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Into Thin Air
Jon Krakauer Book Review

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Plot Summary of Into Thin Air
"Jon Krakauer, an experienced climber and outdoor journalist, was sent to climb Mt. Everest in Nepal in the spring of 1996.   Late at night on the evening of May 9, 1996, after weeks of grueling climbing, acclimatization to low oxygen at high altitudes, illness, blinding snow, bitter cold, and hurricane force winds, the clients of several climbing organizations from the US, New Zealand, South Africa, and Taiwan reached an altitude of 26,000 feet before making the final ascent to the peak.

Krakauer and his companions led by professional climbing guides and experienced Sherpas left camp at midnight on May 10th on what developed into a perfect morning for reaching the summit. By 4:00 pm, two full hours beyond the discussed but not enforced mandatory turn around time, the weather conditions change rapidly from tranquil to blizzard in a matter of minutes. Winds are blowing with gale-force strength and as night falls the temperature with wind chill is more than 100 degrees below zero. With no shelter and a shortage of oxygen canisters, 30 individuals are exposed and freezing above 26,000 feet on the barren, icy slopes of Everest. Krakauer loses several climbing partners and climbers from other groups, and two experienced expedition-leading guides."

David Fletcher, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Into Thin Air
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Exploring/Searching... - tall mountains
Outdoors story Yes
Exploring: - surviving in outdoors
Period of greatest activity? - 1950+

Subject of Biography
Gender - Male
Profession/status: - journalist
Age: - 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Ethnicity - White
Nationality - American (!)
How sensitive is this person? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other people
Physique - very athletic

Setting
How much descriptions of surroundings? - 10 ()
Mountains/Cliffs Yes
Mountains: - falling off - sherpas - climbing with ropes
Century: - 1980's-Present

Style
Person - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - explicit references to deaths
Book makes you feel? - depressed
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references
Lot of foul language? Yes
Commentary on society? Yes
Commentary on - decency - selfishness - capitalism - dying
Writer's slant towards subject: - somewhat unfavorable
Story of entire life, or part? - story of set of events during life
Autobiography? Yes
Pictures/Illustrations? - A ton 16-20 B&W
How much dialogue in bio? - significantly more descript than dialog
Most similar books to Into Thin Air
Tenzing Norgay and the Sherpas by Tashi Tenzing and Judy Tenzing
In Beauty May She Walk; Hiking the Appalachian Trail at 60 by Leslie Mass
Eiger Dreams by Jon Krakauer
On The Beaten Path: An Appalachian Pilgrimage by Robert Alden Rubin
Touching the Void by Joe Simpson


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Jon Krakauer Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
David Fletcher  

SCHOLARS:
Jack Goodstein  


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