The Art of Risk: What we can learn from the world's leading risk-takers

by Richard Harris

Diving doctor on the Thai Cave Rescue (now a Netflix series) and former joint Australian of the Year explores the stories of other people who regularly risk their lives and what we can learn from their expertise.

Are free-solo climbers, underwater cave explorers and big-wave surfers crazy ... or cautious? How do soldiers and fighter pilots manage risk? What can we learn from how BASE jumpers and drag racers prepare that we can take into our own lives?

‘Harry’ Harris – Thai Cave Rescuer, joint Australian of the Year – has an unusual idea of he crawls though pitch-black, confined caves, deep underground and usually underwater. To most, that’s a nightmare. To him, it’s recreation. He’s prepared for all conceivable risks, he’s completely focused. And the discipline and danger involved leave him better prepared for everyday life.

In this ultimate armchair adventure, Harry takes us into the lives of other ‘risk-takers’, to find out why they do what they do. We meet people adventuring from the highest skies to the deepest oceans – BASE jumpers, drag racers, snipers and surfers – including climber Alex Honnold (from the movie Free Solo), sailor Jessica Watson, film director and deep-sea diver James Cameron.

Each gripping story is a masterclass in risk from the when to go, when to say no, how to prepare and above all, how pushing ourselves a little further helps us become more courageous and resilient in all of our challenges.

Heart-pounding and eye-opening, you’ll never look at risk the same way again.

‘Richard “Harry” Harris peels back the mindset that shapes the line between recklessness and courage.’ Hugh Riminton

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Audiobook, Australia

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2023

Reviews

[Ellyn Duffus · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will make your stomach fall out of your butt. Each heart pounding story told inside the pages is one of wild adventure that will make you cry, lol and gasp, shaking your head in disbelief. Richard Harris in an inspiring individual who has written an unbelievably inspiring book. I LOVED this book.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read. It was super interesting hearing from people in different disciplines and how they interpret and deal with risks.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!!!
"The biggest risk we will ever take is in not appreciating our lives while we live them." ✨️

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this more than I had anticipated I would. Great storytelling and some very compelling stories. Made me think more about the risks we take in life and why we seek out risk.

[Patrick Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art Of Risk

- Written by the Austrian anesthesiologist and part time deep cave explorer that helped rescue the Thai kids trapped in the cave. He really is a doctor and one of the world’s most accomplished cave divers. How do people manage their time?
- He has gone deep into caves. Has been the first person to explore caves, many in Vanuatu. Wow, cave diving. He was a consultant on the movie Sanctum
- Oddly I have read two other books about deep diving. Books about finding pirate’s gold and the German U-Boat. Deep water diving is fascinating
- James Cameron, Honnold, drag racers, a base jumper with 7,000 jumps, big wave surfers, a fighter pilot, a war zone reporter, and more, men and women
- The book is partly about skinned knees, grit, discomfort, and facing fears, are essential for growth. He advocates for kids to push the limits and test themselves. He had some wild adventures as a kid, the story of floating for 12 hours over night on a half sunken boat
- It’s true those that take the biggest risks are the people that value safety the most. The people that are unafraid to walk away and try another day. The risk is lower when safety is prioritized
- Those that do these extreme activities are calm and humble. They live completely in the moment. They are steady and posed. They know how to calm themselves in moments of panic
- They don’t want to die, they want to live. They want to experience all of life
- They are experts, they are masters of their craft, they have their 10,000 hours
- They have all lost countless friends. They can’t dwell in the grief, feel it, learn from it, move on
- Coming back from close calls and injuries. The self doubt and fear, but determination to come back
- The calling to adventure and exploration
- Near death experiences, stories of survival, the experiences and risks are diverse
- One dude got engulfed by a great white shark and survived
- A story about a soldier that was shot in the neck
- What is important in life, how do we live our short lives
- Discomfort, adventure, exploration, safety, risk, love, all the things
- This was great book, I highly recommend it

[Peter Holz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book, very readable and written in an easy conversational style. The sections highlighting the exploits of various people engaged in risky activities are totally engrossing and absorbing. While I agree with the author's premise, that a measure of risk is essential for us to grow and live full lives, I feel that the book has missed its mark. We discover people jumping off buildings, sailing around the world and surviving the seemingly unsurvivable (is being inadvertently caught in an explosion on a train perpetrated by a suicide bomber really the same, or even similar from a risk perspective, to deliberately and knowingly flying fighter jets in combat zones?) but the book spends considerably less time on the philosophy, psychology and "art" of risk taking. Admittedly, the author is trying to prove a point and the whole book is an excellent example of confirmation bias, but there is no mention of people who are risk averse but still lead happy and fulfilling lives (like the author's wife, for example, who likes nothing more than settling down with a good book and a nice cup of tea). Or the people who have been seriously burned by their risk taking activities and decided it was all a terrible idea. Ignoring all that and taken at face value, the vignettes themselves are riveting and well worth the time invested. However, the real reason we engage in risky activities can be summed up by the author's friend and fellow diver who said, "If you have to ask the question, you wouldn't understand the answer." You can always trust a veterinarian to hit the nail on the head.

[Mary McLean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up after listening to Dr Richard Harris on an episode of The Imperfects. I have watched all documentaries and films, read all books and listened to many podcasts on Dr Richard Harris and in particular the Thai Cave Dive Rescue. I was also very fortunate to have him as a guest speaker at a work leadership workshop, which was incredible.

This book talks about some of the Tha Rescue but the majority of the tales are surrounding other incredible humans who risk their life in their hobbies to feel something, to feel elated, to ensure they are the best version of themselves. The stories follow men and women as they discuss their ‘hobby’ from free-solo climbers in Alex (also have watched the Doco on him), big wave surfers, deep sea divers, solo-sailors (Jessica Watson, recommend the Australian Story episode on her as well), all the activities that take someone out of their comfort zone. These humans are incredible and it was interesting to understand their motivation behind what they do.

I would recommend this as non-fiction book. I listened to this on Libro, unfortunately Dr Harris did not narrate but it was still a great read all the same.

[David Saloukvadze · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Art of Risk is a slightly click bait title to Richard Harris' take on risk. Rather than discuss risk vs risk appetite and dissect the concept as the title would suggest, it is an anecdotal look at people considered in high risk hobbies/jobs.

Richard Harris builds his initial credibility on risk by offering his own high light in rescue diving, his primary hobby, and career. He then spends most of the book dissecting the hobbies/career paths of extreme individuals who may be considered objectively risky.

Sure, risk plays an underlying theme in this take, and Harris does look at the role risk plays in each interviewed individual and their personalities.

It is a great read none the less, it is inspiring, and it makes extreme sports and career paths seem achievable, rather than some far flung distant goal.

Well done to Harris for making a dry concept really interesting to read.

[Kaylene Wakefield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this - though I'll admit I'm a sucker for anything related to Dr Richard Harris and specifically his involvement in the thai cave rescue. This book was well written and the stories were compelling, many of which bought me to tears. I had heard Harry reference this book in a podcast and I had presumed the content was largely related and relevant to raising children, and allowing them exposure to certain levels of risk through childhood. Whilst it touched on this, it largely danced around it, with exception to a few mentions about how modern helicopter parenting is vastly different to the parenting styles of previous generations. However, the messaging was clear, and he is not a psychologist or parenting expert so possibly not well placed to deliver explicit messaging on this topic, so take from the stories what you will with a parenting lens.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent thoughtful book. Of course as an Australian from the same hometown as the author, I may be bias. This is a very easy to read, almost conversational sort book, that looks at minimizing risk although outsiders may not perceive that the activity has been made safer by preparedness.
I would have liked interviews with people like Guy Martin (Isle of Man TT rider) or Fedor Konyukhov (look him up, he's led a full life), but a second book would be needed. Would also be interested in how age affects perceptions of risk versus reward.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read! I wasn't totally sure what to expect when I bought it, even after I read the hook on the back of the book, but I had a lot of fun learning about risk scientifically, and hearing about some of the horrifying and/or incredible stories people had to tell about their experiences. It gave me some perspective about myself and why I feel more inclined to risk nowadays, which is why I bought it. Nice read overall!

[Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wrote a big spiel about how great this book is, but the app crashed. So I’ll just write: Great and inspiring read. 4.8 stars because two incidences of direct repetition of text made me feel it was either written to be separate articles/publications, or there was an editing mishap. I do recommend reading this book. Wholeheartedly.

[Simon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book and particularly the insights into the minds and motivations of risk takers. All of the stories follow those for whom an appetite for risk is innate, and his own exemplifies the value for them in society.

"Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing." - Denis Waitley

[Janelle Cavarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟
Did I ever think about cave diving prior to reading this book? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes. This has made me realise I live well within my comfort zone. I’m also in awe of the team that dived into the cave to save the Thai soccer team. I had no idea that they sedated the players to remove them. The entire description of events was fascinating!

[Carl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories based on discussions with famous risk takers. Contains many instances of unverified options and cliches, particularly about screens and parenting (yawn) and overdone Australian-isms (I reckon). Still kind of charming and kept me reading to the end.

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really interesting. He talks about the Thai cave rescue and his various cave diving adventures and experiences. He also shares things he’s learned from many others. It made me think about life in a way I hadn’t before. The idea of risk and not just playing by the regular 9-5 rule book. Highly recommend

[John Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Similar to exposure therapy, minimal incremental increases of 'risk'/practice will diminish the fear associated with the activity.

Multiple thrilling accounts of famous men and women taking on risk.

[Bronte Matthews · Rating 5 out of 5]

So inspiring but yet, relatable to every day scenarios. Highly recommend! Will go back to read it again!

[Tania Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art of risk is one of those books that you are not really sure what to expect but is definitely worth the adventure to find out.

[Poppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

i want to go free climb a mountain now? maybe surf a 20 meter wave?

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Harris, one of the Australian Thai cave rescue divers, looks at different risk taker (explorers, climbers, care racers) to see what drives them.

Read by Suzie

[David McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book. So many crazy stories in this thing, delivered in a very interesting, measured, and easy style to read.

[Just_Jes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A meandering book through stories of various risk takers and their adventures.
You have to be somewhat interested in diving to not otherwise get bored with the ongoing diving and water references.

[Jessica Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book containing the stories of incredible people. Kudos Richard Harris!

[Sarah White · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best book I've read in a while

[Simas009 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathtaking and engrossing stories from those who still seem a little bit crazy no matter how prepared and organised they are! Those adventures take a special type.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great case for the enrichment taking risk provides for our lives.

[Kathy S · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read. We all face risks to different degrees. These people are champions at it. Great stories. Loved the analysis of it all.

[Anthony Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a brilliant read highly recommend

[Keira Bowness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not exactly what I thought it would be.