[Tishabet]

I'm a former professional guide, although not on 8,000 meter summits.
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I got to read "Into Thin Air" as a manuscript.
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89911: while I agree that climbing has changed significantly, especially on famous mountains like Everest, I would say it's more about what type of person is making the attempt. There was a time where you would not be able to get to these mountains without being invited to join an expedition, which meant you had to really have chops when it came to your mountaineering. This really started to change in the early 80s when Dick Bass shifted the equation to financial chops. So on that front, I agree with you.
However, your statement of "The have sherpas going ahead, laying lines, setting up camps, bringing up supplies, rigging ladders, so the clients can meander up at their own pace. Very disappointed and I would say if you spent $40k and didn't make it, you should feel ashamed. Absoulutely bares no resemblance to those that climbed it 20-30 years ago." seems to imply that the difference is partially about how much support is given to the climbers by sherpas, presupplied advance camps, etc. That is most definitely not the case; The use of massive manpower to supply camps further up the climb to set up one or two climbers to push for the summit has always been the way of big mountain mountaineering. Hillary, Messner, Wilcox, virtually all famous western mountaineers have summited 8,000 meter peaks using this method.