Sarah Ritter Outside Reading #2

            One book that I just recently started reading but haven’t had the chance to get all that far into it a book by Jon Krakauer called Into Thin Air.  This book is about the author’s attempt at climbing Mt. Everest and the tragic events that occurred on his expedition.  In the beginning of the book Krakauer gives some background of the history of the mountain and describes the many people that attempted to climb it over the years, some successful, some not so successful, and some who lives were claimed by the mountain and will forever rest in their icy tombs.  He describes how since the British discovered that Mt. Everest was the highest mountain in the world in 1856, masses of people have been captivated by the mountain and because of its staggering altitude, has become one of the most famous peaks in the world.   Much of the fascination of the mountain is because of its imposing presence and the immense liminality of the place.  From a geological standpoint, Everest it the most physically liminal place on Earth because its peak is literally where heaven and earth meet.  In the book the author discusses how for many people, that draw of being able to stand that close to the heavens is so powerful they are willing to risk their lives to get there.