Just Don't Fall: How I Grew up, Conquered Illness, and Made It down the Mountain Book

Josh Sundquist is a funny funny man. I've been a subscriber of his YouTube videos for a while now (Game of Thrones for Math Nerds is great, as is his advice on how a man should choose and wear a suit), and I bought his book to get a background for the videos I have enjoyed so much. It succeeds on every heartwarming, cringe-inducing, literally laugh-out-loud-and-quote-to-your-friends level.

Sundquist narrates his life story (from early childhood to just after his experience with the Paralympics in Italy) with characteristic humor and optimism, and plenty of subtle surprises. For example, as the Josh in the story ages, Josh the author uses a more mature voice. The author always remains in the background, though, selecting just the right details for the reader to see the hilarious big picture. For example, when Josh of about ten years old is in the hospital after his amputation, a resident makes an embarrassing mistake and covers by claiming to be late for a meeting he just remembered. The reader has no doubt that the doctor is lying, and Josh the author gives enough information for us to be very clear on that point, but the young Josh in the story shares how there's a positive side to everything, and maybe even a really embarrassing moment can help you remember a meeting for which you were running late. It's a perfect blend of innocence and wisdom, and there is really no point in the book where Josh the author loses the perfect balance of that blend.

What I love the most about this inspirational book is that, despite the protagonist's aspirations as a motivational speaker, the book never really stoops to blatant attempts to inspire. Yes, Josh survives a serious battle with cancer, and he shares his story and heart with open hands, letting the reader choose what to take from the telling. Yes, Josh has some amazing romantic disasters, but he doesn't preach about relationship values - the reader just gets to share space with him as he struggles. Yes, Josh experiences impossible challenges as an amputee, but Josh the author has a remarkable sense for when his status as an amputee is relevant to a story and when he just needs to focus on how his unique personality brought about a certain turn of events. Yes, Josh the author seems to recognize the absurdity of many of the rules in his loving and strict homeschooling family, but he neither criticizes his parents nor admonishes the reader to accept or reject a certain kind of faith, even saving his own personal statement of faith for a gentle moment near the end of the book. This book really is an author telling his story in a powerful way to connect with readers, and I can recommend it (and Sundquist's YouTube channel) for anyone looking to be inspired with hope for humanity.