Live to See the Day: Impossible Goals, Unimaginable Futures, and the Pursuit of Things That May Never Be

by Mark Medley

An imaginative study of human nature, Live to See the Day is a globe-trotting exploration of what drives certain people to pursue a dream beyond all logic, reason, or reward.

Why do people pursue impossible goals?

In Live to See the Day, journalist Mark Medley sets out to find people who straddle the line between determination and delusion, who have devoted their lives to dreams they know have little chance of coming true, or that will only come to pass in decades—if not centuries—from now. Over the course of five years, and through interviews with more than 250 people, he immersed himself in a question we all reckon with personally in our lives: how to push forward when the world is telling you to give up. Travelling to the jungles of Indonesia to encounter a photographer who has devoted his life to pursuing a mystery ape; to the forests of Norway, where a time-bending artist is amassing books that will only be read a hundred years from now; to the deserts of the American Southwest, where he shadows a grizzled treasure hunter who has spent his life searching for a legendary lost fortune, Medley asks: What keeps these people going? Why start a race they know they’ll never finish?

Paddling across a quiet volcanic lake in Sumatra, under the eye-blue sky on a scorching day in the Superstition Mountains, and at the launch of a historic space mission on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, Medley finds people with almost bottomless reserves of patience and perseverance. Captivating, funny, and full of curiosity and heart, Live to See the Day is ultimately an examination of hope and what it means to live a rewarding life.

Genres: Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

Published January 6, 2026

Reviews

[Jessica Mae Stover · Rating 1 out of 5]

False equivalencies (some of these endeavors/the effort of these individuals are not comparable as some are more realistic than others) and pseudoscience without insight or other meaningful study and reflection. Casual dated/sexist terms that are pointedly no longer in use around space exploration. Nope to this. Disappointing.

Instead I would suggest listening to or reading so many other books by modern, grounded seekers who, although they may not live to see the day, are starting or advancing groundwork in the realms of normative ethics/policy and science etc., or other books by those interested in said seekers. Just off the cuff: Carl Sagan The Demon Haunted World, Lisa Kaltenegger Alien Earths, Sara Seagar The Smallest Lights in the Universe, Michael J Sandel on reforming so-called “merit” systems in universities, something by Thomas Piketty on global tax reform, and the BBC’s Reith Lecture with Rutger Bregman on Moral Revolution coupled with the Q&A challenge from the audience about the ideas involved.

2026

[Jeff Greason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up simply because I've always been someone pursuing long-term goals that I hoped to make progress on without ever expecting to reach an 'end' -- in fact, it's the 'endless' character of them that excites me. I was curious about what people like that might have in common. It wasn't until I was well in to the book that I came across my name and dimly remembered conversations with the author years before. I won't say the book had any answers, but I found the collection of characters with their disparate distant goals enjoyable.

[Susan Doherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading Mark medley's Live to See the Day I was watching Lindsey Vonn, age 41, compete in her fifth Olympic games. Ten days earlier she had severed her ACL. Whether you think it’s insanity, vanity, or dogged Olympic grit, or all of the above, Vonn’s quest strains the physical and psychological universe of even elite athletes. She simply would not deviate from her plan to compete despite an injury from which world-class skiers often take years to heal. Medley's book is an exploration of the people who maintain their path despite all odds. Perhaps zero odds is a more apt depiction. The politician who has 2 or 3 percent of the vote, but petitions for her party because of a fervent stance on protecting the environment and climate change. The book is beautifully written and will give you much food for thought about integrity, and about the quiet, stubborn calculus behind choosing to persist when the outcome promises little reward. It asks what compels a person to stay the course when success is improbable, recognition uncertain, and the cost deeply personal. Is it ego, conviction, faith, or something more elemental? Was Lindsey Vonn crazy to compete? Medley suggests it may be integrity itself, the refusal to betray one’s own sense of purpose. Like Vonn on the slope, or the long-shot candidate at the podium, his subjects are animated less by the likelihood of victory than by the necessity of action. To stop would be a greater loss than to fail. Reading it, I found myself wondering whether we measure courage too narrowly by results. Perhaps courage lies not in triumph but in continuity, in the decision to keep showing up for the thing that defines you. Live to See the Day lingers in that space, reminding us that perseverance is not always rational, but it is often profoundly human.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5. The author gives us glimpses into the grand goals that drive the people he profiles. My favorites were the Oran Pendek searcher, the advocate for poor/homeless, the Future Library, and the voluntary human extinction guy. I enjoyed learning about the wide variety of interesting & thought-provoking topics. The writing style was sometimes overly-descriptive (and maybe everything was tied up too neatly at the end?), or I might have given it 5 stars. This is one of those books I kept telling my family about as I was listening.

[Barry Hertz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kind of inspirational and head-in-the-clouds stories that will start your new year off perfectly. Deeply reported, superbly written, with the author managing to balance the intensity of these uber-committed daydreamers with the poetry of knowing such pursuits will amount to nothing during their lifetime. Reminds me of the now-immortal Andor quote: "I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I'll never see."

[Tasleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has set seemingly impossible goals, who has wondered if there is any point to working toward something that won’t be accomplished in their lifetime, who has despaired about the future of humanity, or who has wondered about “men who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit” — this book is for you.

[Kristin Camburn Hammond · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this ARC. Each person’s story was very interesting and their attitudes about not being around to see the fruition of their work was inspiring. I enjoyed learning about the different paths their lives took.

[Lottie C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

Just didn’t really click with this one

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important book for humanity's current moment. Engaging and entertaining while asking some deep questions about where we find meaning and how our species grapples with its power.

[Lara Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written book about the pursuit of goals without the guarantee of crossing the finish line. Highly recommend to anyone looking for some inspiration!

[Kirk Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay book wanted more story on the people vs the activity they are engaged in

[Gabi Howell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pleasantly surprised by this book and really enjoyed the passion that everyone involved has towards the cause they are working on.