* Explores the darker psychological drama behind the exploits of eleven adventurers, famous and lesser-known
* Written by a practicing clinical psychologist
* Accounts include heretofore unpublished information provided by archival witnesses, friends, and family
Every culture, in every era, has its adventure myths: The golden hero willing to walk through fire elevates us all beyond our fears and limits. But more often than readily seen, there are darker reasons for dangerous pursuits. Where falls the line between adventure and madness? Geoff Powter, a practicing clinical psychologist, looks into the stories of eleven troubled adventurers, divided into three categories: The Burdened, The Bent, and The Lost.
In each of these stories, darkness of some kind -- ambition, ego, a thirst for redemption, the need to please others -- carried these characters in a perilous direction. In the end, understanding these difficult but utterly human stories helps us comprehend the deepest purpose and allure of adventure, and, ultimately, to more honestly measure ourselves.