"Magnificent! A compelling, fast-paced novel that reveals a rarely seen dark side of Everest. A must-read!"-James W. Huston, New York Times bestselling author of The Blood Flag The view from 8,848 meters isn't always clear. Even after eight successful summits, Mount Everest guide Neil Quinn can't handle anything the mountain throws his way. Disaster strikes steps from the top, leaving him with a very old swastika-embellished ice axe that should never have been so high on the mountain-not if Everest's meticulously documented history is accurate. Danger doesn't stop at the descent. When he heads back to Europe, blackballed and alone, he struggles to discover the truth about this lost relic. Quinn's investigations soon have neo-Nazis, assassins, and history buffs vying to take possession of the axe-proof of Nazi alpine superiority, and strong evidence that a German climber was the first to summit Mount Everest. Beautifully written and meticulously researched, Summit follows two climbers across two continents as their stories intertwine across history, culminating in one final push for the top of the world. "Gripping...Farthing vividly depicts the challenges of mountain climbing."-Publishers Weekly

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.

World-class rock climber Todd Skinner is also one of today's most sought-after motivational speakers for business audiences. Whenever he describes his history-making sixty-day free climb of the 20,500-foot Trango Tower in the Karakoram Himalayas (shown on the jacket), people are in awe of his stamina, skill, ambition, and determination. They are also eager to apply his lessons in their professional and personal lives. Skinner argues that everyone has a mountain to climb, whether it's meeting your annual sales target or launching a new product or getting your department to improve its teamwork. And he stresses that you should set your goals even higher than you normally would, and constantly look beyond the current summit to the next one. For instance, instead of aiming for 10 percent revenue growth, go after a seemingly impossible 50 percent target, and then think of new ways to get there. In both rock climbing and business, you must define your exact mission, assemble the right team, make the critical transition from preparation to action, have courage when crossing difficult terrain, and weather the storms well. Skinner offers fresh insights into all of these topics and explains principles such as: how you think is more important than what you know pick teammates for what they will do, not what they have already done make decisions in answer to the mountain fall toward the summit see each challenge as part of a bigger picture, your lifelong ascent Beyond the Summit presents fresh and inspiring advice on leadership, teamwork, and decision-making skills, combined with an epic adventure tale.

"I'm someone who will push you beyond all reasonable limits. Someone who will ask you not to just fulfill your potential but to exceed it. Someone who will expect more from you than you may believe you are capable of. So if you aren't ready to go to work, shut this book." --Pat Summitt Pat Summitt, head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols, was a phenomenon in women's basketball. Her ferociously competitive teams won the NCAA championship in 1996 and 1997 and made her the winningest coach in NCAA Division 1 women's history. Summitt wrote the first motivational book by a high-achieving female coach. In Reach for the Summit, she presented her formula for success, which she called the "Definite Dozen System." In each of the book's twelve chapters, Summitt talked about one of the system's principles--such as responsibility, discipline, and loyalty--and showed how to apply it to your own situation. Pat Summitt used her own remarkable story as a vehicle for explaining how anyone can transform herself through ambition. Through many amusing anecdotes and a few very painful memories, she revealed her mistakes and triumphs as a beginning basketball player, as an Olympic athlete, as a Division 1 coach, and as a mother. Although Summitt was not born to the easy life--she was born into a hard-working farm family in a remote corner of Tennessee--she became one of the most successful and highest-paid coaches in the country. She candidly talked about how she turned her losses into wins and then showed how you can do the same. Wonderfully entertaining and brilliantly instructive, Reach for the Summit discloses the winning secret to building a principled system and making it to the top at whatever you do. Pat Summitt's story will motivate you to achieve in sports, business, and the most important game of all--life.

Tools and training to take you, as a business professional, straight to your peak potential--to benefit you, your family, and your customers

In a memoir by the first man to reach the peak of Everest, Hillary discusses the adventures that shaped his life, from the South Pole to the Ganges River.

Kids from all over North America vie to be the first youngest person to climb Mount Everest. When the final four reach the highest peaks, disaster strikes.