lukejones's reviews
410 reviews

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account Of The Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.75

I'm not inspired by the kind of people who push their bodies to the absolute limit, foregoing the human responsibility to help others in this pursuit, but I will read about it. Everyone who decides to climb Everest sacrifices some amount of morality while also accepting a very real possibility that they will die painfully.

The psyche of that kind of person is fascinating. I don't think the people who leave others to die in the moment are cruel, every climber on these expeditions understands the risks. As the author mentions in the book, once you're above 28,000ft lucid thought is impossible, and each individual or group has to make in-the-moment decisions about the safety of themselves.

Creativity: A Short and Cheerful Guide by John Cleese

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funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

Surviving to Drive by Guenther Steiner

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funny informative lighthearted fast-paced

4.25

Rating this based on quality of sports books / nonfiction rather than saying it’s better than other books I’ve given fewer stars.

This book surprised me. I’ve had it for a while and have avoided reading it. But it’s genuinely interesting, funny, and informative. Laughed out loud a lot, and learned a lot about how Steiner helped create the Haas team.

It’s not an autobiography, but a diary of a season at Haas, with a few anecdotes about the past. So if you’re looking for a story about Steiner’s life this isn’t it.

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

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adventurous tense fast-paced