He got his story told.
582160
Chris Kyle was able to get his story told his way before he was tragically murdered.  His story is one filled with no apologies for the way he lived his life, just an explanation of what and why.
3801927
This true story woven from a young British mans daily journals kept me turning the pages. The memoir tells of his time in the desert of Ethiopia during the 1970s drought. The British government gave him the job of finding water in the desert to sustain the Afar people. The tribe fiercely protected their homelands and put fear into fellow Ethiopians and foreigners alike. But not Ian Mathie. His persistence, bravery, and a healthy dose of youthful brashness enabled him to reach out to the suspicious Afar. He encouraged and bribed them to help him build a weir to make the infrequent rains useful to them.

The odds were stacked against the success of the project. Mathie had to befriend the sometimes violent tribe, thwart government interference, and work around cultural differences. He was a pragmatic man who didn't believe that it couldn't be done. To prove himself to the tribe, he offered them food in exchange for a days work. To gain their trust, he used his own money to buy medical and other supplies and drew upon his many years in the bush to treat their wounds and illnesses.

I picture the young Ian Mathie as an Indiana Jones character; not plundering the relics of a civilization, but bringing a treasure to the Afar people. He showed them a way to make their lives better and more independent, after the tribe had become inured to subsistence living, disease, hunger, and death. They didn't know how to try.

As the old saying goes....Give a man a fish and he eats for the day, but teach him to fish and he eats for a lifetime.

This memoir is a well written adventure, but it is also much more. It is intellectual, compassionate, and realistic. The authors frustration and anger at the status quo comes through loud and clear. The epilogue is especially helpful to give the reader a sense of how one is to feel about the droughts and the inadequacy of the worlds response. Mr. Mathies conclusions may surprise you.
2024845
He can spin an interesting story, the kind of story I can't figure out in the first 5 minutes of reading.
3549590
Mustaine tells the story of his life. I got the sense that his life story is told here honestly to the best of his ability. This is a serious book, though without pretense.

Mustaine describes himself in a plain matter of fact way. Poor decisions and stupidity are noted, but not wallowed over. The alert and intelligent reader will have no difficulty understanding the positive and negative features of the man.

The book succeeds I think mainly because Mustaine is able to be honest with himself. He speaks without hesitation about his motives and beliefs, making good reading but very likely disappointing many fans.  The reader may finish the book disappointed with Mustaine understanding clearly his intellectual limitations, but this for me is a sign that the book has succeeded.

For most readers myself included, there is more of psychological interest in the earlier parts of his life than in middle age. I am glad I read through the entire book, though motivating myself to do so wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

The voice acting in the audio book version is superb, A +, everything I expect from a narrator and nothing more. A very memorable effort by Tom Wayland as narrator.
4964014
I think he recited these events as he recalled them.  It was interesting to read his story from a different perspective than what I was taught when I was younger.  There is still so much history out there to relearn.
4638674
Most band stories just keep recounting how hits were made. This one is more personal telling the stories of the people involved. A bit more in this direction would have earned 5 stars.
4347319
It reads as if he were there for all of it.
Sometimes his language confused.
Holds the readers attention well.
4713420
Great to hear a story of someone rising above their conditions. Drug on w a bit too much detail when discussing the 2 main areas, but still interesting.
2297096
Jon Krakauer really really can tell a story. (I recommend '<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Under-the-Banner-of-Heaven-A-Story-of-Violent-Faith/dp/1400032806/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith</a>')

I stayed up all night to finish 'Into thin air'. As it is a personal account of what happened during a very tragic climb to Mount Everest, it can hardly be termed a documentary. But Krakauer comes through as honest, he ponders what were the reasons that things turned out as they did, including his own role as a journalist, and personal errors made during the climb.

I understand this book was quite controversial after its publishing, and I can see why. However, it is hard to believe that some lessons would not come out of an account like this. The number one question when I closed the book, now almost 13 years after the events, was what has happened on Everest since?
4001242
I enjoyed this mans account of his experience. The book is not for everyone but I enjoyed it very much.
826301
Phil Collins is not afraid of the truth, even if, as he states, it's HIS truth. This engaging read is his story in his words. He tells it honestly. I found the tale fascinating. It was sometimes difficult to follow the story line because he knew/knows everyone and he knew them before they became who they are today. So the story can bounce around a bit. But that doesn't make it any less readable. He is a true star and this book is worth the time spent reading it.
2609114
Great story  Loved it, he seems to tell it like it is.thank god we have guys like this god bless these men
3450410
my StepDad loved this book, especially that it was audio, he was able to listen to it on his way to work and back home from work. He said the way the story was told by the narrator captured his interest and made things much clear.
4384230
A GOOD CROSS BETWEEN A STORY AND HISTORIC EVENT BEING DOCUMENTED. If you think politicans don't lie you need to read this.
141601
It is a story about a young man that grew up without any parental influence. He is a decent person that got into trouble and figured the best way to get through the trouble he did to himself. I enjoyed reading the book.
1180226
I thought it was pretty cool to read this story from the man's point of view. It did repeat some things but added enough new content that I was glad I read it.
4491695
The story leading to this book made me what to hear more about this heroic man's tale, his life's. Thanks to the writers voice tracing Pino's tale as his own was a wonderful way to tell his story.  A great read.