Into Thin Air

Rating:
Summary: Good but not best
Review: Jon Krakauer has written a great book, which I beleive everyone interested should read. But if you want to get more of a full story on what happened over the tragedy you should read THE CLIMB by Anatoli Boukreev.

Rating:
Summary: Thrilling and terrifying adventure
Review: My husband and I read this book together after seeing the IMAX movie "Everest." It's a harrowing account of the mishaps and mistakes that led to a tragedy on Mt. Everest. I find Krakauer a little arrogant about his role in the incident, but I still give it 5 stars for true-story excitement. Also good as a book-on-tape.

Rating:
Summary: A great book!
Review: This is an excellent book. My boyfriend made me read it a few years ago when I was in high school and now I am dying to read it again! I am not even remotley interested in mountain climbing--but this book was so well written and incredibly interesting it didn't matter! You must read this book. Also check out Krakaur's book Into the Wild. It is also good!

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't stop reading it...
Review: This tale is Jon Krakauer's personal account of his attempt to summit Mt. Everest. Rob Hall is the leader, a guide with impeccable credentials who is also a man of caution...yet a daring individual, as anyone would have to be to climb Everest (especially time and time again). Rob leads the team up the mountain, and everything is going fairly well until that fateful day where everything seemingly went wrong. It's almost hard to read this book knowing there's a tragedy coming, but I couldn't put it down to find some heroism also involved in this story...the will to survive is amazing, and it is demonstrated clearly in this book. I highly recommend this book.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing true story of an adventure gone horribly wrong
Review: This was a riveting book that I could not put down. I have never understood what was going through the minds of people who attempt Everest; I always felt they were crazy. After reading this book, I still feel like they're crazy, but the book does make you understand the various motivating factors that drive someone to climb Everest. Some do it for recognition, and others due it because they are thrill-seekers. Still others do it simply to see how much they can accomplish. Whatever the motivation, anyone with enough money can climb Everest. Krakauer looks at this fact with a critical eye. Many of the people who attempted Everest in the spring of 1996 were not seasoned mountain climbers, and those who were didn't exercise very good judgment. What resulted was the tragic death of a record number of people; spring 1996 saw the highest numbers of fatalities in any season on Everest. Krakauer, a journalist by profession, sketches the characters of everyone on the mountain so well that we feel we know them. Photographs of several of the mountain climbers drive that feeling home. When the end reveals what happens to many of these people, we are saddened. The drive to get to the summit simply overcomes the best judgment of the climbers and guides alike, and many on the mountain are caught in a snowstorm. There are several amazing stories about who gets out and who doesn't, and you will be on the edge of your seat. An incredible book for anyone who likes adventure stories.