Title of the Book: Into Thin Air
Author: Jon Krakauer
# of Pages: 416
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆ (4)
Review:

 

 

            From mind altering oxygen depletion and frostbitten limbs to monstrous climbs topping 20,000 feet, author and climber Jon Krakaur experienced it all.

Jon Krakauer reached the summit of Mt. Everest in the early afternoon of May 10, 1996, after a defeating sleepless climb he turned to begin the decent, what was to come he couldn’t have imagined. The decent was 29,028 feet and clouds began filling the sky and a massive deadly storm was building. Six hours later due to terrible conditions, experienced climber Krakauer learned the storm took multiple lives. The account of this thrilling yet terrifying story is told by Krakauer himself, looking back and accounting the awful event. Along with the story, Krakauer tells of the many lessons he learned along the way.

In the book, he examines what it is about Everest that pulls so many in even though their lives may be at risk. There are so many obstacles both he and his group have to undergo to make a successful trip which provided him with many learning lessons which he tells in an emotional reflective manor. He explains how meaningful it can be to rely on teamwork and other people, especially when it comes to life and death situations.

On “the roof of the world” Kraukauer’s unique first hand witness of these events along with his reporting like style of writing makes this book different than other stories. Reporting his experience as if it were a news story, Krakauer includes many death defying stories as well as a look into the ins and outs of Everest, such as the commercialism that has taken over. His tone, although straightforward, was somewhat emotional looking back at everything he endured on the mountain.  His unique insight sheds light onto themes the reader would not have known unless they were on the summit of Everest alongside him.

Overall, this book was an awestriking account of real life situations most people will never have to face, which was extremely interesting to me. I do not usually read non-fiction but this book almost acted as a fiction book with how many amazing stories there were. Even though a climb on the world’s tallest mountain is not relatable to many, Kraukauer still manages to make the themes and meaning relatable to the reader, drawing me in throughout the book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the tragedy of 1996 on Everest or anyone simply looking for an intriguing read.