Into Thin Air

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Summary: A good read for those unfamiliar with the Everest expedition
Review: While I found Into Thin Air to be, for the most part, a riveting and detailed account, I would not recommend it to anyone who has been exposed to the numerous accounts published or televised shortly after the disaster. I expected this account to be more like the author's previous book, Into the Wild, in which he added to the available news accounts by adding his own research and suppositions. While Into Thin Air is certainly well-written, it offers too little beyond what anyone interested in the topic of mountain-climbing already knows (or, indeed, of anyone who heard the news at the time).

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Summary: STUMBLING UP EVEREST!!! A first person account.
Review: A must read - not about climbing Everest but about making real life decisions in difficult circumstances. If you have ever climbed mountains, wanted to climb, or just thought climbing is crazy, this book will make you ponder how climbers think, act, and sometimes make mistakes. This book gives a real life account of "wilderness" decisions made on Everest. Definitely recommended.

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Summary: Social Revelations
Review: In my mind, I tend to rate books I've read by how long stay remain memorable, and Into Thin Air has stayed with me for the 6 months since I read it. It was a great read, truly frightening and really hard to put down. But the most interesting aspects were the huge egos and social aspects which revealed themselves in the story.

It reminded me of a lot of the characters who I've worked with -- competitive souls who have lots of money and have experienced so much (travel, food, entertainment), that they need to experience the ultimate. However, for many, it's not such a "personal" experience in that the better part of the experience for them is being able to tell the story later...on their resumes.

I wonder how may would attempt to climb Mt. Everest if there were no one to tell about it?

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Summary: THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ SINCE "THE HOT ZONE"
Review: "into thin air" is the best non-fiction that i have read since "the hot zone".this book's riveting descriptiveness makes you feel like you are there with the group.truley a great piece and i do not read alot of books.the tragedy on the mountain is that of man's ignorance of the power of nature in the harshest of environments and his unwillingness to face defeat at all cost.the book is definitely a MUST READ for all avid non-fictionists.only a story this gripping gets me to read at all.also check out the movie 11-9-97 on a.b.c..

Rating:
Summary: Immersive experience
Review: I liked this book quite a bit. When I was reading it, I felt I was watching the whole experience as one of the climbers. The whole story kept moving and kept me reading. I really couldn't put it down. I finished it after two days of intense reading. I did find some things I didn't like too much, such as a couple of places where things were repeated (which I know is for clarity sake, but still, I didn't like it), too much dwelling on personal background (some of which were quite interesting, but others were bothersome). All in all, it seemed to have been well researched and is pretty educational. I would absolutely recommend this book to anybody.

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Summary: A fitting memorial, Linda Barron ([e-mail])
Review: I climbed the mountain with the author, all in three days, not with oxygen but with copious quanties of coffee to stay awake because I wanted to get to the end. At times, especialy towards the end, it became somewhat self indulgent, but if you are going to say sorry, what a better way than to write a bestseller. The author has still to conquer his personal Everest. He did it once before, I have no doubt he will do it again. For those left behind on the mountain, the book is a fitting and honest memorial - I am sure they approve! For me living on a continent and in a country (South Africa) where we are confronted each day with such harsh realities as death, racism, disease, poverty, fear and corruption, the book gives me encouragement to not lose hold of the dream of a better life for all, albeit that the cost could be personally expensive.

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Summary: One man's view of a tragic saga ...
Review: As with so many others who have read Into Thin Air, I found the book to be extremely riveting and very well written. To me, it was on a par with other non-fictional sagas I have read such as Winterdance and Alive.

This particular work is imbued with a great amount of living emotional content that add further to the interest factor. The reader is almost asked to feel like a juror in the case of Jon Krakauer vs The Everest Disaster.

Do I believe Jon's behavior was exemplary? No I don't. Can I say that my behavior would have been more exemplary under the circumstances if I had comparable mountaineering skills as Jon? The best I can say is that I hope so. But the fact is that I really have no experienced idea of the sinister effects of such oxygen deprivation and physical exhaustion, not to mention the screaming winds, the darkness of night, and the biting cold. We are so used to our fictional heroes, aren't we?

The guilt issue aside, the story conjured up great imagery and described concisely the difficulties, the technical issues, and the people issues involved with such an endeavor. It is hard to ask for more than that from the book.

The description of the ice-field was specific and yet allowed me the freedom to fantasize the colors and the towers of ice and the ladders. I was allowed the freedom to ask myself if this was courage or stupidity or what!?

The last third of the book is absolutely can't put down, leave me alone, material. Of course, that part deals primarily with the storm ... and the attending survivals and deaths. The incredible poignancy of the Japanese woman climber and the fellow who were frozen close to camp and left for dead is heartstopping stuff.

If you like a great story, read this one. Let Jon work out the other issues between himself and God.

Rating:
Summary: I felt like I was there!
Review: Very good book. Jon has a way of making you feel like you are there. I feel like I climbed Mt. Everest for a few dollars!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding.
Review: Riveting, intelligent, honest, compelling. I could not put this book down, nor could I help but feel the tragedy of the obsessed climbers involved.

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Summary: A riveting story of human struggle and tragedy on Everest
Review: A wonderful read. Once you start it's very hard to put down. Jon describes in vivid details the struggle of various different personalitys and egos in their attempt to conquer Mount Everest and achieve there own personal goals. The author attempts to be blatantly honest about his and others behaviour in the tragedy that unfolds in the "death zone" at the apex of the world. This reveting account provides insight into man's struggle with the elements, his own ambition and sanity on the frozen oxygen depleted slopes of the Himalayas.