Books : Search

Average Rating:

.Into the Wild

by: Jon Krakauer

August 21, 2007
I read this book years ago and picked it up again recently. What a great read! It explores youthful restlessness and a describes very accurately the desire many of us have to break free from the shackles of society and "live" for a little while. This feeling is a yearning for something dangerous and adventurous (whether climbing a glacier-covered mountain peak alone in Alaska or setting off on a cross-country journey with nothing but the clothes on your back), without worrying about the consequences. This sentiment is very common in younger people (e.g., Chris McCandless was about 22 when he began his odyssey). This book is great for anyone looking for a fun book to lose themselves in, and who are either young or young at heart.
... Read More:
>>See More Reviews & Details on Into the Wild

Used Price: $3.37

Average Rating:

.Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

by: Jon Krakauer

June 08, 2004
"Every day people are straying from the church and going back to God." (Lenny Bruce, 1972)

Jon Krakauer began this book with the murder of Brenda Lafferty, a Mormon wife and her 15 month old daughter, Erica, in American Fork, Utah in 1984. It was quickly established that Brenda and her daughter were killed by her brothers-in-law, Ron and Dan Lafferty. Ron was a mainstream Mormon but was converted to Fundamentalist Mormonism by Dan shortly before the murder. From this story, Krakauer traces the origin and development of the Mormon Church and the splinter fundamentalist wing. This is a book with two stories connected to each other by religion. It is an informative book about one of America's home spun religions, Mormonism; the others ... Read More:
>>See More Reviews & Details on Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith

Used Price: $1.08

Average Rating:

.Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

by: Jon Krakauer

October 19, 1999
I am not a mountain climber, spelunker or even a camper, but I loved this book. You don't need to have an outdoor passion to appreciate the incredible story. Being able to get a glimpse into what the human body and mind are capable of is fascinating. And, seeing how so many reacted under the most disastrous of circumstances was unbelievable. I could not put this book down. It was as good as any fictional mystery I've read and kept my undivided attention for the few nights it took me to devour it.
>>See More Reviews & Details on Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

Used Price: $1.97

Average Rating:

.Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

by: Jon Krakauer

May 19, 1997
I was impressed enough by INTO THIN AIR, his '97 account of the previous year's Everest climbing disaster, that picking up a used copy of EIGER DREAMS was a done deal. I didn't pay enough attention when buying it, however( at a local used bookstore) to learn that it was a compilation of climbing-related stories he'd previously published in 'Outside', 'New Age Journal' and 'Smithsonian'. I have nothing special against collections of previously published work. If I haven't read the material, what's the difference? But, as a writer myself, they always make me nervous somehow. Maybe it's the image of the writer badgering his agent about getting the cash flow flowing again and the agent placating him with, 'Why not pick some stories that aren't doing you any good anymore, ... Read More:
>>See More Reviews & Details on Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains

Used Price: $2.50

Average Rating:

.Forget Me Not: A Memoir

by: Jennifer Lowe-anker

2008-05
I bought this book a week after it came out and have read it 2 1/2 times since I bought it. I have made many references out of this book in conversation and have learned a lot about the people in the climbing world as well as different areas to climb. This book has also inspired me to become a better climber, thanks to Jennifer. Being a woman in the climbing world is competitive and you need much perserverance to 'hang' with the boys. This book is great for all types of people and offers a little something for everyone to enjoy and learn from. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone! One of my top favorites!
>>See More Reviews & Details on Forget Me Not: A Memoir

Used Price: $15.85

Average Rating:

.In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic

by: Valerian Albanov

September 04, 2001
Talk about an incredibly survival journey, this is it. These guys were very resourceful and strong and tough. But the elements start to take there toll. Imagine yourself in a handmade tiny kayak, and you're making an open water sea crossing, and then the winds pick up to hurricane force. What would you do? Yeah, lash yourself upon an iceberg. This is great fictional non-fiction. And it's hard to put down, because what will happen next?
>>See More Reviews & Details on In the Land of White Death: An Epic Story of Survival in the Siberian Arctic

Used Price: $0.30

Average Rating:

.High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places

by: David Breashears

May 17, 2000
This book is organized such that each chapter is devoted to a single milestone of Breashears' life. In each case he gives a general overview of that milestone, along with a few descriptive details of particular situations. But mostly, it is an OVERVIEW of the experiences that made him the man that he is today. After my initial disappointment that the book wasn't as detailed as I had hoped it would be, I accepted it the way that it was and truly enjoyed the rest of it.
>>See More Reviews & Details on High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places

Used Price: $1.94

Average Rating:

.Iceland: Land of the Sagas

by: Jon Krakauer, David Roberts

October 06, 1998
A beautiful book combining stunning photography with an in-depth historical, literary, and cultural examination of Iceland. This book manages to be heavy on both text and photographs.
Recommended for those interested in Iceland, but it is not a travel guide-type book.
>>See More Reviews & Details on Iceland: Land of the Sagas

Used Price: $11.65

Average Rating:

.Into Thin Air

by: Jon Krakauer

1998
This is a poignant, compelling narrative about Chris McCandless, an intelligent, intense, and idealistic young man, who cut off all ties to his upper middle class family. He then reinvented himself as Alexander Supertramp, a drifter living out of a backpack, eking out a marginal existence as he wandered throughout the United States. A modern day King of the Road, McCandless ended his journey in 1992 in Alaska, when he walked alone into the wilderness north of Denali. He never returned.

Krakauer investigates this young man's short life in an attempt to explain why someone who has everything going for him would have chosen this lifestyle, only to end up dead in one of the most remote, rugged areas of the Alaskan wilderness. Whether one views McCandless as a fool or as a modern day Thoreau is a question ripe ... Read More:
>>See More Reviews & Details on Into Thin Air

Used Price: $5.89

Average Rating:

.Into the Wild

by: Jon Krakauer

1996
I finished reading this book today. From the first moment I picked it up at Barnes and Nobles (although I recommend buying it here on Amazon, it's cheaper...), when I just read the first few lines on the cover, I was hooked. Up until this trip to the book store, I have never heard of Chris McCandless, nor did I hear about the famous magic bus in the Alaskan bush. Honestly, my opinion of the book is that it is certainly a very good read. To me, it was fascinating to learn about Chris/Alex's personality, adventures, and sojourns into the west. I thought this book was riveting, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in unconventional traveling, outdoor skills and sports.

That being said I want to say something about Chris himself. First of all, Chris reminds me of Thomas Hardy's Jude. I don't know ... Read More:
>>See More Reviews & Details on Into the Wild

Used Price: $4.00