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With all the buzz about the 50^th anniversary of the first American ascent of Mt. Everest, we picked up a copy of Jim Wittaker’s A Life on the Edge (published in 1999). If you haven’t read Whittaker’s memoirs, it’s a must-read mountaineering tale. While it doesn’t have the gravity of Herzog’s Annapurna, or the mirth of Patey’s One Man’s Mountains, it stands out as a fascinating, insightful, and honest portrayal of the life of one of the U.S.’s most successful mountaineers, who was also successful  in business and social life. In addition to being the first American on Everest in 1963, Whittaker was REI’s first employee and later, CEO. Due to his Everest exploits, he met President John F Kennedy, and after the President’s assassination, led Bobby Kennedy on the first ascent of what is now Canada’s Mt. Kennedy. An assignment to write about the expedition for Sports Illustrated led to a friendship between the two men and their families, which culminated with Whittaker heading up Senator Kenney’s presidential bid for Washington. After RFK’s assassination in 1968, Whittaker remained a confident of the Kennedy family, as well as one of America’s foremost alpine climbers.  Whittaker’s book chronicles his childhood, with his twin brother, Lou, starting their climbing career in the Washington Cascades.  In addition to fascinating stories about their early experiences on Mt. Ranier, and training for the Cold Weather Command during the Korean War, some of the most delightful tales involve Whittaker’s 1963 American Mt. Everest Expedition, and ensuing trip of Canada’s Mt. Kennedy with Bobby Kennedy in 1965. As climbers know, mountains help forge unbreakable bonds, and the book recounts Jim’s intimate interaction with the Kennedy family, including classic stories of skiing with the clan in Sun Valley. The book is a mixture of fascinating insight and great story telling.