Documents the dramatic 1897 flight of a visionary Swedish explorer who attempted to discover the North Pole in a hydrogen balloon, describing the formidable environmental conditions that challenged his efforts.

"A thoughtful, eloquent meditation on bringing adventure and exploration into your daily life, from the author of Silence and Walking. Erling Kagge is an explorer par excellence. He has accomplished things that most of us can't even imagine--for example: he's climbed Mount Everest and reached both the North and South Poles on foot. Yet in this slim, inspiring, lyrical book, he teaches us how to apply an explorer's mentality to our own daily lives....