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

Rating:
Summary: Totally engrossing read, a story that leaves you shaken.
Review: I read this book in one sitting and afterwards couldn't stop thinking about it for days. I found it to be completely compelling, honest and raw. Imagining oneself in Krakauer's shoes, as both an observer (he was on the trip as a journalist) and fellow climber, one cannot help but succumb to the awesome grip of Everest. The presence of the mountain can be felt in this book; it is the central character. The hypnotic sway it has on those who seek to master it, and the deaths that result as forfeit from those who fail in the attempt. And while I understand people's criticism's of Krakauer's actions both on the mountain and in his accounting of those events in this book, I cannot imagine the profound physical and psychological stress that would accompany the experiences he chronicles. Therefore, I cannot agree with the reviews that seem to have genuine personal reproach for Krakauer. You know the old saying; you can't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes. There's only a few people who can claim to have walked where Krakauer has. I have nothing but sympathy and admiration for the people described in "Into Thin Air", including Krakauer. A great book for anyone interested in the adventure or real-life account genre.

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Summary: One of the best adventure books
Review: Into Thin Air is an excellent, intriguing book, which will leave you at the edge of your seat. It is written by Jon Krakauer, who describes his personal involvement in the Mt. Everest disaster. The reader will see the disaster through his eyes. Based on a true story, this book takes place on Mt. Everest in 1996. The story describes two groups of climbers, one led by Rob Hall and the other led by Scott Fisher; both of these groups are trying to climb to the top of Everest. While doing so many people get sick from the thin air, from diseases in the air, and the cold. Many people were taken back down because they were too sick to walk, but other stubborn people that also were sick, wanted to get to the top for their first time, and decided to keep on going. This incredible book tells of tragedies, and hardships. Read this book to find out what events happen on the deadly mountain. I would recommend this book because it's a great adventure book, which no one could possibly put down. Many people that climb the mountain get sick from the coldness, and how thin the air is. Many people die from falling off cliffs, because they couldn't see where they were going, diseases, the thin air, and sudden storms. People that climb the mountain have waited their whole lives to climb the treacherous mountain, they even had worked two jobs to get the 60,000- dollar fee (which includes the equipment.) Some of the people don't even know if they'll make it alive spending all that money, wondering if it's a mistake to spend 60,000 dollars like that! This story is also very descriptive, and gives every bit of detail that makes it seem as if you are actually there. He makes you actually seem as if you are there witnessing deaths and tradigies. The author also makes you seem as if you're climbing the mountain breathless are extremely tired. A sudden storm that comes to the peak of the mountain, and has driving snow and high winds of up to 60 knots, making it a much more terrible condition to climb the mountain than before. The book tells you what happens to the people that are still climbing the mountain, because of a sudden storm. This story will make you think twice about life, and shock you beyond all belief. It will show you how truly dangerous and deadly Everest can be. One reason that I might not recommend this book would be that the author sometimes gets off topic and talks about incidents on Everest that happened a long time ago. It could be really confusing and some readers would wonder if he was talking about the past or the present. Although I thought the book was good, another reason that this book bothered me was because of the profanity he put in it. Even though it is an adult book and they probably said that stuff on the mountain when it occurred, I didn't think that it was necessary. All in all, I think that this book was exceptional, even if the author did get off topic some, and use profanity! I would give this book five out of five stars! I encourage you to read this book, because believe me, you most definitely won't regret it.

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Summary: Thrilling story that's stranger than fiction
Review: This the first book I've read about the Mount Everest disaster in May 1996. Jon Krakauer was paid by Outside magazine to join a guide assisted expedition to the summit of Mount Everest lead by renowned guide Rob Hall with his assistant Doug Harris. But once Jon and the rest of the gang get past Camp 4 and head up the south col, the balcony and then the summit, it's literally downhill from there. He'll lead you step by step through his journey up the mountain, describing every pertinent event he witnessed or was told afterwards through interviews with survivors.

To me, Krakauer comes across as honest without being too cocky. Sure, he's an experienced mountain climber who was in better shape and more qualified for the climb than some of the other clients, but he certainly doesn't "trash" his fellow climbers with nothing but negativity. I think he made an honest attempt tell both sides of the story. For example, he gave Beck Weathers his props when he realized the incredible effort he was exerting.

And the other issue was how he "blamed" Anatoli Boukerev for the disastrous outcome of the expedition. Well, if some people actually read the book, he clearly puts the blame on many people, including himself. Sure Boukerev was foolish to be working as a guide without using oxygen, but Krakauer could have stopped a clearly exhausted and oxygen deprived Doug Harris from continuing up the mountain. He could have also convinced Beck Weathers to descend with him instead of leaving him to wait for Doug Harris, who never returned, leaving Beck stranded with a group of other climbers and eventually left for dead. You can tell that Krakauer feels much blame for much of the tragedy that occured.

Other "reveiwers" say Krakauer took advantage of the tragedy by "cashing in" by writing the book. Well, the guy is a writer, after all folks, and he has to make a living somehow, doesn't he? He has also donated a portion of his profits to charities, which should quiet those critics.

From what I could tell, it was an unfortunate accident that didn't have to happen if so many people didn't try to "summit" at the same time. Also, it would have helped if the guides actually stuck to their pre-determined turnaround time like they swore they would. But up there at 29000 feet, where the oxygen is 1/4 of sea level and your mind is reduced to a 6 year old, and you have climbers with bigger egos than the mountain itself, it's a wonder that more people don't return alive. Alas, like he states, "Climbing Everest is an extremely irrational action". Indeed.

Overall, this is an extremely well written book that should be read by sports and adventure seeking readers for years to come. It's an incredibly story that had to be told.

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Summary: An Exciting Read But Flawed
Review: I, too, enjoyed the yarn weaved by Jon Krakauer regarding this tragedy but my enthusiam was tempered by his license with factual events and denigration of Anatoly Boukareev. A more accurate depiction of the events that occurred that fateful May can be found in "Toly's" book, The Climb.

If you have read Krakauer's version of what took place, you will find The Climb a raw, exciting comparison to the events that occurred on the mountain. Don't stop with just a reading of Krakauer's book; your understanding of what really happened will be enhanced by a reading of both accounts.

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Summary: The best Everest book I have read
Review: This book captures you in the first page and do not decrease the pace as it goes. I feel that I am really on top of the world. Excellent read, no unnecessary dramatization, pure narration of what has happened. Jon is a very candid writer. You can understand the mindset he went through while reading through the pages. A must read

Rating:
Summary: Great 1st read if you're intrigued by Everest...
Review: A great book for someone who likes an adventure read and is interested in what is involved in climbing Mount Everest. Less philosphy and verbal elegance, perhaps, than some books on Everest - its not poetry - but gives a great 1st hand perspective of the ordeal, while providing a backdrop of other climbing teams and some history of the Everest challenge. I stayed up all night reading it. It's a somber story in the end, but realities at 8K meters are harsh, not poetic, it seems. Everest afficiandos may critique it harder...

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Summary: A good example of what happens when men attempt to...
Review: ...conquer nature. Those left behind on the mountain learned the hard way that we are not here to conquer the world, but to co-exist with it. The attitude alone of some of the climbers was enough to ensure that they weren't going to come back, and Krakauer's account gives a good feel for what happened and I respect him for writing it as it happened and not trying to glorify those who put ego and stupidity above common sense and respect. Fascinating look into the nature of the extreme adventurer, and a good reminder to never, ever lose your respect for the power of the natural world. ~Yasmine Galenorn, author of Embracing The Moon~

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Summary: Excellent detail account from a survivor
Review: If you like adventure or survival stories, this is a great read.

Rating:
Summary: Incredible
Review: I just finished this book last night. I closed the cover and just sat there exhausted. This is the best book I've read in a long time. He makes it feel like you're almost there with them. The pictures in this edition here seem to add to the realism too.

I'm not a climber, so some of the terminology got by me, but not that much. I highly recommend it.

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Summary: An Astonishing story of survival
Review: We've probably all seen the sort of adventure movies where the hero, finding himself in a tight spot, says, "So, this is Hell." Jon Krakauer's book, one of the most validate intangible experiences any book has given me, he introduces us to a Hell that keeps getting worse. Krakauer, went to the Himalayas as a client of Rob Hall, the most respected high-altitude guide in the world. Hall had summited Everest four times between 1990 and 1995 and had led thirty-nine climbers to the top.

In this novel it starts out with telling us too much. He starts out telling us that he has already made it to the top of the mountain. " Straddling the top of the world, one foot in China and the other in Nepal, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask, hunched over a shoulder against the wind, and stared absently down at the vastness of Tibet." By him doing this my guess would be he wanted us to know up front that he had summited and his journey of terror was just beginning. From there it goes onto to talk about the history of Mount Everest. The reasoning behind this is Jon Krakauer is trying to show the reader that Mount Everest is a very demanding mountain and it has claimed the lives of many people. It then goes to Jon Krakauer's conversation with the editor of Outside magazine. This is the magazine Jon writes the article on Everest for. After this conversation he is on the next plane to Nepal for the Everest expedition. Once the expedition was on the book starts to get a little boring at times. Jon Krakauer tells us about the expedition and how Mount Everest is so beautiful. This goes on for about a hundred pages. But once they get near the top of Everest something catastrophic happens. A blizzard is coming down the mountain. A blizzard at this high altitude is extremely dangerous because the winds can get up to 200 mile per hour and with the wind chill it can drop temps well below zero. The head guide of this expedition Rob Hall told everyone before they were to summit that they need to be back to the camp before 2pm because of the incoming storm. When Jon Krakauer had reached the top it was May 10th and he had not slept in 57 hours, and with not having enough sleep combined with oxygen depletion he had started to get very careless. When you are at very high altitude and without enough oxygen it is very deadly and the human brain cannot function properly. When Jon and the his team where coming down from reaching the top he asked one of his teammates to turn down the oxygen to save for the long journey back down, but he had turned the oxygen full blast. Now as it is getting late and everyone is still trying to summit and there is a storm in on the horizon, Jon is in a position of survival. In this novel the main purpose was to write an article for a magazine he worked for. But he was caught in a catastrophic storm that forced him to go with his instinct instead of his oxygen-depleting mind. Jon Krakauer's experience he will always remember, he tells us in the authors note that this experience has changed him in some way. It had showed him something about himself. It showed him that with the will power to survive you could survive anything. This is what I feel the theme of the book is. In life you go through obstacles that will hold you back from something that you crave, something you need. In this case it is his life. He had been to the top of the world it is his will power and determination to bring him back down, this is what you need to overcome obstacles in life the will power and determination to want it whatever it may be.

Personally, I enjoyed this book. I have always liked these types of survival books because it tells us first hand experience on what they did to survive. Now when the story like in this book really happened it made the story that much better because it really happened and you get the emotions that they were feeling at that point and time. Jon Krakauer is a great writer, I thought that his writing was easy to follow and it gave you a good idea of what the characters were feeling and at the same time what was going on around them.

To give you all a sense of how the author writes and to give you all a sense of his writing style I will give you as little exert from the novel. " Harris who'd left the summit shortly after I did, soon pulled up behind me. Wanting to conserve whatever oxygen remained in my tank, I asked him to reach inside my backpack and turn off the valve on my regulator, which he did. For the next ten minutes I felt surprisingly good. My head cleared. I actually seemed less tired than I had with the gas turned on. Then, abruptly, I sensed I was suffocating."

In conclusion I hope I did not ruin the book for anyone by going too far in depth, but I do encourage anyone who enjoys reading survival books like this one to pick it up and read it. It is a great book and with Jon Krakauer's descriptions and emotions it almost makes you feel like you are there with him on the Everest expedition.