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

Rating:
Summary: An extremely gripping account of a horrible experience.
Review: As I started to read this book, I entertained the brief silly notion that it would be really neat to stand on the top of Everest (perhaps after they build the escalator). After all, I've hiked to the top of a 6,500 foot peak and known the little fit of exhileration that you get looking down in every direction upon everything, even as you gasp for breath. I now know that this book is as close as I'll ever need get to Mount Everest, because I feel like I've already been there, and it was pure torture. The author did an excellent job of describing every miserable element in a way that allowed you to imagine being there, all before, during, and after the famous tragedies occurred. He stirred plenty of controversy by presenting questions about others' actions throughout the book, but that doesn't at all detract from the amazing sensation that you are there. So, still feel like willingly punishing your own body to drive it onto a exhausted, freezing, oxygen-deprived, desolate frozen peak in the middle of nowhere? This book should be required reading for anybody who has ever wondered what it would be like.

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Summary: Very disappointed and bored by this story
Review: I found it VERY difficult to follow at times. I kept waiting for the pages to grab me right through the end. I expected more thrills and heart pounding excitment and instead got extremely in depth details that were totally unnecessary about climbing tools. If you are an avid climber then read away - if not, take a course and then try to relate. Krakauer relates this to a small percentage of people who are climbing enthusiasts rather than to everyone.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't need a book mark
Review: One way to judge a book is by how much you get absorbed by it. By that measure this is a 5-star work. Like others, I read it in one shot -- on a plane going across the country. I couldn't look up! Also, my opinion on what mountaineering is and what drives those striving for the summit has changed so very much. There was uneven detail in describing what they actually do climbing the mountain -- so some areas remain fuzzy for me.

Rating:
Summary: it surprised me
Review: I expected an account of what happened on the mountain, but didn't expect to feel the cold. The author's description of what it's like to struggle up the side of a mountain, what the cold feels like, what it looks like, and what a lack of sleep and oxygen do to you - all make for interesting reading. That would have been enough. But wrap these details around the human tragedy experienced, and you've got one great book.

Rating:
Summary: A little boring, but beyond worth reading it
Review: Into Thin Air was extraordianry. In the middle it was a little boring, but just think about why his tells that information. I couldn't put the book down. Just have to stick with it. Please don't quit in the middle. Put your mind at rest, and be thankful you are warm.

Rating:
Summary: Exciting and interesting story of very selfish people.
Review: The book was written with vivid description. The topic was quite interesting. The story flow was ok. The craziness of people to climb this mountain and the selfishness in many people's minds to get to the top at all costs was eye opening. The thrill of "something" felt like it was missing. I do feel the account was told to the best of one's recollection, but I just didn't feel the tragedy was represented as horrifically as it probably was experienced.

Rating:
Summary: A haunting tale that I wasn't able to put down
Review: I bought "Into Thin Air" last year with a gift certificate (that I received for Christmas). Unfortunately, i never got around to reading it until now (although I did begin it a couple of times). I saw the IMAX film "Everest" two days ago and as soon as I got home I went up to my room and began it. I was haunted by the people that perished on Everest. The currrent weather conditions where I live made the story more real and showed me how awful it must have been (however, the pain is something I can't imagine and hope I never am confronted with). This past summer I climbed Mt.Olympus with a group of 40 others and know how tiring it can be (don't get me wrong i realize that this could never compare to the conditions(ie. cold)). When Krakauer described how awe struck he was I could relate. I finished this book faster than any book of substance I've read in the past year. I look forward to finishing "Into The Wild". However, I don't think he can top "Into Thin Air". Afterall it's much easier to make a book real to the reader when you, yourself, were present during the describe events. When I was out today shoveling snow and ice I thought twice before complaining about being cold.

Rating:
Summary: This is a very good, but not great, book.
Review: Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer was a very exciting and enjoyable read. I was able to feel the tension and the pain that he was trying to convey. It was also very educational, as I don't really know that much about mountin climbing. I am now more interested, and I plan to read other climbing and Everest books. The book's major flaw, that which prevents it from being a 5 star book, is the way that Krakauer lightly discusses drug use by some of the people discribed in the book. That whole topic was handled irresponsibly. Putting that aside, this is a fine book.

Rating:
Summary: A breathtakingly emotional account of the 96' Everest climb
Review: Jon Krakauer brings the reader from base camp all the way to the summit in this lucid and wrenching account of the 96' expedition that ended in tragedy. I was absolutely absorbed from page one. One can only imagine the perils and heartbreaking heroism that took place on that fateful trip. A must read for us climbers as well as anyone looking to lose themselves in a great book. My hat goes off to Jon for an informative as well as gut-wrenching experience brought to life. I know I personally plan on a summit assault within the next 18 months and this book was the final impetus for that decision. Thank you Mr. Krakauer.

Rating:
Summary: Though I knew the outcome, I couldn't put this book down!
Review: If this book were fiction, you could call it a thriller. Since it actually happened, harrowing may be a better word. I have no particular interest in mountaineering, but found this book fascinating. Warning: you may not be able to sleep well after finishing the book.