In the book, Krakauer attempted to piece together the factors that led to the disaster, questioning the qualifications of some guides to tackle Everest, casting doubts on whether they acted responsibly, and outlining errors in judgment by two team leaders.
書中試圖綜合探討山難原因，作者對若干嚮導專業素養和責任的質疑、上述二隊隊長判斷上的失誤等多所著墨，多年來不斷引發爭議和筆戰。