At age thirty-four, Richard Gunther had achieved the American Dream. But even after rising above the emotional hardship of childhood abandonment to serve in World War II and make a small fortune in real estate, Gunther's insatiable appetite for extreme experiences and meaningful connections with his fellow human beings drove him to a whole new adventure in the second half of life--one involving spiritual, scientific, pseudoscientific, and even hallucinogenic experimentation.

In what was originally meant as a private memoir for his sons, Gunther--now an octogenarian--does more than simply recount a life of thrill-seeking; his journey is a blueprint for progression from isolation, limitation, and shallow everyday experience to self-knowledge, self-expression, and deeper engagement with life. How High Is Up? is about the risks, the passion, and the emotional self-awareness that lead to real fulfillment.

Brimming with its author's contagious enthusiasm, this life story recounts everything from treks to Kilimanjaro and rehabilitation work in the slums of Israel to grueling marathons and extraterrestrial research. Gunther's tale proves that anything is possible in the lives of those who never cease to ask, "How high is up?"

Praise for How High Is Up?:
'In How High Is Up?, Dick Gunther tells his story of self-discovery, high adventure, business success, and successful efforts to achieve peace and justice on a worldwide scale. Dick's commitment to ''repair the world'' comes through on every page. His exciting life, generosity of spirit, and gift for story-telling make this an important and compelling book that has lessons for us all.' --Professor Muhammad Yunus, founder and managing director, Grameen Bank, and co-recipient, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize

'Dick Gunther has lived with extraordinary gusto and goodness, and this memoir tells his store with great joy. What courage! What resilience! What capacity for learning and new life! I love this book. I love this guy.' --Michael Murphy, founder, Esalen Institute

'I have known Dick Gunther as a close personal friend for over fifty years. In his book, How High Is Up?, he tells a moving, sensitive narrative from which we can all learn valuable lessons to guide us in our daily lives. Bravo Dick!' --Judge Joseph A. Wapner, formerly of The People's Court '''Is that all there is?'' Dick Gunther shares that haunting question in his penetrating self-interrogations. His struggles for meaning and identification call to mind the biblical legend in which Jacob confronts a mysterious man and wrestles with him befre the setting of the dawn. The struggle is not easy, and Jacob leaves limping. But he has become a different man, and earned a different name: ''For you have struggled with God and with man, and you have prevailed.'' Gunther's memoir is a candid flesh-and-blood account that offers inspiration and admiration for the powers of resilience. His unflinching self-revelation offers tough optimism.' --Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis, Valley Beth Shalom, founder of Jewish World Watch