First published 2010
By 2004, explorers had conquered both poles, Everest, and the ocean depths. Humans had walked on the moon. Yet one prize remained unclaimed: the deepest cave on Earth. Two scientist-explorers launch separate expeditions to claim this final frontier. American Bill Stone descends into Mexico's treacherous Cheve Cave, where lethal conditions await at every turn. Meanwhile, Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk targets Krubera in the Republic of Georgia, a frigid underground labyrinth made more dangerous by the separatist war raging above. The two men could not be more different in personality and approach, but both possess the scientific skill, physical courage, and relentless drive needed for such an undertaking. As they push deeper into the Earth than anyone before them, both teams face equipment failures, flooding, hypothermia, and the constant threat of being trapped miles below the surface. Their parallel quests reveal what drives humans to risk everything for discovery.
Genres: science, adventure, non-fiction
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: adventure, exploration
Setting: Mexico, Cheve Cave, Republic of Georgia, Krubera
Period: 2004
286 pages · Hardcover · Random House