Above All Else

by Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld

World famous competitive skydiver and coach Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld presents proven tools and techniques for success and explains how they can be used in everyday life. Dan survived a plane crash from which sixteen of the twenty-two people on board were killed. He was left critically injured and woke up from a six-week-long coma with a broken neck, broken skull, severe head trauma, a collapsed lung, and other serious internal injuries. Against all odds, Dan recovered and went on to become one of the greatest competitive skydiver in the world. With the love and support of friends and family, Dan was able not only to resurrect his life but return to skydiving to achieve greater heights than he could have ever imagined. His techniques and methods for excelling are applicable to all people, no matter their goals. Dan uses his experiences to teach the lessons he's learned--as a competitor, coach, business owner, father, and husband--to help others achieve their dreams, overcome obstacles, and reach their peak performance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Biography, Sports, Adventure, Leadership, Audiobook

Nook

First published September 15, 2011

Reviews

[Katelyn Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible story one man's persistence and grit to do above else what he loves to do, regardless of the outcomes and obstacles - become a champion skydiver.

Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld is not the typical kid. He did not have such a carefree life, in fact, it was riddle with just about everything that would get a sane human being to give up in their tracks. You name it, rocky academics, group dynamics, gut busting athletics, and the constant returned response "...you can't..."

This man, from a very young age, saw a passionate interest in skydiving, today a completive sport, but in 1980 a thrill ride for the most careless. This was just... AMAZING to Dan. He loved the thought of achieving pure human flight, and wanted to be the very best at it, EVEN THOUGH he never attempted it before. This pure, genuine love for something, enough to wait for and train for even with the voices saying it couldn't be done, is incredibly inspirational.

He built a team, and took them to the championships to win against very prestigious teams from around the world.

It is more than just a run-of-the-mill inspirational story, it is a life guide. Truly recommend the read, tell me what you thought after! :)

[Chris Houston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess it's my fault for not doing more research, but I wasn't expecting the second half to be a self help book, which I have zero interest in

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld has an amazing comeback story. Because of his love of sky diving, a collapsed lung didn’t stop him. Because of his passion for the sport, a horrific accident didn’t stop him. It’s an amazing story.
It’s also a self-help book, which basically boils down to: Do you want your goal enough?
I’m sure the “make-your-own-luck” crowd enjoyed this book, but I found it simplistic and repetitive. I imagine Dan is very charismatic in person, and an excellent coach, but I don’t think it translates into his writing.

[Erika · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author is a world championship skydiver, and before you lose interest (I can't imagine we have a large population of sky diving readers) please stay with me. This book was a riveting, true-story about tragedy and the powerful drive of the human ambition. Dan Brodsky-Chenfield is not only an internationally known athlete and noteworthy coach, his story happens to be unbelievably motivating.

When Dan was at, what he thought was, the peak of his success, when a horrible plane crash killed 16 of the only 22 skydivers on board. One was Dan's teammate and best friend. Though Dan survived the crash, he was left with a broken neck, cracked skull, collapsed lung, and bruised intestines. He was unconscious in a deep coma for over a month. His prognosis was grim. Even when he miraculously did wake from his coma, would be be paralyzed? Was his brain damage so bad that he was going to be 'vegetable'?

The achievements of this man after this awful disaster are nothing short of miraculous. I remember becoming very heated as reading the book thinking, "Dan, don't be stupid, the doctors said NO!"

Admittedly, I went into this book having zero interest in skydiving, and though my interest has only increased about 30%, I found the story impossible to put down. I read 100 pages within a single afternoon. I have rarely been impressed by feats such as these, but there was something about Dan's story that is so relative. It helped that he wrote in a very clear and down-to-earth manner.

After he tells his courageous story, he outlines a general plan that he has learned from his experiences. This is a how-to method for anyone wishing to accomplish something great (big or small!). I'll admit that knowing Dan was known for "motivational writing and speaking." I often find the "motivation" part of those books or seminars simply cheesy and unrelatable. However, Dan's perspective was not like that. The base of his theory are these two questions that need to be confirmed before moving on:
(1) Is is possible to reach your goal?
(2) Do you want it badly enough to do whatever it takes to make it happen?
From there Dan goes on to steps and areas of focus to help you reach your goals. Keep this book handy this year to help you meet all of your 2012 goals or resolutions!

[Blake Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded down. I really liked this book in the first half; as a skydiver myself I found his narrative gripping, authentic, and passionate. His writing style isn’t my favorite, but it isn’t bad. Too many italics for me. I wasn’t expecting the second half to be so much focused on being a self-help book. I would have preferred a full-length autobiography. The self-help stuff is really good and useful, especially if you are a person interested in being the best at whatever it is you like to do, but he definitely repeated himself a lot. The general gist boils down to something you learn in the first 50 pages of the book: “do you want it bad enough?” If you do, then you’ll do anything to make your goal happen. If you don’t—and crucially, he says that it is okay to not want it bad enough, which I feel is a point missed by many “hustlers”—then you should match your expectations accordingly and recognize your limits rather than being upset. Good book, interesting life story, medium quality self-help.

[Ravi Ranjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing first half, once you are in the sports, you understand that the thrill and adrenaline comes at the cost of personal loss of people who were there a second ago and then they are gone, all because of a silly mistake. The persuasion and the grit of author is amazing. the second half is more of self help, which I certainly need and equally ignore, all in all a great read. Might of off topic if you don't dive though !

[Katarzyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was written by a skydiver, but it's a book for anyone who has dreams and wants to fulfill them. I understand Dan's case because I'm a skydiver too and fly in a 4-way team; his journey in pursuit of dreams resonates with me. Besides tips on achieving seemingly impossible dreams, I highly value his advice on team building. The mutual work of a well-functioning skydiving team can have the same mechanics in any other well-functioning team.

[ThaiReader1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book from Amazon for my kindle when the book first came out.
Above All Else is not so much about skydiving as a detailed account of the way Dan overcame the horrible tragedy and what it was he did to overcome it.
This inspiring book is for anyone trying to overcome adversity.
I read it before and I'm reading it again. Well worth a closer look.
Buy it, as you'll probably end up reading it again.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The biographical part is drawn out but the team building principles toward the end are solid.

[Nancy Gruttman-Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Very inspirational, but not in a religious sense. Shows how to overcome adversity and meet challenges with resolve and strength.

[Jera · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was a crazy story! I read it in 3 days I think. really good. feel like I learned some stuff through his experiences so that's always nice.

[Roberta Westwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing recovery

I very much enjoyed this account of a world class skydiver’s crash recovery, and the way he quite literally put himself back together again. The fact that he went on to compete in formation skydiving again was remarkable. It was a well written bio.

I listened to the Audible audiobook.

Something to be aware of: At chapter 42 (of 51), the book changes from a biography to a self-help book, in which Dan explains his philosophy for success. While this transition is clearly stated in the audio, nothing in the book’s description, or in the way the chapters are labelled, gives you any indication that this is coming. For some people (like me), I have zero interest in Part 2, so stopped listening. I don’t really mind this, as I did enjoy Part 1, but I would have liked to have been made aware of this. For other people, simple knowing this is a “2 for 1” deal, with the self-help book tagged on might make them want to buy it, if only they were aware.

[T. Laane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has such a powerful personal story that You’ll easily remember it in 10 years. Most books You forget - not this one.
GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT. The author highlights a human truth: as soon as children master crawling, they want to climb, then walk, then run, then jump - people always crave more, it’s just in our nature. Who is not looking for the next level, is slowly dying. Sometimes you need to drop everything and leap into the unknown without guarantees, and if you really commit, it can turn out better than expected. The book pushes the idea that you can only achieve big wins (and coach others) by risking comfort and embracing total dedication long before you see the victory itself. High-performance teams almost always start with a single, totally dedicated person. For the team to win, individuals must achieve their personal goals but even if everyone on the team has unique goals, the team’s purpose must be shared by all.
TEAM ROLES AND DYNAMICS. Ideally, every team needs both a Hardass and a Comedian - one to push to extremes, one to keep it light. If the whole team is made up of likeminded individuals, growth won’t happen - different perspectives, the occasional hug, a joke, or even a kick in the butt are all necessary. The wisdom here: great things happen when everyone’s passion and commitment line up, even if personalities are quite different. Friends don’t always make the best teammates, and you don’t even need to be friends to achieve amazing results if you’re all-in for the same mission.
PERFORMANCE AND INSTINCT. You perform your best not when you’re thinking but when you trust your instincts and let training take over. Consciously train your physical, social, communication, mental, and emotional skills until they become muscle memory. When performing, your whole world should narrow down to just the next move - don’t overanalyze, just act. Even with only 40% of the info you think you need, trust your instincts to fill in the gaps. In both business and life, gut instinct is more powerful than forced logic - think of it like “Feel the Force, Luke!”
TEAM PRACTICES AND COMMUNICATION. When a new member joins the team, give them trust upfront, even if unearned - that’s the fastest way to grow, since they’ll either prove themselves or wash out. The team leader should help each member set personal goals aligned with the team’s, then regularly debrief on progress with measurable steps. During debriefs, “defensiveness” is strictly forbidden - everyone’s input aims to help, not to attack. And when suggesting improvements, bring only solid, proven ideas to avoid overwhelming people with vague suggestions. Overly “soft” feedback or hidden criticism can have a butterfly effect, quietly ruining the team from within. Personal accountability is contagious - when one person openly owns their mistakes and promises to fix them, others step up too. Teams should celebrate mistakes: every breakthrough is built on hundreds of failures.
VISUALIZATION AND GROWTH HACKING. Use visualization to fuel both personal and team development - train yourself to relive your best results so often you forget your worst. With time, you’ll see your “best” performance becoming the norm, and plateaus can be broken through by aggressively experimenting, even if your average temporarily drops. Reverse-engineer top performances to figure out exactly how and why you succeeded, then keep those conditions in mind for your next leap.

[Dustin Blanton · Rating 4 out of 5]

An encouraging story of an extreme athlete's journey toward excellence. After suffering severe, traumatic injuries that likely would have caused others to give up on their dreams, Brodsky-Chenfeld instead doubled down and eventually became a world champion. The insights that he came away with after the experience are useful for everyone.

The most meaningful one to me, I think, and one which sounds obvious in retrospect, is that people often ask themselves the wrong question when training. People often ask, 'Can I be good enough to win first place?', which is another way of asking, 'What is the bare minimum I can do to win?', and doing the bare minimum will never result in your best achievement. Instead, ask, 'How can I be the best I can possibly be? What can I do to really maximize my performance?'

This and other similar insights made this book a winner for me.

The book is divided into two parts; an autobiographical first part and a more 'self-help' style second part. This could be jarring for those who are not prepared for the format switch.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

All right, let me admit up front that there are specific reasons why I wanted to read this book. I know and respect Dan personally. I know some of the people in the book. I had a team mate killed in the Perris crash. This story hits home for me.

Now let me give you reasons why you would want to read this book. The story is about a life event without exaggeration. The story is a good one on its own. You hear about tragedy through others' perception. You are introduced to passion. Put all this together, and you find Dan's advice for not only getting through a tragedy but also to thrive and succeed.

I don't know that I could tell you my favorite part. I take that back. My favorite part is Dan coming back practically from the dead to share what he's learned.

Buy it. Read it. Apply it.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never really wanted to go sky diving until I read this book. The author narrates his passion for sky diving and coming back from a traumatic event to become the best. I want to go sky diving so that I can experience what he experienced every time he jumped from a plane. There are so many great quotes in the book. The only part I was not too fond of was at the end, when it was merely a self-help section, so I just skimmed through that. To make the book better, maybe the author should've sprinkled all that "self-help stuff" into the book, instead of concentrating it at the end. I feel like it takes away from the book. Overall, I would definitely suggest this to any of my friends that want to do something with their lives and to the adventurous.

[Sadie Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the inspirational true story of a young man's journey through the skydiving ranks; hitting the high note, then having the rug pulled from under him in a horrific plane crash. How the object of his passion very nearly killed him, and the confusion, guilt and anguish of waking from a coma only to find that his closest friends didn't make it. How he dragged himself up (aided by a bazillion doctors, nurses, screws, plates and bolts), hopped back aboard, and started all over again.

You don't need to be interested in skydiving to enjoy this book. It's a story of tenacity; human spirit and soul. It may not have been penned by a literati, but I'd put it all the way up there with The English Patient as one of my all time favourite novels.

A truly inspiring book.

[Eddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspiring and motivational autobiography. Loved the story. Would have liked even more technical aspects relating to skydiving, but enjoyed the book overall. I thought that the motivational section at the end was a waste of time for me, everything had already been discussed throughout the book in a more descriptive and convincing manner. There was a lot of repetition in this book, but a remarkable story nonetheless. A true world class athlete, respect to Dan for his determination and commitment to become the best. A real inspiration. Everything he says makes absolute sense and it could not be put clearer.

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and fun read. The book is split into two distinct sections. In the 1st and largest portion we are taken on a journey through the authors life starting as a young boy with a desire to fly, progressing through becoming an expert skydiver and the challenge of recovering from a plane crash. In the 2nd half of the book the author expresses his views on how to become an expert and succeed in any activity and how he became a champion skydiver.

Overall the book was interesting though I feel the 1st section is the bigger draw to the book. The 2nd section felt like every self help book ever written.

[Matthew Gibb · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 70% of this book is about Dan and how he developed a lifelong passion for skydiving and competition in fours. He is in a serious accident and his long recovery and the faithful help from Christy his eventual wife bolster his determination to start a family and return to serious competion. The 2cd part of the book is somnelent positive thinking ideas for team formation and relationships. I listened to this while walking and only found this part of the book somewhat interesting. The narrative style of part 1 held my attention and I learned a few things along the way.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. An amazing story written with an honest down to earth voice. I met the author of this book the year after the 'Airspeed' skydiving team had formed; after he'd written it [the book]. I didn't know the details of his story but had heard rumors. Now that I've read his story and the inspiring words of wisdom I'm more in awe than ever. What you wouldn't know if you haven't met him is that the energy that exudes from these pages is just one ray of his shine. Read it.

[Fernando Yuki · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A lot of people has the potential to succeed. Far fewer is willing to make the commitment, to make the sacrifices, to take whatever risks there are to make it happen."

This book is an awe-inspiring story about how the pursuit of our dreams can be life-changing, no matter if we accomplish exactly what we aim for.

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good read for skydives and non skydivers, really inspirational. I can't believe how much this man would NOT give up on his dreams after years and years and failure after failure it was really motivating! My husband and I both read and loved this book. Totally on my bucket list to jump with
Dan B.C. someday!!!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan's book is realistic, inspirational and a great read I recommend this book to everyone. You don't have to be a skydiver to read this book, it encourages you to just be the best at whatever passion you pursue.

[Aaron Heinen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly inspiring story about following your gut, having the courage to do everything you can in order to achieve a goal then letting the rest fall in to place. A truly amazing story of what can be achieved if you put your mind to it and let no obstacle be too high to climb.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a licensed skydiver, I was recommended this book by one of my instructors. It has definitely helped me gain perspective and get a handle on my debilitating fear of this crazy sport. Worth a read even if you’re not into skydiving, plenty to take away from it.

[Jesse Bloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, very inspiring, about a skydiver after a near death accident and his comeback...

[Jeni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I know Dan BC. This book is about his comeback after a bad accident. It is inspirational and practical. A must read.

[Yanshan Gao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part one is fairly moving. However, the second part is pretty dull and really not so well written

[Ajitabh Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A desire to go against all odds and achieving what you want, that's what the author demonstrates. Strong will power, dreaming and planning to fullfil your dreams.