In the tradition of Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air, Nick Heil recounts the harrowing story of the deadly and controversial 2006 climbing season on Everest. In early May 2006, a young British climber named David Sharp lay dying near the top of Mount Everest while forty other climbers walked past him on their way to the summit. A week later, Lincoln Hall, a seasoned Australian climber, was left for dead near the same spot. Hall’s death was reported around the world, but the next day he was found alive after spending the night on the upper mountain with no food and no shelter. If David Sharp’s death was shocking, it was not singular: despite unusually good weather, ten others died attempting to reach the summit that year. In this meticulous inquiry into what went wrong, Nick Heil tells the full story of the deadliest year on Everest since the infamous season of 1996. He introduces Russell Brice, the outfitter who has done more than anyone to provide access to the summit via the mountain’s north side–and who some believe was partially responsible for Sharp’s death. As more climbers attempt the summit each year, Heil shows how increasingly risky expeditions and unscrupulous outfitters threaten to turn Everest into a deadly circus. Written by an experienced climber and outdoor writer, Dark Summit is both a riveting account of a notorious climbing season and a troubling investigation into whether the pursuit of the ultimate mountaineering prize has spiralled out of control.

* Concise, objective account of the 1996 Everest debacle * One of Simpson's most controversial and challenging books * Short listed for the 1997 Boardman Tasker Award In 1992, an Indian climber was left to die alone high on the South Col of Mount Everest by other climbers who watched his feebly waving hand from the security of their tent thirty yards away. Some film footage of his corpse was later shown on television. Why did these onlookers not hold the dying man's hand and comfort him? The answer appalls Joe Simpson, who was himself left for dead in a crevasse at the foot of Siula Grande in Peru in 1985. It is an uncomfortable ethical question that he is forced to confront as he attempts a difficult new route on Pumori, with a clear view of the whole South Col from close to the vantage point where Eric Shipton first spotted the way up the south side of Everest taken by Hillary and Tenzing in 1953. Now that Everest has become the playground of the rich, where commercial operators offer guided tours to the top up fixed ropes, camping amidst the detritus and unburied corpses of previous less fortunate climbers, Simpson wonders if the noble, caring instincts that once characterized mountaineering have been irrevocably displaced as in other facets of today's society. On investigation, he finds it a less black and white issue that at first it seemed. "I shall never forget the horror of dying alone, the awful empty loneliness of it," he says. Yet his empathy for the victims of storms, altitude sickness, or misjudgments, is tested time and again as he explores anecdotally and in conversations with his companions on Pumori, the moral climate of mountaineering in the 1990s.

The Video Games Guide is the world's most comprehensive reference book on computer and video games. Presented in an A to Z format, this greatly expanded new edition spans fifty years of game design--from the very earliest (1962's Spacewar) through the present day releases on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC. Each game entry includes the year of release, the hardware it was released on, the name of the developer/publisher, a one to five star quality rating, and a descriptive review which offers fascinating nuggets of trivia, historical notes, cross-referencing with other titles, information on each game's sequels and of course the author's views and insights into the game. In addition to the main entries and reviews, a full-color gallery provides a visual timeline of gaming through the decades, and several appendices help to place nearly 3,000 games in context. Appendices include: a chronology of gaming software and hardware, a list of game designers showing their main titles, results of annual video game awards, notes on sourcing video games, and a glossary of gaming terms.

American culture is changing, a sentiment echoed in phrases such as “the new normal,” and “in these uncertain times,” that regularly introduce all forms of public discourse now, signally a national sense of vulnerability and transformation. Cultural shifts generally involve multiple catalysts, but in this collection the contributors focus on the role changing discourse norms play in cancel culture, corporatism, the counter-sexual revolution, racialism, and a radically divided political climate. Three central themes arise in the arguments. First, that contemporary discourse norms emphasize outcomes rather than shared understanding, which support institutional and political goals but contribute to the contemporary political divide, and the notion that we are engaged in a zero-sum game. These discourse norms give rise to a form of Adorno’s administered world, such that we order society according to dominant opinions, which generally means those well acclimated to institutional and corporate culture. Finally, as Arendt feared, the personal has become political, meaning that the toxic public discourse invades private discourse, reducing personal autonomy and leaving us perpetually under the scrutiny of institutional authority.

This book summarizes four decades of glacial-geomorphological field research in Central and High Asia in an attempt to draw a significant link between Quaternary science research and paleoclimatology. Based on the latest geomorphological findings, this study offers a large-scale reconstruction of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) that in High Asia encompassed a total expanse of no less than three million km2, including the Central Tibetan plateau with 2.4 million km2. The author offers a complete reconstruction of the Late Glacial, Holocene, and Historical glacier advances as well as the successive Postglacial ablation stages extending to the present. Taken together, the findings presented here provide the first insights into a global-climatic impact of the Last Glacial Maximum in Central and High Asia with respect to the current interglacial stage. The comparative data analyses point to an inland glaciation at subtropical latitude covering an area larger than the Nordic inland glaciation in Greenland. These insights are facilitated by a methodological approach, unprecedented in modern Quaternary research, that combines high-quality panoramic photography with high-resolution satellite imagery. This combination of terrestrial and aerial perspectives enables scientists and readers alike to visualize the geomorphology of the landscape as a three-dimensional space. The author’s successful union of digital big data resources with classical geomorphological analysis offers an exciting new template for future research in Quaternary science and related fields.

The long-awaited revision of Fred Beckey's comprehensive and indispensable climbing guide is here at last. The first volume in the classic Cascade Alpine Guide series, Columbia River to Stevens Pass features expert information on more than 300 climbing and high routes, including Mount Rainier. Here you'll find geographical, historical, and geological overviews of the majestic North Cascades region, plus important tips on safety and backcountry usage and enough technical and grade information to make clear exactly what type of route you are embarking upon. The new, third edition is thoroughly revised and updated with new maps and photos, plus all the most recent resource materials. Without a doubt, this exhaustive resource should be a staple in every serious mountaineer's collection.

Mystique of the Darkness: 100+ Gothic Classics is an unparalleled anthology that captures the essence and evolution of Gothic literature, stretching from the haunting halls of medieval castles to the psychological depths of the human mind. This collection showcases a remarkable range of literary styles, from the epistolary novels of the 18th century to the symbolic poetry of the Romantic era, and the early inklings of horror fiction. It highlights significant works that have shaped the Gothic tradition, offering readers a vast panorama of darkness, melancholy, and sublime terror. The diversity within this collection echoes the multifaceted nature of the Gothic genre itself, encapsulating its ability to transcend time and resonate across various cultural landscapes. The contributing authors and editors are titans of literature, each bringing their unique voice and perspective to the anthology. From the brooding romances of the Brontë sisters to the intricate narrative structures of Edgar Allan Poe, and the philosophical depth of Friedrich Schiller, these authors collectively embody the historical, cultural, and literary movements that the Gothic genre has traversed. Their works reflect the socio-political anxieties of their times, the exploration of the supernatural, and the deep investigation into the complexities of human nature. This convergence of diverse voices not only enhances the richness of the collection but also provides a comprehensive overview of the genre's evolution and its lasting impact on literature and culture. Mystique of the Darkness: 100+ Gothic Classics is an indispensable collection for readers passionate about exploring the shadowy corners of the human psyche and the eerie corridors of the past. It offers a unique opportunity to engage with a multiplicity of perspectives, styles, and themes, each contributing to the tapestry of the Gothic genre. This anthology is a treasure trove of literary masterpieces, ensuring an enriching experience for scholars, students, and enthusiasts alike. It invites readers to delve into the depths of darkness and discover the beauty and terror that lie within, fostering a deeper appreciation for one of literature's most enduring traditions.

DigiCat presents to you this unique collection, designed and formatted to the highest digital standards and adjusted for readability on all devices. Content: The Adventures of Ferdinand Count Fathom The Castle of Otranto The Old English Baron Vathek The Ghost-Seer The Castle of Wolfenbach Caleb Williams The Mysteries of Udolpho The Italian A Sicilian Romance The Romance of the Forest The Monk The Orphan of the Rhine The Rime of the Ancient Mariner Christabel Zastrozzi St. Irvyne Manfred Northanger Abbey Frankenstein... Isabella, or the Pot of Basil La Belle Dame Sans Merci The Raven The Tell-Tale Heart The Fall of the House of Usher The Cask of Amontillado... The Vampyre... The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner Porphyria's Lover St, John's Eve The Viy... Jane Eyre Wuthering Heights Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street The House of the Seven Gables... The Woman in White Goblin Market The Headless Horseman Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Carmilla Uncle Silas The Man-Wolf The Great Amherst Mystery The Hound of the Baskervilles... The Picture of Dorian Gray The Horla The Forsaken Inn The Yellow Wallpaper The Island of Doctor Moreau The Invisible Man The Beetle The Turn of the Screw... Dracula... The Necromancers The House on the Borderland The Phantom of the Opera... Wolverden Tower...