Into Thin Air

Rating:
Summary: I'd like to empty a whole box of stars on this book!
Review: ANYTHING Krakauer writes is at least a five-star project, but this book is his best. Hearing him re-tell the story (as opposed to just reading it to the audience) is an added bonus. What happened on Everest is fascinating anyway, but Krakauer's account -- in such detail -- actually puts the listener up there with him. I've never been a fanatic about outdoor sports, but I listened to this audiobook three times -- and enjoyed it just as much each successive time.

Rating:
Summary: No Way in Hell Would I Go Up There
Review: OK, I'm not an "outdoorsy" person in the first place, I admit, but man, after reading that...I can't beleive that people take out second mortgages on their homes, go into debt, etc for the privilege of going up there, not being able to breathe, being in horrible pain, and a good chance you could drop dead or freeze to death at any minute. I guess I can sort of see how someone would want to do it--maybe they've dreamed of it since they were little, maybe it's a "guy thing" (sorry to sound sexist--I know plenty of women make the climb too) maybe it's serious bravery, who knows. All I can say after reading it is thank God my husband is not a climber, because I worry enough about him as it is. I think it is wonderful, loving, and supportive of partners who support their partner's dream to climb Everest, but my personal take on it is if my husband expressed a desire to do it, I would tell him it would be over my dead body, and shoot him in the foot if I had to to keep him from going. sorry, that's just me. That woman who talked to her husband as he was gradually dying of hypothermia has my total respect, she was so brave to hold it together for him and try to talk him through it. That passage was one of several in the book that really choked me up. Others made me wince, shake my head, and made every hair on my body practically stand on end. Especially the last sentence before the Afterword--that was just chilling. Krakauer doesn't seem to be able to forgive himself for surviving when some of his friends did not, or for any of the understandable errors in judgement he made under these adverse conditions. I hope that writing the book was good therapy for him, and that the writing and the passage of time have helped him and the other survivors of this heartbreaking event find at least some measure of peace.

Rating:
Summary: A haunting story of tragedy that stays in your mind
Review: This story has everything:heroism,tragedy,edge-of-your-seat suspense,psychological introspection. It is all the more tragic as you read about real people experiencing real horror atop Mt.Everest. The stunning b&w photography, the images of yaks and Sherpas juxtaposed among high-tech gear high in the Himalayas,the "what if's" and "if only's" that invaribly come to mind.I would often awake from a disturbed sleep with it's images of isolation & desolation atop a blustering peak. Fascinating piece of work!

Rating:
Summary: Great book, but in only one small part becomes monotonous
Review: Very interesting, active, captivating and includes incredible detail, but at one point becomes very monotonous as I would put it down for a while and start another novel, but as I watched the IMAX film I decided to finish it--- It is a wonderfully written novel that is worth anyones read who is involved in the great outdoors or just interested in adventure.

Rating:
Summary: Reads like an edge of your seat suspense novel!
Review: Even though the end result was well publicized, Jon Krakauer builds the tension and suspense without over-playing the events. I felt as if I were stuck near the top of Everest. A MUST READ!!!

Rating:
Summary: It makes you want to wear your parka to bed!
Review: I bought this book on a whim andended up breathless. A chilling (no pun intended) account of some of bravest or dumbest adventure seekers on the planet. The jorney is described so vividly and in such detail that you want to put the book down to recover from the last chapter. This book reads so fast that you'll want to read it twice.

Rating:
Summary: GRIPPING
Review: Could not put this book down! The book keeps you on the edge of your seat, yet is very educational as well. Jon Krakauer places notations throughout the book explaining details of the region, the people, and the mountain. Recommend this book highly!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book, BUT...
Review: An incredible tale extradordinarily well-told by an outstanding author. All the glowing raves below are entirely justified. Krakauer attempts to level a critical eye toward all participants in the events that lead to the tragedy on Everest in May 1996, including himself. My only qualm with the book is that it seems to me that some of that criticism misses the mark, and he fails to ask one very important question that begs to be asked. First, his criticism of Boukreev for climbing without oxygen is nothing short of ridiculous. Boukreev was an accomplished "8000er" who knew his capabilities & climbed w/o oxygen with the blessing of the tour leader. I find no evidence that that somehow impaired his ability on Everest: indeed, as Krakauer duly acknowledges, Boukreev in fact performed heroicly. 2nd, I think Krakauer is too hard on himself for what he ascribes as his role in the death of one member of his team. He was impaired by lack of oxygen; he cannot blame himself for that. But, 3rd, a tougher question that should have been examined & wasn't was, to what extent were the actions of Hall & Fisher influence by the fact that they had what were essentially media people along with them? Much is made of their competition, but to what extent was that driven by the fact that they had a reporter for OUtside & another giving internet accounts for the internet on their team? I'll tell you what, after reading this book, the first question I'd ask a team leader before agreeing to climb Everest with him would be, "are there going to be any media on our team?" I wouldn't want Jon Krakauer on the ropes or on the slopes with me. Nothing personal.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!!!
Review: I have read this book 4 times already, and want to start a fifth. Jon Krakauer takes you through the trials and tribulations of climbing Everest, and gives you a first hand view on climbing without air, losing friends, and struggling to make your dream. It is the best book that I have ever read, and I am not one to read non-fiction novels. It was a wonderful reading experience the first time, and it continues to be again and again. I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone who happens to come by it. It is well worth it!

Rating:
Summary: The story was chilling
Review: Just finished the book. Could not put it down. Couldn't wait to read the next step in climbing up the mountain. Once at the summit, the book is just starting to build to its climax. By the end, you will be as worn out as the climbers. A great book to read on a summer day because you can feel the cold wind blowing as you read faster to try and get off the mountain.