[4.5 stars]

I have no interest in mountaineering or climbing Mount Everest, but the industry of that mountain fascinates me. And, I flew through this nonfiction book about it in just a few days! Everest, Inc tells the story of how, starting in the 1980’s, the first independent entrepreneurs created the planned expedition style of climbing Everest that proliferates today. Today, 90% of Everest climbers are “clients or employees of guided expeditions.” I loved learning about the cultural differences b/w the “clients” and the “true alpinists" and going behind the scenes of the evolution of an industry (particularly the shift from early domination by Western guiding companies to the current proliferation of Asian, and particularly Nepalese, guiding companies). Cockrell also explores the impact of Jon Krakauer's book, Into Thin Air, and the guiding industry's reaction to it. Everest, Inc. is meticulously researched, but also highly readable.

Years ago, a friend handed me a copy of Jon Krakauer’s well-known and bestselling Into Thin Air, an account of a famously deadly season of climbing on Mt. Everest. At the time, I thought there was no way I’d enjoy it. I’m not much of an adventure-seeker or even an outdoorsy person. I stay inside reading. Sometimes I go outside and … read.

But Krakauer’s account of his personal experience seeing what happened in May 1996 hooked me. And then I ended up reading at least four more books about Everest, one about the Sherpas and several by people who were present for that season. I read two just by Ed Viesturs: No Shortcuts to the Top and The Mountain, which I have here on the site. In short, thanks to Krakauer, I’ve become an Everest-book aficionado.

I haven’t read a book on this topic in a good while, so when I saw this new nonfiction book about the development over the years of the guiding industry on the tallest mountain on earth, yeah, I snatched it up. It didn’t disappoint.

Cockrell does his research here. He’s interviewed most of the major players in the guiding industry that sprang up in the ’80s and ’90s and has continued to this day, as well as a number of clients and other major figures in Everest climbing history. It focuses on how Everest went from being a mountain a few people attempted to climb, to being one just a few daring and skilled people famously summitted, to a challenging but attainable peak that almost anyone who had the dream of standing on the top could do with the right help.

The right help, of course, is the many companies that make up the guiding industry. It started off as a few small organizations run by Western men who could help people who were pretty skilled but could use the support provided by experts who knew their way around Everest. Those companies got larger and a few more got in on the action, and it became known that pretty much anyone who had a dream to stand atop Everest could do it thanks to these businesses. (Indeed, Krakauer’s complaint, as well as others’, was that there were simply too many people on Everest, and definitely too many people who didn’t belong because of limited experience and skills.)

Now, decades later, it’s mostly shifted to being about the same number of companies, but they are run by locals, as opposed to Westerners. They are still getting a lot of people, from all around the world, safely up the mountain.

Everest, Inc. starts, as one would expect it to, with the early attempts and successes of summiting Everest. Mallory, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. It moves on with some stories of the men (and a few women) who really focused on Everest, and some who learned their way around other famous summits, whether the 14 8,000-meter peaks or the Seven Summits (the highest peak on each of the continents). Richard (Dick) Bass plays a big part of the story at the beginning, as he was a huge reason many people in the US and around the world got an inkling that “normal people” could think about climbing that distant high peak.

Cockrell does, of course, include in Everest, Inc. the story of the May 1996 season and the events that led to Krakauer’s book becoming such a hit. It’s interesting to read this part of Everest, Inc. because it’s been almost 30 years now and a lot has happened since then. And while many, many people have read Into Thin Air, they may not have kept up with what’s happened on the mountain or in the guiding industry since. Cockrell does so much research and interviewing of other climbers and guides that he is able to put that famous book into context now, both because there’s much more to compare it with in these decades and because Krakauer did have some particular opinions from his experience that all his readers assume are essentially facts. And that’s not the case.

Cockrell moves forward from that time up until today, guiding readers through other years that had some disasters (natural and not) and issues that could have potentially stopped the guiding industry on Everest, until now, when it seems clear that for the near future, at least, guiding many “regular people” to summit this tallest peak is a fairly safe endeavor. And it’s now moved from being a Westerners’ industry to one run by Sherpas and others native to the nearby area.

The writing in Everest, Inc. is measured and balanced and, again, clearly well-sourced. And it’s compelling. I was swept up in the fascination of this tallest of all earthly mountains even though the book isn’t as cinematic and thrilling as Into Thin Air. I suppose that is because I’m the reader who has already had that kind of groundwork laid for me. If I hadn’t, this book may not be nearly as interesting. But again, since so many have read Krakauer’s bestseller, Cockrell has a very large pool of prospective readers who will be interested in this account, just as I was.

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Everest, Inc.: The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World by Will Cockrell chronicles the history of the tourism industry on Mt. Everest. Mr. Cockrell is a published published writer, mostly for outdoor and adventure magazines.

This was a very interesting, and informative book, shattering some cliches which have been around for decades. The industry around Mt. Everest has blossomed since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered the 29,032 foot mountain.

Since then, almost 12,000 people have summited Mr. Everest, according to the author. Many of these have paid six-figure fees, lived in luxury in a huge tent city in base camp, used pre-fixed ropes, and had a personal guide push/pull them to the top. Nevertheless, Everest, Inc. by Will Cockrell does not minimize the effort and mental fortitude it takes regardless of the help.
Frankly, if I had the money I’d go as well, and am still thinking I should have gone decades ago when the trip was less expensive.

The man mostly responsible for the industry is Dick Bass. A rich Texan who threw a lot of money into submitting the seven highest peaks on each continent. Once “Large Mouth Bass” started telling his amazing story, climbing the mountain captured the public’s imagination.

The famous 1996 accident, covered exhaustively in the media, and chronicled in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air has been a boon to the Everest guiding industry. The possibility of death and danger lit people’s imagination and boosted the whole business.

Mr. Cockrell believes that commercializing Everest is a good thing, the top five guiding companies are Nepalese. It still takes weeks of effort, is still dangerous, and provides an honorable living to many people, lifting them up from poverty. Not to mention, a profound, personal experience.

I really enjoyed reading the book, it’s well researched but I don’t think it was even handed. There are deep questions, mostly philosophical, which I felt were unanswered or skipped over.

I love Everest and I thought this book was so interesting. I loved the stories in it and will def recommend it to other fans of adventure writing.

A broad look at the history and establishing of Everest as a business. Where it was once an extreme dream, it became an easy get for the right price. A lot of players are covered briefly, some familiar names. Personally, it was not as appealing as more succinct writings and first hand accounts. Mountaineer junkies will want more. The sherpa culture and growth in the industry was an interesting subject covered throughout. Overall, a well rounded look at Everest.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

Earlier this year, I read Dixon, Descending, and was immediately interested in learning more about the climbing industry as a business. Everest, Inc. takes that deep dive and explains how, over the last century, climbing to Mt. Everest's summit has become BIG business. Before, it was basically reserved for elite alpinists, but now, with the help of professional experts and local Sherpas, amatuer climbers are able to reach the top of the world. While it's still a highly dangerous and risky aspiration, it's now attainable to a whole new sect of people.

While I have no desire to ever climb Mt. Everest, I really enjoyed reading about the journey of so many ambitious people. I felt like this book allowed me to live vicariously through others, and that was enough for me. It must be amazing to reach that summit, and I'm in awe of those do it!

EVEREST, INC. is an interesting and well-informed addition to the genre of alpinist tourism. Everest has captured many imaginations, mine included, and this book does a good job of outlining the history of Everest climbing and extreme mountaineering guiding. There were discussions of Sherpa exploitation and their attempts to empower themselves and take leading roles within the alpine guiding industry. This was a well-balanced and thoughtful exploration of the ongoing fascination and critiques of the high mountain tourism industry. Suffice it to say, the critiques will never dissipate, nor will the prospective clients in need of guides for their next thrill.

This was informative and clearly written, but it wasn't as engrossing as I hoped it would be, mainly because of the style and the organization (which I couldn't really figure out). But also because he was weirdly defensive of the industry being built on Everest, and weirdly critical of anyone who criticized it, and it just rubbed me the wrong way. The focus he gives the Sherpas and their growing control over the industry on the mountain that is in their country, not the world's, was great, but I can't explain it, I just felt weird about some of how he wrote this. I knew going in this wasn't going to be a narrative thrill ride like <i>Into Thin Air</i> and other disaster books (Cockrell and people he interviews are very critical of Krakauer, which also rubbed me the wrong way) but I wish it would have had some sort of thread for me to follow.

This is a well-researched, comprehensive look at the guided climbing industry on Mount Everest, shedding light on the dynamics between climbers, guides, and the mountain itself. There are interviews with many key figures in Everest history, such as Jimmy Chin and Conrad Anker, however there are often too many names it is hard to keep track. Additionally, the book often veers into opinion, which holds little weight.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading and watching mountaineering related books / documentaries. This was a delightful book covering key moments and mountaineers in the history of Everest. Great book to dive in and armchair climb.

Everest, Inc. is a synopsis of the history of guiding paying clients up Mt. Everest. From Edmund Hillary to Nims Purja, this book gives the reader an excellent synopsis of the history of expeditions over the past sixty years.

I really enjoyed this book. Reading Into Thin Air as a teenager made me fall in love with high-altitude mountaineering stories. The book is well-written and researched. There are a lot of interviews and facts gleaned from many different sources; at times it was difficult to keep everyone straight.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

My husband and I have watched every Everest documentary we can get our hands on, so when I came across this book I was very excited. I read many passages aloud to him.

This book was informative and shared many viewpoints, however, it was a little slow at times and I felt I had to make myself read it to finish it.

As a huge fan of mountaineering books, I was eager to read Everest, Inc. and am happy to say that it did not disappoint. Informative and interesting, a must for those who read adventure /mountaineering nonfiction.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reading copy.

I usually love Everest books and this is no exception.

This is such an informative book. I really enjoyed the background and the personal stories within story.

Really enjoyed it !

I really enjoyed this book at face value. It is informative and well reported. I listened to the audio and was all in on the narrator and overall experience. However, this book feels borderline racist. A lot of the opinions and writing about the Sherpa people made me double take. I also wasn't wild about how so many of the sources were Everest guides. It felt clear that they wanted to promote their businesses and say its not too crowded and everyone belongs on the mountain. The author was also pretty hard on people who chose not to be interviewed for the book (mainly Jon Krakauer and a alpinist named Nims). So yes, I enjoyed reading the book as a glimpse into a world I know nothing about, but wish parts had been very different.

Everest Inc. is a good, though not totally necessary, entry into the larger Everest library. As the subtitle suggests, author Will Cockrell focuses on the building of "an Industry at the Top of the World." It's a new angle, and the author does well with it, but the meat is largely comprised of voices and stories we've heard elsewhere by now, at least in fragments.

As can be true with non-fiction, it has a certain benefit of being the most recent of its kind published. Once through the well-trod histories covered by almost every Everest book, the author was able to mine more recent events (2016-2023) and present a stronger narrative of his own.

I would recommend the book to fans making their way through multiple Everest works, but would not recommend it as the singular read for someone with a fleeting interest — there are more compelling stories out there.

As someone who is a huge fan of Into Thin Air, and fascinated by these giant mountain climbs, I was really impressed by this book. I’ve never read such an in depth and “readable” book about the history of Everest climbing. I have always been a little jealous of those who had the fortitude to make it partway, or to summit mountains like Everest. These people have such strength and determination, willpower and apparently tons of money!

There are so many people discussed in this book, among the different climbing companies, that it is very difficult to keep track of who is who. I appreciated the appendix in the back to help keep track. It was written in a way that made it enjoyable, even though a ton of information was presented. It not only covers Everest but also touches on quite a few other big climbs and the Seven Summits in general. There are so many men involved that I really was glad to see that the author also covered the women that have made an impact in climbing.

This book really represented the highs and lows of climbing Mt. Everest. It described the beauty and the hard work that it demands, but it also shows the extreme danger and l what happens when tragedy strikes.

I was really impressed, and I thank Will Cockrell and Gallery Books for providing me with this copy to check out!

WHEW. Not gonna lie, this book primarily served to continue to feed my obsession with Everest. I had read Into Thin Air, watched both 2015 movies, and consumed a variety of media on Everest going into picking this up, but even as an Everest aficionado, I still learned a TON and had many highlightable moments while reading Will Cockrell's comprehensive history. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

I received this as an egalley from NetGalley.

I probably wouldn't have read this if not for a friend that is *very* into Everest. So knowing a little bit about the 'business' of climbing Everest I started this book with some interest. By the end of the book I was blown away by what humans and corporations have done to mountains around the world by turning it into status and a corporation. And still people keep dying doing something they don't have to do!

First, apparently I am on some 'non-fiction find myself in the mountains kick' because this is like the fourth book in the last 2 months that I have read on this topic. However, this time I switched it up and went outside the US for the mountain loving read.

This book has so much information, that at times I felt overwhelmed, or slightly dumb because this isn't really spoken about in normal conversations/on the news/ in classrooms.

I know Everest has always been "the" hike or "the" mountain, but I never realized how someone did it. To me, I just thought you went, you climbed, you came back. I didn't know there was an entire community and people in Nepal (Sherpas) who go along on these treks, and also work with Western companies (and then also created their own) to help people achieve the dream of climbing Everest.

This book was so insightful, and so much history as well. Great read.

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.