Mud, Sweat, and Tears audiobook

I was in a library yesterday and that face glared at me from a book stand. I couldn't resist. I'm already halfway through this and it's a cracking read. Bear isn't a gifted writer by any means, but his very honest, simple prose suits the story being told. I already knew a bit about Bear, as the army is a fairly tight-knit organisation. I knew he'd been to Eton, that he was in the SAS(R) and that he was a committed Christian, and of course I've watched most of his shows. But what's been fascinating about this book is that the Bear you want to exist..a very humble, very fun guy who never boasts about anything in his life but has an unbelievable inner core strength, actually exists. What you see is what you get. I loved the early parts in this book about Bear's great-grandfather, a writer who--along with Kipling--pretty much defined what is it to be a gentleman, a man. I'll update when I've finished but so far I'd class this as mandatory reading for all men. Finished.I feel the need to read a biography of Bear now, if one exists. This guy is so incredibly modest that you don't actually get the full impact of his life and achievements until you close the last page, then you open it again and go...WTF? On top of being in the SAS(R), climbing Everest, Bear glosses quickly over crossing the frozen North Atlantic Arctic Ocean, going through training for the Legion, a global audience for his shows of 1.2 billion, writing 11 books (two best sellers), launching a global business, becoming a Lt Cdr in the RN, leading expeditions to the Antarctic, raising millions of pounds for charity and becoming the Chief Scout. Bear...kudos, man. I defy anyone to read this autobiography and not come away inspired to be just a slightly better man. No, I can't go back and pass SAS selection. I can't climb Everest. The Arctic is out. Similarly the southern cold place. Best-selling books...still working on that one. But I don't feel defeated at all by these inadequacies after reading this book. Bear's just that kind of guy. Compulsory read.

An Inspiring Journey in the Life of One of the Most Inspiring Persons in Our Generation.Bear Grylls comes clean from childhoold to manhood. Readers learn about his childhood, family life and values, his time in the elite Special Air Service (SAS), expeditions into the wild and unknown, his love life, education, you name it. I do not normally read autobiography, but my son and his family bought this book for me because they know I enjoy reading and like Bear Grylls.I learned about him pretty much the same way we all did.... watching Man vs. Wild. My wife and I religiously watched his show every week, season after season. I even picked it up again on Netflix, disappointed when they removed it. As a veteran, I appreciate his experiences through military training. I'm an outdoor enthusiast and enjoy biking (both city and mountain biking), but I'm not one to push the limit for the sake of pushing the limit. That ended when I left the army in 1984. I figured after 49 jumps in the 82nd Airborne, white water rafting in the California rivers, I'd pretty much had enough of proving myself how far I can go.Readers will find Bear's book a very enjoyable read. Much of his experiences are the same we all go through. I think that's always a bit of a surprise when we learn more about people we admire from celebrity status. We tend to think they are above us a certain degree because they are famous. In truth, as he even admits in his book, he's like the rest of us. He appreciates his family time, personal life and experiences, his good fortunes, and above all his faith in God. This is an enjoyable book I am glad to have in my personal collection, and so will you.

Life’s journey and path isn’t always easy. It is that inner strength shining within the most unremarkable people that never fails to amaze. Bear Grylls’ candid autobiography exposes the man behind the celebrity façade; a man of immeasurable heart and soul. He is not perfect, flawless or fearless nor is he ‘taken in’ (like so many have been) by status and wealth. His Christian faith is what keeps him humbly grounded, alongside his perspective on life that’s ultimately broadened his horizons. I am in awe of his astonishing, courageous feats of extreme danger and wonder including the adventure of a lifetime: scaling Mount Everest. Yet, in reading this profoundly poignant narrative I am touched by those words of wisdom that strike a chord within.Dare to dream…be BOLD and live life to the full!I honestly believe that we all can take something from Bear’s empowering, sensational story, regardless of who we are. The unmistakable clarity within holds such truth – in that we can all achieve great things if there is the determination, drive and sincerity. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the wealthiest person, the smartest or physically strongest person on the planet. Even if your goals/ aspirations seem to some completely nonsensical and unobtainable, it really doesn’t matter because life is what you make of it and unless you try you never know what could happen…Here is a man on a mission, who never gives up even when the going gets tough and he looks death in the eye. From a young, laddish, gung-ho guy to a hardened SAS soldier, Bear Grylls is a remarkable individual who never ceases to amaze throughout his many adventures and escapades. Mud, sweat and tears is a recommended read for both adrenaline junkies and armchair adventurers alike; equally seeking something sensational that will leave them with lingering curiosity and impacting implication.‘The possibilities ARE endless!’

This book is amazing. I picked it up from the library because I assumed that an autobiography of Bear would be pretty easy holiday reading. I was right, in so far as I whipped through this book in three days of reading on planes and before bed, but it's not a particularly light and fluffy book. I was amazed at the physicality of the things that Bear has done, but I was also shocked by how self-reflective and well spoken Bear Grylls is. This book is not a piece of high literary style, but it's honest and gripping. You can hear Bear's personality through it and despite the fact that everything in the book could bring someone down or be a place to complain about conditions, Bear's enthusiasm and sheer force of happiness shows through. It made me want to go out and train for the SAS and climb Everest even though I'm not a particularly outdoorsy person. He made the trials in his life seem...rather nonchalant and focused on the experiences of all of them instead of the pain of breaking his back, or the hardship that the SAS makes recruits endure. A really amazing book from a really amazing person. Go Bear!

"Life continues to be an adventure, and in many ways more so than ever. I have had to learn to prioritize clearly in my life: to be safe, get home fast, and keep it fun - the rest is detail."In Mud, Sweat and Tears: The Autobiography of Bear Grylls, I was inspired to pick this one up after reading a short article in Guideposts magazine about the life of the man we all know from his television show, Man vs. Wild on the Discovery Channel. Is all this staged? Where did his training come from? Why would anyone do this as a way to make a living?This is where you will find yourself as you experience what it was like growing up as Bear Grylls. Being a born adventurer as a child, he often joined his father in expeditions that involved mountain climbing, romps through the mud and most of all a lesson in unconditional love and perseverance modeled through his eyes by his own father.Bear struggled in school academically but was a huge lover of extreme sports, often found scaling the chapels on his school grounds at Eton College. He grew up and had a deep desire for adventure and soon found himself talking his best friend, Trucker into joining him at signing up for the Special Air Service or SAS, an elite group of what is known as the British Special Forces unit. The amount of challenges he would face there, would provide him with the additional support and love of adventure that would carry him through all of life's struggles.He would later be called to put that mental and emotional training into affect, when during a parachuting accident, he would break his back in three places. It was one of many wake up calls where Bear would put his faith in God to the ultimate test, to see if he would ever walk again. He was almost lost to severe depression but realized without any goals to push for, he wouldn't likely recover. His next dream, to climb Mt. Everest at 23 years old. He remembered that from small acorns grow big oaks.He would later on film almost six seasons of Man vs. Wild, Worst-Case Scenario, and a whole series on what it is like to go through basic training inside the French Foreign Legion; he would lead countless expeditions to Antarctica, the Himalayas, and the Arctic, raising more than 2.5 million dollars for children's charities around the world; he is considered the most admired person by the middle classes, second only to the Queen in the UK among many other things that have made him successful.His words of advice after it's all said and done, "Every day is the most wonderful of blessings, and a gift that I never take for granted. Oh, and as for the scars, broken bones, aching limbs, and sore back? I consider them just gentle reminders that life is precious - and that maybe, just maybe, I am more fragile than I dare to admit" (pg 401).I received Mud, Sweat, and Tears: The Autobiography of Bear Grylls compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. The one them that remains a constant in this book is that through hard work and perseverance, you can achieve whatever you want in life. His goal in writing this was to show his roots: the early, bigger missions that shaped him, and the even earlier, smaller moments that steered him to become the man, husband and father, he is today. He wrote this book as a way of passing down the life lessons he has learned to his three younger sons, and there are so many great quotes and take aways from this book. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and really admire the circumstances that he had to endure during his life that makes Bear Grylls, the man he is today.

I chose to read this book because I am a big fan of Bear Grylls's show Man vs Wild and I thought it would be very interesting to read this book. It fills in the 'autobiography' box on the bingo board. My favourite quote in his book is: “I learnt another valuable lesson that night: listen to the quiet voice inside. Intuition is the noise of the mind.” This is a very wise quote coming from a man who sets himself to do stupid things. This quote teaches people that your instincts are what you can trust in situation.Bear Grylls is the obvious main and favourite character as it is an autobiography but my favourite setting was when he came here to New Zealand and tried to eat a Weta. He claimed that the Weta was one of the only things he couldn't eat from the wild because it was too big and tough to eat.I learnt a lot of things form this autobiography of Bear Grylls. Many of these things are just tips on how to survive mentally and phydsically in the wild. Never give up is one of the best things I've learnt. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if they are a fan of Man vs Wild.

I rarely leave reviews, but I feel I must for one of my favorite books of all time.My first time reading a book by Bear Grylls was his Survival Guide For Life, which lays out a variety of rules Bear gives to try and follow in your day to day life. Each one would be followed by some story from his own life, and these tales of wild adventures climbing mountains and piloting boats through storms were all reflections of what I'd always imagined a life well lived to look like. What was more, each story was told in earnest prose which came off as completely unpretentious and genuine. I was, and I use what is perhaps an overused word with great sincerity, inspired.Mud, Sweat and Tears has all the inspiration and sincerity found in A Survival Guide For Life, but it's instead presented in an engaging narrative. Bear Grylls runs the reader through his career from the time he was born until the very beginning of his TV career, with particular attention on his SAS selection and Everest expedition. Every success, and every setback, too, is discussed in a conversational, gently encouraging tone. For myself, a teen thinking far too much about what he'll make of his life, every chapter held some gem of information which had me dreaming bigger, reaching higher. My audiobook became something of a cure-all for whenever I felt down or uninspired; usually, I had only to listen for fifteen minutes and I'd be a good way to getting back on my feet. In going back to read the book a second time a few months down the road, the magic had not dissipated in the slightest.Many have said how Bear Grylls is not the best of writers, but I don't know that I agree. In my mind, a writer's only true job is to convey his message in as powerful and engaging a way as possible, and here Bear Grylls has done just that. The book tells its readers to not back down, to face their challenges head-on, and to never give up, and it delivers these messages in such an earnest voice that you can't help but listen and agree. It's simple yet brilliant. You won't regret giving Mud, Sweat and Tears a try.

Soooo I never really read biographies and yeah have no interest in celebrities YET here I am, because this person was literally who I watched 80% of the time I spent watching TV till I was 12 or 13 (?) I've spent so many holidays just watching him catch snakes and what not.And martial arts and Army!?!? Yep, I'm reading this._________"But I had a dream, and that always makes people dangerous"Ok so I read this and... IT'S AWESOME!??! Like seriously he has done so much in one lifetime !?? Martial arts, SAS, Everest, Scout organization and, how can I forgot, Man vs Wild.Also this quote On our return to Tokyo, en route back to the UK, we got to witness a private training session of the top twenty karate fighters in the world. It was intense to watch. Fast, brutal at times, yet like poetry in motion THIS IS LITERALLY WHY I LOVE MARTIAL ARTS and like the exact same thing I love about it (my gr friends who know me facepalming rn😂)Another quote I lovedYet through it all, a little part of me, deep down,believed that I could do this – that I was capable of passing. It wasn’t a big part of me, but it was an ember. Sometimes an ember is all we needThe writing style is casual and I loved it. The book was super engaging and I was hooked and I finished it in around a day. It's quite awesome and motivating to read about how after suffering from spinal injury due to a failed parachute landing and having to leave the SAS, what he does is literally climb the highest mountainThe book felt quite intriguing and the chapters are short (but around 100🌝). I absolutely loved reading about his experience while appearing for SAS selections. Although yeah, I wish the book had a bit more on the Man vs Wild show. But yeah ig we get to see it on TV anyway. I already was a fan and I'm even more of an admirer now after reading this book and honestly animal planet, man vs wild, discovery channel have been such a big part of my childhood and ig that's the reason I chose science stream.

2015 reading challenge - a memoirWhile no one would mistake Bear Grylls for a professional author, his writing is honest and down-to-Earth, just what this book needs. When picking this book up in the library, I had a vague idea it would be like reading one of this shows, if that makes any sense. I expected to read about his adventures in Arctic or Sahara, but instead, it was an autobiography that spoke of so much more. We got to know his family and early years and then began the part that truly amazed me - the SAS Selection and the Mount Everest climb. His sheer physical achievements left me speechless. I soon got out of my daze, though, and started to shower any unsuspecting soul with fun facts and details about Grylls' life.

I stopped reading this book (at 64%) for days because I had enough of Bear’s bragging and his “tough guy nonsense”, as he called it himself. Oh, he doesn’t boast about all his own great qualities, not directly. He doesn’t say: "I am strong, enduring and tenacious". No, but he says by speaking about those who make what he is doing: "It takes strong, tough and resilient men to go through it". But since he is one of them and he went through it all, doesn’t it mean that he believes that he has the same qualities? Thus, I was fed up with it and I decided to take a break.During this break, I wondered what differentiated a masochistic submissive of a guy climbing Everest. After all, to get to the summit, it is necessary to be ready to suffer. The sub’s master imposes him/her tests which the sub has to go through. The Dom makes him/her suffer physically and sometimes psychologically. Those who climb up to the summit live all the same difficulties. They live humiliation when, having to try a passage which they considered easy, they almost die on the spot. And pain... Yes, the climbers know it too and repeatedly. There is even some of them, if they survive, who lose limbs because of the freezing weather.But the climbers decide to live it for their own pleasure only. They don't suffer for the pleasure or the happiness of their masters. Their masters, if they have one, is themselves. It’s an extremely egocentric and even narcissistic decision, because they want to be able to say for example: "I am the youngest climber who reached Everest’s summit". At least, the subs, if they act partially for their own pleasure and happiness, they act also for somebody else’s good; they are more selfless. And generally, their pleasure and happiness are proportionate to their master’s.I had already watched several of Bear’s successful TV programs. I saw him eating insects, spiders, snakes and scorpions among other beasts and even drinking his own urine. When I drank my master’s piss, it wasn't MY urine. And I did it in a will of submission and communion with my master. It wasn’t just a show of how resilient I am. All right, Bear's programs has, he says, a mission to inform people of what they should do if they were in deep shit. But after having watched several episodes of his series, I wouldn’t pretend that I’d be able to survive if I found myself in a difficult situation, e.g. lost in a desert or far in a vast forest.Nevertheless, I liked this book because it allows us to know better this uncommon man and because at the end, he finally stopped gazing his own navel and put gestures to help poor or sick children. He also became UK’s chief scout.