Why do some people risk their lives on a regular basis by putting themselves in difficult and challenging situations? For some, like astronauts, extreme environments are part of the task. For others, they involve suspense and competition from extreme sports, or achieve goals such as being the first to reach the South Pole or Everest Climb.

Both for sport and employment, have made all these people the personal choice to position themselves in environments where there is a high risk. What drives these people? What qualities of skills and personalities are most successful? What are the combined capabilities of successful mountain climbers, astronauts, cave dwellers, or long-distance solo guard? Are there lessons that the rest of us can learn from? The psychology of those who must deal with harsh conditions was a major research issue.

It is important, for example, for those who plan for manned space programs or to form teams that will spend months in an isolated or hostile environment such as Antarctica, to understand the psychological stress involved and to identify the best people to deal with them. At Xtreme, Emma Barrett and Paul Martin explore the challenges people face in harsh environments, including pain, physical suffering, loneliness, interpersonal friction, and approaches to overcoming them.

Using many wonderful examples and personal accounts, they argue that we can all benefit from the ideas gained.

I want that book.