In April 2003 Aron Ralston, a 27-year-old hiker, fell and was trapped in a narrow crevasse, his right arm wedgedagainst the rock wall by a boulder. Mr. Ralston's ordealwas a struggle for survival and a profound existentialcrisis. He had gone to Bluejohn Canyon, Utah for a rock-climbing weekend alone. Not telling anyone where he isgoing is part of the point: real freedom means getting aclean break from civilization and the burdens of family,friends, and other responsibilities. Finding himself stuck,he knows he can't expect anyone to come to his rescue,which forces him to ruminate about his family, his ex-girlfriend, and the hereafter. As a trained engineer and askilledl--albiet somewhat careless--outdoorsman, heunderstands his predicament as a practical challenge, atechincal problem. After struggling for more than fivedays, he makes an immanently logical decision about itssolution