A dramatic inspiring memoir by legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell the first person to free climb the Dawn Wall of Yosemite s El Capitan On January 14 2015 Tommy Caldwell along with his partner Kevin Jorgeson summited what is widely regarded as the hardest climb in history Yosemite s nearly vertical 3000-foot Dawn Wall after nineteen days on the route Caldwell s odds-defying feat was the culmination of an entire lifetime of pushing himself to his limits as an athlete This engrossing memoir chronicles the journey of a boy with a fanatical mountain-guide father who was determined to instill toughness in his son to a teen whose obsessive nature drove him to the top of the sport-climbing circuit Caldwell s affinity for adventure then led him to the vertigo-inducing & little understood world of big wall free climbing But his evolution as a climber was not without challenges; in his early twenties he was held hostage by militants in a harrowing ordeal in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan Soon after he lost his left index finger in an accident Later his wife & main climbing partner left him Caldwell emerged from these hardships with a renewed sense of purpose & determination He set his sights on free climbing El Capitan s biggest steepest blankest face the Dawn Wall This epic assault took more than seven years during which time Caldwell redefined the sport found love again & became a father The Push is an arresting story of focus drive motivation endurance & transformation a book that will appeal to anyone