The Alchemy of Action

Book Synopsis: WHY DO PEOPLE CLIMB MOUNTAINS?Because it gets us high. Here is the surprising answer to that age-old question. The unfolding story of The Alchemy of Action leads to psychedelic transformations deep in the brains of adventure athletes everywhere, whether they run, ski, surf...The Alchemy of Action offers a fresh—even shocking—explanation of why people climb mountains, by delving into the brain chemistry behind climber’s euphoria. The intriguing story behind why we are so much more than “adrenaline junkies” leads deep into the psyches of all adventure athletes as they push toward the ragged edge of human potential and return with shimmering new awareness from a heady brew of hormonal cocktail that includes the surprising ingredients of home-made organic psychedelic compounds.

Praise for The Alchemy of Action

“I really, really think you’re on to something important here. It’s part memoir, part reporting and part scientific exploration written in a very accessible way. You’re out on the fringe of something that affects anybody who has the remotest interest in the range of human experience. It’s a great piece of work.” ~ William Broyles, Jr., screenwriter (Apollo 13, Cast Away and Planet of the Apes)

“A beautifully written, deeply researched, insightful and groundbreaking contribution to human understanding (and consciousness).” ~ Dick Dorworth Author, skier, climber, seeker

“Our guide is a friendly and folksy Roshi, whose light touch helps his readers tackle technical ground.” ~ Brad Rassler, Sustainable Play

Doug Robinson is a professional mountaineer known internationally for his climbing, guiding and backcountry skiing, as well as his poetic writings about the mountains and why we climb them. Closely identified with California’s High Sierra, Doug has been called “the modern John Muir.” Doug was awarded the American Alpine Club’s literary award in 2010. His first book, A Night on the Ground, A Day in the Open sold out its first printing and received wide critical acclaim.

Praise for A Night on the Ground, A Day in the Open

“An unqualified success, a memoir that’s both excellent history and perhaps the most compelling portrait ever assembled of the American climbing spirit in the last 25 years.” ~ Rock & Ice magazine

“The climbing life is as foreign to me as elephant taming. It was a treat to be shown through its inner and outer landscapes by an expert guide.” ~ The Los Angeles Times

“No one writes about the mountain experience quite like Doug Robinson does. Lyrical, visionary (to use one of his favorite words), casual, poetic, elegant, unpretentious, mystical. Here, the quintessential Alpine vagabond sketches the delights of sublime indolence.” ~ American Alpine Journal

“[Doug] more than anyone else is carrying on Muir’s great tradition of mountaineering writing.” ~ Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, Inc., climber, environmentalist, author

“Doug Robinson is John Muir meets Jack Kerouac, a 19th century mountain man on a 20th century journey, a seeker, a visionary. He is that rare treasure: a mountain man who can write, and he writes like a poet.” ~ William Broyles, Jr.

“Doug Robinson’s well-crafted collection of essays offers a unique personal vision of the American climbing scene and many of its players (including himself) over a period of decades. Doug is a deft writer, speaking from the heart in graceful prose that captures the human side of our sometimes hard-hearted sport. Doug is an artist in prose as well as among the peaks.” ~ Royal Robbins, leader of the Golden Age of Yosemite climbing, entrepreneur, author