Rating: 
Summary: Absolutely stunning!
Review: Having recently read Ernest Shackleton's book about the doomed Endurance expedition to the South Pole, I was interested in reading another adventure story of humans pitted against the cold and snow. Krakauer delivered in spades. I had no particular interest in mountain climbing in general or Mount Everest in particular, but once I started reading Into Thin Air, I could not put it down. It accompanied me everywhere for 24 hours; to the swimming pool, at meals, at bedtime, until I had finished it. Rarely have I been so entirely absorbed by a book. There are moral dilemmas aplenty to ponder as you read the book; Krakauer even lays bear his personal sense of responsibility for the death of one of the guides that fateful spring at the summit of the highest place on earth. Each chapter is introduced by a wonderfully apt quotation from a prior Everest account or other great literature. But what really makes this book hum is Krakauer's style as a writer; simple, direct, literate, graceful. You will come away from this book knowing a lot about the history of Everest exploration and the tragic events of the spring of 1996 at the top of Mount Everest, but more than that you will have new insights into the greatness, and the limitations, of all too fragile humanity.
Rating: 
Summary: why is tragedy so fascinating?
Review: I have yet to understand why humans so much enjoy reading about tragedies that have happened to others. I am not saying this to criticise, I do it myself. This book is about a horribly tragic event, yet I found myself recommending it to other people as a book they would enjoy! Enjoy--a book about physical deprivation, mental hardship, suffering, and death. Yet it's true, I did enjoy it. Enough to want to read other viewpoints on the same event.I am sure other reviewers have already mentioned this, but this story, were it not for the tragedy it ended in, would often be laughable. I found myself reading pieces out loud to others in disbelief at the idiocy or short-sightedness or arrogance involved. Yet, there is true heroism here too, and I wanted to share those bits with others just as much. Buy this and read it if you want to share in the experience of high altitude climbing without ever having to actually do it. Krakauer does a good job on conveying what it must be like. This is not an extreme sport that people indulge in for an adrenalin rush. This is extended hardhip and suffering with high risks. While I may never understand why people do something like this, it is astounding to be able to share the experience vicariously.
Rating:
Summary: Got Me, A Couch Potato, Hooked on Climbing Books
Review: I enjoyed this book so much, I became totally hooked onclimbing books, even though I get winded going over a speedbump. Now I've read books on climbing Everest, K2, Annapurna, etc., and am a walking encyclopia of climbing. Into Thin Air remains the best book in this genre. Not a dull moment, and you feel like you are there on the mountain. Krakour's account is concise, like a good journalist, but also intensely personal, a perfect mix.
Rating:
Summary: A Riveting Account
Review: This book has siome of the tension of al Alfred Hitchcock movie where you know something terrible is going to happen, and watch with horror as it slowly unfolds. The center of the story at the top of Everest is terrible to behold. Along the way the author brings all of the different characters vividly to life, and shows how the commericalization of our world has transformed what used to be the most remote place on earth. I couldn't put it down.
Rating:
Summary: Just As Good The Second Time
Review: I enjoyed reading this book so much when it was first published that I jumped at the chance of listenning to the audio tape. It didn't take long to again become totally awed by the experiences of the people on the mountain that day. Having never experienced wind, snow, and temperatures found at high altitude, it is very difficult to visualize through the written ( and spoken ) word, what these men and women experienced. To help me and to add to the awe and amazement I looked at the excellent National Geographic published, Everest: Mountain Without Mercy by Broughan Coburn with pictures by David Breashears.There has been so much written since the tragedy I just hope the lessons to be learned have been and the families of the victims have found acceptance and forgiveness.
Rating:
Summary: Cliffs of Greatness
Review: Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" is the chilling account of an ill-fated expedition to the top of the world's tallest mountain, Mount Everest. The novel is Krakauer's personal chronicle of the events that led to the death of several people in 1996. Krakauer had been a member of the commercial expedition that was caught in one of the worst storms imaginable on the summit of Mount Everest. Along with his own account Krakauer includes reactions from members of his team. "Into Thin Air" is an attempt by Krakauer to explain and share the tragedy that occurred on the snow topped mountain of Mount Everest. The novel revolves around the lives of the men and women who tried to overcome Mother Nature and summit the tallest mountain in the world. The small group of eight individuals consists of men and women from all different walks of life. The members of the group came from different locations such as Japan, the United States and other locations. They also are members of different lifestyles such as doctors, lawyers and blue collared workers. There is also a vast difference in each of the character's climbing backgrounds, ranging from experts to those who have never been on a mountain before. The novel is told from Krakauer's own point of view as a reporter for "Outside" magazine. The magazine offered the assignment of writing a story on the commercialization of Mount Everest to Krakauer. Krakauer has always had the dream of climbing the mountain and agreed after some negotiating with "Outside" magazine. He was soon assigned to Adventure Consultants, a commercial organization, which leads novice mountain climbers up the dangerously high mountain for an unbelievably high price. Rob Hall, a well-known mountain climber, whose reputation is almost as great at the mountain itself, runs the company. Krakauer and other adventurers wishing to summit the mountain arrived in Nepal. Nepal is an entry point used by climbers in order to embark on the hazardous adventure of climbing Everest. In order to begin their journey in attempting to summit the mountain Krakauer and his small group of professionals follow their guides up the mountainside through a flurry of snow and ice. Krakauer's small group is not alone on the mountain; in reality other groups craving the same glory of reaching the summit of the mountain surround them. Krakauer and the other members of the team go through a number of trials and ordeals in trying to reach the top of the mountain. An example of the ordeal was when the group must venture up and down the mountain to help accustom their bodies to the lack of oxygen in the higher altitudes of the mountain. The novel is the compilation of Krakauer's experiences and thoughts as he went up the mountain with his group of fellow climbers. He also includes a number of stories explaining the history of the mountain and the history of climbers in general. And there are also a number of sections that are nothing more than insights into the lives of the climbers accompanying Krakauer up the mountain. In the concluding section of the novel Krakauer makes inferences about the deaths of the climbers based on evidence he gathered. The inferences are purely presumptions and Krakauer makes a point to tell the audience that they are to be taken as presumptions and nothing more. Krakauer used the cover of a reporter doing an article, to feed his long repressed desire to climb Mount Everest. He had been an avid climber in his more youthful days, but ended the dangerous sport to start a family. He then became a free lance writer doing articles for magazines such as, "Outside," an American based magazine catering to the adventurers seeking new challenges. After the ordeal on Everest, Krakauer went on to write his article for "Outside" and eventually the novel "Into Thin Air". His article about the ordeal angered relatives of those who died on the mountain because of his assumptions into how the climbers felt up in the mountains. He has since apologized and tried to explain that his only purpose in writing was to explain the events as concisely and accurately as possible. The book was extremely well written and drew the audience deep into the pages of the novel. The layout and plot of the book flow easily and keep the reader entertained and intrigued. The account is so vivid, that readers can feel the excitement and the pain of the characters. The book may be about mountaineering, but even readers with no knowledge of the sport can follow easily thanks to the detailed description of the technical aspects of mountain climbing. The characters are brought out of pages and into the lives of the reader as details and facts about the characters are shared. The novel seems like a fantastic fantasy, but it is actually the detailed account of the events that occurred in early months of 1996 upon the frozen rock, known as Everest. The genre may be nonfiction, but the writing is so detailed that the reader may wonder if all of it is true. Krakauer's greatest tool is the imagery of the cold and isolation the mountain contains. His descriptions of the cold are so powerful that many might feel shivers as they read. The sections surrounding the tragedy in which several men and women died are so powerful and descriptive that the reader can actually feel the hopelessness felt by the men and women stranded in the mountains. The dialogue and recollections of events is remarkably surprisingly clear, considering the near delusional state Krakauer was in due to the lack of oxygen and strain on his body. Krakauer's writing is very concise and to the point leaving out too much filler and giving the details that he knows the reader would want.
Rating:
Summary: Slick, fascinating, impossible to put down
Review: This book has become the definitive version of the tragic season on Everest in 1996. This is because it is the best written and most complete account. Boukreev's The Climb is an essential second version, and I would highly recommend reading that after reading this. As Krakaur himself admits, his brain was not working 100% correctly on the fateful days in question, as the oxygen content at 8800 metres is far below that required to sustain full human life and function. Thus, it cannot be considered the "true" account of what happened, but merely a "probable" account, and Boukreev disagrees with some of his interpretations. For pure reading value, however, this book is highly recommended. The account is fascinating, chilling, and haunting.
Rating: 
Summary: "Into Thin Air"
Review: This book was a recap of the ill fated ascent of Mt. Everest by Jon Krakauer. On the climb 9 climbers lost their live in the worst storm in the mountain's history. In the book Krakauer puts almost every step into great detail and just gives numerous facts about the moutain. Krakauer just explains exactly what happens on the ascent. This book was not a very entertaining book and was very boring at many times. I did not enjoy reading this book because of how Krakauer puts to much detail into simple things like oxygen tanks and how they had to climb over the crevaces and deep holes in the mountain. The book gives too much detail on little topics. I would not recomend this book to anyone unless they enjoy reading documentaries. This is not a very exciting book and other people that I know who have read "Into Thin Air" did not like it aswell. I would not recommend this book to other people. It was very boring and the plot moved too slow. This documentary was not meant to be a book and Krakauer has talent, but should not write non-fiction. This book was dull and should have had more action for what happened on the mountain when they were descending. He should remove a lot the information about Everest's history and the pasts of the other climbers in his expedition. "Into Thin Air" was not a good book to read for fun, but it might apeal to people who want to climb Mt. Everest. Jon Krakauer was a good author and character, but the book was not well written because of the too numerous amounts of facts about things of little importance.
Rating:
Summary: Hubris,negligence,competition,heroes - a great tragic story
Review: It's hard to believe that this book is so interesting. John Krakauer tells a story about a disaster waiting to happen and then it does. The story involves a strange mix of characters... brillant, experienced guides, and inexperienced climbers focused on attaining the ultimate trophy, the summit of Mt. Everest. If not for the tradegy, it would be comical... the mountain is overcrowded with climbers, highly paid guides, and local sherpas. Climbers ignore basic rules; they ignore the instructions of high paid guides, and too many pay the ultimate price for their mistakes... they died on the mountain. Their hubris, and negligence contributed to the deaths of their heroic guides. This is a story with everyday villans, climbers who march by other dying climbers to pursue their own quest for Everest. And, it is the story of unexpected heroes, like the film crew for IMAX who gave away their oxogen to help weak stranded climbers. At the time, the IMAX crew thought that they had given away their chance to summit Mt. Everest. I cried as the lead guide from New Zealand was dying just a few hundred feet from base camp. Although he was able to talk to his pregnant wife in NZ, he couldn't be rescued. I can't remember when I last cried real tears when reading a book. This may not be a classic, but it is a great read!
Rating:
Summary: "Into Thin Air," a book recommended very much to read
Review: "Into Thin Air." Just by the title describes the whole story of how a group of people climbed the famous mountain of Mt. Everest and how they went on an expedition that led them into thin air high above the clouds. It explains how each step the crew took was difficult for them, which put their lives at risk It was a well-written book. Knowing that it was a true story made it moving to read how dangerous the climb was going up and how even more dangerous it was for Jon Krakauer (author/narrator) coming down one of the most dangerous mountain in the world. Mt. Everest was difficult for Jon Krakauer and the rest of his crew to climb. I thought it was full of impact to know that the mission was difficult since it was one of the worst seasons to climb Mt. Everest. The tone of this book made me feel shocked, thrilled, and intense which made me to keep continuing to read on about this voyage up 29,000 feet mountain. With so many people involved in this expedition, the people in this non-forgetful story showed a lot of character. The main character Jon Krakauer describes how tough of a person he was mentally and physically throughout the whole expedition. He explains how deadly the voyage was for him because he was in a life or death situation when he was descending from the top of the mountain and so many lives were lost on Mt. Everest made him lack confidence that he could make the whole expedition. Loosing brain cells and a lot of other things that was occurring to him developed a very strong character for him. Other people who lost or almost lost their lives were important on this voyage. People like Rob Hall, Scott Fischer, Yasuko Namba, Andy Harris and others were great inspirations to Krakauer throughout the expedition. Krakauer encounters many dangerous situations and becomes a person who motivates himself throughout the whole story and makes decision to write about this devastating experience probably made it hard for him since he also a person who slightly made it. The novel's social significance was very valuable and understanding. Jon Krakauer is a brilliant author and that's why he has one of the 'New York Times' bestsellers. It is an easy book to understand because he guides you throughout the whole story beginning at the Mt. Everest's summit. I enjoyed reading the novel and I really did not have any criticism about it. The novel made me really think how valuable your life is and you should live to the fullest, but don't take advantage of it or don't even take every day for granted. I thought that this was a key theme to this book even though I thought there were many other themes to this novel. I really recommend that if you have the chance to read this book, you should read it.
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