We have a new contributor at The Bookshop Blog, something just for the guys. Here’s some info:
ManBookRead is a men’s book club that was established to unite men around America (and beyond) under one interesting, quality, and genuinely awesome book each month. If it helps to use an example, think of Oprah’s Book Club and then take that thought, rip it up, and throw it in the trash. Then incinerate the trash.
ManBookRead Nation is a community of men who:
1. Enjoy reading or want to get back into reading.
2. Want an easy way to find an awesome book that interests them each month
3. Are interested in possibly discussing the book online or with friends over a few beers.
March Book Club Selection
ManBookRead is proud to present our March book club selection, Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer. Some choose coke, some choose crystal, but real adrenaline junkies get high on Everest. This enthralling book, hailed as one of the greatest mountaineering books ever penned, will take you to the summit, 29,029 feet above sea level, and back again to tell the tragic tale of one of the deadliest trips in Everest history. Bundle up tight, pour yourself some brandy, and prepare to climb through a personal account of extreme measures and immense proportions.
The Drink:
Hot toddy with brandy. If there’s anything to help you feel the punch-drunk effects of excessive altitude, while bringing warmth to your outermost extremities, this is it. Learn how to make it here.
The Set-Up:
The first successful climb to Everest’s peak took place in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary. Jon Krakauer takes us to Everest 43 years later, now packed with for-profit expedition outfitters charging upwards of $65,000 for the chance of being the highest person in the world for a moment. Armies of sherpas attempt to make the passage to the top as “easy” as possible for wealthy clientele with little to no high altitude climbing experience. Precariously perched on this commercial phenomenon, Krakauer sets the stage for the impending disaster.
The Action:
After several members of the expedition climbing Everest on May 10th, 1996, decided to push to the summit instead of turning around at the prearranged 1pm turn-around time, a deadly storm moved in, stranding several climbers for the night in a hurricane-force blizzard and negative-100 degree weather. While some make it back to Camp Four (elevation: 24,000 feet), others huddle hundreds of feet away, unable to see a few feet ahead of them, shivering and dying in the cold, and still others are left thousands of feet higher on the mountain.
The Verdict:
Krakauer does a masterful job describing in enthralling detail what it takes to make it to the top of the world. His research beautifully picks apart what happened and what went wrong those few, fateful days on the mountain. One of the finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in 1997, this book is smart and real, yet as unintimidating as Everest is daunting. Into Thin Air internalizes both the majesty of our planet, but also its strength, providing you with a plush, front-row seat to one of earth’s most treacherous challenges.
Guys, if you’re interested please take a look at ManBookRead