I hesitate to recommend another real-life drama book after being burned for my recommendation of A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (here, here and here). Turns out the horrible experiences that Frey described in his book were “enhanced” for literary effect. He lied, in other words. Apparently he felt that the real story wasn’t dramatic enough for a book. He even duped Oprah with his story.
I hope that the book I’m about to recommend wasn’t enhanced in any way. Do you remember the guy a few years ago who was mountain climbing and a boulder fell and trapped his right hand between it and the side of a rock wall - and after a few days he cut off his own arm in order to escape? That guy was Aron Ralston, and his book 
about the experience is Between a Rock and a Hard Place. I finished reading it last week, and I keep going back to re-read parts of it. Such a fascinating and horrifying experience.Â
During his experience, Aron who had been traveling alone and hadn’t notified anyone of his plans, had his video camera nearby and he recorded his experience. He expected to die there since he didn’t have the tools the cut through the bone in his arm to free himself. And so he videotaped his last will and testament, scratched his epitaph on the rock wall next to him - until, in one shining moment of inspiration, he figured how to bypass cutting through the bone in order to cut off his arm and escape.
Absolutely fascinating.
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