Everest, Inc.
The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World
by Will Cockrell
A very interesting addition to the vast Everest library. I am a fan of this genre and have read many books about the Himalayas, two of my favorites being (perhaps predictably) Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster and Wade Davis’ Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest. Most of these works focus on a particular event (like the disastrous 1996 season) or person (like George Mallory). Everest Inc. takes a different and fresh approach, following the rise of the guiding industry on the world’s highest peak, from its unlikely beginnings, when the very idea seemed preposterous, to the current reclaiming of the place by the long-overlooked Sherpa people.
There are many marvelous stories here, and many fascinating characters — sometimes to a fault, as in some instances I got lost in the parade of names. Nevertheless, it is a compelling tale that gives a broader perspective to many facts that you may already know, but will now see in a different way. The author deconstructs some of the myths surrounding the business of helping beginners climb and crowded routes. You don’t have to agree with his diagnosis, but it is certainly thought-provoking.
Thanks to the publisher, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
