Breaking Free

Spencer West is best known for climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, but in this book he argues that the toughest climbs are the ones most of us face at home: anxiety, doubt about ourselves, and the weight of other people's expectations of who we should be.

West was born without the use of his legs. As he tells it, the route he was handed by others led mainly to frustration and a sense that something was missing. Drawing on his own experience, he describes how he began listening to his own instincts and built a life guided by being true to himself rather than winning approval.

Written with blunt honesty and a good dose of humor, the book works as a practical guide for readers who want to figure out who they were meant to be, chase what they care about without fear, and shape a life on their own terms. West is open about how vulnerable that process can feel. His point is that once you stop waiting for permission to be yourself, a stronger and more genuine version of you is waiting on the other side.

West is a motivational speaker and social media personality.