Mud, Sweat, and Tears: The Autobiography

A fun read. Interesting story of Bear’s life, adventures, and philosophy in life. Easy to read, pleasant writing style. Personal and inspiring. My husband really enjoyed getting to know Bear, and appreciated his personal honesty. We bought another copy to give to a graduating teen boy as the story weaves great inspiration for living life to the fullest. We also bought another of Bear’s books, The Kid Who Climbed Everest, which is more detailed about his Mt Everest climb at 23 years old. Also a nice read.

I read this very quickly, it is very interesting. I love how his Faith pulled him through some tough times.

I read Bear Grylls' autobiography in recent days and found it gripping. Like me, a lot of the reviewers here enjoyed it. I've watched his show many times, and it's crazy and fun and awe-inspiring and sometimes disgusting in the obvious ways, but it doesn't quite give you a feeling for who he really is. He makes the observation in his book that what you see on TV is his TV persona, not quite the same guy he himself sees in the mirror. Maybe that's not profound - a lot of what we think we "know" about public figures is what they and their handlers create for public consumption, and it's often either not real or at least significantly modified from the actual person.The book is in fact very heavy on his SAS training experiences and his Everest climb, and does, as one reviewer complained, end in kind of a hurry. He also gives you a flavor for much of his childhood, a lot of it engrossing but kind of vanilla, but much else is given short shrift or no attention at all. But if you accept this imbalance and incompleteness, which seems to reflect what Grylls most wanted to share this time, and perhaps suspend the dissatisfaction you might feel about not learning more, you may well find this to be an exciting, valuable ride anyway, as I did.OK, about God. Grylls makes clear that his religious faith is a central part of his worldview. He doesn't say anything about it until well into the book, maybe a third of the way in, which might possibly have been -- and this is just a guess -- a calculated strategy to draw in some readers who might tend to feel uncomfortable with it and hook them on his rather extraordinary journey before they quit reading due to such discomfort. I would be one of those readers. Let me just note that I'm glad that I read the book before reading any of the reviews here, because I personally would have been discouraged by the multiple reviews which comment glowingly on his display of religious faith, which may have left me feeling as though I was going to get a heavy dose of proselytizing, which would not have been appealing to me.The fact is that the religious angle is not unimportant in his story - it's clearly part of what makes Bear Grylls tick, and it's an inspiration and comfort to him - but it does not play an outsized role in the story he tells. Actually, what occurs to me is that, in the nicest way, what Grylls does is perhaps a tiny bit like what Jesus would have done (as I understand it), which is *show* goodness and set a human and caring example without preaching heavily or insisting that everyone believe what he does. While he veers pretty frequently toward triteness, I appreciated this in Grylls' story-telling, and his gentle, personal sharing of such information felt, well, comfortable to me, even though that part of my worldview is different from his.Above all, I have to say that the detailed descriptions of his ultimately successful Special Forces ordeal and his fairly painstaking recitation of climbing Everest -- I knew summiting it was very difficult, but had no idea how time-consuming and excruciating it really is -- make the book well worth reading. He's inspirational and the quintessential never-say-die kind of guy, but in spite of the cliché, it worked for me. And to make an observation that echoes a couple of other reviewers, I too have hit the push-ups harder a couple of times since experiencing the exuberance and attitude of his story. I'll also be assigning his humorous and sensible tips on effective public speaking (which appears late in the book, when he describes his career as a motivational speaker) to a class I teach in which my students give oral presentations.

The first time I watched Bear's show, Man vs Wild, I was pretty shocked by some of his actions but also in awe. While some episodes or instances have me changing the channel, unable to watch, there was that something which kept me coming back and I realized soon enough that it was admiration for his strength and motivation. I think for many viewers, they see in Bear what they themselves wished they possessed - the ability to throw off all restraints (metaphorically) and just take the plunge into the unknown. For me, I've always had a strong passion for mountaineering. The extent I let that passion take me was simply hiking up a few small mountains, and for the most part just sitting down and reading books or watching DVDs on the sport. It's easy to tell ourselves we can't do something and therefore we find ourselves in a position where we believe it and don't even try.Reading Bear's book gave me inspiration and motivation far beyond that of Man vs Wild. Reading about the extremes that he pushed his body to go through out of sheer determination to join the Special Forces had me out of my chair the next day, pushing my body through a work-out I can't recall it ever being put through before. Bear also shows himself to be a very philosophical and perceptive individual, with a deep love of nature and life in general. His experience in Calcutta and subsequent brush with Mother Teresa is heart-felt and uplifting, and it gave me pause to reflect on the circumstances and privileges of my own life that I take for granted. I can't even begin to comprehend the level of strength and will power required to get back out there after breaking ones back, but Bear knew he had it in him and he kept going. Wow.I can't recommend this book enough. Bear doesn't just stand for being an adrenaline junkie or yes, drinking your own piss, but rather he stands for the knowledge that we can be more, we can push ourselves more, and we can accomplish more - but we need the belief in ourselves, that determination, and a willingness to put in the hard work. Cheers Bear - you've said what I think a lot of us need to hear.

I don't expect to read a celebrity autobiography and come out hating the guy, but what struck me about this book is how Bear Grylls seems to be a regular guy, not in the sense that we could all join the SAS and climb Everest, but in his utter devotion to his family and his faith, coupled with a drive to live a good life as a husband, father and adventurer. It almost seems as though he was born a couple hundred years too late, given his British colonial sense of exploration (but not exploitation).This book is fast-paced and well-written, with short chapters that keep reeling you in through his story. When I downloaded it last night, I couldn't put it down. Bear is a good example of what can be accomplished with hard work and focus. He doesn't try to gloss over his shortcomings, he seems to embrace them as a springboard to make himself a better man. I could never accomplish what he has from a physical standpoint, but this book does a great job of transmitting this sense of wonder and adventure to the reader. In the end, it's almost as if you have shared his adventures. It is a terrific book.

If your struggling in life and need something to pick you up and inspire you. Read this book. Bear has changed my life with his stories of devestation and triumph. Plus all the lesson he teaches along the way. You will have a whole new outlook on life. Trust me!

Estupendo

This book is fantastic. Bought it after seeing bear on his tv shows. Has some amazing stories as well as helping people overcome their anxieties and stress as well as assisting in building your own resilience. Highly recommend this book

Amazing

About the Author: The book needs no introduction. The author is superb as usual. The awe and amazement on having his book in my hands, seems an overpowering one. Just go for the book, if you want to peek into this man's life. He is a hero in every sense. Just madly in love with the guy. A huge source of inspiration for everyone. Thank you Bear.About the product: The book delivered was before time and the book in perfect condition, makes you just love the book. Has a few colored pages as well, depicting all stages of his life, which add to the beauty of the book.Price: You won't get any better price than on Amazon. Amazon has truly made shopping so convenient for everyone, and no wonder it is leading in every domain.Packaging: The packaging was as usual great from Amazon. No exceptions made to quality packaging.Final Verdict: The product, the seller and Amazon all deserve hats-off and five stars..!!!