Into Thin Air

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Summary: From the guy who says he reads alot but actually doesn't ..
Review: This is a must read.. Id recommend this to anyone, the beggining is a little slow but sets the tone for the people who lived thru the tragic day of May 10, 1996. It gets you thinking every persons next breath may be their last and the author describes and goes into the events of the story so well Id stay up till 3am reading this instead of throwing down a game of ESPN2k4 online. Youll love this book, a great holiday gift..

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Summary: On To "Thin Ice"...
Review: Try, if you can...

to imagine yourself as a passenger on Aloha Airlines flight 248 on April 28th, 1988 from Hilo, Hawaii to Honolulu...think of the warm, tropical breezes awaiting you on arrival...imagine the warmth of the sun on your arms and back on the beach tomorrow in your swim suit, and dinner tomorrow night in an exotic Hawaiian restaurant (shrimp?...lobster?) with your loved ones...just imagine...!

Then, violently, put yourself into a 720-degree spin, upside down, without friends or loved ones - and try again, if other-worldly-possible - to imagine yourself at roughly the same altitude over the highest mountain in the world: climbing alone, freezing to death - no oxygen - no friends - no sun - lost from all communication...violent winds...100 degrees below zero...you can't breathe and there is no hope of rescue...

...welcome to "Into Thin Air"...

Jon Krakauer may not be your favorite author, but he can take you to where you've never been...and you won't forget it as long as you live...

"...Thin Air" will grab you and hold you absolutely spell-bound 'til the last page...

As unexpectedly as the passengers on Aloha flight 248 imagined, the cabin-top of your life will rip off without warning in your warm, safe igloo...the ice will get thin, and "crack" beneath your feet...and you'll be exposed to the elements of violent winds, oxygen deprivation, vomiting, disorientation, freezing cold, and the death of loved ones - for life.

Try reading Jon Krakauer's book without your blood running cold. Go ahead, try...walk on thin ice. Don't forget to get under the warm covers...and get that pot of hot coffee going...you're gonna need it! ...except, your feet will still be cold.

- welcome to "...Thin Air"

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Summary: Into Thin Air
Review: In the book Into Thin Air the author tells about the tragedy of the 1996 events on Mt. Everest. Mt. Everest is one of the Himalayan Mountains, which is located around Tibet, Nuptse, and China. When Jon Krakauer got to the top of Mt. Everest he hadn't slept in fifty hours and was suffering from lack of oxygen. His air tank ran out and he didn't have any air to breathe. He was at 29,028 feet and climbers were racing toward the top. A storm had come and climbers were still climbing and risking their life to fulfill their goal at reaching the top.
When the storm was over 5 people were dead. The sixth climber's hand was so frostbitten that it had to be amputated.

Jon Krakauer is an amazing writer. He risked his life on Mt. Everest for a story for his magazine. The book started off with being happy because all of the climbers were anxious to climb but to the climax I felt bad for all the climbers that lost there lives. I'm going to try to find more of his books. I like how he writes.

I recommend this book to any person who likes adventure and a real story. This story actually happened. The writer was part of the team that went up in 1996. It's very interesting to read. The book has violence, comedy and all out adventure.

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Summary: Could Not Put It Down
Review: I am not a fan of mountain climbing. The truth is, I only got this book to see what kind of a writer Jon Krakauer was before I shelled out the money for his book on polygamy. I was surprised by how quickly the story gripped me. Not only did his factual journalistic style educate me about a hertero unknown subculture, but the illustrations and photographs(I read the illustrated edition) were fabulous. I can't say it makes me want to strap on my own crampons, since I still think those guys are nuts, but the story is interesting enough even for the earth-bound.

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Summary: My point of view
Review: Into Thin Air is an exciting account of the disaster that took place on Mt. Everest in May of 1996. Outside magazine sent journalist Jon Krakauer on the expedition to write an article describing what it's like to climb Everest, but after the article was written Krakauer decided to write a book to provide a thorough documentation of what happened and attempt to answer painful questions that surrounded the event. In the book he has some explanations that help to give readers a better understanding of why people are compelled to climb Everest and what the experience is like for someone who isn't considered to be amongst the best climbers in the world. Unlike most adventure stories, Into Thin Air starts off with a bang, the team of climbers led by Rob Hall (a Seattle native) have summated and some are heading down when a storm hits and disaster strikes, by the end of summit day eight people had died. The story then moves back to the beginning, the build up of the event.
Krakauer is very honest with his view of the accident and doesn't attempt to shield the truth from his readers. He openly debates Anatoli Boukreevs (Guide) choice of climbing without supplemental oxygen and whether or not it would have changed the outcome of the horrific event.
Knowing that it is a true story ands an edge. Into Thin Air is definitely a must-read for adventure lovers.

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Summary: Amazing journalism; not the best story
Review: Into Thin Air is a good read- provided you approach it the right way. If you are looking for an action-packed thrill-ride on every page, this book will disappoint you. Krakauer's style is very balanced, straight shooting, and journalistic; and the story has one major limitation- reality. As a journalist, Krakauer is obligated, perhaps by professional ethic, perhaps by personal belief, to tell his readers what actually happened. And as you probably know, the true story is not always the most interesting.

The book itself is riddled with pages of hard facts, which are probably unnecessary and uninteresting to the average reader. Krakauer delves deep into the history of Everest, from its discovery to the present, attempting to set the stage. But his lengthy, grueling descriptions make for laborious reading, as he relates every major expedition since 1924. After some initial background on the mountain, the author feeds you a liberal helping of climbing etiquette and technique. Finally, after nearly 100 pages, Krakauer and his climbing partners reach Mt. Everest Base Camp. The meat of the story is very interesting, and follows Rob Hall's expedition to summit the mountain in 1996. Numerous hardships and pitfalls will be met along the way, but reaching the top is only half the battle. It is on the way down that the real crisis begins to unfold- one month and 250 pages later.

Krakauer cites two reasons for writing this book: to tell a story which he felt needed to be told, and perhaps to gain some closure on the events which have haunted him since the day he left the mountain. He toils to remain balanced in his writing, sharing the accounts of other climbers in addition to his own. In good journalistic form, Krakauer poses questions to the reader without directly asking them. The ending and aftermath in particular do a nice job of drawing on readers' emotions. I also strongly recommend that you read the Author's Note, where you will learn of Krakauer's internal and external struggle; and the fierce debate over how this story should be told.

Perhaps the best way to review this book is to relate the author to you. Jon Krakauer is an incredible, one-of-a-kind journalist... but not the best at action-packed storytelling. His style of writing is one of fact reporting. It goes far beyond the definition of "non-fiction," and borders on... dare I say "boring"? The Los Angeles Time raves that Into Thin Air "will leave you gasping for breath." The only way I see that happening is if you run a marathon while reading it. The bottom line- a good read with a solid, interesting plot, but definitely not "among the great adventure books of all time." Into Thin Air rates a 3 out of 5.

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Summary: into thin air
Review: The book Into Thin Air is the story of a 1996 expedition gone wrong on the mountain of Everest written by John Krakauer. The true story is a gripping look into the mountain's character and the character of the climbers. The book has drama and a great hook. Based on a true story the group finds problems along the way. Weather and sickness runs through the group as they scale the mountain. The book reaches a conclusion as they reach the summit of Everest. There is a twist along the way. The group suddenly finds themselves in a snow storm just below the summit. The storm ravished the camp and members of the team. The accounts of bravery and heroism keep the book interesting. You get the feeling you are there with the climbers on Everest. The climbers had nothing but a dream to go by there will kept the team strong. This book is very interesting and is a must read for adventure readers. Four stars, an Excellent book.

The Author portrays a true story using a unique group of people with a similar dream. The goal to climb Everest is strong and the stores of each person have a similar value. There are excellent accounts of bravery displayed with detail and the feelings of the group through what they had encountered on Everest. The life of the sherpas and the group are all told clearly with detail so you can really feel a connection to there livelihood. The story is well written with unique style and a unique edge. The story will keep you entertained and wanting to read on. The hooks are felt all along the story, and gives you stamina to keep you reading.

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Summary: Perfect for urban flatlanders, too
Review: I am not an "outdoorsy" type. No hiking. No biking. And certainly no mountain-climbing. Nor do I particularly enjoy reading accounts of hikers, bikers and climbers. Except for this book, which I consumed in about two days, even though it falls within two categories I tend not to like: non-fiction and nature.

Two things I learned:
People can be incredibly brave, disciplined and strong, especially when it comes to mountaineering.
People can be incredibly stupid, obsessive and insane, especially when it comes to mountaineering.

Either way, this is an absolutely gripping, inspiring and yes, tragic story masterfully told by Jon Krakauer. He tries his best to speak to every one of his readers, even flatlanders like myself, not just those in his highly eccentric clique of mountaineers. He succeeds most of the time. And that's the strength of the book: it can be read as an adventure, a sobering lesson, and as a travelogue to one of the most inhospitable (and famous) places on Earth.

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Summary: Into Thin Air by Parker Kemp "from The Walker School"
Review: I thought Into Thin Air was a good book, but could do without all of Mount Everest's whole history. In the beginning, the book was mainly the history with just a little bit of the main story. But, later on, the book really got into the action and adventure of this Mount Everest disaster. I thought that this book did a great job of allowing the reader to imagine what it would feel like to be on top of that mountain. In the end, this was an excitng story about a great adventure. If there was a little bit less history anout previous expeditions, I would have given this book 5 stars, but for these reasons I gave this book 4 stars.

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Summary: a book that draws you back again and again
Review: As does his book, "Into the Wild," this book draws you back into reading it again and again throughout the years. You begin by thinking casually while your washing dishes, etc. of some little something in the book and you retrieve it to look up that particular part and before you know it you're reading the entire book from middle to end to beginning to middle. It's that kind of book. Haunting.