A while back, renowned BJJ instructor, Stephan Kesting, contacted me to ask if I’d like to read the draft of his new book, Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic, and offer a few comments, mainly because he’d read my review of the BJJ book he co-authored with Brandon Mullins, and liked what I’d written and agreed with it. (I guess this time he wanted me inside the tent pissing out, instead of outside the tent pissing in 🙂 )

I accepted, of course. Not only because Stephan is a great guy, whose sensible comments on issues within the BJJ community have always made him a voice of reason in a community that very easily jumps on any passing conspiracy-fueled bandwagon that Joe Rogan happens to be peddling at the time, but it’s also an amazing story. Not long after a life-saving operation, Stephan single-handedly navigates various inaccessible rivers in the Canadian wilds overcoming obstacles that would defeat a mere mortal like myself on day one. We’re talking black flies, hunger, fatigue, exhaustion, map navigating, shifting rivers, fires, rationing, and not to mention encounters with dangerous wildlife – a herd of stampeding caribou and hungry bears in particular! It’s no understatement to say that Stephan had to dig deep inside himself to keep going at times and the book is packed full of the sort of wisdom you only get from facing life threatening situations and surviving.

I’ve also had Stephan on my podcast before, if you fancy a listen to our chat.

Reading the book’s draft actually took me quite a while, a couple of months or more, since I made comments on most chapters, which Stephan said he liked. So, I’d like to think I’ve had a small part in shaping the eventual book. It’s a great story, and I think the finished book will be great. At the time the plan was for Stephan to self publish it, but since then he’s managed to get an agent for his book, which lead to a proper publishing deal, and even more edits and rewrites, and a cool new cover, and finally it’s going to be published. Now you can preorder the book on Amazon, and I’d recommend that you do, I certainly will be!

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