Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog (Book Review)

A while back we were given a copy of Learning to Fly to read and review for our readers. It is a good read for those that enjoy outdoor adventure books.  This is also a story about life and self discovery in the face of life's difficulties. The book starts with the background on who Steph Davis is.  She is well renowned in the climbing community and has ascended some of the world's most awe-inspiring peaks. In 2003, Davis became the second woman to free climb El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in one day. Two years later, she became the first woman to freeclimb the Salathé Wall, on El Capitan, and to climb Torre Egger, a difficult summit in Patagonia, of which she made the first one-day ascent on that summit. As noted in the video above, she has free climbed some major peaks. In the book "Learning to Fly: An Uncommon Memoir of Human Flight, Unexpected Love, and One Amazing Dog," world-renowned climber, skydiver and BASE jumper Steph Davis tells the story of her transformation from a professional climber to a skydiver and BASE jumper.

The book begins by chronicling a media controversy, surrounding a controversial rock climb by her husband in Arches National Park and the media fallout from that event. The media controversy surrounding her husbands climb causes them to lose many of their sponsorship and eventually get so bad her husband leaves her.  The book then details her transformation from a professional rock climber to and avid skydiver and BASE jumper. It is a fast paced adrenaline based book that is also deeply introspective. You get a view into Steph Davis' mind as she takes new risks and begins to live again after the loss of her marriage and the controversy surrounding a rock climb in Arches National Park. Steph Davis, lives an adrenaline filled life that few have the opportunity to do, which is what makes this book a good read!