Into the Planet audiobook

When we transcend the fear of failure and terror of the unknown, we are all capable of great things, personally and as a society. We might not always know where the journey will lead us. We might feel a burden of difficulty, but all paths lead to discovery. Both good and bad life events contribute to the fabric of who we are as individuals and as a civilization. If we continue to trek purposefully toward our dreams, into the planet and beyond, we just might achieve the impossible. Jill Heinerth seems to have led a life of trekking purposefully toward her dreams, and despite personal sacrifices and the constant risk of mortal danger, she has built an enviable career as a cave diver and explorer, as an advanced trainer of technical diving, and as a filmmaker and writer. Part memoir, part chronicle of modern cave diving and the evolving science that allows humans to go deeper and for longer on these dangerous dives, Into the Planet is an often thrilling and always interesting book about an extreme sport and an extreme life. [Note: I read an ARC and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.] The archway of ice above our heads is furrowed like the surface of a golf ball, carved by the hand of the sea. Iridescent blue, Wedgwood, azure, cerulean, cobalt, and pastel robin's egg meld with chalk and silvery alabaster. The ice is vibrant, bright, and at the same time ghostly, shadowy. The beauty contradicts the danger. We are the first people to cave dive inside an iceberg. And we may not live to tell the story. The book opens with a prologue set inside the iceberg known as B-15 – a large chunk of Antarctica that broke off in the year 2000, and at the time that Heinerth and two others made several unprecedented dives into its interior, it was the largest free-floating object on Earth – and right from the beginning, the storytelling is thrilling and beautifully wrought. The narrative then rewinds to Heinerth's childhood and early adult experiences, and still, it's all fascinating. When the young professional decides to leave her life and her career as the co-owner of a Toronto-based graphic design firm in order to become a dive instructor in the Caribbean, her journeys into the planet begin in earnest. As every major expedition that Heinreth and her co-divers propose require sponsors and fundraising before the fact, it's interesting to see how she eventually uses her expertise in graphic design and photography to create the brochures and promotional materials that make the eventual dives possible (and then to see how she develops her love of underwater photography into groundbreaking filmmaking). The stories of the major dives that follow are worthy of any fictional adventure novel, but I have to admit that I wasn't as interested in the parallel story of the author's strained marriage to fellow diver Paul Heinreth (but can't ultimately fault her for putting this large part of her life into her own memoir). I was intrigued by the additional pressures that the author faced as one of the few women in her field, and acknowledge that it must have been horrible to be a pioneer at the dawn of the internet, before most of us knew to ignore the trolls. As the story of an adventuresome life, this is all good stuff. If you cave dive long enough, you will eventually face the death of a friend. Worse, you may even recover the body of one, or hold them as their life force ebbs. In those moments, your life will be changed forever. Back then, in Huaulta, I was new enough to cave diving and exploration that I had not yet lost a close friend. In my gut, I knew that if I were going to participate in extreme endeavors like this expedition, my days of innocence were numbered. There is quite a bit about the dangers involved in trying to dive deeper and longer than anyone has before; cave diving seems to be an extremely competitive endeavor and Heinreth knows that every time she swims into the unknown she not only risks her own life but the peace and mental security of those she might leave behind; and particularly the peace and mental security of those of her friends who might be called upon to recover her lifeless body if she fails to resurface on her own. Heinreth explains that she has the “7R” gene (that causes people to seek the dopamine rush of novel situations), but unlike those who participate in extreme “sports” for the thrills alone, Heinreth stresses the scientific knowledge that her dives have provided – and especially those dives that trace the surprising sources and underground pathways of drinking water – and that does seem to legitimise her endeavors beyond the “because it's there” ethos. Overall, this is the story of a large life, and it's told well. I'm glad to have gotten to know Jill Heinreth and I wish her success and safety in the future.

"I will take you on an uncomfortable rendezvous with fear. You will feel cold and claustrophobic when you read this book. But I challenge you to recognize the humanity in that sensation of terror you're experiencing. I encourage you to accept that you are an explorer like me." Before reading Into the Planet, I knew very little about cave diving. As an avid Nat Geo reader, I have seen some incredible photos taken in remote caves, but I had absolutely no idea of the technique, training, and skill that lies behind those photos until I read this book. Jill Heinerth's story had me hooked from the very beginning. The prologue opens with a harrowing scene set in the middle of an iceberg and then transitions back to her earlier years in the first chapter. The story touches on her introduction to cave diving, follows her major diving expeditions, and highlights some of her best diving stories. Throughout the book, Heinerth also weaves a subtle reminder of the importance of water and its protection and conservation. This book is my favorite non-fiction read of the year so far! I absolutely loved it. Heinerth's prose is beautiful. She artfully transported me to the underwater caves as she retold her diving experiences, which are fascinating, exhilarating, and even terrifying at times. The pacing worked well. There weren't too many flashbacks and I never felt lost. I also appreciated her explanations of the technical side of diving. It wasn't complicated, but it was enough that I understood what was going on and why certain things happened. If I had any criticism at all, it might be that the last part of the book doesn't seem as cohesive as the rest of the book, but it was no less captivating than any other part. Heinerth will no doubt inspire a new generation of cave divers with her memoir, but for me, it confirmed that I am definitely too claustrophobic to take up cave diving. Nonetheless, I still loved the opportunity to journey along with Heinerth and explore some of the deepest parts of the earth through her eyes. I will definitely re-visit this book again in the future!A huge thanks to Jill Heinerth, HarperCollins Publishers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this lovely book!

Here’s a book by a woman who chose to lead a life of a real explorer - something I truly admire. In this memoir she offers a number of fascinating and dramatic tales of adventure, discovery, triumph, and loss. I was glued to its pages, and I learned a lot about the world of diving, following one’s passion, and overcoming fear, no matter which profession or relationship you might find yourself in.

A fascinating look into the world of cave diving. She is also a woman working in a male-dominated field, so a lot of the book looks at how she deals with the sexism she faces. Suspenseful (she dives into icebergs and with polar bears and in claustrophobic uncharted spaces!) and thoughtful. I definitely recommend it.

Freakin' awesome, in the literally, awe sense of the word. I had no idea there was this extreme subspecialty of cavers. Well written, well told.

Fascinating subject. Enjoyed the read. Handful of curse words spoken in perilous circumstances.

Thank you to the publisher and author for allowing me to read this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 stars, rounding to 4 because GRs doesn’t believe in the power of half stars- full review to come!

The book claimed it would make me feel claustrophobic, but it failed to do so. I enjoyed some parts of it though.

WOW!