Christel C. reviewed Lessons from the Edge: Extreme Athletes Show You How to Take on High Risk and Succeed on + 9 more book reviews
Very interesting; I got this not so much for the details on extreme sports (although those are interesting) as for a look at the mindset of people performing under pressure.
One of the most interesting bits of the book so far was an interviewee realizing that the best climber does not always make the best teammate on highly technical climbs. The skilled climber found it was more useful to have other skilled climbers working alongside him in the initial climb, but it was more than worth their while to set up ropes and pitons so a much less skilled climber - who could handle details like arranging supplies and dealing with locals - could climb up after them. In short, if you need to accomplish something under pressure, you need a varied skillset in your team, not just "the best of the best" at one skill.
One of the most interesting bits of the book so far was an interviewee realizing that the best climber does not always make the best teammate on highly technical climbs. The skilled climber found it was more useful to have other skilled climbers working alongside him in the initial climb, but it was more than worth their while to set up ropes and pitons so a much less skilled climber - who could handle details like arranging supplies and dealing with locals - could climb up after them. In short, if you need to accomplish something under pressure, you need a varied skillset in your team, not just "the best of the best" at one skill.
