Customer Reviews

Going Higher: Oxygen Man and Mountains

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a revised and expanded version of "Going Higher". The author has added additional text and illustrations. It is now even better than previous editions. Like Dr. Houston, I carry my altimeter with me on airplane flights. His observations match mine. Little do most passengers realize that the atmospheric pressure in the cabin may be the equivalent of the atmosphere at 7000 to 9000 feet.

Dr. Houston has written an excellent book on the effects of altitude on people. He reviews the history of mountain exploration, explains the physiological effects of the reduction of atmospheric pressure, and presents a practical guide for acclimitization to altitude. Whether you are going to ski in the Rockies or climb in the Himilayas, this is a useful and entertaining book. I also recommend "Altitude Illness" by Bezruchka

Probably the most elegant writer I've read who is a medical doctor, mountaineer, and renowned physiologist. Dr. Houston knows what it actually means to climb high mountains where the air is thin, oxygen molecules are few and far between, and the environment sometimes too difficult to imagine. This is where a great writer comes into his/her own. If you're considering "going higher" don't leave home without Houston!

As someone with a general scientific background, I found this book high on padding and relatively low on the content I wanted and was expecting - the author spends much time on the history of the subject and on the basic properties of air, leaving little space for details on the physiology and medical side of the subject. I have no medical education or qualifications, though I still found much of the actual medical text in the book over simplified and lacking in detail.

The book was received quickly and there was no problems with the sender.