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

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding book, BUT...
Review: An incredible tale extradordinarily well-told by an outstanding author. All the glowing raves below are entirely justified. Krakauer attempts to level a critical eye toward all participants in the events that lead to the tragedy on Everest in May 1996, including himself. My only qualm with the book is that it seems to me that some of that criticism misses the mark, and he fails to ask one very important question that begs to be asked. First, his criticism of Boukreev for climbing without oxygen is nothing short of ridiculous. Boukreev was an accomplished "8000er" who knew his capabilities & climbed w/o oxygen with the blessing of the tour leader. I find no evidence that that somehow impaired his ability on Everest: indeed, as Krakauer duly acknowledges, Boukreev in fact performed heroicly. 2nd, I think Krakauer is too hard on himself for what he ascribes as his role in the death of one member of his team. He was impaired by lack of oxygen; he cannot blame himself for that. But, 3rd, a tougher question that should have been examined & wasn't was, to what extent were the actions of Hall & Fisher influence by the fact that they had what were essentially media people along with them? Much is made of their competition, but to what extent was that driven by the fact that they had a reporter for OUtside & another giving internet accounts for the internet on their team? I'll tell you what, after reading this book, the first question I'd ask a team leader before agreeing to climb Everest with him would be, "are there going to be any media on our team?" I wouldn't want Jon Krakauer on the ropes or on the slopes with me. Nothing personal.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!!!
Review: I have read this book 4 times already, and want to start a fifth. Jon Krakauer takes you through the trials and tribulations of climbing Everest, and gives you a first hand view on climbing without air, losing friends, and struggling to make your dream. It is the best book that I have ever read, and I am not one to read non-fiction novels. It was a wonderful reading experience the first time, and it continues to be again and again. I would highly highly recommend this book to anyone who happens to come by it. It is well worth it!

Rating:
Summary: The story was chilling
Review: Just finished the book. Could not put it down. Couldn't wait to read the next step in climbing up the mountain. Once at the summit, the book is just starting to build to its climax. By the end, you will be as worn out as the climbers. A great book to read on a summer day because you can feel the cold wind blowing as you read faster to try and get off the mountain.

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Summary: The 1996 Disaster on Mount Everest.
Review: I found this book to be very compelling and very suspenseful. Jon Krakauer shares his thoughts in so many different and interesting ways..The best disaster book!

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I Have Ever Read
Review: I kon wthis sounds childish and silly but this is the best cook I have ever read. And I have read it many times in the last year. It has turned me on to climbed to the point where I have a small* library on mountaineering. Ire commend this book to anyone mountaineer/armchair moutaineer or reader. You will LOVE this book. *Small in relation to the library of congress

Rating:
Summary: what a great book
Review: Read the book in 2-days because I couldn't stop. You know the outcome within the first five pages, yet you can't help wonder how it all happened. Simply one of the best works of non-fiction I have ever read.

Rating:
Summary: I couldn't put it down
Review: The best book iv'e read yet. It felt like I was actuley there

Rating:
Summary: riveting book, big question unanswered
Review: Into Thin Air is a riveting and harrowing account of the 1996 Everest disaster; Jon Krakauer's honest, self-critical evaluation of his own and others' role in both the heroic efforts and fatal blunders made on the near-30,000 foot peak rings true throughout. The book's weakness is the dismissal of Rob Hall's disastrous decision to postpone his original 2 O'clock abort time for the summitting repeatedly as inexplicable. Further in-depth reportage by exploring Hall's personality and personal history in more detail could have been useful; as Krakauer admits, Hall's decision not to turn the climbers back may have cost those who died on Everest from his party their lives, and thus deserves much closer scrutiny. Krakauer's understandable personal aversion to offending any of Hall's family or friends any further than he might have likely was the reason for this. Still, the book is an affecting and literate account of the tragedy.

Rating:
Summary: Carpe diem
Review: "All you touch and all you see Is all your life will ever be." We each choose our path to follow, and must accept the consequences of the crossroads. An unending search--for meaning, for purpose, for reason--still eventually, inevitably, winds its way to our death. The answers might be found on a mountain or an ocean, in a book or a song. They may never be found. But they were in the heart and soul of the questioner all along. He has only to listen.

Rating:
Summary: You can feel the cold
Review: What an amazing true life story. The first 100 pages makes you want to run out and start climbing Everest. By the time your done, your never want to see the Mt.