Set in impenetrable darkness, James M. Tabor's Blind Descent is as
awe-inspiring as any adventure story above ground. Tabor's claustrophobic
and pulse-pounding narrative follows two of the world's premier cavers
American Bill Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk--as they race to
explore Earth's deepest caves, swimming through steering wheel-sized
tunnels and scaling rock walls slick with spring runoff. Caving is dirty
and dangerous work, and Tabor pulls no punches in describing the many
terrifying hazards that cavers face underground, including falling rocks,
hypothermia, starvation, nitrogen narcosis, hallucinations, hypoxia, and
deadly anxiety attacks. He captures the eerie mixture of excitement and
horror that accompanies life in extreme environments, while shedding light
on the ineffable and complex moral code that governs men and women in
places where survival is hoped for, but never guaranteed. Blind Descent is
a captivating summer read for adventure seekers and armchair adrenaline
junkies alike.
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