Explorers of the Infinite: The Secret Spiritual Lives of Extreme Athletes -- And What They Reveal about Near-Death Experiences, Psychic Communica

I finished this book a few months ago, and in retrospect I think it is a breath of fresh air in the Spiritual department. Why do extreme athletes risk their lives doing these things? Read to find out, and find out as well all of their very unconventional Mystical experiences they often have while doing these crazy activities. I'll probably read this book at least once more again sometime in my life, if not twice. Definetely recommended to the adventurous soul prone to extreme ways.

I bought the Kindle version after hearing Coffey on Oprah's Soul Series. I read it more as a spiritual searcher than as an endurance athlete. The book was comprehensive in its exploration of what drives people to put themselves in the path of great suffering (made me think of the monks who built monasteries on chunks of rock off the coast of Ireland)... why? While the book is full of ghosts and other psychic phenomena, Coffey is even-handed in exploring these. She approaches mysteries with a true spirit of inquiry. Also, I couldn't put it down. In this snowy season, it did change my attitude about facing the cold as a mini-adventure.

Maria Coffey will be on Oprah in a few weeks (November 2008) because of this book - get a copy now and love it as much as I did! She gets right to the heart of what makes those who push physical limits tick, and does it in an incredibly palatable way. I highly recommend this book for extreme and armchair athletes alike.

For those of us that spend alot of time outdoors, and on mountains, we understand completely. This book reads so well, that the read itself is its own ten star review. Yes, it really is that good of a read. Go ahead, pick it up and start understanding why you need to get up from in front of that stupid tv you are attached to at the hip. Your tv can't come close to the knowledge contained in this book, but I will say this; Banff films do. Got Banff Yet?

I bought Maria Coffey's "Explorers of the Infinite" a few days ago and ate it whole. This book is fascinating since it is about the endurance athlete- a group I count myself among- and what drives us. I've been privleged enough to participate in about 250 triathlons, the Marathon des Sables (154 mile desert running race),the Eco-Challenge and the Raid Gauloises and the Jordan Desert Cup 105 mile running race as well as the Antarctic marathon. It is nice to read ideas about what makes a fellow like me "tick". "Explorers of the Extreme" is perhaps one of the first really credible, readable and entertaining examinations of the endurance athlete's psyche, motives, mindset and even "spirituality". Coffey is apparently not an endurance athlete herself but treats our kind with loving adoration. If you are a marathon runner, triathlete, surfer, cyclist or other "extreme" or endurance sport athlete you'll appreciate the insights and feel some of the pages in Coffey's book become an interesting mirror. This is also a fantastic read for an athlete's spouse who may have questions about why a person would ever subject themselves to the rigors of preparation and participation in endurance/extreme/risk sports. Coffey explores the extreme athlete mentality from mountaineering to ultra-running to the Tour de France and even more amazing feats like free diving and extreme skydiving. It is refreshing to read a respectful treatment of our sub-species, the endruance/extreme athlete. Other books I've read on the motives and inner realm of us freaks treat us with a sort of detached disdain and label our motives as self-destructive and self grandizing. Coffey sees other inspirations as told to her by the people in the sports themselves. There is also a readable and engaging thread throughout the book of the sociological theories behind risk and endurance sports, a particularly fascinating one pertaining to surfing. This book is a delight and makes you feel good about being an endurance athlete, a rare breed, a risk taker. It is interesting to read about the ideas that may shape our motives. Highly recommended- great read. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.