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Summary: One of the best pieces of non-fiction I have ever read....
Review: This book left me speechless. The tragedy of this expedition and that of all those who have died trying to conquer Mt. Everest is unimaginable. This story proves that real life can be more riveting than fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, gripping, can't put down account
Review: My $.02 to this very interesting story is that every once in a while you have to say, but nobody forced them to put their lives in danger. This is not war or accident where you fight for your life due to some outside force. And for anybody doing this who has a wife, or, especialy, children who depend on you, it all seems so selfish in the end. Another thing I couldn't get over was, if so dangerous, why were climbing alone, so many, all strung out on the mountain like it was a Sunday picnic? It sort of DOES remind you of the Titanic, of the overweening pride of the guides, who, due to luck, thought they were too smart to ever get caught in a storm at the top. Still, read it twice, and saw the Imax movie, which didn't have enough on the mountain.
Rating: 
Summary: A great epic!
Review: It's a heart wrenching personal account on the enigmatic Mt. Everest. With so many lives loss, the story is made interesting and lucid. I'm not being callous about the losses of lives, but this is the way the story captures you. It's a terrific page turner and you just can't put the book down. From my own experience, I find that I read this book exceptionally fast. I like the ending, especially. Jon depicts the theme of unpredictability of the mountain, and weaves tales of Gods and Goddesses. But there is one flaw about this book, the story is not in chronological order sometimes, and Jon keeps changing the names from the first to last. However, it is still a must-read!
Rating:
Summary: Worth an evening
Review: Yes, this is, as Krakauer admits in the intro, self-indulgent exorcism. So be it. I hope it worked for him. The book is worth the four- or five-hour investment that it takes to read. Those who have never struggled up a summit ridge gasping for breath at every step might not fathom why these people are on Everest and instead chalk it up to hubris, arrogance, self-absorption etc... The fact is that many, even the rank amateurs, are driven by something deep, abiding and admirable in the human spirit. Yes, most seem compulsive and some are in way over their heads. They appear to place unwarranted trust in competent guides who mean well but who have just enough overweening ego and greed to make them dangerous. Some of the clients are poor consumers of dangerous adventure. They fail to ask intelligent questions, even when sufficient oxygen is available to their brains. The guides train their clients to be compliant and obedient, which can be fatal when the guides' judgement fails. It is useful, however, to attempt to understand why one would leave a comrade in danger on a ridge simply becuase one is too exhausted and hallucinatory to stand a chance of survival otherwise. The easy answers of selfishness and stupidity may comfort the reader in a suburban armchair but are embarrassingly glib conclusions. And wrong ones. This is not great literature but is a thrilling and quick read. Perhaps inscrutable to those who have never climbed anything remotely challenging, it gives the reader a chance to transcend his own experience and empathize with the participants instead of projecting his own fear and self-loathing onto the survivors. It's simply the first session for Krakauer on the analyst's couch.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting
Review: I read this book when it first came out in 1997. I live in Dallas, which is where one of the climbers lives, and was saturated with news media coverage on the disaster. Even though I seemed to know EVERYTHING there was to know, I could not put the book down. There were many comatose days at work due to staying up way too late. It has been over a year since I read the book but I can still remember the way that I felt as I read it. It is one of the best books that I have read and haunts me to this day. Bravo, Jon Krakauer.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping
Review: Just like "Into the Wild" Krakaur writes of people who are willing to sacrifice their lives for a dream (in this case, the mountain). I couldn't put it down, but at the end of it, found myself saying, are these people all stupid, insane, nuts? I can't fathom ever wanting to put myself into the position these people were in, not to mention the risk of all the diseases one can get from the altitude. Thank god it's them and not me... And I also wonder why unequipped people are allowed to even attempt it. Again, like the other book, it's great reading.
Rating:
Summary: An awesome book
Review: A very good book that touches you deep inside your heart. It makes you think about how difficult climbing is.
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Summary: Climbing Everest and giving birth--no pain no gain
Review: I read maybe a book a year and I read this one twice. Krakauer is a brilliant writer and his Into the Wild is an excellent read as well. The first 2/3 of Into Thin Air is excellent enough by itself without the tragic conclusion. The tolerance for pain that these climbers have is mind-boggling. Krakauer says that "anyone who would seriously consider (climbing Everest) is by definition beyond the sway of reasoned argument." And throughout the book he tries and tries to explain why climbers do what they do. I always thought these people were a bit nutty. And that hasn't changed. But after reading this account, I do have a lot more respect for those who try.
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Summary: If you liked this book read "The Climb" by Anatoli Boukreev
Review: Into Thin Air is an excellent book, but having been written so close to the actual events, author Krakauer has admitted to making mistakes in his accounts. The Climb tells the story of the same expedition, only from the viewpoint of one of Scott Fischers climbing guides, Anatoli Boukreev. Boukreev is a legend in the sport, and in my opinion his telling is much more gripping. especially his telling of the rescue on the South Col. But not to detract from Krakauers effort. Into Thin Air captivated me from start to finish and will most likely be remembered as the definitive account of the incident.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent adventure, with minor personal disagreement
Review: I started reading this book with a full head of steam. After trying to remember the dozens of people that Krakauer mentions in the course of just the first few chapters, I decided that I would just keep their names at the back of the mind. What an adventure, though! I was gripped, hoping that the climbers would finally make the summit, and get back down in one piece. Having watched the many shows on t.v. regarding this climb, I knew what the final outcome would be. However, it was still fascinating to read a first-person narrative of the events that unfolded those dreadful days. To be honest, the only thing that I read that made me loose about 1/2 the respect I have for Krakauer is near the end of the book, where he writes of buying marijuana from some street urchin, then smoking it in his hotel room to get over his depressed feelings following the end of the climb that proved fatal for several members of his climbing team. I didn't think that that was needed, and, being against the usage of pot, felt that I now couldn't include it in my list of books that I recommend to my students. What a loss.
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