The author, a journalist, looks past the beauty and personal triumph stories that proliferate book shelves and the internet. Through his personal observation and in depth research and interviews, he exposes some harsh realities around Mount Everest expeditions. I was so appalled to read about people stealing essential supplies - like food and oxygen. Mr. kodas did an excellent job adding to the long list of reasons why i will never go to Everest.

That said, my 3 star rating reflects the choppiness of the presentation. The story is told from too many perspectives across time and location. . ( )

Read earlier this month. Interesting and appalling - there are many, many climbers who have no business whatsoever being on Everest. This inspired me to pick up Jon Krakauer's "Into Thin Air," a wrenching read. ( )

Ok. This book settles it for me. I am officially not going to climb Mount Everest. Not if someone is going to steal my food and gear while I'm trying to summit or sell me faulty oxygen canisters or threaten to abandon me if I don't pay more money. This book was an eye-opening look at the Wild West- style of atmosphere that is Everest climbing these days. Like many, I read Into Thin Air some years ago and was fascinated by the whole business how people end up at the top of the world's highest peak. The conditions are so extreme that the balance between helping others and keeping yourself alive (or achieving the summit experience you paid $60,000 for) makes for dramatic decisions. The concept that those who show up less-prepared or less-conditioned present a danger to others around them had not occurred to me and put a new twist on how those decisions are made. Of course, extreme adventures can also attract extreme personalities.

This book was fascinating but not the easiest to read. It tells the stories of two climbing groups approaching Everest from two sides of the mountain at the same time. It also bounces back and forth in time, which makes it more difficult to keep things sorted out. I'm glad I persevered and this will probably find more Everest books to read. ( )

I had no idea how much corruption goes on around human's obsession with reaching this highest peak! ( )

I had no idea how much corruption goes on around human's obsession with reaching this highest peak! ( )