Rating: 
Summary: An excellent account of foolish behavior and its consequence
Review: Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air". Is an excellent account of several fatal attempts to reach the summit of Mount Everest which took place in the same year. When I say "excellent", I mean the book is evocative, well written and contains extraordinary attention to detail. Krakauer is a skilled enough writer to instantly familiarize the average reader with most aspects of mountain climbing and especially with climbing Mount Everest.The reader is also left with some nagging questions. Is Krakauer really, the humble, easy going and under-qualified (yet skillful) mountaineer he portrays himself to be in the book? Or, is he every bit as self-centered, careless, or full of poor judgment as many of the others? Although I liked the book very much, Krakauer's portrayal of himself struck me as too good to be true. The most important question is why two of the most experienced climbers and several of their clients perish on the mountain. In the case of Rob Hall, the highly methodical and experienced guide, Krakauer mildly suggests the obvious: he didn't follow his own safety regulations. Hall ignored his own turn around time and continued to the summit when he knew it was too dangerous to do so. Krakauer suggests that he did this partly out of pride (he had never failed to get clients to the summit before), partly out of fear (his competitor--who also perished in the attempt--might have succeeded in getting his clients to the top), and partly out of obligation (he could not bear the thought of his friend Doug Hansen, who was dangerously lagging behind, not making it to the top). Piled on top of these factors was the lure of reaching the summit itself. I am not a mountain climber, but I'm certain that had I been so close, I too would have found the urge to reach the summit extremely hard to resist. Oddly enough, Hall was completely right when he acknowledged that sooner or later something like this was going to happen. Although I was saddened and moved by the tragedy, I also found myself asking, "well, what did you expect? You took a risk and you suffered the consequences." I do not say this with any lack of respect or regard for the lives lost there. I enjoyed the book very much and commend Jon Krakauer for his excellent account of a fascinating and tragic situation.
Rating: 
Summary: He reads it himself.
Review: In a very nobel gesture, Krakauer reads his own book for the tape. It is not as smooth as it would be if an actor read the book but it gives you a better feel for what the authors intention of the reading is. I had read the climb first and wanted to find out what Krackauer had said to get Baukereev so riled. In the book he comes across a lot better than he did in the magazine article. After the reviews he got from the magazine, he was better able to put the story together. It had me on the edge of my seat throught the tapes even though I had heard it all before. His insites into Beck Weathers is most facinating. As Krakauer is given full space in this article to tell the story of the climb, it is interesting to hear the story behind his accusations. Apperently the accusations of Backreev came from Krakauer's assessement of another guide's believes in guiding climbs. Some of the accusations of Lopsang came from Ang Dorje. Now how much of this was well remembered from his hypoxic state during the climb and how much is fact is not known. Krakhauer admits his problems in telling the account of Andy Harris, to later find out it was Martin Adams that he actually had the encounter with. Read it but also read "The Climb." Get both sides of the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting, but at a cost.
Review: I enjoyed Into Thin Air, it was a very thrilling story. But, I worry that it may actually encourage the very situation it warns about: inexperienced climbers paying large sums of money to be guided to the top! How many people reading this are thinking "It couldn't happen to me..."?
Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down!!
Review: I never really had much interest in Mount Everset until I checked this book out of our local library.I was spellbound & am now interested in all things "Everest"..I felt as if I was really there with the climbers (but glad I wasn't really)! I highly recommend this book!
Rating:
Summary: A book you can't put down.
Review: This is the only time in a lifetime of book-reading that I finished the book, turned around and immediately read it again.
Rating:
Summary: Amazing, Brilliant, and exteremely frightening.
Review: Krakouer takes you to the top of the world, and displays the horrors of it. His novel uncovers the peril of life at 29,000 feet. He not only touches on the dangers of mountain climbing, but the sheer will, and greed of the men climbing Everest. It amazed me to see how they actually leave men to die in order to reach thier goal. It makes one of the most challenging obstacle on earth appear as a fool's paradise, and will absolutely spellbind you.
Rating:
Summary: Sharing every gasp
Review: I am an armchair slob. In the main I hate most physical exertion but love reading, and this is one of the best books I have ever read. I was with Jon every oxygen-depleted breath he took. Thoroughly recomend. Suddenly I've become an Everest freak - bookmarked every site imaginable, going to the video shop to get the vid etc. But I will never, ever ever climb anything more than the stairs to bed. I live at sea level and am satying there ....in fact this is a great book for the beach!
Rating:
Summary: Enthralling
Review: I do not climb mountains but I couldn't put this book down as I pondered how the human spirit can be so determined, and how human failures can ovecome even the most sensible people. I later read 'The Climb' which a longer more detailed account of the Everest diaster. While I am not the kind of person who watches Rescue-911 for the sheer morbitity of it, I was intreged by what this story has to say about commerical explotation, captialism at all costs, and how, when stripped of everything we are left only with own determination and good judgement.
Rating:
Summary: A gripping tale of life at the extreme
Review: Inspiring. That one word says everything about this book. This is a story about life, friendship, honor, courage, and adventure. I couldn't get enough of this book - I just could not put it down.
Rating:
Summary: A "Can't Put It Down" Book About the Thrill-Seeking Urge
Review: Great book! I finished it last night by candlelight after a summer thunderstorm knocked out the power, and then I spent a restless night imagining hurricane-force winds pounding my tent at Camp 4. The illustrations are worth the additional price of the book. I felt that some of the author's finger-pointing was unjustified (particularly in light of the author's own conduct), and the continuing debate with Boukreev in the postscript was petty. I was also wholly unconvinced by the author's attempt to distinguish mountaineering (and specifically Everest) from bungee jumping, sky diving and motorcycle racing. The urge for selfish thrill-seeking cuts across sports, as well as across nationalities and even sex, as demonstrated by the various parties on Everest in the spring of 1996.
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