Day 3,535

Based on some recent favorites, I picked up a recommendation to read The White Darkness by David Grann—a gripping true story of one man’s modern-day expedition into the most unforgiving place on earth.

The book follows Henry Worsley, a British explorer and descendant in spirit of the great Antarctic pioneers. In 2015, Worsley set out to achieve something never before accomplished: a solo, completely unsupported and unassisted crossing of Antarctica. His route retraced the one Sir Ernest Shackleton had hoped to complete in 1914 before his ship, Endurance, was trapped in the ice.

No spoilers here—the suspense of not knowing how Worsley’s journey unfolded made the read all the more powerful.

A few quotes stuck with me:

Passion for something can easily tip into obsession, which is a dangerous thing, especially when those affected are the very people who so loyally stand and wait.

Henry Worsley

Men go out into the void spaces of the world for various reasons. Some are actuated simply by a love of adventure, some have the keen thirst for scientific knowledge, and others again are drawn away from the trodden paths by the ‘lure of little voices,’ the mysterious fascination of the unknown.

David Grann

This book is a short but profound reflection on ambition, endurance, legacy, and the blurry line between courage and compulsion.

Thanks!!!