Into Thin Air

<p><b>Jon Krakauer's <i>Into Thin Air</i> is the true story of a 24-hour period on Everest, when members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended in the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history.</b><br><br> In March 1996, <i>Outside </i>magazine sent veteran journalist and seasoned climber Jon Krakauer on an expedition led by celebrated Everest guide Rob Hall. Despite the expertise of Hall and the other leaders, by the end of summit day, eight people were dead. Krakauer's book is at once the story of the ill-fated adventure and an analysis of the factors leading up to its tragic end. Written within months of the events it chronicles, <i>Into Thin Air </i>clearly evokes the majestic Everest landscape. <br><br>As the journey up the mountain progresses, Krakauer puts it in cont