INTO THIN AIR

''Nothing has ever moved me more than this book did. I had nightmares after reading the book. This would be my best read ever. ''

I had been plagued by heat in the Cwm every time I'd traveled through it, and this trip was no exception. Climbing with Andy Harris at the front of the group, I continually stuffed snow under my hat and moved as fast as my legs and lungs would propel me, hoping to reach the shade of the tents before succumbing to the solar radiation. As the morning dragged on and the sun beat down, my head began to pound. My tongue swelled so much that it was difficult to breathe through my mouth, and I noticed that it was becoming harder and harder to think clearly.




Until a week ago, I had not even heard of this 'New York Times Bestseller', 'Times Book of the Year (1997)' and what not. I'm not a reading addict, but growing up in a culture advocating books and all, I have inherited some good habits too. Although, I don't have an entire database of publications at my fingertips, I'm atleast quite familiar with some nice titles out there on stands since recent few years. This book was an exception, however. What actually propelled me to buy this book was the apparent contradiction of my belief that Non fiction texts cannot appeal to patrons expecting adrenaline outbursts. For me, non-fiction was always about emotional encounters, revival stories, biographies, events and era documentation and in recent times, host of self-improvement and assessment guides. Putting it simply, for me it was nothing but boring and serious compilations targeting intellectuals in particular. So I kept a distance from these works and happily confined myself within fiction enclosures. Consequently, an adventurous bestseller based upon non-fiction content, came as a surprise to me. Eventually, it was the realization of the non-fictitious character of the book at every moment of the read, that made the story so enthralling.

Jon Krakauer, a full time writer and author of many non-fiction adventure bestsellers, was approached by the editors of the Outside magazine to climb up the Everest accompanying a commercial expedition. In mid ' 90s, it was realized among many that it was high time to throw some light on commercialization of Everest story. So Krakauer, set off to conquer the peak of the world in a trek led by Rob Hall, an elite in the mountaineering world. On May 10 1996, he reached the summit of Mount Everest alongwith a number of clients from different expeditions in a painstaking and enduring journey. At this point, a bank of clouds was taking shape on not so far horizon, an indication of the storm that was about to follow. In next few hours, this storm engulfed within it, lives of as many as 12 people, making 1996 as the deadliest year in history of mountain climbing.





Jon Krakauer, takes you step by step to the summit of the world in disclosure of his horrifying and chilling annals. He recounts all the pains he and the members of his team went through and the efforts of the Sherpa community in escorting these inexperienced climbers to the top. It's not just the rampancy up there at the altitudes, but the emotional drama that unfolds as a fallout which demands a skilled writer to jot down the turmoils as authentically as they happen. And they got Jon Krakauer, the right man in wrong place.This book is so well written that you can feel the horrors of breathlessness at 28000 feet, cold that lingers 150 degrees below zero and the quest for survival in the most harsh conditions nature has set-up. He narrates the story in most compelling and honest way. His survival guilt becomes evident at many instants. He passes over his own hardships and applauds the heroism of those who risked their lives to save the stranded members of the climbing parties. Ending the book openly, he leaves the readers to ponder over many questions, still left unanswered.


This is one of my best books ever. This book had a similar effect on me as Titanic had on my tender mind years ago. Well, I won't say more. If you are looking for some heart-pounding and thrilling read, stop your search here. I highly recommend this book.