[.ca] Sacred Mountains (ISBN 086315235X)

Brilliantly original. Insightful. Very, very special:
There is no shortage of mountain literature, but a great shortage of real quality in this field. Adrian Cooper's brilliant first book is of the highest quality, and I have no hesitation in recommending it to all who love mountains - climbers, walkers, skiiers or other pilgrims. At the heart of Cooper's success here is a willingness to listen to the stories mountain people have to tell. He doesn't judge, condemn or categorise. Instead, he takes these stories, uses the travellers' own words where appropriate and then locates them with the ancient history of the mountain in question - the poetry and prose which others have been inspired to write. So we, the readers, are treated to so much wisdom and clear insight. A remarkable achievement.

Brilliant demonstration of many-sided mountain realities:
Cooper's work directly confronts all this nonsense produced by so-called main stream scientists that there is just one reality 'out-there'. Wrong! There is no such thing. Mountains mean so many things to so many people. They can be huge hulking masses of brutal rock, or they can be the most delightful, gentle companions. They can be cruel or they can be our greatest teachers. How can we make sense of this diversity of possibilities? By listening to the pilgrims who make these decisions to live by those truths. What is the data for our understanding of these poetic geographies? It is the words of these thoughtful travellers. And this is what Cooper does. He's listened to pilgrims from Europe and North America. And then he brings us their words and the words of the writers and teachers who've most influenced these people. So the result is one of the richest books I've ever read. Bristling with ideas. Never short of compelling, courageous experiences. Daring to go places where other mountain books fear to tread. But in doing so, doing a great service to mountain literature, pilgrimage and all allied scholarship. Read it!

An original, stimulating, challenging and beautiful book:
I finished reading Sacred Mountains a couple of months ago, but it won't let me go! It keeps challenging me. It keeps pushing me to think more deeply about my feelings and instincts toward mountains. And I like that. Any book that refuses to let go of its reader has got to be worth talking about, which is why I wanted to offer this testimony. This is a truly great book.

An excellent read - thoroughly original in each chapter:
I was given Sacred Mountains as a birthday present, but began reading it with dread. It looked too New Age to me. But that was just my first reaction, which I soon banished as soon as I got into this excellent and original book. I like the use of interviews with so many fascinating people. And Cooper's remarkable breadth of knowledge in developing an intelligent discussion from what everyone says is truly impressive. And in so many directions too, but with singular clarity. Each of the pilgrims Cooper writes about have embarked on some remarable mountain journeys. But as readers, we're never left behind. Cooper writes so we can all 'see' what others have experienced - both within their psychology and their physical surroundings out on the peaks. The use of poetry and prose from other writers is also a wonderful added dimension to this multi-dimensional book. To the best of my knowledge, there hasn't been any other mountain book which is like this one, so for originality alone, it deserves the support of all folk who need the mountains and love them (ie find them sacred/precious places). In an age when religious ideas are so much under threat, Cooper reminds us of how important Rudolf Otto's famous observation is: sacredness is both terrible and fascinating.

A brilliant book which I'm recommending to all my friends:
I can't add too much to the other reviews here. I agree with them all. But all I would say is, for me, mountains have been such a help in getting over a lot of personal problems in my past. They've given me solitude. And this book comes closest to being the truth about mountains from the way they've changed my life.