The Call Of Everest: The History, Science, And Future Of The World's Tallest Peak Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Gripping and sumptuous, this is the definitive book on the history, mystique, and science of Mount Everest, including how climate change is impacting the world's tallest mountain. In 1963, the American Mount Everest Expedition made mountaineering history. It was the first American venture to successfully scale the legendary peak and the first successful climb up the hazardous West Ridge (a climb so difficult no one has yet repeated it). In 2012, adventurer Conrad Anker led a National Geographic/The North Face team up the mountain to enact a legacy climb. Environmental changes and overcrowding led to challenges and disappointments, but yet the mountain maintains its allure. Now, steely-eyed Anker leads a team of writers in a book designed to celebrate the world's most famous mountain, to look back over the years of climbing triumphs and tragedies, and to spotlight what has changed--and what remains eternal--on Mount Everest. Telltale signs of Everest's current state, never-before-published photography, and cutting-edge science expose the world's tallest peak--its ancient meaning, its ever-present challenges, and its future in a world of disappearing ice.
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: National Geographic (May 14, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426210167
ISBN-13: 978-1426210167
Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 1 x 12.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #184,884 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #22 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Mountains #213 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Mountaineering > Mountain Climbing #264 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Miscellaneous > History of Sports
As a current resident of Nepal, I have been hearing about all the festivities surrounding the 60th anniversary of the Hillary/Norgay expedition. When I saw this recently published book, I jumped at the opportunity to learn a little more about the subject.At first glance, the book appears to be a coffee-table sort of book. You know, the kind that sits there collecting dust until someone gets bored enough to pull it out and look at the pictures. As such, I was worried about the kindle formatting. What would it look like in digital? Because of the photography, I elected to read this on my Nexus 7 tablet rather than my e-ink kindle. The photos were as spectacular as I expected. I am glad that I read the book on a color screen to get the best photo experience. It was well formatted and there were no issues with tons of extra space as is often the case with improperly formatted photos in books.The photos were great, but the stories also held up their end of the bargain. Stories of the exploration, expeditions, tragedies kept the pages turning all the way through.The chapters were as follows:The Meaning of EverestThe Birth of EverestThe People of EverestThe Nature of EverestThe Climbers of EverestThe Agonies of EverestOne Season of EverestThe Future of EverestThe intro to each chapter has some distracting word-art that repeats the first few sentences of the chapter. I thought that it detracted from the book.Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to find out more about Mt. Everest and see some great photos from the area.
I have an intense interest in Mount Everest, and have spent the past six years or so "collecting" books about the majestic mountain. I think in all, I probably have around 50 books about Everest, including a few of which I own multiple copies. In addition, I own several movies about Everest, including the spectacular IMAX film that was filmed in 1996- the deadliest season on Everest. Having read many a book on the subject of Everest, I feel I have the right to say that this book, The Call of Everest: The History, Science, and Future of the World's Highest Peak, has to be one of the best Everest books I have purchased thus far.With spectualar photography ranging from photos taken early in Everest's tourism draw to photos taken in 2012, when the author last climbed Everest (also known as Sagarmatha and Chomolunga), this book is visually both beautiful and educational.The book contains eight chapters and an informative forward, all written by famous and influential Everest alumni and/or experts.Foreward by Thomas HornbeinChapter 1- The Meaning of Everest, by Conrad Anker (the Everest climber who found George Mallory's body in 1999)Chapter 2- The Birth of Everest, by David Lageson (geologist)Chapter 3- The People of Everest, by Broughton Coburn (celebrated author of numerous Everest texts)Chapter 4- The Nature of Everest, by Alton Byers (National Geographic explorer)Chapter 5- The Climbers of Everest, by Bernadette McDonald (celebrated author of numerous alpining texts)Chapter 6- The Agonies of Everest, by Bruce Johnson (professor of medicine and physiology)Chapter 7- One Season on Everest, by Mark Jenkins (mountaineering writer)Chapter 8- The Future of Everest, by David Breashears (two-time Everest summitter who directed the IMAX Everest film)In addition, there are mini-articles and editorials spread throughout the text, including pieces by:~ Julie Summers (author and historian)~ Max Lowe (son of mountaineer Alex Lowe)~ Kurt Luger (environmentalist)~ Ang Rita Sherpa (Sherpa)~ Apa Sherpa (21-time summitter and Sherpa)~ Edwin Bernbaum (climber and activist)~ Kit Deslauriers (the first woman to ski from the summit of Everest)and many more...This book is spectacular for all young adults and adults, from those who know little to nothing about Everest to those who have studied the mountain, its geology, its dangers, and its history in depth. It gives a fairly in-depth explanation of how Everest was "born," how she (the Sherpas refer to the mountain as "she") has changed physically, how she affects those who try to climb her and those who do conquer her, and how she dictates what happens in the future.One of my favorite parts of this book were the visuals that show "then" and "now," including the provisions/gear used in early exploration days (such as the provisions/gear used in 1953, when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first stepped onto Everest's summit, and the gear used in 1924, when George Mallory and Andrew Irvine died while trying to reach the summit) versus those used in "modern" extreme mountain climbing. Many people would probably be fascinated to see the differences in gear, documentation, education, surroundings, etc.A few more "pros" of this book include:1) While this book does have parts that could be interpreted as having a political agenda (the subject of Everest and if it is being used as a "pawn" for the greedy has been a hot topic for many years now, as has the concern over the environmental impact tourism is having on the Himalayan region), the book as a whole is not political in nature.2) While there are a few graphic photos, there is little "sensationalism" in this book. Some of the sensational stories are told, but they are not told in such depth that the reader feels emotionally drained after reading.3) The wide variety of topics in the book, from history to future, from geological facts to medical facts, means there is a sprinking of information that leaves the reader thirsty to learn more.If you are looking for a coffee-table book, a reference source, or a great nonfiction read, The Call of Everest: The History, Science, and Future of the World's Highest Peak is a fantastic choice.
This book provides a series of chapters, each authored by a different individual, and a set of smaller excerpts all related to the mountain, Everest. Topics range from geology, to history of the Sherpa, to high-altitude physiology, to vignettes and recounting of various ascents.A few things detracted minorly from the book as a whole. What appears to be a rather obvious advertisement for north face appears in the middle of the book. The sections are written by different authors and some segments will be understood by and appeal only to those with previous expertise in the subject matter; one segment seemed to me to be full of platitudes and poorly written. Most of the book is well-written, however, and many of the photographs are gorgeous.This book should appeal to anyone with a passing interest in Everest. Serious climbers are likely to know much of the material already (although some of the lovely photographs and vignettes may be new). For those without much climbing experience this book might serve as an inspiration to begin to explore a new area of the world even if climbing Everest itself isn't on your bucket list.
It may not be clear from the description on , but this is actually a collection of essays by 9 different authors. That provides some variety, but does make the quality of the writing rather uneven. I found parts of the book very interesting and parts rather dry. This is a National Geographic book, and as might be expected, it contains some beautiful photographs. I read the Kindle version of the book and enjoyed viewing the photos on an iPad mini.
Happy with purchase !
Very interesting book, lots of pictures.
Visually appealing and a broad range of topics are covered. This is a great book for anyone interested in mountain climbing.
Wonderful quality
The Call of Everest: The History, Science, and Future of the World's Tallest Peak Kid Who Climbed Everest: The Incredible Story Of A 23-Year-Old's Summit Of Mt. Everest Climbing Everest (Totally True Adventures): How Two Friends Reached Earth's Highest Peak (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Peak Oil and the Second Great Depression (2010-2030): A Survival Guide for Investors and Savers After Peak Oil National Geographic. October 2009. Vol. 216 No. 4. The Tallest Trees. Redwoods. Plus Whales; Indonesia; Sahara; Shipwreck. (Rocketing Whales; Indonesia Faces the Fanatics; Lost in the Sahara; A Priceless Shipwreck., 216) How to Mount Aconcagua: A Mostly Serious Guide to Climbing the Tallest Mountain Outside the Himalayas The Mystery of the Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future! The Mystery of Shemitah: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future The Mystery of the Shemitah With DVD: The 3,000-Year-Old Mystery That Holds the Secret of America's Future, the World's Future, and Your Future! Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise Covered Call Cash - Using Call Options to Create Your own ATM - (Stocks For RentTM) Follow Me: A Call to Die. A Call to Live. The Energy World is Flat: Opportunities from the End of Peak Oil Mountain Madness: Scott Fischer, Mount Everest, and a Life Lived on High Writers of the Future 26, Science Fiction Short Stories, Anthology of Winners of Worldwide Writing Contest (L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future) Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest's Most Controversial Season Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay: The Boy Whose Dream Was Everest Where Is Mount Everest? Climbing Everest (Totally True Adventures) (A Stepping Stone Book(TM)) Everest : Mountain Without Mercy
