A New York Times Bestseller, this book has proven to be a favorite of many people, some saying that the book has changed their lives forever. My journey through this book placed on me several facts that have reshaped my thinking in a very powerful way. Written by Stephen R. Covey and first published in 1989, this book could never be more relevant than it is with the advent of social media and get-rich-quick schemes. So, what were my takes from this book as I read it? It is vital to note that this review does not necessarily point out the exact seven habits stated in the book but is a general summary of what message the book is giving us.
Good character comes from within
Rather than being superficial, this book calls out for good character building that will eventually reflect in the most subtle of ways. With the advent of social media, the message being peddled is you can present a superficial image of yourself, you can build a ”character facade” but behind closed doors, you can be ”yourself”. This is what even propagates the lie of quick solutions or get-rich-quick schemes. If you do not trust the process then you will not enjoy the eventual success, because it will not be long-lasting.
Put the needs of others first
Another lie that has been peddled in recent times is the lie of me, myself and I. Stephen Covey reminds us through his book that it is vital to ‘Think win-win’. Always remember to consider the needs of others as you consider yours. Do not always think about how you will win at all times, you can find a way to win for both you and others. Also, you can sacrificially allow others to win at times at your expenses. This gives you social capital that can always come in handy at times.
Deal with problems/ situation beforehand
Another very crucial message that Stephen is telling us is the need to be proactive rather than reactive. Work on problems and situations beforehand rather than looking for solutions afterwards. It always gives someone an edge to deal with situations in advance compared to waiting for situations to blow up for its often harder to deal with something when its already taken off than in advance.
Do the right thing at the right time
Everything has its own time: from family time, work time, and even leisure time. Do not overlap one issue onto another. Always ensure you do whatever you need to do at every particular timeframe. Stephen calls it ‘prioritize the priorities’. If it is time for school, put all your mind and heart to it. If it is time for working, then dedicate yourself entirely to it. Once you are done with that phase, go to the next relevant phase and give it your everything.
Personal Growth
Also, grow yourself as an individual. Do not stagnate in life. Read books for they are a wellspring of knowledge. Get new skills whenever you can, they will come in handy while you navigate life and try to progress yourself as an individual. Stephen R. Covey calls it ‘sharpening your skills’ to make you and keep you relevant.
This is one of the best self-help books that any individual can read. It will reveal to you insights on exactly how your character and personal growth matters in helping you change both your life and that of others. Also, it shows you the value of human relations and how to ensure you live an impactful life. A worth-while read for anyone who wants to be an effective person.
12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You- Tony Reinke
Let’s be honest- we have all thought about it- how our phones are affecting us! This is one expose that will leave you dumbfounded and relating to just how much effect phones have on you. We subconsciously don’t know it but our smartphones affect us so much, our phones are changing the way we live. From the onset, Tony Reinke shows us how almost every aspect of our life has been affected by the invention of these powerful tools we now walk within our pockets. How life has changed in just two decades making us some of the most ‘lifeless’ creatures to roam the earth. Here are a few lessons I learned from this powerful book by renowned author Tony Reinke.
Every angel has a demon
It is true- every good thing has a bad side. This is exactly what technology has done to us. It is very convenient, efficient and fast. From one corner of the world, you can effectively communicate with someone else in another corner of the world, instantly. The world has been made a global village. With the advent of social media, interaction and communication have even been made a whole lot easier. Multiple people can work on a single project to completion without ever meeting. However, with all these positive vibes come some of the biggest problems man has ever faced: personal dissatisfaction and emotional and mental instability. So in the power that comes with the smartphone, a lot of problems have been dragged along with it.
Your Phone is Changing You
Let us not live in denial, our phones are changing us. Research as revealed by Tony and other scholars and scientists he has quoted reveals that smartphones have changed us in several ways that we do not even realize.
For starters, we have become addicted to distraction and novelty. We want something new way too often, almost more often than there is something new to experience. This new thing as well has to be very mentally engaging as our concentration span slowly shrinks. On top of all that we crave immediate approval, have lost touch with what is in our environment such as family, we fear missing out and end up losing proper literacy. Smartphones have made us ‘technological zombies’ that have subconsciously given up what matters for temporary pleasures and cravings. We become shells of ourselves.
You need to fight back
Like any addiction, you need to fight back. Kenny Rogers famously said in one of his hits ‘What matters most you can count on one hand’. This phrase hit me hard as I was going through this book. We need to realize that these powerful gadgets we wield in our hands have enslaved us but we can turn, fight back and use our phones to help us achieve even greater times in our lives. Live in the moment and enjoy what is physically near you: family, nature, and experiences. Do not be too consumed in the fear of missing out and ensure you do not text and drive- because this is the ultimate showcase of jeopardizing yourself and the people near you because of life-changing technology.
In this powerful book, Timothy Reinke draws his conclusion not only from his research but also from a world of knowledge from other sources such as research, philosophical thinkers and published materials. This has allowed him to give us an in-depth look at this very dicey subject that in the end gives us a solution to handling smartphone addiction without having to throw away our phones in the trash can. We can eventually strike a balance to effectively use our smartphones.
Where the Wild Things Are: Maurice Sendak
Where the Wild Things Are has been touted as one of the most famous children books of all time. With its appealing nature and quite nicely written story, this book proves itself as being among the league of one of the greatest books of all time. First published in 1963 and written by Maurice Sendak, this book has become a favorite to very many people, across generations, both young and old. It is a book I personally regard as a timeless masterpiece of imagination and one that will outlive many of its peers. I mean, it is already more than 50 years old and it still has the same impact it did on readers then as it has now. These are the 3 elements about this book that makes it stand out so much:
- A beautiful story
Max is a cunning young boy who always causes trouble in the house. If he is not wearing costumes like wolf skins and chasing around the home dog with a fork, he is wearing crowns and having mischievous grins. When his mother feels like she has had enough with the child, she punishes him by sending him to sleep without dinner for that night. Itis on this night and in this room that his magical journey starts when his world turns into a utopia and he is made king to rule over all the wild creatures under his rulership. The joy and quench for his love for power and control is however shortlived as he quickly starts missing home and having dinner with his mother.
- A very imaginative premise
This book not only tells you a story written in words, the book has an array of pictures that accompany it to make it more immersive. When you start reading this story, both as a child and as an adult, you will find yourself deeply immersed in every single page of this 40-page children’s book.
- Beautiful lessons for both parents and children
As the book immerses you in the story, it leaves you with very engraved lessons in your mind that you might remember them for the rest of your life. Being that the book starts out being typical and relatable with the mischief of Max and the punishment that he receives from his parents, then it spirals into a world of imagination and ultimate satisfaction for Mac, or so he thinks. As it comes to an end, the book brings home the fact that ultimate satisfaction does not come from achieving your fantasies but rather spending time with those you love. This is a lesson that can be drawn from the book by both the parents and the children.
Criticism
The book has drawn criticism for being a bit extreme. For starters, a few readers say that the behavior of the kid is a bit extreme and defiant. He is a bit too much even in his explorative nature of a young boy. Also, the parent is a bit too extreme in meting out her punishment. This has drawn criticism from a section of the book readers. Also, some readers feel as though the book rewards Max by not allowing him to live through the punishment given but rather quickly taking him to a world where his fantasies are ultimately met.
This story, all in all, is quite fantastic. It is an experience every child and adult should go through. Because of just how well received the book was, Warner Brothers made it into a film released in 2009. This can attest to the impact that the film has had on many generations. This is just an experience every individual must have.
The Giving Tree- Shel Silverstein
The Giving tree is quite an interesting name for a book. The ambiguity and curiosity it arouses are outstanding. You just want to know why there is a tree and what it is giving out but most importantly, are these gifts free? The Giving tree has been hailed as one of the most impactful books of all time. Written and published more than 50 years ago by author Shel Silverstein, this book has transcended time and has impacted generations over. So, what is so unique about The Giving Tree and what story does it tell so nicely that it has become a reader’s favourite for years upon years?
The Story
A very simple story that provokes the deepest of human emotions in the most subtle of ways. The story begins with a boy climbing a tree (which is referred to as female throughout the book), swinging from its branches and eating its fruits. The tree is portrayed as being very glad to give the boy the fruits. The boy then goes his way and forgets about the tree until his adulthood. As a young man, he goes back to the tree and asks for money. The tree tells the boy that it cant give him money but can give him her fruits so that he can go sell them and make money. Later, the boy comes back asking for more money, the tree is quite happy to give him her branches and later her trunk. Sooner rather than later, there is nothing left of the tree rather than a stump, which the now old man sit on without a worry.
The Lesson
Well, going through this children’s book we can see quite a straightforward message that the writer was trying to bring home: sacrificial giving. Giving without expecting anything in return. One of the most overlooked but vital traits many of us have been missing from the beginning of time, till now. The co-author, Lauren Snyder, was quoted once saying that if you give a mother 10 copies of this book then be sure that she will understand exactly the kind of person she needs to be.
The Relevance
The book has remained relevant because of its subtle depiction of humanity and its traits; both those desired (the tree) and those undesired (the boy/man). That is why, with every new publication, the book sells off of bookshelves quite fast. It talks about things that we are afraid to address.
The divisiveness
This book has remained in the lips of people for 50 years and over because of one of its most core objectives: its divisiveness on opinions. This is the one book that even a simple google search places it on both the ” favourite” as well as ”least favourite” books ever written. Some people believe that it is a beautiful book showcasing that life is not always about what you get back. This portion of readers believes that giving is better than receiving. On the other hand, some people derive traits such as narcissism, sadism, selfishness, and codependence. Logically arguing, these readers bank on the premise of a boy who took advantage of a tree to take care of all his needs without ever reciprocating.
My Take
In my opinion, this indeed is one of the best books ever written. Depending on what you focus on, you can take away some of the best lessons a human being can ever get in the course of his lifetime. Focusing on all the negative energy in the book, which is very vital, takes away your focus on all the positivity. I mean, can you ever know good without understanding bad?
The Great Gatsby Fiction Summary
This Fiction novel was written in 1925 by Scott Fitsgerald. It has characters living in a fictional town known as east egg and west egg which are on an Island and its summer of 1922 during. It is a story of a mysterious young rich who is obsessed with beautiful Daisy Buchanan who is from a higher class. The book tries to bring up the topics of idealism, resistance to change, decadence, social upheaval, and the drawbacks which were predicted they will hold back the American dream. The writer had attended many parties in Long Islands Northshore and this inspired him to start witting the novel in 1923. He had a desire to come up with something new, beautiful, organized and extraordinary. It was slow fro first but later he was able to finish his work.
Nick Carraway, the major character in the book is from Minnesota, and he has migrated to New York in the summer of 19922 to explore and learn about Business tips. He got a house in West Egg district. This is the unfashionable area were new rich come and settle. If you have a new social connection and wealth is easier for you to settle in West Egg. Nick has a new next-door mysterious Neighbough Jay Gatsby who plans party one after another every weekend in his luxurious mansion.
Unlike other settlers of the west egg, he is well educated and he has many friends in the east egg. East egg is a well fashionable luxurious place to stay. His cousin Daisy Buchanan leaves there too with her husband Tom who was his classmate. They help Nick get a girlfriend Jordan Baker who is a smart beautiful woman. This marks the beginning of their successful relationship. Nick also gets a chance to learn about marriage from his cousin. Tom has an affair with Myrtle. Later Tom takes Tom to a party downtown to an apartment where Tom has an affair. Here Myrtle tries to talk ill about Daisy but Tom cut her shot.
Summer is doing well and Nick got an invitation from Gatsby to join their parties. There he meets Jordan Baker the owner of the mansion himself. Gatsby is a well English spoken man with a beautiful accent, cool smile and has a nickname for everyone. Nick later learns about her mysterious neighbor from Jordan. Gatsby is interested in Daisy who he knew from 1917 and he loves her. He tries to impress her by throwing parties and buying her gifts. He has spent a lot of money on her and now he wants to reunite with her and he wants Nick to help. Nick organizes for tea in his house and Daisy came without knowing Gatsby will be there. Finally, they are reunited and an affair begins.
Tom later becomes suspicious of his wife in one of the luncheons where Gatsby stares at Daisy with romantically. Tom who has an affair too is jealous of this. Tom directs the team to go to New York where he confronts Gatsby. He tells him he can’t understand where they have come from. He tells his wife that Gatsby is a criminal who wants to destroy their lives through his illegal activities. The argument went for a while. Tom was trying to play he was not hurt by his wife’s’ affair. He pretends to tell them to go back to East egg to show he is okay.
The events end with Myrtle being hit by Gatsby’s car. Tom tells George that Gatsby was the driver and already George had made up her mind that the driver had an affair with his wife. George shoots Gatsby and then shoots himself. Nick leaves West Egg to escape the bad story.
Fiction Nineteen Eighty-Four Summary
This is one of the great fiction Novels written in 1984 by Novelist writer George Orwell. The story describes events at Barnhill which is on the island of Jura. This time the writer is suffering from tuberculosis. The book focuses on government repressive, over-reach and totalitarianism among people’s moral values in their society. It tries to show the future year 1984 when the world is facing a challenge of war, unfair governance, propaganda, and historical negationism.
One character in the book is Winston smith. He is not an important member of one of the ruling parties in London in a country called Oceania. He is concerned about the big brothers, who are following him everywhere he goes, they are hired by his party to watch him through telescreens. They keep a watch of him even in his house. The Party oversees everything in this nation be it language or history. The party wants to introduce a new language called Newspeak by force. The language is intended to control the political atmosphere by removing every word that will bring rebellion. You are not even to think of being a rebel since it is illegal which is a grave crime.
At the beginning of the novel, Smith feels this is too much and they are being oppressed by how this ruthless party. You cant think freely, have sex, or express yourself freely. Smith acquires a diary illegally and secretery which he uses to document the criminal thoughts. He also doesn’t like the powerful O’Brien in the party who he thinks he is a member of the secret Brotherhood. The movement secretly determines how a party is run.
Smith’s position in the ministry of truth helps him cook the record to fix the party’s needs. Unfortunately, a beautiful girl catches her trying to alter the records and he worries if she will turn to be the informer who will spill his beans. He cant believe how history has been changed to suit the narrative of Oceania and Eastasia are allies against Eurasia but historically according to him, this was not true. The brotherhood leader Emmanuel is considered to be the most brutal person in the movement. Smith likes to spend his evenings in the poor neighborhood of London where the party cant monitor him much.
Fortunetly, one day Smith was happy to learn the beautiful girl Julia was on her side when she sent him a love note. Soon they are in an affair and she was no helping him monitor the party. The couple now rent a house where smith had bought a diary. The relationship seems good for some time. But Smith still since they will be caught and face the consequences sooner or later. His first diary was the mistake he knew he made but he had to. Julia seems more optimistic and pragmatic. One day he receives a note that he has been waiting for. The big brother’s leader wants to see him.
They had to visit the boss expensive apartment which they can only imagine. To their surprise, O’Brien hates the party too but this was a trap. Soldiers enter the room and He is arrested and tortured. He had fallen to the O’Briens Trap to hate and rebel against the party openly. Smith is also brainwashed. O’Brien sends Smith to the final room 101 which is dreaded where anyone who opposes the party is taken. Here there are all worst nightmares including rats where they happen throughout the novel. The rats were eating his face. He tries to plead with him so that it can be done to Julia and not to him.
O’Brien wanted Smith to give up Julia. Smith is released after accepting the party entirely and loving the big brother more than ever. He no longer has feelings for Julia.
Life Is What You Make It: Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment
The Buffet name is a game-changer whenever you see it plastered anywhere, almost as sure as the sun rises each morning. Contrary, though, to what many people think, the buffet family is not solely related to the wealth that the patriarch, Mr. Warren Buffet, has accumulated over the years. This is the insight that the son, Peter Buffet, has delved into in this amazing book- revealing the intricacies of tagging along with him the Buffet name all his life and how he realized with time, that despite your background, you will always have to personally chart a course for your life. This is basically, a cumulative life story of the lessons a billionaire’s son learned in his life straight from childhood and how these lessons shaped his entire life.
Many people delve into this book looking for money-making ideas or how to become billionaires in get-rich-quick schemes. To their utter surprise, they realize that the book they are headed into will awaken in them a deeper understanding of what really matters in life and that the journey of a wealthy man is not all about making money but is an all-round journey of life, love and hard work. As you go further and further through the pages, you realize that not only does a billionaire have a similar lifestyle as yours- full of pain, struggle and sacrifice, but also that this billionaire is limited in his capacity as a human with weaknesses, just as you are.
One of the things that stood out for me the most in this book is the fact that Peter opens up his life and that of his family to the world. We realize the kind of parents he has, the siblings he has, the responsibilities he was given and the life that he had to deal with, and still deal with, coming from a billionaire’s family. This exposure is what ‘normalizes’ wealth by building a bridge between life’s different aspects of both the rich and the poor.
Peter, in his book famously says that, unlike what most people think, the greatest gift that he inherited from his father is a philosophy: Forge your path in life. This would come as a surprise to people as they would expect Warren to give his son a portion of his empire, no matter how meager it could have been. Surprisingly, Peter records of only being given only $90k to kickstart his life when he was 19years old. How does a billionaire pass on just a philosophy to his son and an almost insignificant amount of money compared to his vast estate? Well, this book further reveals just how important that decision was to both Warren and Peter Buffet.
Peter, who is now an award-winning musician, composer and philanthropist attributes his meek success to being allowed by his father to forge his path. Also vital to note is that Peter attributes his lifestyle, decision-making criteria and emotional stability to his family. Throughout the book, Peter reveals how much his mother shaped his character, not only through her teaching but involuntarily through how she lived her life. On the other hand, Peter learned the value of hard work, passionate pursuit and proper prioritizing from his father.
This ended up shaping his entire life as revealed throughout the book. Life is what you make it teaches you exactly that- you have control over how your life will turn out to be. The decisions one makes, the values they hold dear to them and how they spend their time are the largest contributors to what an individual makes out of their life. Classical!
James Allen As A Man Thinketh
As A Man Thinketh is not an outdated book. James Allan did this work in 1903 but it has remained to be one of the greatest books. Every motivational speaker quotes it. He has tried to put the book simple and short so that everyone can read it. Within a few minutes, you can learn his teachings and grasp them easily. If you put into practice this advice, you will get very positive results. He shows that everything happening around you is controlled by your thoughts. You have the key to every condition bad or good that is part of your life. It is one of the cheapest books which can even fit in your pocket. You can even read it within one hour and create a positive attitude
This title is inspired by a bible verse from the books of Proverbs 23:7. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he” If you want to become powerful, achieve your dreams like starting your first company. Many motivational talks and blogs will give you steps to follow like a drug prescription. Allen’s book helps you realize how much power you already possess. This review will show you how your thoughts control everything, from starting a business, running it, relating with people, your character, your artwork, and everything revolving around your life. By the end of this summary, you will give yourself freedom. You will learn that your mind is a garden, your thinking can make you older and why you need to be a dreamer.
We can change our lives by mastering our thoughts.
One puzzling question is what makes up human beings, but simply we are our thoughts. Everything coming from us is the product of what is growing from our thoughts just like how a plant sprout from a tiny seed. This whole pattern of thoughts builds a character. Personality and character are developed by our thoughts. Altitude relies on your attitude and action and attitude are closely related. Those people who attain little results in their lives think very little of themselves and they always think they are small. You heard the story of the two teams in the bible who were sent to survey the promised land. The first team said the land has owners who look like giants and they are like grasshoppers to them. The second team said that the land is fertile and full of honey and milk. This is how minds shape our character and if we change our thought, we change our character. This can be achieved by working on our thoughts which helps us achieve Divine Perfection. Having disorganized thoughts can put you in deep trouble.
We should shape the world too.
We tend to blame our failures on something, and we are guilty of it. It makes us feel okay but drags us back. We forget our external factors are connected to our character but it not the way you think. As we shape the world it shapes us too. The kind of situations we end up in shapes our character. Remember there are people with a heart of gold. Sometimes changing someone’s character is not easy.
Positive thoughts are determined by your better health and other goals
How much you sleep, heart rate, headaches and lack of exercise can be a result of poor thoughts. Focusing your thoughts on a specific goal will give you an excellent result. If you want better results direct your thoughts to feel better and positive about a specific goal. Let go of all thoughts that you feel are negative.
Lastly, We control our success, Have a big dream
Let’s remember we are also to blame for our failures. If we think we are small, we will always be small in everything, but we are the ones who can free ourselves. We should not forget our ideals and values. We should also keep our dreams alive like Christopher Columbus who dreamed of the world and discovered America.
Master your thoughts and you will change your character and life around you. You will achieve all that you dream of if your thoughts are positive. You will also unlock yourself and discover the quality world.
Sapiens: Humankind History
Humanity is one of the mysteries in the universe which no one has a conclusion. The sapiens book explains the major human revolutions which are the current scientific revolution which started about 500 years ago, The agriculture revolution which dates back 10,000 years ago and the cognitive revolution which is estimated to have started around seventy years ago. These revolution changes have helped humans discover themselves, create solutions to their daily solutions and expand more than life has provided. This revolution has led to growth in politics, capitalism, and religion. These theories have helped man to overcome the challenge of Natural selection and helped him to survive.
This Sapiens book was written by Yuval Noah Harari which wad first published in Israel with the Hebrew language in 2011 and later in English in 2014. The writer is trying to explain what does it mean to be a human. He has brought the humanities and science together to get insight and try to explain what is humankind. In 443 pages, you can learn a lot and come out with so many takeouts. Let me discuss some here which come out clearly in the book.
One thing Yuval has painted is we are humans but we are not the only humans. We are homo sapiens or intelligent or wiser humans as we immodestly consider ourselves and we are one in many species that have come across the earth. The sapiens ancestors may behave eliminated the Neanderthal species forty thousand years ago for them to adapt and live freely. These species may have bigger brains than our ancestors.
We the Sapien human species are the only ones remaining. Something interesting is that Europeans and Middle Eastern have complicated status of Homo Sapiens because they are not pure Homo sapiens according to the book. They may be as a result of interbreeding of species of Neanderthal and sapiens and they may make up four percent of Neanderthal genes. This means there are no mixed race but mixed species.
First insight we have the myth-makers which is an idea that separated sapiens from other species. Sapiens take advantage of how they make a myth through language for communication with others and imagination. This helps them figure alternatives and possibilities to survive. This theory helps them rule the world, organize themselves to gather resources and cooperation in different activities. Myths form the basic to glue the Sapiens together. Cognitive Revolution is the process which helps in genetic mutation to help these powers of speech and imagination develop.
Second, we have the Intersubjectively laws which are our shared ‘intersubjective’ myths. These include money, laws, gods, Morals, patriarchy, and drawing of boundaries to make partitioned countries. If you want to understand humans study the intersubjective myths they have in common.
Third, we have brands that come up as powerful intersubjective Myths. We have so many brands names products that are not physical nor do they exist. These brands are fiction but they mean a lot to humans. They are powerful because they help humans in production.
Fourth we have fictions like money which is just a piece of paper in which everyone believes it has value but it has none but gives humans peace of mind.
If you read the book you will come across other insights like if you want to change the world change the myth an example is culture. Another insight is Culture forbids and Biology solves, The law of the few which makes producers enjoy less and consumers more, How happiness happens, We are superhumans and the last insight is how Sapiens will end by the development of transhuman.
This is perhaps one of my best book explaining the revolution of humankind. It good for researchers and historians.
Into Thin Air: Mt. Everest Disaster experience
This is one of the best selling nonfiction books written by Jon Krakauer. The writer is one of the climbers of Mount Everest which ended with a disaster where eight were killed and several others swept by a storm while other summits were starting. This was happening during the season when climbing is considered to be dangerous. The writer who is being consulted for climbing adventure and expedition is the narrator of the book. They are in the summit of the mountain too exhausted tired and happy of what they are about to accomplish. They start climbing down but the unfortunate happens as the storms start to form and to make the matter worse his friends who they had climbed with are still up in the summit. That when the lost 8 people and 4 more others in unclear circumstances.
Mt Everest is one of the tallest mountains discovered in 1852. Many climbers had tried to reach the summit for over 101 years but they failed. Many had lost their lives or disappeared when attempting to make history. In 1953 this dream came to be when two men managed to climb to the summit. That was Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. They entered the world book of records and even to date they are highly celebrated. This accomplishment created a new interest and confirmed that it is possible and by the 80s there were many guides experiences that motivated more people who could afford to climb. There was a complaint about how these guided expedition climbing events were commercialized at the Everest. The writer had an assignment to join a team and document the whole trip phenomenon in the Outside magazine for commercial purposes. He doubts if he will reach the summit but he can’t let down such a lifetime golden opportunity and furthermore this has been one of his childhood dreams.
He leaves his Seattle home in 1996 and heads to Nepal where he is meeting his teammates at Kathmandu. They have one of the celebrated climbers Rob Hall from New Zealand and he has great records of guiding people to the summit. His company earns a lot and it is well established. Many of his teams are strangers with little experience and he worries a lot but he trusts the leader and senior guide.
They started in a small village called Lukla. The start is easy and fun especially when you meet the villagers of the Sherpa ethnic group who are hired to help in the journey. The Buddhist monk blesses them for a safe journey.
They succeed to reach the basement of the mountain where camping takes place. There the witter meets with Scott who is a rival of Hall in guiding. The team starts feeling the effects of nausea sickness, exhaustion, and loss of appetite. The altitude is now affecting them. They prepare for the next month by taking every exercise that is necessary. Everyone struggles to run and exercise. The writer’s wife is against and also the runs camps are being aborted due to cold temperatures.
The team summit begins everyone has an oxygen tank. Krakauer blames the guides sometimes for neglecting his clients. At the third camp, they had to supplement themselves with oxygen as now they are on the death zone where they are experiencing thin air. A fourth camp there is a wind storm threatening to blow away the tents. Finally, the writer makes it to the summit. on the way down the weather no longer favors them. They are suffering from low oxygen and he now has some poor eyesight. He, fortunately, made it to his camp. The books explain the details of how others how the others faced unfortunate events and the sad to learn of the events the next morning.