The Way of Adventure: Transforming Your Life and Work with Spirit and Vision [Hardcover]

Jeff Salz (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2000

"Into Thin Air meets The Road Less Traveled. Adventure is a tool, and Jeff Salz has written a manual that details its use."–Tim Cahill, author of Jaguars Ripped My Flesh and ounding editor of Outside magazine

"The Way of Adventure will stir your blood, stretch your vision, and start you packing for the journey to the next horizon." —Sam Keen, New York Times bestselling author of Fire in the Belly and Learning to Fly

"The Way of Adventure is great! In the busy world we all live in, it is so easy to fall into a rut and sleepwalk through life. Unless you turn your everyday life into an adventure, you aren’t getting the most out of it. This book tackles the journey of following your heart."—Kevin Turner, Senior Vice President and CIO, Wal-Mart

"A wonderful, illuminating, and inspiring book. In this modern era of cell phones, e-mail, and time management, it is a delight to enter the world of the unpredictable, the exciting–and even the miraculous. In this book, Dr. Jeff Salz shares his extraordinary life experiences as an anthropologist, adventurer, and storyteller as he shows you how to rekindle the spirit of adventure, discovery, and wonder in your work, your relationships, and in every aspect of your life."—Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., author of Age Wave

"An absolutely wonderful book. Success is about finding adventure wherever you are. The Way of Adventure shows us how to expand our lives in ways that bring the worlds of business and personal adventure together. It inspires, informs, and entertains."–Stacy Allison, author, business consultant, and the first American woman to climb Mount Everest

"Jeff Salz is a pioneer, blazing trails for us about how to live a richer, fuller, more rewarding life. This gem of a book is crammed with a wonderful combination of high adventure and profound wisdom that will enable anyone to succeed on any path you choose."–Robert Kriegel, Ph.D., NPR commentator and author of If It Ain’t Broke, Break It

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A jack-of-all-trades, Salz has spent most of his life pursuing adventures of one kind or another: climbing mountains in Patagonia, spending three nights in Disneyland, sleeping in New York train stations, apprenticing with a shaman in Peru. But this cultural anthropologist has also worked as a motivational speaker. In this hybrid self-help book, Salz combines adventure tales with advice on how to find "the joyful determination to go out and rediscover life for ourselves, finding peak experiences in situations and environments that previously seemed mundane." Writing in a friendly tone, Salz structures his book around six progressive stepsDLeap Before You Look, Aim Higher Than Everest, Give It All You've Got, Work Some Magic, Keep on Your Bearing, Enjoy the ViewDeach of which he presents in two chapters: the first recounts an episode from Salz's own adventures, and the second blends an explanation of the lesson with comments from other wilderness travelers, businesspeople or artists. The author also provides lots of suggestions on how readers can devise their own adventures, but since Salz's definition of adventure is "any intentional experience that substantially alters our perspective," these can range widely, from spending 48 hours away from home on 50 cents or giving away something you value to taking a vigorous half-day hike. The hybrid approach may leave both traditional self-help readers and adventure fans dissatisfied. This book's real audience may be those looking for ways to shake up life's routines. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"The Way of Adventure is a wonderful, illuminating, and inspiring book. In this modern era of cell phones, email and time management, it is a delight to enter the world of the unpredictable, the exciting -- and even the miraculous. In this book, Dr. Jeff Salz shares his extraordinary life experiences as an anthropologist, adventurer, and storyteller as he shows you how to rekindle the spirit of adventure, discovery, and wonder in your work, your relationships, and in every aspect of your life." --(Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., author of Age Power and Age Wave)

"In the busy world we all live in, it is so easy to fall into a rut and sleepwalk through life. Unless you turn your everyday life into an adventure you aren't getting the most out of it. The Way of Adventure allows you to embrace wherever life's challenges may take you -- because there is something to be learned there. The only thing you can control is you, the only thing you can't control is everything else. This book tackles the journey of following your heart."(Kevin Turner, Senior Vice President and CIO, Wal-Mart)

"Jeff Salz is a pioneer, blazing trails for us about how to live a richer, fuller, more rewarding life. The pages of this gem of a book are crammed with a wonderful combination of high adventure and profound wisdom that will enable anyone to succeed on any path they choose." (Robert Kriegel, Ph.D., NPR commentator and author of If It Ain't Broke, Break It)

"The future belongs to those who create excitement and view life as a great adventure. The Way of Adventure is a priceless tool, a practical guidebook about increasing delight and mastery in everyday life." (Daniel Burrus, author of Technotrends)

A jack-of-all-trades, Salz has spent most of
his life pursuing adventures of one kind or an-
other: climbing mountains in Patagonia,
spending three nights in Disneyland, sleeping
in New York train stations, apprenticing with
a shaman in Peru. But this cultural anthro-
pologist has also worked as a motivational
speaker. In this hybrid self-help book, Salz
combines adventure tales with advice on how
to find "the joyful determination to go out and
rediscover life for ourselves, finding peak ex-
periences in situations and environments that
previously seemed mundane." Writing in a
friendly tone, Salz structures his book around
six progressive steps - Leap Before You Look,
Aim Higher Than Everest, Give It All You've
Got, Work Some Magic, Keep on Your Bear-
ing, Enjoy the View - each of which he pre-
ents in two chapters: the first recounts an
episode from Salz's own adventures, and the
second blends an explanation of the lesson
with comments from other wilderness travel-
ers, businesspeople or artists. The author also
provides lots of suggestions on how readers
can devise their own adventures, but since
Salz's definition of adventure is "any inten-
tional experience that substantially alters our
perspective," these can range widely, from
spending 48 hours away from home on 50
cents or giving away something you value to
taking a vigorous half-day hike. The hybrid
approach may leave both traditional self-help
readers and adventure fans dissatisfied. This
book's real audience may be those looking for
ways to shake up life's routines. (Oct.)

--Publishers Weekly - October 2, 2000

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471387584
• ISBN-13: 978-0471387589
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,527 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What Are You Waiting For?, October 14, 2000

By 

Robert Morris (Dallas, Texas) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Adventure: Transforming Your Life and Work with Spirit and Vision (Hardcover)

In his Introduction, Salz observes:

"This book is about facing everyday life, work, and relationships with the spirit of adventure. And one thing is certain: most folks in modern civilization are seriously in need of adventure. Never before has a species been locked in a struggle with its own datebooks for survival. We are moving so fast that the phrase human race has taken on a new meaning; each day we feel as though we are falling farther and farther behind. And there is a modem to our madness."

Years ago, someone whose name I do not recall suggested to the effect that there is so much pleasure in our lives...but so little joy. Salz seems to agree. The subtitle of his book indicates that it is about "transforming your life and work with spirit and vision" and that is quite true. He engages his reader in a spiritual as well as physical journey which consists of a series of six "steps", each of which he discusses with meticulous care and engaging sensitivity. These "steps" are:

Leap Before You Look

Aim Higher Than Everest

Give It All You've Got

Work Some Magic

Keep On Your Bearing

Enjoy the View

It would be a great disservice to Salz and to you for me to reveal more about the aforementioned "journey" except to add it is one which really can enable anyone to transform her or his life and work "with spirit and vision." If you are among those who now feel (and are concerned about) an absence of joy in their lives, read this book and then seek out your own "mountains" to climb. Whitman once said, "I am large. I contain multitudes." So are you. I am certain you will find Salz to be an invaluable source of wisdom and inspiration as you prepare for your next "journey."

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Equal Parts Adventure, Wisdom, Humor, and Joy., October 21, 2000

By 

Derek McD (CA, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Way of Adventure: Transforming Your Life and Work with Spirit and Vision (Hardcover)

This book tells the story of the author's travels to exotic locales in search of adventure, self, and the meaning of life. Along the way he discovers that you don't need to leave home to find meaning and fulfillment, you just need the courage and willingness to discover the adventure of being human.

Salz's writing is authentic, his observations simple but profound, and his stories entertaining and inspirational. Each chapter is sprinkled with adventures and exercises you can create that cost nothing, require little time, and are sure to make a difference in your experience of life.

You don't have to be a mountaineer, athlete, or traveler to enjoy this book, all you need is a desire to squeeze every juicy drop out of life. I plan to give copies of this book to many friends.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The spirit and vision of Jeff Salz, October 9, 2000

By 

Carole Dlugasch "Carole" (Gunnison, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Way of Adventure: Transforming Your Life and Work with Spirit and Vision (Hardcover)

Here's a "self help" book that is a joy to read. The spirit and vision of the author shines through in his personal experiences and life searches. He writes with humor and just a bit of sardonic wit that entertains at the same time as it educates. The hands-on exercises are easy and illuminating and EVERYONE will find a way to apply these lessons to his(or her) everyday life. This book is a must!