Classic Krakauer: Essays on Wilderness and Risk

This book is a compilation of articles written for other publications in the past. Although I am a fan of Krakauer, some of these stories are more compelling than others. Some of the short stories are dated and no longer topical unless the particular subject is important to you. The 1990s story of a boy who perished in a wilderness survival/rehab camp doesn't fit the compilation at all and is far from enjoyable or entertaining reading, This book is actually not exceptional at all.

Jon Krakauer can write adventure stories like few other authors and some of his stories chronicle some of the great adventures and adventurers of our time. When I read J.K's work, I feel transported from my "one foot in front of the other"life to being vicariously with people who aim high; people who conquer mountains or surf very high waves. J.K captures that ecstasy of living on the edge of life and sometimes winning and sometimes not. When I read J.K. stories, I know I am going to be taken to a time and place I will never have the guts or ability to go on my own. I highly recommend buying this book: it will take you there.

Although most of these essays are from articles published a quarter of a century ago, they’ve aged well since wilderness exploration, extreme sports, and human behavior don’t change that much. I was even interested enough to follow up on the internet to learn more about some of the stories or people profiled here. Thanks to Krakauer’s evocative descriptions, eye for detail, and fluid prose this remains an engaging read despite the passage of time.

I like Krakauer's writing so it was fun and interesting to read essays I haven't seen before. One thing that would have made it much better would have been to have the original publication date under the title of each story instead of at the end. This matters because a lot has changed in the last 30 years concerning technology and culture, and I found myself distracted by questions about such things as I was reading. Having the publication date at the beginning would have let me put my mind in that place instead of wondering while I was reading.

His writing is so good! This compilation is from early in his career so if you've read Into Thin Air but aren't quite ready for Under the Banner of Heaven, this would be a great read.

This book took me three days to read only because I wanted to space out the stories a little bit. There are 10 or 11 magazine pieces, all unrelated, well written and on interesting topics of the outdoors/adventure. It actually made me kind of miss my subscription to Outside magazine from back in the day, and it definitely inspired me to get out in nature more (and read other Krakauer books I've missed).

I think I've enjoyed every book that Jon Krakauer has written. "Classic Krakauer" is a choice sampling of his work. It helps that he has climbed mountains and had enough adventures to understand the persons and subjects that he covers. The chapter on Mark Foo was especially engaging for me, since I live less than a mile from Maverick's, and know some of those he writes about. Krakauer's use of descriptive words is extravagant, which makes his storytelling a joy to read. The chapter about children's boot camps was a chilling, and a warning for parents. I'm looking forward to his next publication.

If you’re a fan of Krakauer you’ll enjoy this collection of essays and stories. Jon is an excellent story teller and it was enjoyable to read these stories I would not of otherwise ever read.

I first heard of Jon Krakauer as a member of famous 1996 Everest expedition and read his fantastic “Into Thin Air”. I appreciate, however, that writing about climbing the tallest peak of the world might be an easy sell (although who is crazy enough to CLIMB Everest for a book?..)I followed with his also fantastic “Into the Wild. This one here book, a collection of random topics, although connected to great outdoors, proves once again that Krakauer is a master in his own class; not only he chooses captivating subjects, but writes about them in the most intriguing way. He could probably write a manual of a toothbrush holder and make it captivating enough to read trough the night. Only he can’t, as he is a great outdoor person, so he’d rather be out there in the wild, meeting humpback whales or riding polar bears :)

Jon is an amazing author. These essays are real and allow deep understanding of human response, acceptance and need for risk.In a modern world comforts drive our life and rarely will someone experience such depth as Jon has shared using his honest story telling.It is a must read for anyone who want to appreciate life

A variety of short stories that you will never tire of reading