I have just finished TKWCE and I am totally blown away. I have been a fan of Bear Grylls ever since I saw my first episode of Man vs. Wild and this book has elevated him greatly in my eyes. He is a man to be admired.

Bear's storytelling style made the entire book sound as though it was his interior monologue from Man vs. Wild which made for a quick and entertaining read. As a military man myself as well as an amateur mountaineer, I had no trouble identifying with Bear and his team as he described the pain, fear, exhaustion, and sense of adventure intrinsic to an assault on Mt. Everest. I enjoyed the humor, humility, and introspection throughout the book.

Obviously since Bear wrote this at age 23, it is not Into Thin Air as many previous reviewers have mentioned. However, I enjoyed it a great deal more than ITA as Krakauer had a MUCH different climb and was surrounded by a great deal more controversy than Bear Grylls. Additionally, I think that the editor should be roundly thrashed for merely spellchecking and submitting the manuscript to the publisher!

For somebody new to mountaineering or in the lower age bracket, this is a great book to start you off into Mountain Literature. It is not the flowing epic of Into Thin Air by Krakauer, nor is it the intensity driven, nihilistic assault of Kiss or Kill by Twight. This book is very simply about "A Kid" with a young man's perspective and worldview talking about scaling Everest. Bear makes no secret of the fact that he is a church going man, true, so if that turns you off, this might not be the book for you. However, all would do well to remember that there are no atheists on battlefields,...or in deserts,...or across oceans,...and certainly not on mountaintops!

Read the book in 2 days, I could not put it down. Exciting, dramatic, laws of brotherhood and courage. I have always been into mountain climbing (never been at high altitudes) and pushing myself to the limit and farther and this book is just a reminder to never give up until you have made it home. Great motivator--5 out of 5

I watch Bear on his show Man vs Wild and so I wanted to learn more about him. I learned a lot about Everest and its relationship to the people who climb it. Bear wrote in a journal-like format, and I loved that! I felt like I was there with him going through this experience too. It has inspired me to take up hiking. The man is amazing and I want to read more of his experiences. I definitely recommend this book.

Great book. 5 stars from me.

The editor should be fired though. I think all he did was run spell check and loaded it into the press.

An excellent book. Bear Grylls recounts his experience starting with his overwhelming desire to raise the funds to climb Mount Everest, his training in order to fulfill his dream and then the ultimate struggle for survival in climbing the world's tallest peak. I admire Bear for not only recovering from a parachuting accident that should have claimed his life (and indeed broke his back) but for having the sheer willpower and determination to face his fears and scale Mount Everest. I almost felt like I was on the mountain with him as he describes his treachorous accent.