Member Reviews

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  • Rated 3 stars

  “If I could, I would rate this one "It was OK". The subject matter is interesting. It is sad, although not incredibly surprising, to hear about the dark side of high mountain adventuring, particularly on Everest. Kodas' writing style is, I think, a bit difficult and disjointed. There isn't a flow to it.”

  Aljan S wrote this review 2 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “Interesting book. But a little disjointed. I almost wish he had taken time to tell each person's story individually. At times I found it very difficult to keep track of all the players, what year it was, and sometimes, even which mountain they were on.
  
  But, it was very interesting to hear some of what was going on while the Everest show was being taped for Discovery.”

  Amy G wrote this review 3 weeks ago. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 2 stars

  “I've read a few books and seen many a show on Everest and high altitude climbing. This book offered a a look at a more seedy side of Everest, but other than the usual back and forth about who did what and when and a bunch of "he said, she said" stuff, there's little actual substance here. I don't doubt that what the author claims actually goes on, but I expected more documentation or analysis I guess. Every time the book started to get interesting the author would click back to some childhood tale of someone mentioned in the story and it started to get really tedious. It would have been better served as a straight forward investigative narrative with a lighter emphasis on backstory. Still, the accounts of the actual expeditions are quite harrowing and well written. If you've read a lot of the Everest literature of late, you'll probably enjoy it well enough, but newcomers to the topic should start elsewhere such as "Into Thin Air" and "Left for Dead.”

  Brandon C wrote this review Friday, July 11 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Kodas is a journalist, so I was disappointed and somewhat turned off when he used rather inflammatory language about certain people and situations. This is clearly a guy with an axe to grind about his negative Everest experience. However, as I read on, I could see why he was so ticked off. It sounds as if Everest has been overtaken by a bullying, lawless culture where your equipment is not safe from theft, where you can easily be assaulted without anyone doing anything about it -- even by your own teammates -- and where being left for dead is what you should expect if you have any problems on your climb. While I think Kodas's emotionalism detracts from his case about current Everest culture, I still was intrigued by his portrayal of the collapse of civilized behavior on the summit. Definitely an interesting reality check on the romance of Everest.”

  Jacqueline H wrote this review Thursday, May 15 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 2 stars

  “If you want to read a book about people who can afford to climb everest and are stupid enough to do it and then gripe about every thing involving the experience, this is the book for you. Pure crap unless you are looking for a guide to climb the mountain in which case you need to seek out a good shrink first.”

  david r wrote this review Tuesday, May 6 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 4 stars

  “Though not without its flaws, this book does bring to light the dangers of what can be termed extreme adventure travel. The allure of reaching the top of Mount Everest has been the downfall, and death, of many people. Kodas participated in an expedition to Everest and encounters people he feels are more interested in making a buck than the safety and welfare of their clients. Kodas is a journalist and that is reflected in his writing of this book. It's a little scattered and loosely written in places, but definitely engaging despite its warts.”

  TheLibrarian wrote this review Tuesday, February 19 2008. ( reply | permalink )
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  • Rated 3 stars

  “The topic is fascinationg. The comparison of the climbs from China as Tibet is very interesting. The things that are accepted as ok on the mountain that would not be even close to ok in normal society are mind blowing - but Kodas is not the greatest writer. He jumps back and forth and is hard to follow at times. I enjoyed this book but I think in large part because I am an eager student of the world's tallest peak.”

  Joanna B wrote this review Sunday, February 17 2008. ( reply | permalink )