This is not the standard book about Mt. Everest. The story starts when the English Empire was at its height, and ends before the famous 1953 summit expedition.

To the Greatest Heights: Facing Danger, Finding Humility, and Climbing a Mountain of Truth by Vanessa O’Brien is a memoir of this world record breaking explorer

Ms. Boskoff’s life was fascinating, full of taking chances in both personal and professional areas, as well as living a good, ethical life educating people.

The strength of the book is in the way Mr. Krakauer tells the story, combining an adventure with social commentary without resorting to dry timeline lists. Some environmental issues, government bureaucracy (mostly Nepalese) and significant historical accounts are also weaved into the book, however they do not take away from the main storyline, but only add context.