I, TARZAN: AGAINST ALL ODDS by Jean-Philippe Soulé – Adventure Memoir, Overcoming Obstacles, Inspirational Memoir

In his adventure-infused memoir, I, Tarzan: Against All Odds, Jean-Philippe Soulé recalls a difficult childhood, fractured and sometimes anger-laced teen years, and remarkable adult accomplishments that continue to the present day.

A child of the 1960s, born in France, Jean-Philippe learned many of life’s lessons through the early medium of television, watching the real-life exploits of Jacques Cousteau and the fantasy heroism of Tarzan. While Cousteau became a life-long role model for Soulé the man, the boy set up ropes to swing from in the backyard – much to his mother’s horror. Both role models, however, influenced Soulé to embrace the outdoors. His acerbic father took him on sailing excursions from time to time, increasing the boy’s sense of the challenges of nature.

Challenges helped Soulé discover his resources and strengths.

At a young age, the introverted Soulé wore glasses and became targeted by bullies, making his life at school hell. Nevertheless, he excelled at sports, proving himself the best runner in the school. Facing inevitable draft induction by age 18, Soulé longed for the opportunity to join the elite French Mountain Commandos, a small Special Forces unit of the 27 BCA. However, his chances were very slim as he had only a few weeks of experience in mountain climbing, and the highly lauded unit was at the time — and remains — a very exclusive military branch. Soulé put his incredible willpower to the test. Once allowed to compete, he so impressed his superiors with physical feats that he not only made the selection but also received rare promotions, participating in harrowing rescue and recovery missions in life-threatening conditions.

The 27 BCA offered Soulé a long-term contract.

Soulé debated about whether to accept the contract. At the end of the day, he refused the position. With scant funding, he decided to embark on the life of world exploration that he’d dreamed of as a child. Making his way to the US by various means, he joined the Microsoft team in its heyday. Outside of work, he met other intrepid men like himself. He learned diving and became an instructor — and even earned his recreational pilot’s license, something he’d been told he’d never be able to do because of poor eyesight in his right eye. At the age of twenty-six, Soulé resigned from Microsoft, ready to travel the world in earnest.

I, Tarzan: Against All Odds, a truly inspirational and powerful memoir, conveys an invaluable message: if one determines a goal and pursues it without compromise, one will succeed. Soulé transports readers onto the scene of his many adventures. We feel what he feels, experience what he does in the truest sense, and delight in the ultimate reward of witnessing his personal growth in self-esteem and accomplishment. I, Tarzan, simply put, is the most inspirational memoir of the year. A final wrap-up includes color photographs of the author with the Indigenous peoples he’s met in the various countries he’s explored. In a brief Epilogue, he offers this hard-acquired wisdom: “If we choose to live our true life, no matter the odds, we can all be Tarzan.”