Jon Krakauer is the author of eight books, including Into the Wild, Into Thin Air (a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize), Under the Banner of Heaven, Where Men Win Glory, and Missoula. After graduating from Hampshire College in 1976, he worked as a carpenter and commercial salmon fisherman before embarking on a writing career. In 1999 he received an Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, whose citation said, “Krakauer combines the tenacity and courage of the finest tradition of investigative journalism with the stylish subtlety and profound insight of the born writer.” In the aftermath of the 1996 Everest tragedy that was the subject of Into Thin Air, he became involved with the American Himalayan Foundation to express his gratitude to the Sherpas who assisted him and others in that calamity. Krakauer serves as board chair of this extraordinary organization.