Caverns Measureless to Man Paperback – October 29, 2009

An amazing book about an extraordinary man like Sheck Exley. The book is full of stories and anecdotes from cave diving. I recommend this book to cave divers and everyone who likes adventure.

Okay first of all, Sheck was not a professional writer, and you must keep that in mind before you start this book, or any book written by somebody that doesn't write for a living. The only negative thing I can think of is at times I found myself having to flip back a page or two because his transitions can be a tad jumpy and I would forget what dive site he was at or who he was diving with. That being said, I was extremely impressed by his ability to lay his memories down on paper in ways that at times kept me very emotionally invested. Not to mention the index and appendix of this book are the most impressive I have seen in ANY book. They have his dive logs, maps, charts of scuba record progression, the location/page number of every cave mentioned in the book, and every single one of his dive partners EVER and how many dives he has done with them. Absolutely incredible.Unlike his Blueprint for Survival book which was written FOR divers, which I highly recommend for the aspiring cave diver (available on the NSSCDC website, this book can be enjoyed by someone with no prior knowledge of scuba or cave diving. He not only tells the most amazing scuba/cave diving stories I have ever heard, but continues to educate you on the equipment/training/progression of cave diving throughout the book. It is filled with maps of caves all over the US, Bahamas, and Mexico that he has discovered, laid line in, and mapped. It makes it easy to follow along when he is elaborately describing the intricate layouts of the caves.In all, Sheck Exley was the Michael Jo...the Tiger Wo...the Babe Rut...the Sheck Exley of Cave Diving. I do not think there has been or will be another human being that has risked so much to pioneer a sport while simultaneously making it safer for future participants. He was also extremely humble and selfless, at times risking his life to save others. Cave diving can be extremely dangerous, but Sheck pushed himself to the end of his life to hone the sport into what it is today. Read this book.

This was a great book.. I started my cave diving train last Nov. and it was suggested by me instructor that I read this book. Since then I have a few other book also suggest that I read this book. So finally last week I got the book. I am not a big read but was already reading a book so this one set on the shelf a few days. When I finally started reading it I was hook and finishedit in 3 days.It is amazing the things these guys did with this early equipment. It is surprising that they didn't all die at a very young age. This is a must read for every cave diver and strong suggestion for all other divers. Or those that have any idea about becoming a cave diver.

While Sheck Exley was not a born writer, the amazing experiences he had shine through his humble, matter-of-fact prose. I am not a cave diver, I'm not even a diver, and I have no idea why exactly I purchased this book, but I'm glad I did. Exley describes a world I had never imagined before, and now I can't get it out of my head. The mystery, danger, and joy of the pursuit as related by this book are inspiring.

Fantastic read. I read this two years ago. I rarely want to read books again but this is one I would. If you love living vicariously through the lives of people who have pushed the boundaries of human endurance to obsessively pursue exploring virgin worlds and even buried treasure, this book delivers. I agree with the reviewer who said it will change your life. It certainly has stayed with me.

I enjoyed this book. It's a facinating look at the early days of cave diving when the rules were being written with blood. I'm an avid diver but not a cave diver. It was startling to realize just how many of the early cave divers died in persuit of the sport. Many of Exley's friends and buddies and ultimately Exley himself died in caves. It's generally well written. At times it did seem to jump around a bit and I'd have to back track to clear up some confusion but it was a very worthwhile read none the less.

I love this book so much. I've read it multiple times and it never gets old.Even if you aren't a cave diver, or a diver at all, you'll still get a lot of enjoyment reading about the adventures Sheck had, and what he actually did for the sport of diving.The majority of the book, I spent literally on the edge of my seat.Seriously, get this book.

Sheck was the best! This book was somewhat interesting but wasn't like i just couldn't put it down.It did have interesting parts though, like finding the remains of a church and finding dinosaur bones while cave diving. Several pictures and maps as well are included.It seems like Sheck was obsessed with diving records and in the end that is what killed him.