considers himself an hero and scorns anybody who works a regular, productive job. Much of his account is mystical, goofy mental meanderings, during which he proclaims repeatedly that he doesn't believe in God and that he is his own creator. The book if filled with tons of photos, many of which are irrelevant to the story.