Edited sentence: An example is his 'discovery' of Tilman's Disease, characterized as "the inability to put one foot before the other".He has been described by some as a self-indulgent risk-taker impervious to the sensitivities of others; one who had little time for those who didn’t live up to his high standards and expectations; and he was even accused of disliking women.He was a deep thinker, an avid reader of the classics, and although he never married, he adored his sister and two nieces with whom he lived when not on some distant shore.He wrote seven books about his mountain travels, and eight books on his years sailing to extreme climates.In reality, these labels were grossly inaccurate, for he was in fact a very shy, private man who was self-effacing and hated publicity.It was one of his greatest joys to laugh at himself, and see the funny side of life's little foibles.One of the last 'gentleman adventurers', Bill Tilman's stoic and courageous exploits have earned him a place of honour as one of the greatest in the pantheon of explorers.Tilman had a great sense of humour, perhaps too subtle for many of his listeners