Rating: 
Summary: I give it a 7 out of 10.
Review: I knew most of the story before reading the book. I learned little that was new to me. We are just in the post-Titanic months, and we are thirsting for life-death adventure. We enjoy reading about people who see the face of death and tremble. It is definitely a catharsis for the author. It is his cleansing.
Rating:
Summary: Thoughtful, emotional account of Everest disaster
Review: The title of this book captures a key theme of this eye-witness account of the 1996 Everest disaster that killed a dozen climbers. The desperate need for air, the danger of remaining in the Death Zone above 25,000 feet, pervade this narrative. Krakauer's telling of the after-effects of the disaster on the "survivors" is bound to strike a chord in anyone who has suffered a disaster. I came away from this mountain with a greater respect for and fear of Mount Everest.
Rating:
Summary: I Needed A Scorecard
Review: Into Thin Air put me on Everest for 2 weeks and had me living vicariously through the harrowing lives of Jon Krakauer, et al. While it was a very compelling story impossible to put down, filled with raw danger at every turn, it was not without its flaws as I look back. For instance, if he was so out of it half the time above 26,000 ft., how could Mr. Krakauer's memory serve him so well with such vivid detail? Also, while I'm sure it must have been necessary to the story to a degree, I just could not keep track of the constant parade of new characters being introduced--all the way to the last page! Most of these he would go from a first name to a last name basis with no warning. I needed a scorecard to follow who was dying, freezing, suffering from PACE or just throwing up. Page after page of misery in this book ensures the reader to thank their maker for what they have. Perhaps that was the story's most satisfying quality.
Rating: 
Summary: A breathtaking account of how far people can push themselves
Review: In his gripping account of an unavoidable disaster on the worlds tallest peak, Krakauer hauntingly goes back to the mountain in words and pictures. Written with such sensitivity and detail, I felt as if I ascended the mountain with the ill fated expedition. Krakauer reflects on why people push themselves so hard in the quest for a summit and how common sense goes out the window at high altitude. A must read for anyone who watches the documentaries and wonders, "what is Everest really like?"
Rating:
Summary: An absorbing tale that pushes you to the top of everest.
Review: More then a climbing book, it pulled me into what this tradgey was really like. Although not a perfect book, I could not put it down and was shaken by the events and the exellent prose. It is not an easy task to write a book in which everyone knows the outcome, but Krakauer did a wonderfull job of bringing the tale together. After reading it, I saw the IMAX "Everest" film and the book put the film in a different light (reccommended also!) I have also read "Into the Wild" and found that book very thought provoking and well worth the read.
Rating:
Summary: a must read !
Review: The subject didn' t interest me until I read the book. Now I' m hooked on mountaineering stories. I can't get enough. But most surprising of all is that Krakauer is an excellent writer and now I want to read all of the books and stories he has written. His caring, passion, and skill show through his writing and I felt truly involved in this tragedy.
Rating:
Summary: More money and ego than sense!
Review: Well written (albeit one-sided)account of the tragic disaster on Mt Everest. Need to read "Climb" by the Russian guide Boukreev (sp) for another perspective. My overall impression is that Beck Weathers was saved by the grace of God for a definite reason.
Rating:
Summary: BREATHTAKING, and SPECTACULAR!!!
Review: It is a very interesting book, once I started to read it, I could hardly put it down. The book was very well written and very detailed. I plan on reading more novels on Mt Everest. A 100 degrees below zero? I can't imagine!
Rating: 
Summary: I real pitiful statement on how self centered people are.
Review: This was a very disappointing read. I have absolutely no sympathy for the author Mr. Krakauer. Any angst or guilt he lives with for the rest of his life is insufficient for his lack of actions. This is definetly a 90's book about what it like to be so into oneself that there's no time to think of others including those on the climb as well as family memebers left behind. This was a climb about fame at all cost becuase of the perceived bounty that would be recieved. This book hits the nail right on the head showing the two motivating factors behind money. They are greed and fear. In this book greed untimately won, even though fear might have saved lives. They had absolutely no chance of working or functioning as a team. To do this you must be able to put someone's else's interest before your own. It is a story about "I" and "me" and how distructive self centered behavior can be. I'm sorry I wasted my time reading a book about so many people who went all out for themselves. There are many other adventure stories worthy of reading before this one.
Rating:
Summary: What drives people's ambitions and the price to be paid.
Review: This is not a book about "normal" people. It is a book about driven people. I was most impressed by the focus the author made to the individual participants in the context of the actual events. It provides normal people with an explanation of why some people are willing to risk their lives in persuit of goal. It also shows us that these people value the success of others in reaching that same goal. I have met a couple of successful Everest climbers in business situations and they are definitely leaders not followers. Although Everest and other challenges like it will continue to take their toll, the line of driven people waiting to test themselves will not diminish.I have experienced high altitude situations in my life and can identify with much of the physical sensations described in the book. I have not seen the IMAX movie being filmed during the time of the books actual events; however, I think I would have enjoyed the book even better had I seen it first. Although I understand the movie is mostly void of the ugly side of the Everest experience explained in the book such as trash piles and frozen human remains, the book has a hard time describing the magnatude and majesty of the experience. I thank the author for providing a description of the good, the bad and the ugly side of the Everest experience.
|
