内容简介
NoonewritesaboutmountaineeringanditsattendantvictoriesandhardshipsmorebrilliantlythanJonKrakauer.Inthiscollectionofhisfinestessaysandreporting,KrakauerwritesofmountainsfromthememorableperspectiveofonewhohashimselfstruggledwithsolomadnesstoscaleAlaska'snotoriousDevilsThumb.InPakistan,thefearsomeK2killsthirteenoftheworld'smostexperiencedmountainclimbersinonehorrificsummer.InValdez,Alaska,twomenscaleafrozenwaterfalloverafour-hundred-footdrop.InFrance,ahipinternationalcrowdofrockclimbers,bungeejumpers,andparaglidersfigureoutnewwaystorisktheirlivesonthetoweringpeaksofMontBlanc.Whydotheydoit?Howdotheydoit?Inthisextraordinarybook,Krakauerpresentsanunusualfraternityofdaredevils,athletes,andmisfitsstretchingthelimitsofthepossible.Fromtheparanoidconfinesofasnowboundtent,tothethunderous,suffocatingterrorofawhite-outonMountMcKinley,EigerDreamsspinstalesofdrivenlives,suddendeaths,andincrediblevictories.Thisisastirring,vividbookaboutoneofthemostcompellinganddangerousofallhumanpursuits.