A life arc between birth and death, told in 70 messages: Unvarnished, Reinhold Messner, whose curiosity and optimism remain unbroken, shares the essence of his life experience and grapples with concepts such as courage, passion, and responsibility. What does home smell like? How much freedom does a child need? How vital are fear, selfishness, and instinct? Reinhold Messner outlines in stages his journey from a South Tyrolean mountain boy to the greatest adventurer of our time, to a combative politician, committed farmer, hiking companion of managers and politicians, to the founder of a unique museum landscape, to a husband, a father of four, and a family man. In countless expeditions, he has tested how survival works. Today, he candidly reflects on seven decades that were early marked by extreme natural experiences and encounters with death.