Summary of Into Thin Air

Into Thin Air is a 1997 non-fiction book written by American journalist and mountaineer Jon Krakauer. It details the author's personal experience in the 1996 Mount Everest disaster, in which eight climbers were killed and several others were stranded by a severe storm. The book also explores the history of Everest mountaineering and the commercialization of guiding services on the mountain. The book details the events leading up to the disaster, including the decisions made by the expedition leaders, and examines the consequences of those decisions. It also looks at the factors that led to the tragedy, including the weather, the climbers' inexperience, and the overcrowding on the mountain. Through interviews and research, Krakauer re-creates the experience of those on the mountain during the storm, and his own struggles to survive. He delves into the motivations of the climbers, and looks at the ethics of guiding people up Everest. Ultimately, Krakauer finds that human error was largely to blame for the tragedy.