Literature Review: Endure - How to Work Hard, Outlast, and Keep Hammering
Review By: Joseph Andreasen
This book is one of the rare examples of a truly honest account of an extraordinary person's life.
His story is hopeful because he really is just a regular guy. Cameron Hanes came from intensely difficult circumstances. His life transformed when he became obsessed with bow hunting. Even though he changed from a poorly motivated alcoholic to a deeply motivated bow hunter and ultramarathoner, the challenges in Cam's life didn't stop. If anything, he began to seek out challenges on his own. This gave him freedom and purpose. The challenges he chose were finding and bringing down massive bull elk with a bow and arrow and running 100 and even 200 mile races. On his first elk hunt with a bow, he spent 18 days straight in the mountains until he finally brought down his first animal. Cam is the first to say that he wasn't very good at bow hunting naturally, but he simply wouldn't acknowledge that going home empty handed was an option.
Cameron writes of his hard childhood and wasted adolescence. He writes of the people who made his life difficult and the people who helped him turn it around. He writes about the bond that is generated by suffering in the mountains and just how heartbreaking it can be to lose that bond. Cam writes of how lonely it can be to expect nothing but the best from yourself. He writes about some of his shortcomings and mistakes. He writes about how the trajectory of his life influenced the way he parents his children. Cam also warns about the pitfalls of his lifestyle, and that it might not be for everyone.
Much has been said about Cameron Hanes. This review is only a drop in the bucket of thoughts and opinions that people have about Cam. If you really want to know details and specifics about arguably the most successful bow hunter ever, then you can find him on any social media I platform, watch his videos on Youtube, or read any of his writings. In reviewing his book, I want my readers to know that Cameron Hanes's example has changed my life for the better. His insistence to improve his craft at all costs is impressive. "Nobody cares, work harder" is a saying of his that influences how I write, train, and parent. The fact that his book titled Endure is bookended with a Forward by Joe Rogan and an Afterward by David Goggins is a testament to how much pure determination Cam pours into his life. Two of the world's prime examples of grit and tenacity chose to write praise and admiration for him. That says a lot. I am no Joe Rogan, Cameron Hanes, or David Goggins, but I am in some ways the epitome of the type of person this book is for a normal guy who wants to make a difference.
Read this book and let us know what you think!