Rating: 
Summary: Read this book before you hike down!!
Review: I recently finished reading Death in the Grand Canyon. What an interesting and informative book! For some thirty years, I've made a yearly pilgrimage to the Grand Canyon. I've hiked most of the better-known North and South rim trails with a old Navy buddy who needs a Grand Canyon fix two to three times a year. We are not novices, but certainly not canyoneers. Still, I learned much from your book and certainly advice that someday may save our lives. We've always had a deep respect for the Canyon -- we hike in March, not the summer; carry enough food, water, clothing; take no stupid shortcuts or climbs, etc. So I've always been comfortable in the Canyon and I am still in awe every year of the spectacular views and majesty of the place. You said that if more folks who ventured into the Canyon better understood the place, deaths or accidents might be reduced. Well, your premise certainly worked for me. As I said, I'm no pro, but not an amateur hiker either. I've always known about the dangers of the Colorado river, the heat, loose rocks, rim drop offs, etc, but I've never
really thought about sudden flash floods while in the Canyon. Yes, I've seen the results of Havasu floods, but I've never connected that to other parts of the Grand Canyon. Because of your book, I'll now pay much more attention to our camp sites and the higher ground. I should also mention how much I enjoyed your epilogue. This piece really tied the whole book together; and yes, your conclusion runs so true. We've become a nation that is no longer comfortable shouldering individual responsibility. Now, almost always, it's someone else's fault! "The buck" no longer "stops here." Thanks for a great read, and information that will make our next hike much safer.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: I thought it was a myth that so many people had accidentally fallen into Grand Canyon! This book clearly and interestingly reports the stories of each such mishap. The authors are knowledgeable and take you, by category of the mode of death, through all the grisly tales. ...
Rating:
Summary: Deadly Natural Beauty
Review: I was at the Grand Canyon North Rim a few weeks ago. Looking for information at the visitor's office, I was cautioned that a hike into the canyon is extremely dangerous and difficult. This was made clear both in the literature and by the person behind the desk. I was skeptical - I mean how tough can hiking be - and wondered if these cautions were dramatic. The night before I was to hike down, I wandered into the gift shop and flipped through this book. Before I could say "help!" I was laying down bucks to take it back to my cabin for a nightly reading experience which ran from incredulity to horror to fear for my own safety. Because of this book, I cautioned my hiking buddy not to wander off the trail, not to pretend to be falling and to avoid the temptation to urinate over the edge of a cliff (sorry ladies, it's a guy thing, and it's gotten a number of us killed). He later admitted that he was, in fact, tempted to do all these things which proves how naturally we invite accidents. Needlesstosay, after hearing about the intense heat and cases of dehydration we packed lots more water. Despite the heat headaches and blisters at the end of the day, it was a fantastic hike that ended with an awesome respect for nature. This book breaks through the assumption that a national park can be visited with the same indifference to safety as an amusement or theme park. It is written in a surprising straight-forward manner with direct comments on safety. There are discussions about how some deaths could have been avoided, as well as intelligent and professional assessments regarding events surrounding obscure or unwitnessed accidents. Accidents of all manner are organized and discussed: on the rim of the Grand Canyon (picture-taking on the rim can become a nearly fatal activity!), by environmental conditions, by flash floods, on the Colorado river, by aviation, suicide and freak accidents. Each chapter is followed by a list of victims and brief circumstances surrounding their deaths. There's a lot of history here and several tales of prospectors and frontier adventurers. Some of the stories of more recent accidents are deeply disturbing and demonstrate how much people have suffered. This book serves not only as chronicle of deaths in the Grand Canyon but also as a guide to those who visit and appreciate the enormous power of the place.
Rating: 
Summary: Required reading!!
Review: If you're contemplating a trip of any kind into Grand Canyon, this should be high on the list of research materials. If you're beyond contemplation and you're assembling your gear, this should be on TOP of your list to read before you go. It's a quick read and efficiently provides the reader with everything from "entertainment" in the style, to data and statistics that help even the experienced canyon trekker stay real and more importantly, safe.
We're not only given reminders of what we should and shouldn't do, but vivid examples of the "why" so many people seem to need. It also serves as a reminder that, as always, sh-- happens!! No matter how well planned and prepared some are, there are some things that go beyond our control, as illustrated in the text.
This one has a home in my "Canyon Library" as it will be read more than once.
Happy Trails!!
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for all Canyon Visitors
Review: In January 2004, we hiked down the S. Kaibab trail to Phantom Ranch and up the Bright Angel Trail three days later. I heard of this book while at Phantom Ranch, but didn't read it until I got back. I had a lot of respect for the Canyon and NPS personnel before and while hiking, but reading this book trippled it. It is gruesomely interesting reading the details of the sad and sometimes extremely stupid ways people have lost their lives at the Canyon. It gave me more respect for the dangers of Nature, and made me think about some of the not-too-smart things I did while hiking which could have landed me in a future edition of the book. I definitely recommend this book to all who are going to the Canyon or have previously hiked it before.
Rating:
Summary: Please Stand Behind The Guard Rail, Sir.
Review: Just when you thought it was really safe to go out into the wilderness....just when you were thinking that technology is everywhere and you'll be safe, well, read this book. What an eye opener! How many of us have done some of the dangerous activities described here? Dangling feet over infinity, walking around in the canyon without enough water, swimming in the Colorado..we all survived. This is a book about the tiny fraction of thrill seekers who don't,that is the unlucky or the stupid.
I must admit I was stunned to find out that the mules are the safest form of transportation. I've heard lots of close calls about them...
The chapter on flash floods is rivetting. You can't protect yourself, a very bad situation,very unlucky to get caught by one.
The author's storytelling abilities are excellent. I mean how many ways can you say that circumstances were bad and the person died. But that is exactly the story these guys tell about 100 times. All very interesting and informative,as well as respectfull of each individual's demise.
Where the book really lags is in the picture department. There is only 1 picture and 1 map in the whole book. Personally, I would have like to see some of places that people fall into the abyss or sites where planes crash or a picture of Crystal Rapids.It's difficult to keep track of where all the action is happening without something visual.
For me the prevailing theme of the book is that everyone thinks the Grand Canyon is a natural theme park. No one gets hurt even if they act dumb. It's all been thoroughly checked out and santitized. The authors show this is not the case. Technology and modern safety techniques make the park incredibly safe for all ages but once in awhile Mother Nature shows who's really in charge here. I think I'll stay behind the guardrail next time I go.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping! Fascinating!
Review: Like thousands of tourists before me, I recently stood on the Southern Rim of the Grand Canyon, nothing between me and a 3700 ft straight-drop free-fall, and asked our tour guide, "Has anyone ever fallen in there before?" I was afraid he would think I was morbid, and perhaps even call security. Instead, he said he had been asked this question by hundreds of tourists, just like me, standing mere inches from the edge of the world's most impressive canyon. As we left the canyon that day, he suggested we stop by the Visitors' Center and buy "Over The Edge". Over The Edge is a fascinating, gripping, and straight-forward account of every known death to have occured in the Grand Canyon, be it from suicide, murder, freak accidents, or boating trips gone wrong. Many of the factual details, and background histories that lead up to the actual moment of death, read like a cross between a police docket, and a John Grisham novel. The occasional sardonic humor in Over The Edge is an added plus. Do yourself a big favor! Read Over The Edge!
Rating:
Summary: I loved it... just as I love the Canyon
Review: My wife and I have backpacked below the rim of the Canyon the last several years and have been to many of the places mentioned in this book, which is an excellent read. We have seen some of the very things mentioned in the book.... "tourons" stepping back on the upper reaches of the Bright Angel Trail to get a good snapshot of a big horn sheep, not realzing they are literally just a *few inches* from a drop of 2-400 feet. The Canyon is magnificent... seeing it from the Rim has been known to make grown men get down on their knees and cry, overwhelmed with awe at its beauty. Seeing it from below the rim on the corridor trails is 100 times better than from the rim... and from off the corridor trails, in the true backcountry, 100 times better than that! Be prepared, well trained... and hike safe and smart. This book can help you know what to be ready for.
Rating:
Summary: For Grand Canyon Aficionados
Review: The authors have done a great job of presenting stories and statistics about all the deaths that have occurred in the Grand Canyon in a very readable manner. The book is interspersed with tidbit of history that make the reading more interesting. By reading the stories the reader can get an idea of some of the hiking and rafting errors that can lead to a fatality. I highly recommend the book to all present and future Grand Canyon aficionados.
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for any visitor to Grand Canyon
Review: The authors of this book give you an honest look at the danger that exists in Grand Canyon. I found this book easy to read. There were enough details provided to give you a clear picture of the events that were unfolding. The book is broken into chapters that each deal with a different type of danger that visitors face. I could not believe the amount of people who fail to prepare for hikes into the canyon by having enough water!Every National Park visitor should be required to read this book so that the avoidable mistakes that are so common can be avoided. I was amazed to learn that so many people die in Grand Canyon because they do not take the proper precautions. This book kept me interested until the last page. The authors provide useful tables on fatalies at the end of each chapter.
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