Context
The book Into Thin Air originally began as a magazine article. Outside Magazine sent Krakauer, an experienced mountain climber, to write an article about the commercialism surrounding Mount Everest. Krakauer got the magazine to agree to pay for him to attempt to summit the mountain—something he had always dreamed of doing—rather than reporting from Base Camp, as was the original arrangement. After writing the magazine article, Krakauer wasn't finished telling the story. He continued researching and contacting other climbers, revising existing information and supplying new, more thorough details of the account.
