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Summary: "LEFT FOR DEAD"...THE READER THAT IS...
Review: Of all the books telling the tales of the 1996 Everest debacle, I had hoped this would be an admirable entry. WRONG!. Not only is Beck Weather lucky to be alive, he is lucky to be published...what a tragedy in the publishing world. We now learn why Beck has a miserable life, he didn't care for his family and still doesn't, except to fill in some gaps in this drivel called a book to help him fill the pages he could not. Sympathy aside for his near death, Weathers proves over and over he should have stuck to golf or reading, not the mountains. He is what is WRONG with climbing wannabees...he hasn't a clue about safety, common sense or mountain lore. He cares more to drink bourbon at the end of the day than safety. He takes brand new out of the box boots to Everest rather than broken-in ones and proceeds to as Krakauer says, "chew his feet into hamburger." He climbs Denali before he even knows what the climbing equipment is called.Weathers is an idiot and can't write to save his life, which is a mystery why he lived to begin with...he climbed against all logic and wanted only tales to tell his drinking buddies. Save your money...and time, this book is "Better Off Dead."
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Summary: MAYBE HIS WRITING CAREER SHOULD BE LEFT FOR DEAD
Review: Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who states "To be perfectly honest with you ..."? Don't you want to ask, "Have you been untruthful up to this point?"Beck Weathers gives you that impression everytime he tries to sound humble during his climb or during his relationship with his family. I had just finished another nonfiction book by a new author (Conover) and found it most interesting to go "inside" a prison through the eyes of a guard (not correctional officer - they don't correct anything). So I wanted to read this actual account of the horror of being part of the deadliest day for climbers on Mount Everest. The first few chapters kind of gave you the flavor of the terror and pending doom all of the climbers must have felt that day; however, Beck skips over the death of others as if it were like putting out the trash. The rest of the book is a self-serving look at how he abused his family and why we should feel sorry for him.Every now and then he does throw in some climbing tales but his self-importance clouds any attempt at story line or drama. For example, in one climb he describes how this group passed several people who died and were frozen. Oh well, he and his party (lead by a neo-nazi) kept on going placin more importance on the Jack Daniels he had to dispose of halfway up the mountain.Frankly, this guy sounds like someone who got alot of attention and somehow thinks he's a national hero. My God his wife, kids, the helicopter pilot are the real heros. Beck is just a self-centered bore. You know, I and a lot of other people have disabilities. Getting on with your life doesn't make you a hero... It just means you chose life over death. Group up Beck. Too bad. I was so looking forward to feeling the horror of true helplessness at the hands of nature. All I got - All you will get if you bother to read this - is Jerry Springer.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Climbing
Review: Porly orgainzed and scattered. About half way through I strted skipping over the family stuff. I got for the climbing story - don't buy - borrow and skim for the climbing (still weak, but it does give antoehr view of may 96 on Everest).
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Summary: The latest weigh-in from 1996 on Everest
Review: Since so many others have gotten their 15 minutes of fame from this tragedy, and probably a lot of money as well, it is about time the most celebrated survivor weighed in with his two cents. His survival and recovery are indeed remarkable, but it is almost hard to care, because there is little about Beck that is likable. Some people can confess that they have behaved horribly and you then find them to be more likable; not so here. He sounds more self-serving with every "confession" of weakness, inexperience, and insensitivity to others. At times he almost seems to be bragging about how badly he treated his family, and how dumb his risky behavior was. I agree with other readers/climbers: there is little new material here about the climb. There are many more authoritative and well-written books about Everest, the tragedy, and climbing. This book is a patchwork of oral history from people who weren't on the mountain. What Beck can remember of the experience is summed up in a few paragraphs. What I cannot understand is why this dilletante thinks that (a) he had a right to be rescued by professionals, who would risk their lives to do so, and (b) why he so relentlessly slams those who were not willing to risk their own lives to save his. For instance, he rips Anatoli to shreds because he was not trapped in the storm with the others; instead he was back at Camp 4, making it possible for him to save three other lives. Had he been up on the summit, those three would have died. Also, Beck does not have a word of censure for the expedition leaders, who were responsible for decision making. And least of all, he sees nothing wrong with the fact that inexperienced amateurs like himself put others in danger. No one but Beck himself is responsible for his own mistakes and misjudgements, but those mistakes put others at risk. Mr. Weathers is quite selective about whose mistakes were forgivable and whose were not.
Rating: 
Summary: Insight and humor
Review: Like many people I was interested in another account of how events *really* transpired on the Everest in 1996. Those details are certainly included, and they add to the picture gained from reading "Into Thin Air" and "The Climb". Weather's book however, is about a lot more than that. His humor had me laughing out loud in spite of the obvious tragedy of his own grave injuries and the deaths of people he liked and respected, as well as the less obvious tragedy of his own personal shortcomings and their effects on people he loves. If you want gobs of technical climbing detail indeed you must look elsewhere. But for a good read and some insight into people who engage in "extreme" sport, curl up somewhere warm and read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Too much family
Review: The parts about climbing were very good. But just too much of his personal problems to be a 'climbing' book - might be good for those who want to know about the problems of depression/etc. Seem he, like many other who wrote about that tragedy, did a book for self healing. Which is OK. But it did help me better understand somthing's bout Everest in May of 96. I have read most of the other books about that tragedy. Any one of which puts a different slant on what happened - read 'em all.
Rating: 
Summary: a very human experience
Review: I enjoyed this book immensely. I have read all the books I can get my hands on about the 1996 Everest tragedy - enjoying mostly what I've read - but this book has been different. It has a more human appeal than the other books. We get the "behind the scenes" look at what it takes to go through something like Beck did. Beck takes us through the tragedy, the aftermath, and his life before. This is truly an amazing account from an amazing man who puts the whole tragedy into perspective. Thanks!
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Summary: Read the climbing parts, skim over the family squabbles
Review: Anyone who has read Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" should read this as well. I was curious to get a chance to hear Dr. Beck Weathers' side of the story, and he tells it in a straightforward way, not blaming anyone for the tragedy that left him with multiple amputations and several other people dead, when in fact there was plenty of blame to go around. What is off-putting are the included comments from Dr. Weathers' wife, who clearly does not understand him in the least and has consistently refused to share any of his interests (one fine example being her comment that she wouldn't go sailing with him because the boat wasn't air conditioned) and then complains that he has ignored his family. Well, it seems as if there is plenty of blame to go in both directions. Fortunately it's fairly easy to skim over the family dysfunction stuff and concentrate on the climbing. Dr. Weathers is a courageous, humorous man, and he seems to have survived his ordeal in better order than might have been expected. You'll finish the book wishing him well, as I do.
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Summary: everest re-examined
Review: This, next to into Thin Air, is the best book about the May '97 Everest Disaster. The book is full of insights, openly thoughtful opinions, and some clear factual author's conclusions heretofore not told. I loved the format, the synergy of the text, and the means by which Dr, Beck and his wife told their tale of the climb and the aftermath. His life and times are as about changed as is possible. His attitudes, and adjustments are remarkable. I LOVE THIS BOOK, and while moved by it, I felt changed myself. Congradulations.
Rating:
Summary: If a climber - not worth buying.
Review: I'm glad Beck survived, that is truly inspiring. I would probably go and listen to a lecture by him. However, don't buy this book if you expect interesting climbing stories. It's more about family dysfunction. In 10 minutes you can glean most of the climbing out of it. The rest of the story? Pull out 20 years of poorly written, overly long Christmas letters from eccentric 4th cousins - substitute names and you have this book.
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