Customer Reviews:
 A study in crazy recklessness May 17, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
If you've been to Grand Canyon and visited any of the bookshops there, you'll probably know that this is the Park's bestseller. Although it contains no photographs inside, it contains many graphic accounts of the stupid deaths that have occurred over the years.
The victims aren't all American either -- a few Brits have also succumbed to the ridiculous assumption that Grand Canyon is as safe as Disneyland, and fallen hundreds of feet off the rim.
I've just come back from a holiday in the National Parks of the USA. In urban settings, America is as safety-conscious as the UK. But in National Parks such as Grand Canyon and Zion, there are no barriers in most locations. Thus as told in this book, Hannah Stehlin [...] was on the South Kaibab trail, and stopped to stroke a mule. She lost her footing and fell off the edge of the path, 150 feet to her death. (I could be wrong, but I don't believe there are any official footpaths in the UK with an unprotected sheer drop of 150 feet to one side.)
As other reviewers note, you can dip into this book in several different ways - either scanning the short summaries of every death in table form at the end of each chapter, or reading the full story of a selection of their deaths in the text beforehand.
I don't want to see dead bodies, but I believe this book would benefit from a few photos. Their absence is the only reason I couldn't award it 5*.
 Entertaining, with powerful messages April 22, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a superb read. Start at the beginning, or dip into the various sections, the choice is yours. You cannot help to be amazed at the foolhardiness of people entering a National Park expecting it to be 'safe' and backed up by instant rescue teams.
The differences of temperatures with altitude and time of day are usually ignored, along with the time required for the outward and return journey. Above all, the incredible lack of understanding of the need for water when hiking is highlighted time and time again ...It also seems that children are blessed with more common sense than adults when taking precautions in Arizona's greatest outdoor adventure park.
This book is packed with useful advice and detailed analysis of the events leading to the death in the canyon. The authors are very experienced and educated in all aspects of exploration of the canyon. If this helps to save further lives, then this can only be an additional recommendation for buying this superb resource.
fantastic December 21, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
i loved this book it was fantastic. I would reccomend reading it before you visit grand canyon you could be doing yourself a huge favour. i am about to read it again.
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