New book finds: Jamling Tenzing Norgay and Dougal Haston

At least 3 days a week, after lunch, I usually hang out in Booksale Megamall to check out if there are anything interesting and cheap in their collection. I also make sure to drop by any discount bookstores wherever I go (especially if I don't usually go to that mall or store). 

As to climbing-related books, I think I have scored at least 8 dozen from these visits in the past decade. 

Today was a good day for book-hunting. 

Dougal Haston: The Philosophy of Risk - Writtend by Jeff Connor, it's a biography of the legendary Scottish climber, who died in an accident in 1977. I've read about him and his exploits from other books, but I can't say I know him that well. (Got it from Booksale Megamall)

Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of the World - Jamling Tenzing Norgay, as you may already know, is the son of Tenzing Norgay (no further introduction required). This is his recollection of his 1996 climb to the top of Mt. Everest--just like his father did 43 years before him--and his take on that disastrous season. The book's introduction (written by Into Thin Air's Jon Krakauer) promises more than just a re-telling of the disaster from just another point-of-view. The book offers a unique perspective on climbing, written by a Sherpa, and a Sherpa "royalty" at that. 

I saw this book when we went to Nepal two years ago. I didn't have enough money or baggage space after our climb so I skipped buying it. This copy was hidden in the back shelf at Books For Less in Centris, and was a bit expensive (relative to how much I usually pay). But if I didn't buy it now, I would be slapping myself in regret in the future.  

As with the other books in my growing collection, the problem now lies in the actual reading. Not reading at least half of the books in my shelves has made me an official hoarder. But I will stand by my reasoning for buying more than I can peruse: I may have more time in the future to read all these, but I might not have the chance to see it again in the bookshops. 

Lame excuse, I know.