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

Rating:
Summary: I could have been there
Review: Krakauer is an excellent writer; blending the history, the present emotions, personalities, and also information specific to climbing all into a single volume which is hard to put down. Each aspect of the book is fascinating and he interweaves into narrative that unravals at a steady pace. His ability to express how climbing, the mountain, and the other climbers impacted him places the reader right there in his shoes. As I read this, I found myself driven to reach the summit and yet I longed to return to someplace more comfortable. What a powerful way Krakauer has of recounting a true story. Excellent research and excellent story telling. And you leave the book knowing a little more history, a little more about Everest and a little more about mountaineering.

Rating:
Summary: Superb, riveting storytelling.
Review: This was the first book I had read on the topic of Mt. Everest. I found it absolutely impossible to put down. Jon Krakauer describes in vivid detail not only the accounts of May 10, 1996, but he also brings alive the sights and sounds that one experiences living in extreme places. I felt he did a good job of not blaming any one person or one event for the tradgedy. He showed how, at that altitude, a few minor mistakes and deviations from plan can result in serious consequences. This is a must-read for anyone who is at all interested in high-altitude climbing.

Rating:
Summary: awesome!!!!
Review: Rarely does a book come along that takes you on an adventure such as this. The author keeps you turning the pages and hungering for more. People who aren't even fans of Everst or climbing will still love this book. Impossible to put down. First book I've read in a long time that really had an impact on me.

Rating:
Summary: balanced account, gripping story-telling
Review: Jon Krakauer does an excellent job of describing the horrors faced by climbers on Mt. Everest in the 1996 season. He is very honest about his own, and others', shortcomings.

Rating:
Summary: disappointed reader
Review: this book was very boring. the first few chapters went very slow because of the historical info. when he started writing about the trip it got better because he wondered if the other climbers in the group were better climbers than him. when he wrote about being on the mountain is when i enjoyed the book the most. he wrote about his feelings, what he was thinking during the expedition, and his desire to reach the summit. the end was extremly depressing and it made me not want to climb any mountain let alone everest. i realize that it was based on a true story but it could of had a better ending

Rating:
Summary: The events in this book were book exciting and at the same t
Review: When I first got assigned to read the book Into Thin Air, I was unsure if I would like it. One reason was because it was a 400 page book and also because mountain climbing did'nt really interest me. I started reading it and it seemed a little boring and drawn out. As I got halfway through the book, it became really interesting and full of action. Some of the things that happened to the climbers amazed me and were very frightning. What I found interesting about this book was it wasn't as if you could predict what was going to happen next, as in other books I have read. It was all in the hands of nature. The people in this book, in my eyes, are definitely heroes.

Rating:
Summary: Will keep you awake in amazement
Review: I read this book as I went to sleep everynight and would always stay awake in shock. These people are mad and stupid. A must read, I guarantee you will want to talk to someone about the book

Rating:
Summary: okay
Review: The book, Into The Air was a good book. I gave this book four stars. The first part of the book is pretty boring. He mostly talks about how he got into it and what he had to do. The middle part of the book was really good. He talks about what it was like up there and what he had to do. The end was okay. He talked about about coming down and what it was like coming back. Some parts of the book were pretty confusing. The author would be talking about one thing and then all of a sudden he would switch to a totally different subject. He was talking about going up to camp three and then he started talking about the people he was with. It was pretty weird. I learend that it takes a lot mote than physical strength, it takes mental strength too to get the summit. I liked the book a lot.

Rating:
Summary: ......I would have put it down after page 5.
Review: I give "Into Thin Air" two stars because it was a decent story, but seemed to drag on and on. If I would not have been required to read it for English class, I would have put it down after page 5. The first 200 or so pages are all about what happened up to the summit, from the plane ride across the ocean to what equipment they have at base camp. The last 178 pages cover who dies, how they die, what the bodies look like when they're found, and who was probably going to die next. The whole book was depressing. I knew from the beginning that I was forever discouraged from climbing Everest. It makes me wonder about the sanity of those who do try it.

Rating:
Summary: This was the greatest adventure book I have ever read.
Review: A truly breathtaking adventure about a group of climbers that ascend the worlds highest peak. This book kept me holding my breath and wondering what was going to happen next. The details in this book are phenomenal. One instance is when John describes the severity of someones frost bite. It was really sick. I couldn't put the book down as soon as I began reading it. It was fast paced and will leave you second guessing about ever climbing mountains. I believe this book stood up to its high stars and I gave it the same as so did many critics. John Krakauer did an excellent job with telling the chain of events on the mountain. I hope people enjoyed this book as much as I did.