NO SHORTCUTS TO THE TOP Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

A legend in mountain-climbing lore, Viesturs has summited Everest six times and was present in 1996 when three guides and several clients died in the tragedy made famous in INTO THIN AIR. Here Viesturs details his childhood in (flat) Illinois, his veterinary studies in Washington state, and his quest to climb the world's 14 peaks of 8,000 meters or more, a feat he calls "Endeavor 8000." Stephen Hoye zeros in on the focused but unflappable Viesturs. His voice glides over Nepalese names, and he describes avalanches, whiteouts, and even fatal accidents without overdramatizing. The Everest debacle, however, is recounted with a faster pace and more emotion; the lost guides were his friends and colleagues. J.B.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: APR/ MAY 07]