Indeed, Jon Krakauer is the master of the literature of Adventure.

I used to have a deep hatred for literature. It always seemed so dull and uninteresting to me. However, Jon has a unique approach to literature that completely changed my perspective. It is truly remarkable how he can write so extensively about a single mountain. For me, a mountain is just a mountain. But for Jon, it is like a vast and complex world waiting to be explored and written about. I am absolutely certain that if you were to take him to a small hill on the outskirts of your town, he could effortlessly write a captivating book about it. His talent is truly awe-inspiring.

About this book, the description claims to provide the answer to the most significant question: why would a normal person want to engage in adventure activities? This is a question that has crossed my mind several times. Why would anyone choose to do something so dangerous and life-threatening, especially when it doesn't offer any financial gain? That is precisely why I decided to pick up this book.

But to my disappointment, the book doesn't actually give you a straightforward answer. If I'm not mistaken (and I don't think I missed any crucial parts of the story), there isn't a single instance in the entire book where I felt that I had found the answer. Instead, the book is a compilation of 12 stories. Eleven of these stories were previously published by the author in various magazines and newspapers, and the last one, "THE DEVILS THUMB," is exclusive to this book.

Regarding the individual stories, "EIGER DREAMS" is a collection of accounts related to the many climbers who attempted to scale the mountain known as The Eiger while the author himself was also attempting to summit it.

Personally, I found the story "GILL" to be extremely enjoyable. It introduced me to the entirely new concept of "bouldering." The entire narrative revolves around John Gill, the individual who first pioneered "Bouldering" and the concept itself.

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This is an outstanding collection of essays centered around mountain climbing. I was truly captivated by Krakauer's work, "Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster", and "Eiger Dreams" proves to be equally excellent.

Each chapter presents an essay on a particular aspect of mountain climbing. The initial chapter delves into the experience of climbing the Eiger. Other chapters explore the challenges of climbing Mount Blanc and K2. There is also a chapter dedicated to bouldering and another that details the adventures of a bush pilot in Alaska, ferrying mountain climbers to a glacier at the base of Mount McKinley. One chapter focuses on ice climbing, while another vividly describes the experience of being confined to a tent for days on end due to a storm that makes it impossible to venture out.

A touch of dry humor weaves its way throughout the book. One must possess a sense of humor to engage in these perilous and sometimes monotonous activities. For instance, one chapter describes how a team of doctors spends their summers on the slopes of Mt. McKinley. They study the effects of altitude sickness and have saved countless lives, all at their own expense. Krakauer inquired of one of the doctors why they volunteered to endure such hardships in a desolate place. The doctor's response, while shivering in a blizzard and suffering from nausea and a blinding headache as he attempted to fix a broken radio antenna, was, "Well, it's sort of like having fun, only different."

The book also poses a thought-provoking question when discussing the high human toll among climbers of K2: "Should a civilized society continue to condone, much less celebrate, an activity in which there appears to be a growing acceptance of death as a likely outcome?" During one summer, a staggering one out of five climbers who attempted the mountain did not return alive.

When Krakauer informed Coloradans of his intention to climb the Devil's Thumb solo, they believed he had indulged in too much marijuana and considered it a "monumentally bad idea". However, when he shared the same plan with Alaskans, their reaction was rather subdued. They simply wondered how much money could be made from climbing such a mountain.

Although I am not a climber myself, I find Krakauer's writing style to be incredibly engaging. He transports the reader right onto the mountain, allowing them to experience the emotions and sensations firsthand. For a collection of non-fiction essays, this book is an absolute page-turner and comes highly recommended.

What a captivating book! It's truly a page turner. And it's also the perfect companion for activities like rock climbing or hiking, just as I experienced. I would sit on a boulder and immerse myself in this book until it was my turn to climb or belay.

Krakauer's narrative style is refreshingly simple and straightforward. His descriptions of nature are highly evocative precisely because he refrains from adding any superfluous details. This is as it should be. After all, majestic mountains like K2, Eiger, and Chamonix don't need any embellishments. Their grandeur speaks for itself. By presenting the facts as they are, he manages to evoke a sense of awe and fear in the reader. If you're an outdoor enthusiast, you'll definitely understand this. While I have no personal desire to attempt to summit McKinley, I can still appreciate the challenges and risks involved.

Some of the information and the so-called "celebrities" mentioned in the book are a bit outdated, considering it's a collection of articles written in the 80s. However, it provides a fascinating insight into the history of the sport and the current dangers, especially the issue of overpopulation on mountain peaks. Many people who have paid to climb may not have truly earned the right, resulting in overcrowded slopes.

All in all, I was extremely impressed with Krakauer's writing style and his choice of subject. I'm already looking forward to reading more of his works in the future.

So I approached this book with a certain mindset.

I climb, and I'm completely obsessed with mountains. Moreover, Jon Krakauer is an outstanding writer.

I thought to myself, this book should be a really enjoyable read.

Well, in the end, my reaction was something like this - WHY AREN'T ALL OF THESE STORIES MOVIES!?!?!?!

Seriously, every single story within these pages is truly fantastic.

It's the most satisfying collection of essays I've come across in quite a long while.

Each story has its own unique charm and captivating elements that draw the reader in and keep them engaged from start to finish.

The way Krakauer tells these tales makes them come alive in your mind, as if you were actually there experiencing them yourself.

Whether it's the thrill of a dangerous climb or the exploration of a new mountain range, these stories have it all.

I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone who has an interest in mountains or just enjoys a good read.

It's truly a gem.

In a previous book I had read by Krakauer, "Into Thin Air" - about mountain climbing - there was a quote that has stuck with me. One of the Everest mountaineers who chose not to try and help a climber (who subsequently died from being left behind) said this to justify his actions: "There is no morality above 26,000 feet".

I had one foray into mountain climbing. It was 1998 and myself and two friends, Kevin and Lacey, were going to attempt the '14er' called Longs Peak. Out of all of the 14,000 foot peaks in Colorado, Longs is the most popular climb because of its easy ascent. Imagine my surprise when at 2 am I was stumbling about in a rock field, not understanding why my eyes would not and could not stay open. I had a massive headache and could not keep my eyes open. I was not tired, I was jacked up on Diet Cokes and adrenaline, and yet could not keep my eyelids open for business. I was sans head lamp and found myself stumbling over boulders the size of pumpkins. That was the end of my journey. About 4 hours of hiking and turning back at who knows what altitude - I'd like to say I made it to 12,000 feet (but I'm not sure), my ascent to Longs was ended. We faced a bear sighting ahead of us on the hike back to our car (not good when one is menstruating, mind you!) and I was glad to make it home to my little apt at 18-J.

But I digress... shocking, I know. Since my wee little escapade into the wilds of the Colorado Rockies, I have always been fascinated by mountain climbers. And this book does not disappoint. Unlike other books on self-discovery (which can often be rather dull), "Eiger Dreams" had some vivid moments of awareness that caused me to feel a real connection to the author. More importantly, it garnered a new level of respect for those who choose to make that their shining conquest. No, I will never know how it feels to summit Everest or climb, well, probably ever, over 12,000 ft, but Krakauer has a way of making the experience approachable and yet awe-inspiring at the same time.

In one instance he describes climbing a thin spire of rock on the Devil's Thumb in Alaska. He recalls the sensation of being attached to the rock by only crampons and an ice ax, and the overwhelming pulling sensation to let himself release the ax and just fall... fall back into the awaiting ice that would kill him 3000 feet below. He knows it will kill him, he knows the physics of the actions, yet still describes how he could not help himself. Quite possibly, it was the pull of gravity he was feeling. Not unlike the sensation of being on a ship in the Med on the way to Crete, and looking over the railing at midnight with the waves crashing like blocks of ice on a solid black sea. I got "the pull". I was blissed out of my gourd with hopefulness and youth and love, and I honestly thought I could slip over the railing and survive. I wanted. To. Feel. It.

This is a collection of short stories all interwoven on the foundation of mountaineering. Stories on glacier pilots who could land planes in white out conditions by knowing to 'turn left after a minute, turn right again after another minute' because they were so inured to the route they were traveling. This is about the vagabonds and street fighters who climb perilous mountains in Tibet without permits and hide in the tall grasses when they hear cattle bells going by. This is about a boy's desire to summit Devil's Thumb and 18 years later trying to master that picture he'd traced so many times on pg 147.

If you are not into the outdoors, then this book will probably not impress you. If you believe that people who climb mountains are narcissistic selfish knobs who are only concerned about themselves (see above), then this is not for you. If you are married to a man who regales you with stories of men standing in circles around campfires and then waking to bears hours later in the dark... then you might appreciate this man's experiences. If you live in Colorado and know where Pearl Street is in Boulder, and have felt the pull, than you may relate to this man's story. If you have been to Europe and had to fend off a loved one's near manic obsession with parasailing, then you should read this book.

John Menlove Edwards wrote the following, taken from his short story "Letter From A Man": "So, as you would imagine, I grew up exuberant in body but with a nervy, craving mind. It was wanting something more, something tangible. It sought for reality intesnely, always if it were not there....But you see at once what I do. I climb". Krakauer had a choice at the age of 8... go to Seattle and visit the Space Needle or go to the South Sister in Oregon and attempt his first summit. Glad he made the right choice.

The title of the book suggests that it is a book about the Eiger, and it was precisely for this purpose that I borrowed it from the library. But it's not like that at all.

It is a collection of twelve mountain feuilletons, and the Eiger is only a few-page description of a climb on the north face of the Eiger in 1936. That's all.

It's my fault because I took the book blindly without reading the description on the back cover at all, and now I have a bit of a problem rating it. On the one hand, the book didn't completely meet my expectations. On the other hand, I read it surprisingly well.

The stories are written in a loose and entertaining style, with a lot of various, interesting facts and tips, such as about the methods of measuring the height of mountains or the dangers of air transport in the Alaskan mountains. It also talks about how to deal with boredom in the mountains and what is best to take with you there - allegedly, good, appropriate readings and reliable friends work best here.

I had this book to leave without any rating from the beginning. However, after thinking about it, I stated that I would do it a great injustice by doing so. Although the book contains very scarce information about the Eiger, about which I wanted to read more, it can defend itself with the wealth of really great facts. So I have to give it a bit of justice and treat it with a slightly higher rating than the initially intended one, that is - none.

Honestly, Krakauer is an outstanding writer. His works are truly captivating. However, I made a bit of a mistake by reading "Into the Wild" and "Eiger Dreams" back to back. It seems that I can only tolerate a certain amount of the 'white man tries to conquer nature' genre of books, especially when I'm constantly surrounded by the same theme in my daily life while living in Boulder. Boulder is a place where nature is abundant and constantly in view. Reading these books one after the other made me realize that perhaps I need to take a break from this particular genre for a while. I still appreciate Krakauer's writing, but it's important to vary my reading to avoid getting overwhelmed by a single theme.

Nobody writes about mountaineering like Krakauer. His words have the power to transport the reader into the heart of the adventure, making it seem almost palpable.

It's as if his descriptions are so vivid that they can inspire a sense of longing and adventure within the reader. In fact, it almost makes me want to pack my bags, head to Alaska, and take on the challenge of climbing some of its beautiful, yet brutally hard icy terrain.

However, upon further reflection, I realize that this is just a fleeting thought. The reality is that I would likely hate the experience. The extreme cold, the unforgiving conditions, and the physical and mental exhaustion would probably be too much for me to handle.

And let's not forget the very real possibility of dying in the process. Mountaineering is an extremely dangerous activity, and even the most experienced climbers face significant risks. So, while Krakauer's writing can make mountaineering seem appealing, I know that it's not for me. It's just an almost.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which is filled with numerous harrowing tales of mountain climbing.

Although I am unable to fathom what these men and women find so captivating in this sport, I do indeed admire them for risking their lives to undertake these climbs.

Mr Krakauer has made the narration of this story about the legends of mountain climbing extremely interesting and terrifying, not only for the people involved but also for the mountains that he himself has ascended.

Clearly, for most, this is far more than just a sport. It is more akin to an addiction, and as is the case with most addictions, it frequently leads to one's demise.

This book offers a unique perspective on the world of mountain climbing, delving into the motivations and challenges faced by those who are drawn to this dangerous pursuit. It serves as a reminder of the power and beauty of nature, as well as the fragility of human life.

Overall, it is a must-read for anyone interested in adventure, exploration, or the human spirit.

Okay, so you can clearly tell that these were not exactly short stories, but rather adapted articles from magazines.

The writing style here was more on the fluffy side, lacking the kind of fourth wall breaking that is often present in his books.

Nevertheless, there is truly something about alpine adventures that has a profound impact on me.

The allure of the majestic mountains, the thrill of the unknown, and the sense of adventure that comes with exploring the alpine regions are simply irresistible.

It's as if these adventures have a way of awakening a dormant part of my soul, filling me with excitement and a desire for more.

Even though the format and writing style may be different from his books, the essence of the alpine adventures still manages to capture my imagination and leave me longing for my own alpine escapades.

Who knows, maybe one day I'll have the opportunity to experience the beauty and excitement of the alpine regions firsthand and create my own unforgettable adventures.

Until then, I'll continue to be captivated by these adapted articles and let my imagination run wild.

I've been a fan of Krakauer's work ever since I first delved into "Into the Wild" and "Into Thin Air." And truly, he doesn't let me down with "Eiger Dreams."

I had anticipated stories predominantly centered around Himalayan climbs. However, I was delightfully astonished to discover tales about bouldering, canyoneering, waterfall climbing, Alaskan summits, and glacier aviation.

With his customary captivating voice, Krakauer imparts to the reader, whether they are seasoned climbers or those who have never set foot on a mountain, truly incredible things regarding both the physical and mental processes of climbing.

He takes us on a journey through the diverse and thrilling world of climbing, revealing the challenges, the triumphs, and the profound experiences that come with it. It's a book that not only entertains but also educates and inspires, making us all appreciate the beauty and power of the mountains.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of adventure essays!

I read Into Thin Air several months ago, and ever since then, I've been craving more thrilling tales of adventure.

This collection of gripping essays, which features larger than life characters with even more ambitious goals, definitely lived up to my expectations.

The stories were so engaging that I found myself completely immersed in each one.

However, in my opinion, Krakauer saved the best story for last.

When he gathers the courage to chase his lifelong dream of climbing the Devil’s Thumb in Alaska, it's truly a heart-pounding moment.

The description of his journey and the challenges he faces along the way gave me goosebumps like crazy.

It was the kind of story that keeps you on the edge of your seat, unable to turn the page fast enough.

It's like pouring a bowl of your favorite cereal, only to open the fridge and realize your worst nightmare – there's no milk!

But just like in the story, you can't give up on your dream.

So what do you do? Do you eat the cereal dry? Impossible. Do you give up on your dream? Even more impossible.

You find a way to make it happen, no matter what.

And that's exactly what Krakauer does in this amazing story.

It's an inspiration to us all to never give up on our dreams, no matter how difficult they may seem.