When authors give shout outs to other great works, people, and events, it's usually not accidental. Put on your super-sleuth hat and figure out why.
Literary and Philosophical References
- Jon Krakauer (20.132) (Back when he still respected Mortenson)
- William Butler Yeats, "The Second Coming"
Historical References
- Sir Edmund Hillary (5.30; 11.34)
- Tenzing Norgay (5.31)
- Bill Clinton (17.35)
- Mother Teresa (18.69)
- Donald Rumsfeld (19.91; Chapter 21)
- Condoleezza Rice (19.91)
- Colin Powell (19.91)
- George W. Bush (20.63)
- Osama Bin Laden (first reference Chapter 20)
- Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (22.29)
Pop Culture References
- Field of Dreams (1.10)
- Oprah Winfrey (5.2)
- Susan Sarandon (5.5)
- Tony Bennett, "I Left my Heart in San Francisco" (11.47)