Downward Bound

Downward Bound: A Mad! Guide to Rock Climbing

Downward Bound is Warren Harding’s offbeat and inventive climbing classic. Harding gives readers an introduction to climbing and recounts his first ascents of the Nose and the Wall of the Early Morning Light on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. The introduction to rock climbing and big walls is farcical. The tales of his ascents are vivid. And throughout he strives to return some of the fun to climbing through humorous storytelling of the climbing culture of the 60s and 70s.

Downward Bound is a testament to the rebellious and magnetic Batso.

“Why do people climb? How the hell do I know? Answers to this perennial question range from Mallory’s rather facetious (I think) ‘Because it’s there’ to (again) Mallory’s enigmatic ‘If you ask the question, there can be no answer.’ Personally, I dig another version of Mallory’s statement. Like, ‘We climb because it’s there and we’re mad!’ How else could you explain freezing your ass off, battling heat and thirst, scaring yourself to death just to get up some rock face or mountain peak. Rock climbing is especially questionable in this respect. In basic mountain climbing the object is to reach the summit by any or the easiest route possible. In rock climbing it’s not really necessary to reach a summit; the game seems to amount to finding the most difficult ways of getting nowhere.”

Downward Bound
  • Print Length: 220 pages
  • Weight: 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.6 x 8.5 inches

Hardcover: $29.95 available at Amazon, the Book Depository, and on order at most independent bookstores.

Paperback: $16.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.

River of Hope

River of Hope: A 1,000 Mile Winter Canoe Journey for Autism Awareness

In the dead of winter, Joe Reidhead embarked on a 1000-mile canoe journey that would connect two of America’s great rivers—the Missouri and the Mississippi. River of Hope follows Reidhead down these rivers as he braves freezing water, blizzards, massive barges, and hallucinations. These brutal conditions forced him to confront his innermost fears in an environment filled with danger. As though these challenges were not big enough, Reidhead also used the voyage as a platform to raise awareness for autism—a disorder that dwells close to home for the author.

River of Hope is a story of grandiose dreams and humility at the hands of nature. Along the way, Reidhead explores the history and culture of these rivers, and he discovers unexpected parallels between the struggles of his adventure and the struggles of those who live with autism.

River of Hope: A 1,000 Mile Winter Canoe Journey for Autism Awareness
  • Print Length: 108 pages
  • Weight: 1.6 ounces
  • Dimensions: 5 x 0.3 x 7 inches

eBook: $3.99 available at Amazon.

Paperback: $9.95 available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and on order at most independent bookstores.