In Rules to Live By, New York Times bestselling author, National Geographic photographer, and Academy Award–winning filmmaker of Free Solo Jimmy Chin turns to ten icons who have helped him think more deeply about how we choose to live, how we endure, and, in the end, what really matters.

Twenty-five years ago, as I headed out on my first expedition, I had a lot of questions. I’ve found a few answers since, but one question remains: In the end, what really matters?

A few fundamental truths are worth examining again and again, because we evolve and so does our understanding. When I have needed guidance, I’ve gone back to my mentors. The wisest of them never gave me straight answers: They asked me their own questions, and I arrived at things I never could have been told.

This book is ten conversations with ten extraordinary people—Lynsey Addario, Annette Bening, Simone Biles, Yvon Chouinard, Alex Honnold, Bill King, Yo-Yo Ma, Ridley Scott, Kelly Slater, and Kristine Tompkins—each of whom has earned the exceptional life they chose to live and the understanding that has come with it.

None of them gave me rules. They gave me honesty.

Good conversations, like good books and good films, make you feel a little less alone. I hope these do that for you. Maybe you’ll even find a few rules to live by.

Much love,
Jimmy

The Academy Award–winning director of Free Solo and National Geographic photographer presents the first collection of his iconic adventure photography, featuring some of the greatest moments of the most accomplished climbers and outdoor athletes in the world, with more than 200 extraordinary photographs.

Filmmaker, photographer, and world-class mountaineer Jimmy Chin goes where few can follow to capture stunning images in death-defying situations. There and Back draws from his breathtaking portfolio, captured over twenty years during cutting-edge expeditions on all seven continents.