K2

During a 36-hour period in August 2008, 11 climbers died near the summit of K2, the second-tallest mountain in the world. In this book, the authors explore the reasons for this tragedy and six other fatal attempts to scale the peak. The book is instructive, but its premise robs it of some of the compelling nature of mountain-climbing narratives. Fred Sanders offers a clear reading of the work; he pronounces foreign names and exotic locations so easily that they never interfere with the flow of the work. He also uses pauses effectively to heighten the drama. But his able narration can't overcome the authors' condescending attitude about these accidents. R.C.G. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine