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Summary: He's like Shakespeare for me
Review: Like Shakespeare, who portrays the historic, tragic, and comic in human life, Jon Krakauer has an expansive understanding of human nature which he unfolds in his essays reflecting upon mountaineering. The concrete and gripping details of his essays tell us more about the people who climb than about climbing, and yet, as various and comprehensive as these essays are, the core reason why a person would pursue such a passion remains a mystery. Detailed exploration, restless curiosity, scintillating use of language, deft sense of drama -- hmm -- an American bard has appeared in the world of non-fiction.
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Summary: Freaking great book.
Review: Nobody writes a story better than Jon Krakauer. Even if you know nothing of the subject of mountaineering, you'll quickly find yourself engulfed in a world so terrifying and familiar, you'll feel you are in a large screen theater with surround sound. The first of three freaking masterpieces by Jon.
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Summary: Great writing, gripping stories
Review: One of the most memorable was his personal story of climbing a remote peak in Alaska solo... at around 20 years old, he just left his construction job and set out for Alaska because it seemed like doing the climb would straighten out his life -- hair raising misadventures result, and his commentary (from age 35 or whatever) on his youthful idealism is pretty funny and real
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Summary: Read anything that this guy writes!
Review: These books are about life, not about climbing or moutaineering. I have read three books by Krakauer and am looking forward to more!
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Summary: Very Good
Review: This book had a good variety of mountain climbing stories. Some I thought were way better than others. It's the perfect book for the mountain climber in the family.
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Summary: It's a GREAT book for those of us who like mountains!
Review: This book tells you about Mt. Everest, ice climbing, rock climbing and a couple more mountains. If you thought "Into Thin Air" was a good book, you'll LOVE "Eiger Dreams". Burke McDevitt - 5th Grade
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Summary: Krakauer shines again!
Review: This book was an action packed series of vinettes about some of the world's most remote places and the people who go there for fun. Krakauer included light hearted stories about the Burgess Brothers, and less light hearted stories, such as 1986, when there were so many fatalities on K2 thanks to Messner's new climbing techiques. My favorite was the last article, "Devil's Thumb." It talked about Krakauer's own struggles with the mountains, climbing and braving the cold. A wicked good book.
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Summary: Exposure
Review: This is an engaging, brilliantly-written set of stories, not about just the experiences, but about the mindsets of climbers. Did I say enganging? I should have said spellbinding. The book could have been titled "Exposure." Every one of the climbers, including the author, and including many who die, is given a history and reference-frame from which you may evaluate the sanity of their thirst for the climbing elixor. Krakauer gives you the full story. This is great reading; you will not be bored!
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Summary: Exposure
Review: This is an engaging, brilliantly-written set of stories, not about just the experiences, but about the mindsets of climbers. Did I say enganging? I should have said spellbinding. The book could have been titled "Exposure." Every one of the climbers, including the author, and including many who die, is given a history and reference-frame from which you may evaluate the sanity of their thirst for the climbing elixor. Krakauer gives you the full story. This is great reading; you will not be bored!
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Summary: fascinating short articles about mountaineering
Review: This is my favorite of all the books I've read by Jon Krakauer; maybe because he's not trying to prove anything. It's a selection of short, non-fiction, stories about different aspects of mountaineering and the types of people that do it. Krakauer is very, very good at writing. He's funny and entrancing. This book is more about people than about mountaineering. Read it even if you're not into the sport, or if you're put off by macho posturing. It's not like that at all.The articles in the book include a description of ice-climbing; a horrifying account of a particularly murderous year on K2; various profiles of particularly interesting mountaineers; a very funny description of what to do if trapped for days in a tent in a storm; a history of glacier flying; and some of the author's personal climbing experiences, including some awkward cross-cultural encounters with French climbers.
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