The main focus of this book is of course the catastrophic number of deaths on the northside of Everest in during 2006's climbing season. Heil takes the reader into several teams on Everest that season and attempts to explain outfitter ethics, individual personalities and "summit fever".

Although I found some parts of this book to be a bit disjointed I was fascinated with the details of the north side of Everest. No major ice field with towering seracs to cross under but instead the Tibetan side has a lengthy sharp ridge to straddle with a steep snowfield.

But it's the look into the season of 2006 as a whole that is the heart of this book and it is a cold look; one that has not improved since that spring.