Into Thin Air : A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Rating:
Summary: Riviting account of a pointless endeavor
Review: The folly of life threatening mountain climbing struck me as never before. Why squander resources on such a thing? Even worse is the fact that the native culture in near by areas is being devastated by rich people enticing poor people to get them to the top of the mountain. Why not spend all the treasure and committment on something worthwhile!

Rating:
Summary: Rough around the edges, but I couldn't put it down!
Review: Having known little about climbing, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Krakauer presented a story, often relying on technical aspects, in a lucid manner. This book is a quick and exciting read. Much better than the made for TV show. As long as you overlook a few typos and grammatical errors the book reads well. I will say that the book did not answer all of the questions that arose as I read, but I am not sure there are any answers.

Rating:
Summary: Super, I made everybody I know read it.
Review: An honest and soul searching account of a tragedy written by a mountaineering expert. Full of interesting characters. Heroes, (imagine Rob Hall's dilemma sitting at the top with his dying friend and client. He chose to die rather than leave him) and villians (the author does not try to hide his own instinct for self preservation. No heroic tendencies here)

Rating:
Summary: A book whose strength and weakness lies in its subjectivity
Review: When I began this book I did not expect the power with which the author evokes the sensations of climbing and the sights, the feel and the pain of scaling in such a frozen wasteland. Krakauer writes that he wanted to pen the book precisely because the scars were still fresh and he wanted the immediacy of the moment to make its mark on the book. He certainly succeeded here and the book clearly fills a much-needed niche, which might be called the "eyewitness account of one corner of a tragedy by one who was there." Krackauer never claims that he is telling the whole story, only the story as he saw it. One can argue that a book with the perspective of time would be even more valuable, for such a book would gain from the insights of others and the digested interviews of participants compiled over the years. But this will serve as part of the primary source record of the events of 1996 for future historians. For sheer quality of writing it is likely not to be surpassed among mountaineering books, although the introductory quotations by other authors leading off each chapter did not seem to me to always have much to do with the theme of the chapters they introduced. But maybe this kind of poetic tone seemed lost on me given the complete absence of poetry in the actual circumstances of this particular climb. Still, a magnificent adventure tale, superlatively told.

Rating:
Summary: Krakauer carries you to a frozen hell with chilling detail
Review: This realistic account of the Everest disaster is one that allows the reader to peek into the pain and reality of a romanticized quest. This book flows like a magazine article and often provides vivid, but sometimes unrelated, detail. It leaves you with the notion that much of the content is Jon's deduction instead of concrete fact.

Rating:
Summary: Opinions
Review: Having recently re-read 'Into Thin Air' following the TV version (bizarre manipulations were made) I felt compelled to write. Commentators who cry 'leave poor John alone' seem to miss akey point. People are now questioning the accuracy of the authors narrative not because they don't have a clue about what he went through, but in fact because everyone IS starting to get a clue about what went on. As Krakauer also was the first to cast stones, verybig stones, it seems that he has more than exposed himself to the brunt of such furious debate. If anyone should feel sorry for anyone, shouldn't it be the Kazak mountaineer, Anatoli Boukreev? Boukreev has been methodically maligned by many including over-zealous journalists, and green-eyed pro climbers (including the best American has to offer) who could never hope to follow his climbing accomplishments. But the last to point a finger at Boukreev's actions is a man who lay helplessly in his tent on the south col while this man charged into the storm to save several lives. Of note, was the fact that two weeks ago the American Alpine Club awarded Boukreev their highest honor for valor for his actions on Mount Everest last year. Pete Athans and Todd Burleson were also honored. So, how does that square up with Krakauers' assesment? This book is interesting not so much for its authoritative accuracy, which it lacks greatly, but more so for its intimate glimpse into the soul of its creator. I have also read 'Into The Wild' and wondered why the author went so far out of his way to try to identify himself with the young man that was the subject of that work. I think 'Into Thin Air' has answered that question. There is much anger here, and I suspect it has little to do with Mount Everest.

Rating:
Summary: Leave Jon Krakauer alone!
Review: Why do so many people feel the need to judge this man? So many of the "reviewers" here complain that this book is self-serving, or only a way for Jon to assuage his guilt, or skewed to his personal interpretation. To them I say...OF COURSE. The book is sub-titled "A Personal Account" and in the beginning of the book Jon explains why he wrote it. This poor man went through a horrific experience that none of us has, and he is now deeply troubled. He explains to us at the beginning of the book that he is writing it for personal reasons, as he is still in the healing process of trying to get over this tragedy that happened. To those who criticize this book I have to say you read it voluntarily, knowing what it was about. If you didn't want to read a personal account, you shouldn't have read this book. Get over yourselves! Until you have walked in his shoes, you have no right to judge him. Needless to say, I found the book riveting. I found the descriptions of what happens to the human body at high altitudes very interesting.

Rating:
Summary: I believe the book was a rush to publish first
Review: Frankly, I certainly got a first class education in mountain climbing. However, I also believe this book would have been much better, if Krakauer has waited until he had taken off his climbing gear, before he had started writing. While I did enjoy this book I had a lingering feeling of first one down, first one to press. The TV show was poorly done, in addition. I also sensed a feeling of guilt from the author throughout, whether it was the fact that he survived, or the fact that he could have done more to help the others I do not know. It's worth reading, an adventure.

Rating:
Summary: High Altitude Reading, both Educational and Tragic
Review: I spent most of every spare moment I had during the Thanksgiving weekend reading Krakauer's account. I received a brief education in mountain climbing and got to know the people who have a passion for such things. Krakauer keeps you riveted to the book as you ascend Everest with him. He seemed to balance things out well between giving you descriptions of the many characters that were trying to assault the summit and still holding you in the day by day experience of the climbers. There are so many things I learned about high-altitude mountain climbing, sherpas, incredibly adverse weather conditions, and the people addicted to this very risky passion. Currently there is a lot of controvery surrounding what happened above 27000 feet during those days in May of 1996. In giving us his view, Krakauer tells us that clouded decision-making is prevalent at those heights. It is very hard to judge fairly the morality of what happened up there . Other accounts have been written but we will never have a definitive account of these events. A minor point: I wish there were a few more pictures and perhaps a detailed map. I highly recommend this book. Once you start reading it, you'll be gasping for time.

Rating:
Summary: A search into what we look for...and what we left behind...
Review: An incedible journey into man's search for things that cannot be held like a trophy. Krakauer's incredible first-person narrative of a trip into an area that many of us cannot fathom opened me like a cracked nut and tore out my insides...a powerful portrayal of the awesome trip that cost the lives of numerous souls and the pain it left on those who completed the journey. A must read for those who don't even know the first thing about mountaineering, but want to know what the journey of life is really like. Could not put the book down....finished it in under 5 hours, and wanted to start reading it all over again.