Rating: 
Summary: TRUTH IS STRANGER (AND MORE GRIPPING!) THAN FICTION..
Review: This riveting book could easily have inspired "Vertical Limit" or "K2." I wouldn't be surprised if someone picked up a copy from my bed stand, started reading, and thought it was a fiction thriller. Yet, "Into thin air" is an actual memoir of what happened at a particular clambering mission to the top in May 1996. The reader is sucked in to a world and an adventure not ordinarily experienced. We get to know each Sherpa (Nepalese guide), his team, and the painstaking preparations and procedures it takes to accomplish this feat. The pain, the hardships, the loss of sense caused by the brutal cold and the lack of oxygen are all so palpably described I found myself breathing deeply! The author is not only a veteran mountain climber (with one mishap, of course) but a superb raconteur as well. While the nuts and bolts of his adventures are entertainment enough, his knack for building suspense and employing understated drama makes this memoir read a top-notch script for a Hollywood thriller. Highly recommended for a gripping narrative of a real-life adventure! [Note: The book is available for real cheap if you buy it used here at Amazon, and also as an audio tape.]
Rating: 
Summary: Breath-taking and tragic
Review: Rarely does a work of non-fiction attain the status of "classic" in such a short period of time. In fact, I had heard so much praise for this book that I thought it had been around for much longer than five years. When you think of Mt. Everest chronicles, this is the first one that comes to mind, and for good reason. It is a powerfully gripping story written with all the emotion and insight of a climber/journalist who was right there on the mountain. Jon Krakauer originally set out with Rob Hall's Adventure Consultants group to write a story about the commercialization of climbing Everest. The events that transpired during their ascent, however, proved to be a much more tragic story. Krakauer recounts the various factors that led to the deaths of several of the climbers in his group. Some were errors in human judgment, like the group's failure to abide by their agreed-upon turnaround time on top of the mountain, and a guide's reckless decision to climb without supplemental oxygen. Other factors were simply beyond their control (though not unimagineable), like the hurricane-force winds that trapped the group above 28,000 feet, in temperatures reaching 100 degrees below zero. Many people encouraged Krakauer to wait a few years before writing this book, in order to reflect on his experience and avoid presenting an account skewed by emotion and his proximity to the events. I think it is precisely the freshness of his emotional reaction to such a difficult climb and such a tragic end that makes this such a powerful book. Few adventure books will make you feel as close to the action as this one did, or have such a strong emotional impact on its readers.
Rating:
Summary: the great document book
Review: Though I have read many survival books, this book is one of the best books that I felt many things. I have thought that Everest was the most difficult mount that people climbed, that is, the mount that was forgived by having storong body and tough mental and pricise judge only. But after I read this book, the thinking changed, that is, now such high and famouse montainas can be climbed, even if the climbers are people that have not climbed many mountains. Though that factors are many things, oxigen tanks and climb items of high quality, safe route that many climber have made... But recently the most importand factor will be what great guide climbers appeared in the moutain route that climbing is difficult. By using the guides in addition to Sherpas, people can climbed the moutains without difficulty.
When I read this book, though I felt the guide climbers conveniencity I felt the dangerouse things of the guide, that is to say, the thiking of the custom climber that[climbing is dangerouse act] will decline.
I think that though this time cruel accident was broken by unfortune weather, on the other hand that was broken by optimistic thinking that customs had. This book is non fiction story from first pages to last pages. Ordinaly survival book is what the writer's thiking, opinion etc is included, but this book is all page document. Because person that want pure document story like me will be best book. The writing is real and shocking, the fight for heavy blizzard and the shortage of oxygen tanks, or for the body temperature and air temperrature(about-60^80) attitude sickness etc. Though it is book, as if you exist there you will feel. At last, when they had climbed to the top of the mountain, the sun was declining, neverthless down route was remained, that meant that they had to do emergency camp in the place more than 8000m, that would be incredible act. Anyway, shocking scenes exist very much.
You can not turn your eyes away from this book. Thank you for poor English.
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put this book down.
Review: I read this book several summers ago, and I started reading it in the afternoon and that evening I went with some friends to see a Don McLean concert (his big hit was "American Pie) with "The Letterman." Anyhow, proof of how much this book gripped me is that I spent the entire concert reading the book. I grabbed a lawn chair, sat under a street light and read the book the entire time. I didn't even notice when Mclean finally played "American Pie." The book is phenomonal, and while a lot of people would probably say that the experience is more incredible than the book, I think they'd be right to some extent. Even with nominal writing skills, if you experienced that disaster the way Krakauer did, you could probably write an exciting and moving book about it. However, I think that's what makes this book all the better. Krakauer *is* an excellent writer and he uses his skills to make the events more descriptive and inspiring than most authors. The book is incredible, from start to finish. The story is tragic, inspiring and simply unbelievable. I recommend this book to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: A tremendous book!
Review: Mt. Everest, the magestic mother of all mountains, cast out its fate on 18 people during the disasterous spring of 1996. Jon Krakauer, a mountaineer and editor for Outdoor magazine, unfolds the chilling series of events as he fights to remember the complicated details of the week and days before and after he summited the mountain. It is honest, heart wrenching, and gripping throughout its chapters. I found myself staring at the photo inserts: photos of those who had lost their lives. Into Thin Air is prefaced with the history of Everest expeditions, the skill needed to reach the top, and the high mortality rate of those who reach the summit. Krakauer is criticized my many for writing the novel so quickly after the disaster occured. He writes, in spite of publishers and advisers, to have his story be heard. . .or to relieve a burning pain he has to get it on to paper. He is successful, nevertheless, to bring the reader to his place on the mountain, to see his companions fail, and to feel his humbling pain. Into Thin Air is one book worth reading twice!
Rating: 
Summary: Gasping for fame, not truth.
Review: I've read it twice, and after reading Boukreev and Dickerson I
am now convinced that the truth or humanity was the furtherest
thing from Krakauer's mind. Absent the strength, oxygen, and
humanity of others climbers - he would be dead. The book was
about making money - nothing more. I've climbed for 40 years and
the author's lack of basic humanity chilled me deeper then any
spindrift. Look at the group photo on the back of the book. Look closely at
Krakauer - look into his eyes. Read these three books and make
your own judgement.
Rating:
Summary: You'll be gasping for air
Review: It's just an amazing twist of fate that a professional and gifted writer happened to be part of the team that went through the worst disaster in Everest climbing history. The result is an unforgettable, heart-stopping true story of such power and indelible images, you'll be thinking about it long after you've put down the book. An immersion into human endurance of such mind-boggling intensity, that all your problems will seem futile in comparison. A must-read.
Rating:
Summary: Into thin Air
Review: Into Thin Air was a great book to read in a senior english class. It started of pretty slow and was hard to follow because of so many different charactrs. The book not only talks of this one life changing expedition up Mount Everest but it give detail and background to many other famous mountain climbing expeditions. As you begin to learn of the disaster that lies ahead for those on the mountain you feel as though you are there. It breaks your heart to think of how they must have felt and what was going through their minds. I would recomend this book to anyone who loves adventure and real life. It touches your heart and really makes you think about what is most important to you and all the people you love.
Rating:
Summary: What a way to make money
Review: The author claims that he is a liberal. He critisizes people like Sandy Pittman, who in his opinion was unfit to climb Everest. She was there only because she was rich and able to pay 75,000 dollars. At the same time, however, he wrote a book about the tragedy, which made him a lot of money. He was no different then the rest of the paying customers. As much as he is trying to convince the reader that he is a professional climber, it is obvious that he has no idea how to behave on the mountain. 90% of the story is full of self pity and excuses for not trying to help the others. All he thinks of is his own survival. He also critisizes the brave Boukreev, who rescued three people (God rest his soul) while Krakauer was sleeping in his tent. This book is the work of a mediocre go-getter. Read "the Climb" and forget about this pot head.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read for Adventure Enthusiasts
Review: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer/Non-Fiction; Random House, 1999: "Reaching the top of Everest is supposed to trigger a surge of intense elation; against long odds, after all, I had just attained a goal I'd coveted since childhood. But the summit was really only the halfway point. Any impulse I might have felt toward self-congratulation was extinguished by overwhelming apprehension about the long dangerous descent that lay ahead" (189). At 1:12 p.m. on May 10th, 1996, journalist Jon Krakauer reached the top of the world. He had conquered Mt. Everest and reached the summit at 29,028 ft. After his feelings of pride and satisfaction wore off, Jon Krakauer stepped back into reality. A severe storm was forming and his supply of bottled oxygen was dwindling as the minutes passed by. He left the summit to begin his descent, entirely oblivious to the journey that lay ahead of him.
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer is the true story of his heroic and tragic journey to the summit of Mt. Everest and back. From base camp at 17,600 ft., he traveled through blistering cold temperatures, harsh climates, and the most challenging terrain in the world in order to reach the summit. When he stood on top of the summit at 29,028 ft., he hadn't slept in fifty-two hours. After every step he took, he had to rest and regain his energy. Although Krakauer was part of an expedition, he often climbed by himself. The decisions that one makes up on Everest are always life or death. There is no safe way to climb the mountain; that's why people do it. They like the rush, but at the same time they know the consequences of their actions so they have to act appropriately up on the mountain. One misjudgment or even one wrong step could lead to one's own death and and/or the death of others.
Jon Krakauer's expedition had coordinated a turn around time before they began the ascent. The turn around time was 2:00 pm which meant that if they have not reached the summit by that time then they must stop and begin to descend back down the mountain. This is very smart because it gives the climbers enough time to get back down the mountain safely and out of harm's way. As Krakauer descended, a storm began to form. The turn around time was near but no one even thought about giving up any time soon. The motivation to reach the top overpowered many of the climbers' common senses. Their decision making was altered and many of the climbers used poor judgment. They would fight to the death, if they had to, through the sub-zero temperatures and gale force winds to reach the top of the mountain. They had their eyes set on the summit and the only thing to stop them was death itself.
I would recommend this book to avid readers who are interested in Mt. Everest or just serious adventure books in general. Because Into Thin Air is a true story, the difficulties the climbers faced and their consequences were described in unimaginable detail. Just reading the book gives one chills of the horrors that lay up on the mountain. To me, the book itself started off slowly while giving a plethora of background information on the mountain and introducing the expedition's characters. But once the climbers stepped onto Everest, the tempo of the book changed tremendously. I could almost feel the frigid temperatures and the pain and agony that these climbers had to endure. Every step they took could have been there last. In the end, Into Thin Air is a haunting, riveting read.
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