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Into the Planet
Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver | Jill Heinerth
33 posts | 16 read | 23 to read
From one of the worlds most renowned cave divers, a firsthand account of exploring the earths final frontier: the hidden depths of our oceans and the sunken caves inside our planet More people have died exploring underwater caves than climbing Mount Everest, and we know more about deep space than we do about the depths of our oceans. From one of the top cave divers working todayand one of the very few women in her fieldInto the Planet blends science, adventure, and memoir to bring readers face-to-face with the terror and beauty of earths remaining unknowns and the extremes of human capability. Jill Heinerththe first person in history to dive deep into an Antarctic iceberg and leader of a team that discovered the ancient watery remains of Mayan civilizationshas descended farther into the inner depths of our planet than any other woman. She takes us into the harrowing split-second decisions that determine whether a diver makes it back to safety, the prejudices that prevent women from pursuing careers underwater, and her endeavor to recover a fallen friends body from the confines of a cave. But theres beauty beyond the danger of diving, and while Heinerth swims beneath our feet in the lifeblood of our planet, she works with biologists discovering new species, physicists tracking climate change, and hydrogeologists examining our finite freshwater reserves. Written with hair-raising intensity, Into the Planet is the first book to deliver an intimate account of cave diving, transporting readers deep into inner space, where fear must be reconciled and a missions success balances between knowing ones limits and pushing the envelope of human endurance.
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jitteryjane724
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Pickpick

A fabulous and gripping account of one of the most prominent women cave divers. Her experience details overcoming adversity, pursuing excellence, achieving potential, and relates to every woman living in a world that does not cater to our progress. I find it incredibly refreshing and relatable to read writings of ♀️pioneers as I strive to live my most authentic and brave life. #adventure #brave #lady

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jitteryjane724
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Only a few pages in but very intrigued, excited to go on an adventure, and ready to feel related to and and inspired!

#nature #water #adventure #natgeo

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DebinHawaii
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Pickpick

#AugustRush #20in4

Whew! Just finished my #TitlesAndTunes #August pick for #TheWorldIsMyOyster & really enjoyed in—although it certainly made my claustrophobia spike with the author‘s descriptions of the dangerous places she explored as a cave diver. I alternated between the e-book & audiobook & especially enjoyed hearing the author reading her own words. There were a couple of draggy parts but overall this was an interesting & engaging read.👍👍

Cinfhen Fantastic!! I have the audio so glad to hear it‘s a pick 🩵 1y
BarbaraBB Cave diving… I am so fascinated by it because it seems one of the most scary things to do! 1y
Andrew65 Excellent 👏👏👏 (edited) 1y
DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 1y
JamieArc I really liked this one too. It was one of my favorites of 2022. 1y
51 likes5 comments
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DebinHawaii
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OK, I finally have my #TitlesAndTunes book & song pick for August‘s #TheWorldIsMyOyster prompt. Oyster made me think of oceans & this book that has been in my Kindle TBR stack & while I have used it a bazillion times for challenge prompts, I have never actually read it.

Since it‘s a memoir by a woman who is a deep sea cave diver, Rolling in the Deep by Adele seems like a fitting song choice. 🦪🤿🌊

DebinHawaii Not gonna lie—I did consider choosing Don‘t Fear the Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult in case the playlist needed MORE cowbell! 😉😆 (edited) 1y
Cinfhen Hahaha!! Of course I‘m adding both songs because duh!! I‘m thrilled with your choices and I‘m stacking the book!!! It‘s been on my #ReadersRadar for too long!!! 1y
Soubhiville I loved this book! And I love both these song choices too. 🩵🤍 1y
Deblovestoread Great song choices and stacking the book! 🎶📚 1y
BarbaraBB Yay for both songs! 1y
53 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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MelKelsey
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Mehso-so

Book 25

I listened to Into the Planet: My Life as a Cave Diver, read by the author. It was interesting to learn about the world under ours, the technological advances of its exploration, and the many dangers of cave diving. It didn't live up to all the hype, and it could have been more approachable and engaging. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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PaigeTurner
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Pickpick

If you get second hand claustrophobia then this book is not for you! But otherwise, definitely recommend this short read. It was a fascinating look into another world. While I personally have no interest in diving, it was wonderful to join Jill in her journey of self discovery. I also appreciated her delving into the sexism she experienced in this field. #autobiography

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monalyisha
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Pickpick

Right before I started listening to Into the Planet for #AuldLangSpine, a friend tried to convince me to get scuba-certified alongside him. This coincidence was enough to give me pause. Was the universe trying to tell me something? Was diving a part of my future? My destiny, even? Heinerth‘s memoir quickly disabused me of that notion. If the universe was trying to tell me anything it‘s that diving is NOT for me — or, at least, not cave diving.👇🏻

monalyisha 1/7: Heinerth‘s writing style was also not strictly for me, nor was the tale she told. Though it was present, wonder was not the dominant theme (as I expected); her story was more about danger, adventure, risk, grief, and discovery…which isn‘t *typically* how I prefer to encounter my nature writing. But that‘s because it wasn‘t nature writing; it was an adventure story (and autobiography). (edited) 2y
monalyisha 2/7: The expectations I held versus the reality of this memoir reminded me of an experience I had in college. I‘d signed up for a course entitled “American Naturalism,” expecting to find Transcendentalists like Thoreau and Emerson on the syllabus. (edited) 2y
monalyisha 3/7: Instead, I was assigned to read titles such as “An American Tragedy”, “Barren Ground”, and “Blood on the Forge.” I‘d had no idea that American Naturalism is the idea that “nature doesn‘t care about you.” (edited) 2y
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monalyisha 4/7: Similarly, Heinerth‘s memoir was a lot sharper and harsher than I anticipated. She does find meaning and awe in her work, however — work which has led to important scientific discoveries and has contributed enormously to water conservation and environmental education efforts worldwide. (edited) 2y
monalyisha 5/7: I thrilled at listening to her detail an excursion to Antarctica where her whole team almost died before even arriving at the iceberg they‘d planned to cave dive *inside of.* She‘d had to lash herself to the deck of her ship (to avoid going overboard) with a baseball bat. Her task was to break-up the rapidly forming ice so the ship wouldn‘t become too heavy and drown. 2y
monalyisha 6/7: It was incredible! Informative! Novel! Still, I have to admit that I‘m happy to be done reading. Ultimately, I wanted less about her gear, oxygen levels, and problem-solving skills, and more about the creatures and waters she encountered. I‘m now looking forward to reading a water-based memoir about another female bad-ass — one with (what I expect to be) a different tone: Wild Woman Swimming by Lynne Roper and Tanya Shadrick. (edited) 2y
monalyisha 7/7: Thanks for bringing this book to my attention, @JamieArc! Though it wasn‘t exactly my jam, I appreciated the learning experience. I do plan to find her documentary! I‘m also sure I‘ll recommend it to others in the future who are, temperamentally, a bit less dreamy and gentle than I am. Because I recognize the appeal of this story for others (and didn‘t suffer through it by any means!), I‘m giving it a “pick” rather than a “so-so” rating. (edited) 2y
JamieArc Wild Woman Swimming sounds right up my alley, so I stacked it. I think this one made my list because it was my foray back into non-fiction, and I liked being a voyeur into a world that terrifies me - deep, dark, enclosing spaces. I found her bravery and experiences fascinating. 2y
JamieArc Also - I‘m impressed with how many of my list you are reading! I am a slower reader than I intend to be (eyes are bigger than stomach sort of thing). I will have Wayward and Foster done by the end of the month, but I‘m honestly not pressing myself because I genuinely want to read every single book from your list that I haven‘t yet read. 2y
monalyisha @JamieArc It was definitely captivating! Interestingly, she‘s from the same part of Canada as my stepmother, so I was also fascinated by their similar accents. 😅 I did find myself constantly observing, however, “WOW. These are *not* my people!” I think I would have found many of her life-partners (whether friends or lovers) overwhelmingly abrasive. Still, I‘m glad we seem to have left her in a good place! She‘s a remarkable individual. 2y
monalyisha @JamieArc That sounds great! I‘d rather you read them at a pace where you can really get a feel for them rather than rush to finish them in January. The month/when of it all is arbitrary to me. 😊 I think the chunk of time I had off for my birthday helped me finish more titles than I otherwise would have. And I fly through romances! 😉 2y
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monalyisha
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I *hate* spoilers with a fiery passion and NEVER seek to learn the result of something before a writer wants me to. That being said, I just googled to see if Jill Heinerth and her husband, Paul Heinerth, were still together.

I‘m at the point where she reveals to him that she has The Bends, a sickness that could end her career &/or her life. He responds, “No shit, Sherlock.”

I want to END HIM. 🤯😤🤬

#AuldLangSpine #ALSpine @JamieArc

JamieArc I think my brain purposefully forgot about him… 2y
Maria514626 I love that sign! And your last sentence! 😄 (edited) 2y
Soubhiville Yeah, he was an ass. 2y
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monalyisha
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Last night, I started my first #AuldLangSpine pick. I‘ve gotta say…I could have chosen better, given my current timeline. 🙈

As a way to talk about how she‘s learned to embrace fear, Heinerth tells the story of a break-in at her first apartment & a face-to-face, violent encounter with the intruder. My husband‘s band is going on (a short) tour. I‘m going to be home alone for a few nights. Hi. I won‘t be sleeping. 😅 Thank God people live above me?

JamieArc Oh no! 😂. I listened to this while on a summer lake trip and it put a little curiosity (fear) about what was below me. As much as I‘m a swimmer, I have a fear of deep waters, so this book was a safe way to engage with deep waters. 2y
Amiable Oh, man. I feel you. My husband is a firefighter who works 24-hour shifts at a time. I had to give up reading any true crime or anything that includes intruders or break ins a long time ago. Otherwise I'd be sleeping with the lights on until he retires! 2y
Amandajoy You can buy little alarms from Home Depot that will go off if someone tries to get in if that helps. 2y
monalyisha @AmandaJoy That‘s good to know! Have you used them? 2y
monalyisha @Amiable Totally understandable! My stepdad is a homicide detective; early in his career, he worked a schedule that was two-weeks days, two-weeks nights, so my Mom often had to fall asleep alone. It‘s so tough! 2y
51 likes5 comments
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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

I added this to my TBR when I saw @JamieArc reading it. The audio is great, read by the author. The stories of going to Antarctica to dive into an iceberg had me on the edge of my seat.

I found the part at the end about the genetic makeup of thrill seekers fascinating. I definitely don‘t possess that gene, but I‘m glad I get to read about people who do!

Clwojick This sounds intriguing! Adding it to my radar for NonFics! 2y
JamieArc Glad you liked it! I find myself still thinking about Jill and her dives. 2y
Hooked_on_books I loved this one. I can‘t even imagine doing what she does. 2y
Soubhiville @Hooked_on_books me either! But it‘s incredible to hear about and I love seeing photos of underwater caves. I think the mortality rate would drive me away if nothing else- that kind of heartbreak would be hard to bear. 2y
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JamieArc
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Pickpick

I‘ve had this book on my TBR since hearing an interview with Heinerth on Fresh Air and being fascinated by her stories. While I love water and swimming, deep and dark water scares me, but reading Heinerth‘s explorations as a cave diver were engrossing, and it was interesting to learn about all that goes into cave diving. #Booked2022

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JamieArc
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Current reading situation. Reading about deep waters while periodically gazing out over Lake Michigan. My favorite type of summer day.

SRWCF What a pretty view. Enjoy! 3y
Soubhiville That sounds like a fun and interesting read! 3y
DivineDiana Your setting looks like a dream come true! 💙 3y
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JamieArc @SRWCF Thank you! 3y
JamieArc @Soubhiville It‘s a pretty fascinating read so far! 3y
JamieArc @DivineDiana It literally is a dream come true! I‘ve been wanting to stay in a house right on Lake Michigan like this for as long as I can remember, so I‘m savoring every moment! 3y
DivineDiana Very happy for you! 👏🏻 3y
52 likes7 comments
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JamieArc
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Reason #671 why I love not just reading, but books as objects. From this book about a cave diver, look at that cute scuba diver on the bottom left! I love small details like this.

EvieBee Yaas! I was planning on reading this one on audio until I saw the chapter headers and swooned. 3y
JamieArc @EvieBee I listened to Rock, Paper, Scissors on audio - now I need to go check out what you are talking about! (edited) 3y
DivineDiana It‘s all about the details! ❤️ 3y
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JamieArc
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In the midst of big life happenings, I have read very little. I went to the library to pick up the tagged book for #Booked2022 and realized how much I miss reading. I am in love with this spot in our new house, and can‘t wait to read many good books here. The other two books in the photo are tagged below.

JamieArc Because I can‘t resist a trip to Paris. 3y
EvieBee It looks like the perfect place to read! The sunlight gives you vitamin D bonus points! 3y
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JamieArc @EvieBee It is proving to be a *lovely* place to read. There is a Japanese maple out front, and it‘s a gorgeous view (photo doesn‘t do it justice). 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Congratulations on your new home!! Did I get your updated address? I can‘t remember 😩 3y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @JamieArc I‘m losing it girl!! Thank you 😍 3y
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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyJul21

I‘ll never do any iceberg diving 😱but the descriptions of the #layers of ice & snow in this book help me visualize it.

“Passing by layers of snowy deposits, I was acutely aware that I was dropping down through a time capsule. Every layer represented a slice of history. One layer would be white and frothy, but a few feet deeper, I would pass a band of bluish translucence. A little deeper, the ice was as clear as glass.”

TK-421 💙 3y
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Jill Heinerth left a more traditional career path and became a cave diver and photographer. She has explored cave systems and even dove inside a huge iceberg. Some of the descriptions here are terrifyingly claustrophobic, but it‘s all fascinating. I‘m a little bothered by a couple hyperbolic statements, making me wonder what else may be exaggerated, but the danger is very real, without question.

Soubhiville This sounds like just the kind of book I‘d love. Stacking! 4y
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Centique
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#bookreport from #hiselderliness - he‘s got the book grumps this week.

Into the Planet “Too complicated for me. All this technical stuff about how to turn foul air into fresh air when you‘re underwater. I don‘t know about diving”

The Incredible Voyage “You know there‘s a lake on top of the Andes mountains? Well he wanted to sail it. So he gets the boat up there by trucks, even pushing it sometimes. ⬇️

Centique Of course he has to get it back down again doesn‘t he? You‘d have to be a proper nutter” 4y
Texreader Ha! These are great!! 4y
AlaMich 🤣 4y
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Reggie Lol. He kinda sells me on these books. 4y
LeahBergen “A Proper Nutter”. 😆😆😆 I‘m going to use that in all my reviews now. 😆 4y
Centique @Reggie I know right? Me too 🤪 4y
Centique @LeahBergen I never realised that was his go to phrase until he started reviewing books to me! 😂 4y
Nute lol😆 4y
72 likes9 comments
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Varshaa
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🏖 I have started waking up early in the morning

🏖 There is no song in particular

Thanks for the tag @Blackink_WhitePaper

Blackink_WhitePaper Thanks for playing 💐🙌🏻getting up early is really a good thing 😀 4y
MemoirsForMe Welcome to Litsy! 👋🏻🎉📚 4y
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Varshaa @UwannaPublishme Thank you 😊 4y
Pageturner1 Welcome 🙏 4y
Varshaa @Pageturner1 Thank you 😊 4y
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NicoleCeBallos
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Pickpick

This was a really interesting read. Jill is a world reknown cave diver and has done a lot of work for Nat Geo. The pictures in here are stunning and I get the appeal of exploring places than few people will ever see. Having said that, you have to be insane to want to be a cave diver. There's a chapter in here called "My Dead Friends" and that tells you all you need to know about the life expectancy of cave divers. #nonfiction #caves

Cortg Fascinating. 5y
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BookBelle84
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Pickpick

I absolutely loved this! Such a exciting, fascinating and unique career. It has made me want to find more National Geographic Explorer stories. Shows how beautiful and amazing our planet is. #mustread #highlyrecommend

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nukie19
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Pickpick

This was the best kind of nonfiction book; reads like a great fiction story, complete with suspense & interesting characters but also taught me so much about cave diving. I'm in awe of her work, especially as she moved into conservation & I just love her attitude about diving & her role as a world premiere diver who happens to be a woman. She is clearly a rock star and I loved her story. I'll be recommending it to all my adventurous friends!

nukie19 Also, my first #bookspin and #doublespin month done! @TheAromaofBooks - thanks for the challenge to finally pick this one out of my TBR stack! 5y
TheAromaofBooks Great review!! I love it when nonfiction is engaging instead of dry. Thanks for joining the challenge this month - almost time to post April's list!! 5y
JamieArc I heard an NPR with this author, talking about this book, so I put it on my TBR. Glad to see a good review of it! 5y
nukie19 @jamiearc I heard an interview with her on the podcast Unladylike and when she read a few paragraphs from the book, I knew I needed it! If you liked her interview, I‘m sure you‘ll like the book too. 5y
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nukie19
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"When you survive a close call, your baseline has a tendency to shift in what is known as normalization of risk."

Oh yeah, as someone working in safety, man this is sooooo true.

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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyMar20 #sight

“I looked out over the water, but the far shoreline was out of sight. I tried to imagine what lay beyond the salty air and blue horizon. This is the first time I appreciated the expansiveness of the planet.”

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nukie19
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I just love nonfiction with color picture pages! Also...this book is freaking amazing.

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nukie19
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"Perhaps I felt additional self-imposed pressure as a woman. In the past I had been held back from opportunities because I was a girl. Even though nobody in this group had expressed sexism, I was determined to be as strong as any of the men." #quote #quotsymarch

I hear you, Jill...

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nukie19
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So excited to finally be sitting down to read this. First page dedication and I'm already loving the tone. #bookspin

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nukie19
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So excited that this was the #bookspin pick for March! My mom gave me this for Christmas off my TBR list and It‘s been waiting patiently on my nightstand... @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks This one looks crazy!! Can't wait to hear your thoughts! 5y
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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyFeb20 #polar 💙

“Whether it be stingrays, sea lions or polar bears, having the chance to document rare, endangered and charismatic marine life is one of the greatest privileges of my career.”

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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyFeb20 #fossil

Exploration of a sea cave.

“Fossilized sea biscuits—a species of sand dollar—jutted from the wall, indicating this was an ancient seafloor; layers of limestone deposited through time, eroded again to reveal the fossilized past.”

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DebinHawaii
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#FebruaryFeels #NarrowEscape

In this book, cave diver Jill Heinerth dives into many narrow places and has some narrow escapes—like in the caves inside the B-15 iceberg in the Antarctica.😱🧊

JamieArc I heard an interview with her on NPR. Her stories were fascinating! 5y
Eggs That is inspiring! It makes me feel anxious and claustrophobic just thinking about it 😳 5y
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DebinHawaii
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#QuotsyJan20
#Bump was a little trick. Jill Heinerth‘s passage in her book about seeing an iceberg just beyond the Balleny Islands in Antarctica grow from a bump on the horizon captures that feeling of awe from nature. I just started this memoir about cave diving I picked up as a Kindle Daily Deal last month. 💙🧊

Thndrstd This sounds fascinating 5y
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Pedrocamacho
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Pickpick

Heinerth‘s cave diving experiences are both hair-raising and exhilarating. The dive through the B15 iceberg, in particular, was bonkers.

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Christine
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Pickpick

A solid adventure memoir. Heinerth has had many fascinating and harrowing experiences as a cave diver, and I loved how attentive she was to the prevalence of sexism and gender inequality in her field. Her personality and approach to risk and fear are SO different from my own, and I feel like I understand the adventurer mindset a bit better after reading this. The prose wasn‘t my favorite, but overall I found it a good, interesting read.