--- product_id: 1739060 title: "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" price: "B/.43" currency: PAB in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/1739060-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place store_origin: PA region: Panama --- # Between a Rock and a Hard Place **Price:** B/.43 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Between a Rock and a Hard Place - **How much does it cost?** B/.43 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.com.pa](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/1739060-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Between a Rock and a Hard Place [Ralston, Aron] on desertcart.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Between a Rock and a Hard Place Review: 'What are the odds?' asks risk taker extraordinaire Ralston - Well, the odds are pretty darn good that luck is going to run out on you if you have tempted fate as many times as Aron Ralston had and continues to do. Like so many people, I was held spellbound back in 2003 when Ralston's story first hit the media. What kind of man does it take to cut off his own arm to survive a terrifying accident? I knew the area the accident happened in and that just made the story more compelling to me - the Canyonlands are not a forgiving landcape. "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" answered some of my questions. I, for one, am glad that this is not the story of JUST the accident but tells more of Ralston's life story. I see it more as a character study and I think if you read it as that, you won't be disappointed. Even after reading the book, do I understand Ralston? No. He wrote the book himself and I enjoyed his writing style. He was VERY candid about his lifestyle and all his past mistakes and imperfections. He is an adrenaline junkie, an adventurer - problem is that he makes careless mistakes, takes ridiculous chances, has endangered others in his various quests. I have a son the same age as Ralston and I have to say, as a mother, I would not want to be Ralston's mother. I am quite sure that his accident was the culmination of years of sleepless nights and waiting for THAT phone call. The book really made me think about what inner qualities it takes to become an adventurer, an explorer, a trailblazer. I can't decide if any of these are Ralston's aims or whether he just has a death wish. I don't agree with many of his methods but Ralston is living the life he wants to live. He is the first person, as noted in his book, to ever scale all 59 of Colorado's 14,000 foot or above peaks solo in winter. And this manchild had the extraordinary fortitude and will to live to be able to cut off his own arm, rappel one-armed down a cliff face, and hike miles out of the desolate Canyonlands to reach safety. How many people in the whole world would have been able to do the same? Review: When Life Gives you Boulders... - Let’s be honest, most of us wouldn't last a day in the desert, let alone five days with a crushed arm and no way out. But in Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Aron Ralston doesn't just survive, he amputates his own arm with a dull multi-tool, rappels down a cliff one-handed, and hikes miles to find help. That’s not just grit; that’s borderline mythic. The book could’ve stopped at the drama and been compelling enough, but what makes it memorable is how Ralston weaves his past into the narrative. Through alternating chapters, we don’t just see the accident, we see the man who walked into it, adrenaline-fueled flaws and all. Ralston is candid, often maddeningly reckless, and somehow still likable. You may not want to hike with him, but you’ll want to finish his story. The book isn't just about a man versus rock, it’s a story about what happens when your past finally catches up to your present and demands a reckoning. It’s part survival thriller, part soul excavation. You might not understand Ralston completely by the end, but you’ll be reminded that even in our darkest, most desperate moments, the human spirit can dig deep (sometimes literally) and come out changed. This isn’t just a tale of survival; it’s a wake-up call to actually live. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #103,421 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #17 in Western U.S. Biographies #362 in Traveler & Explorer Biographies #2,993 in Memoirs (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (1,298) | | Dimensions | 5.5 x 1 x 8.44 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 074349282X | | ISBN-13 | 978-0743492829 | | Item Weight | 13.1 ounces | | Language | English | | Print length | 354 pages | | Publication date | August 30, 2005 | | Publisher | Atria Books | ## Images ![Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81r3Qk6ZsUL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'What are the odds?' asks risk taker extraordinaire Ralston *by C***T on April 11, 2011* Well, the odds are pretty darn good that luck is going to run out on you if you have tempted fate as many times as Aron Ralston had and continues to do. Like so many people, I was held spellbound back in 2003 when Ralston's story first hit the media. What kind of man does it take to cut off his own arm to survive a terrifying accident? I knew the area the accident happened in and that just made the story more compelling to me - the Canyonlands are not a forgiving landcape. "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" answered some of my questions. I, for one, am glad that this is not the story of JUST the accident but tells more of Ralston's life story. I see it more as a character study and I think if you read it as that, you won't be disappointed. Even after reading the book, do I understand Ralston? No. He wrote the book himself and I enjoyed his writing style. He was VERY candid about his lifestyle and all his past mistakes and imperfections. He is an adrenaline junkie, an adventurer - problem is that he makes careless mistakes, takes ridiculous chances, has endangered others in his various quests. I have a son the same age as Ralston and I have to say, as a mother, I would not want to be Ralston's mother. I am quite sure that his accident was the culmination of years of sleepless nights and waiting for THAT phone call. The book really made me think about what inner qualities it takes to become an adventurer, an explorer, a trailblazer. I can't decide if any of these are Ralston's aims or whether he just has a death wish. I don't agree with many of his methods but Ralston is living the life he wants to live. He is the first person, as noted in his book, to ever scale all 59 of Colorado's 14,000 foot or above peaks solo in winter. And this manchild had the extraordinary fortitude and will to live to be able to cut off his own arm, rappel one-armed down a cliff face, and hike miles out of the desolate Canyonlands to reach safety. How many people in the whole world would have been able to do the same? ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When Life Gives you Boulders... *by G***D on June 21, 2025* Let’s be honest, most of us wouldn't last a day in the desert, let alone five days with a crushed arm and no way out. But in Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Aron Ralston doesn't just survive, he amputates his own arm with a dull multi-tool, rappels down a cliff one-handed, and hikes miles to find help. That’s not just grit; that’s borderline mythic. The book could’ve stopped at the drama and been compelling enough, but what makes it memorable is how Ralston weaves his past into the narrative. Through alternating chapters, we don’t just see the accident, we see the man who walked into it, adrenaline-fueled flaws and all. Ralston is candid, often maddeningly reckless, and somehow still likable. You may not want to hike with him, but you’ll want to finish his story. The book isn't just about a man versus rock, it’s a story about what happens when your past finally catches up to your present and demands a reckoning. It’s part survival thriller, part soul excavation. You might not understand Ralston completely by the end, but you’ll be reminded that even in our darkest, most desperate moments, the human spirit can dig deep (sometimes literally) and come out changed. This isn’t just a tale of survival; it’s a wake-up call to actually live. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Get The Full Story Behind the Amazing Film *by J***R on January 27, 2012* Book Description In April 2003, 28-year-old Aron Ralston took a day trip in Blue John Canyon in Utah's Canyonlands National Park. Shortly after beginning his solo excursion into the canyon, a boulder came loose and pinned Ralston's right arm between it and the canyon wall. Unable to free his arm, Ralston was trapped for 127 hours (more than 5 days) with limited water and food. Because Ralston had broken one of the cardinal rules of outdoor pursuits (always let someone know where you are going), no one knew where he was (or even to come looking for him) until he didn't show up for work on Monday. His account of the ordeal and his eventual decision to save himself by amputating his right arm is documented in this well-written (and surprisingly funny) memoir. My Thoughts When watching 127 Hours, I was absolutely mesmerized by Ralston's predicament. (It didn't hurt that Ralston was portrayed by James Franco and the movie directed by Danny Boyle.) After watching the film, I wanted to get the full story about what Ralston had experienced. Did he really have a vision of his future son that bolstered his courage? Did he really talk into his video camera during his entrapment? Why had he made such a fundamentally stupid mistake by not telling anyone about his whereabouts? The book answered all these questions and provided much more detail into Ralston's personality and background. In fact, after reading the book, I'm not completely surprised that Ralston found himself in his predicament. In the book, he recounts several near-death experiences he faced during various other outdoor pursuits (from almost drowning in the Grand Canyon to being buried under an avalanche). Ralston's whole life was (and is) about pushing himself in the outdoors--often in ways that others might consider foolish or overly risky. In addition, solo adventuring was nothing new to Ralston. At the time of his entrapment, he was pursuing his quest to make the first solo ascents of all "fourteeners" (mountains over 14,000 feet) in Colorado. The one line in the movie that stuck with me--"This rock had been waiting for me all my life"--really sums up Ralston's life. (I may be misremembering the exact line but it is something fairly close to this.) Did he leave the canyon a changed man--aside from the obvious loss of his right arm? Spiritually, Ralston matured--coming to a new appreciation for life and his loved ones. What the experience didn't do was dampen his enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits. Working with prosthetics and climbing companies, Ralston designed a prosthetic arm for himself so he could continue rock climbing and mountain climbing. The book is surprisingly well written. After all, just because you have the guts to amputate your own arm and survive for five days in a canyon with limited food and water doesn't mean you'll be able to tell your story eloquently. But Ralston (who was an engineer before quitting corporate life to pursue the outdoor life in Colorado) seems to be a true Renaissance man--crafting a well-rounded, eloquent and often amusing account of his life, philosophy and the accident changed him forever. Finally, I must mention that the book includes a collection of full-color photographs of Ralston before, during and after the accident. I had a rather morbid fascination with these photos (including the one of the severed arm immediately after the amputation), but they really did add to the story. It was amazing to see the exact place where this took place and what Ralston looked like during his entrapment. I also need to give a shout-out to the filmmakers for seeming to recreate Ralston's predicament, clothing, and equipment down to the smallest detail. Recommended For: Readers who enjoy gripping and well-told adventure/survival stories, fans of the movie 127 Hours, and anyone looking for real-life survival story that demonstrates what people will do to survive. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/1739060-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place](https://www.desertcart.com.pa/products/1739060-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place) --- *Product available on Desertcart Panama* *Store origin: PA* *Last updated: 2026-04-23*