Last Breath

The Limits of Adventure

By: Peter Stark

Narrated by: Peter Stark

Sudden, extreme deaths have always fascinated us-- and now more than ever as athletes and travelers rise to the challenges of high-risk sports and journeys on the edge. In this spellbinding book, veteran travel and outdoor sports writer Peter Stark reenacts the dramas of what happens inside our bodies, our minds, and our souls when we push ourselves to the absolute limits of human endurance.

Combining the adrenaline high of extreme sports with the startling facts of physiological reality, Stark narrates a series of outdoor adventure stories in which thrill can cross the line to mortal peril. Each death or brush with death is at once a suspense story, a cautionary tale, and a medical thriller. Stark describes in unforgettable detail exactly what goes through the mind of a cross-country skier as his body temperature plummets-- apathy at ninety-one degrees, stupor at ninety. He puts us inside the body of a doomed kayaker tumbling helplessly underwater for two minutes, five minutes, ten minutes. He conjures up the physiology of a snowboarder frantically trying not to panic as he consumes the tiny pocket of air trapped around his face under thousands of pounds of snow.

These are among the dire situations that Stark transforms into harrowing accounts of how our bodies react to trauma, how reflexes and instinct compel us to fight back, and how, why, and when we let go of our will to live.

In an increasingly tamed and homogenized world, risk is not only a means of escape but a path to spirituality. As Peter Stark writes, "You must try to understand death intimately and prepare yourself for death in order to live a full and satisfying life." In this fascinating, informative book, Stark reveals exactly what we’re getting ourselves into when we choose to live-- and die-- at the extremes of endurance.©2001 Peter Stark; (P)2001 Random House, Inc., Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing, a Division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Un-put-downable stories of outdoor catastrophe and death, carefully and vividly told; they make us, unexpectedly, happy to be alive."
--Ian Frazier

"Peter Stark tells us to 'step beyond the self.' But, not too far beyond, into oblivion. If you've ever wondered just where that edge might be, physically, read Last Breath. It's thick with specific information, and with vividly rendered, often hair-raising stories--both useful and entertaining, a compelling read for those interested in testing their limits, and a sport and pastime for those of us who sort of aren't."
--William Kittredge

"Death comes to us all. Last Breath introduces us to the people who tempt fate and experience their final expiration. We witness their intimate encounters with death from multiple angles. Stark's craft as a storyteller blends physiology, ecology, physics, psychology, and metaphysics into a compelling read. Last Breath is a page-turner!"
--Ira Byock, M.D.
Author of Dying Well

"Forget the edge of your seat. Last Breath takes you to the edge of your life, for a pulse-pounding glimpse into the Great Beyond. There are many ways to risk your life in the out-of-doors, and Stark has captured them in exquisite and harrowing detail."
--Jim Robbins
Author of A Symphony in the Brain:
The Evolution of the New Brain Wave Biofeedback

Frank and fair. A must for adventurers

Educational. Entertaining. Thought Provoking.
As an Outdoor Emergency Care (National Ski Patrol) Instructor, I was intriqued by the details of the injuries and ultimate death from these adventure accidents. Hypothermia for me please. The Inuits would wonder off onto the ice when they felt no longer able to contribute to their families. I can understand the wisdom in this after reading the description of a rather pleasant way to pass on to the next life. This seems a grizzly topic, but every outdoor adventurer is intimately aware of the dangers and consequenses of his or her miscalculations, and Last Breath describes fairly what must go through our minds as this life leaves our earthly limbs.

A Very Nice Surprise!

I haven't listened to audiobooks for awhile. Imagine my delight when I bought this wonderful book and found it to be a 5 star work. It is read by the author, something which most authors are not qualified to do. It is very refreshing, even though it is about death. It is very scientific but not dull or overly technical. A must-read for anybody who loves information about anything including mortality.

He lets a couple live

Excellent. Informative and interesting stories in which to frame the information. It is a bit morbid but I am a wilderness first responder and ski patroller and this worked as a good refresher to help me keep in mind what is going on. I have recomended sections of this to be used for intructional purposes.

Utterly fascinating

What a treat to have found this book. I was fascinated from start to finish. Stark does an outstanding job of weaving together the physiology and humanity of each case, so that you feel like you're the victim of the story, and yet get to understand what's going on from a third-person perspective. I highly recommend this book!

Excellent!

I've been a member of Audible for over a year, and this is by far the most compelling book I've listened to yet. Stark goes into incredible detail in describing what happens on the edge of the death. His narration keeps you listening... I've listened to this book twice and made my friends listen to specific segments of it, and they also found it fascinating. Especially the first one on hypothermia.