Jill Heinerth, Into the Planet ***

The subtitle of this memoir is "My Life as a Cave Diver," but Heinerth's adventures are not limited to the water. A surprising amount of the book describes diving-adjacent activities, such as hiking in the jungles of Mexico, sailing the Southern Ocean to Antartica, and fending off burglars. Her descriptions of dives are engaging, especially the caves inside an iceberg and the honeymoon trip where she got the bends, but they aren't the part that made the strongest impression. Heinerth relates each story as if she's giving a Toastmasters speech, with its life lesson made explicit at the end:

But when we transcend the fear of failure and terror of the unknown, we are all capable of great things, personally and as a society. ... If we continue to trek purposefully toward our dreams, into the planet and beyond, we just might achieve the impossible.

I compared this book to the mountaineering memoirs I've read. The defining feature of world class mountaineers is their off-kilter personalities and value systems. Heinerth, on the other hand, comes across as level-headed and invested in rationalizing her decisions based on common values. I will say, though, that she and the other divers come across as surprisingly unconcerned about others' welfare: numerous stories show divers purposely turning a blind eye to their partners' difficulties. It's surprising in such a collaborative activity.

Cave diving: it's not for me.