Rating: 
Summary: JON YOU SAW BOTH SIDES OF COIN: LIFE AND DEATH
Review: All who ascend high know that death may be waiting for them at corner. But hills always suck you. there is mystical attraction in the altitudes. we huff and puff, covered in dust, half hungry but alway find something unknown to others who have never been to snow abodes of Gods. I know Jon you can feel it but you have never been able to put it in words. How ever whatever is written is simply superb. once you read it you reach in the lap of SAGARMATAJI. I will never forget those in the grip of Mother Goddess, Struggling Hall and Namba.
Rating: 
Summary: It's No Ten But Give the Guy a Break
Review: I met Beck Weathers a few weeks ago and, having heard about but never read Into Thin Air, bought a copy and had Beck sign it. After reading the book half way through, I was surprised that Beck would put his name, let along his signature to it. Krakauer at first was extremely judgemental of all of the paying clients in Hall's "expedition" and seemed to have contempt for anyone who could pay their way to the summit. At the time, Jon was eeking out a living as a writer and certainly could not easily afford to take such a trip at his own expense. Beck's own experience was probably more disturbing to me than Krakauer's attempts to convince the world that the tragic events of May 10, 1996 were not his fault. Beck, in a nutshell, said that he wound up on Everest to complete his ascents of the Seven Summits and in nearly dying found that his search for fulfillment was not to be found in such a monumental accomplishment but instead in his own life which he nearly forsake for this stupid hobby. When asked for advice that he would give to a man who is 43 and eager to attempt similar feats, he was quite clearly changed in responding, "If you have children, it is morally irresponsible." Beck is not alone in having bitten off more than he could chew. He is just one who has publicly told his story and realizes just how lucky he is. After having heard his story, I actually thought less of him than before I met him. I thought he was more of an adventurer and not simply one of the many who could pay to reach the top of the world. Krakauer is unfortunate in feeling his guilt given the conditions of Everest in the Death Zone. Not one of us as readers may judge his motives, mental condition or perception of the situation which he experienced. Beck said himself that you can be responsible for one person only at those altitudes and that is yourself. Your mental capacity is barely adequate to make any decisions and the physical condition marginal at best to allow you to descend after summitting. How can anyone be expected to be a hero? If you want to criticize Krakauer, then move to Nepal and work as a rescue worker at the Base Camp. Whatever Jon's motives for writing, let them be his and his alone. He did not set out to put his book on the New York Times Bestseller List. He wrote for the need to write, whether catharsis or simply artistic desire. He wrote when he needed to and the result is what we have. Enjoy it, I did.
Rating:
Summary: A moving account of the Everest climb in 1996
Review: I live in Seattle so some of the people are familiar to me. Jon's account of this climb, and the events leading up to the horrible deaths that occurred, is very moving. I felt like I was on the climb with them. I was cold when they were cold, frightened when they were frightened. I couldn't put the book down even though I knew the outcome, it was so gripping a story, albeit a true story. I highly recommend this book to everyone, and I've never climbed a mountain.
Rating:
Summary: Don't miss this book!!
Review: Most non-fiction can be dry. This book's a tropical depression. Put on your raincoat and hang on for the ride.
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally Gripping
Review: The cold days that I dread here in my homestate of Ohio now seem like a day in the tropics, compared to what I have just read. "Into Thin Air" gives a chilling (literally) account of the courageous and, ultimately, tragic ascent of Mount Everest. Jon Krakauer, along with the other members of the expedition, experiences every emotion in the spectrum as he makes his ascension and descension of the world's highest mountain. Krakauer was met with undeserved criticism when he arrived back in the U.S., and he says that the event still haunts him today. He needs to put the event into perspective. He should not have any regrets over what happened. It is easy for someone who has never been in this situation to criticize. But, given the circumstances, there is little that he could have done to save the lives of his fellow climbers, like Andy Harris. I doubt that any one of us (myself included) could have done any more. Although this book ends on a tragic note, I still feel compelled to give mountain climbing a try after reading it. Maybe not Mount Everest, but perhaps some other mountains, just to experience the thrill of the accomplishment.
All that I can think of right now is the frightening image of those climbers, stuck in the freezing, bitter cold, watching their limbs turn blue. With the snow falling outside right now, I feel a greater sense of appreciation for the warmth inside my house.
Rating:
Summary: A thought provoking book.
Review: I read this book while on vacation in a fairly remote location (of course, nothing like Everest). The book made me take a good look at the selling of adventure travel. Should people really be able to sign a check and buy adventure trips? Or, should they have to earn the right to participate? I came away hoping that people will try harder to earn their way onto trips like Everest; however, I'm not in favor of someone (governments, for example) telling people whether or not they can take such a trip. People who buy adventure travel should realize that they might have to accept the ultimate risk. I'm not sure that most paying adventurers really believe that they are taking much risk. It's just a vacation, right? Afterall, they paid to have someone make it "safe." I think that people who want to buy trips like this need to examine their motives. Statistical adventure travel can be hazardous. People who sell adventure travel need to make their clients really understand that adventure travel carries certain risks. It cannot be made as safe as a trip to the amusement park.
Rating:
Summary: Captivating!! I ignored all else until I finished reading it
Review: A great read for anyone with a love of adventure. He truly brought a feeling of being there to the reader. It was great.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Book - Jon is an excellent mountain writer
Review: All three of Jon's books are very good, but this is at the top of the list. I am currently finishing "Eiger Dreams". I'm really interested in visiting some of the far away places he describes. Another good book on the life of a more down to earth mountaineer is TJ Burr's "Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection."
Rating:
Summary: Soul searching and morally complicated
Review: This book kept me awake for nights even after I finished reading it. Before reading this book I wrote the members of this Everest team off as thrill seeking morons who could buy their way to the top of the world. Now, I admire every person, especially those who survived for dealing with their memories. This book was wonderfully written and at times very upsetting. A must read.
Rating:
Summary: Jon hit's gold once again!
Review: A riviting tale of an author willing to do anything for an exciting story, but this time he almost pushes himself to far. This book kept me reading and on the edge of my seat.
|
