Litsy

The Last Empty Places: A Past and Present Journey Through the Blank Spots on the American Map | Peter Stark

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Using the nighttime satellite map of the US as a jumping off point, Stark looked for some of the darkest places. He went to 4 of them and here recounts his own travels, some history of those places, and some of the American giants (Muir, Leopold, Thoreau) who helped shape early conservation thought. I really liked this.

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Blueberry

Sigurd F. Olson's Wilderness Days | Sigurd F. Olson

Enjoying the warm temps outside before the season cools down for good. Listening to either squirrels or birds scratching in a very tall tree next to me. Strawberry Acai Refresher by my side.

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@AlldeBooks
@TheBookHippie
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TheBookHippie 💙💙💙💙💙💙 3w

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Doppoetry

Into the Wild | Jon Krakauer

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I'm not really sure what to think of all of this, overall, but I do believe that if this young man had listened to advice, taken precautions, and been better prepared, he would have been able to survive. I think we share a lot of personality traits and opinions, but at the same time, for being so academically smart, he made some foolhardy choices that led to his demise.

Texreader I love Krakauer‘s writing. He‘s so good. And your review is spot on. 2mo

Doppoetry @Texreader Thank you! Krakauer really put things into a neutral perspective and covered it from all sides. Overall, I do think of this as a tragedy. 2mo

Texreader @Doppoetry It really was a tragedy. And that‘s why I think Krakauer is so good. He can tell a compelling and interesting story without injecting himself. 2mo

Doppoetry @Texreader agreed! 2mo

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Blueberry

Wilderness Days | Sigurd F. Olson

Up next. I hope it's a feel good book.

Tamra I just heard an MPR story that referenced Sigurd Olson. 😁 2mo

Blueberry @Tamra Interesting. I'll try to look it up. 2mo

Tamra It was in reference to MN nature observer writer Helen Hoover. New NF is out about Helen. https://northshorejournal.co/news/author-david-hakensen-on-the-life-of-helen-hoo... 2mo

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Robotswithpersonality

Way of the Hermit: My Incredible 40 Years Living in the Wilderness (Original) | Ken Smith

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A bit more of a guide than a memoir, you get a more straightforward introduction to Smith's early years, a brief account of his journeys in the wilderness, primarily in Canada (felt ridiculously proud of his admiring descriptions of BC), prior to settling in one wood. But the story of his time at Loch Treig is divided more along the lines of what is essential to think about/know/do if you contemplate this lifestyle, especially in the Scottish 1/?

Robotswithpersonality 2/? Scottish Highlands. The way of the hermit, indeed.
I love that what shines through clearest in all of his advice and reminiscences is strongly valuing kindness, generosity, and conservation. Much as he may have found more peace without the crush of an urban population, he is quick to acknowledge all those people who have helped him along his way. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 3/? That gratitude extends to the land he's lived on, it's beauty and bounty, and a consistent, conscientious, somewhat mournful focus on the need to tread lightly, the ways the local climate, ecosystem has changed linked to an understanding of this being a microcosm of the larger environmental concerns of today.
2mo

Robotswithpersonality 4/? There's a bit of 'old man yells at cloud' in his perspective, unable to reconcile the idea that people might enjoy a city life or a desk job, and as passionate as he is in championing nature, I do wish he seemed more optimistic about rewilding efforts in the U.K. Especially as you see him move from a ghillie aiding in deer stalking (aka helping people hunt deer on the estate because indigenous predators have been wiped out, 2mo

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Robotswithpersonality 5/? and population control of deer is necessary to maintain the health of the local ecosystem) to someone who is relieved his advancing age removes him from those staff who have to kill the animals - though he laments that he can no longer fish in the loch, as it is now experiencing it's own population concerns.
2mo

Robotswithpersonality 6/? There are sections of the book that I wish had gone into more detail, where we might have gained a bit more of his inner thoughts/life than a description of events, but the book at this size does make better odds that more people will pick it up. I do also wonder, now that I know there was a documentary, The Hermit of Treig, about this man that pre-dates, indeed partially inspired this book, if that might cover his life in a different way. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 7/? Overall, I think you can take inspiration from the way he's lived his life, without, as he himself states, going as far as he did. He does acknowledge when his life choices were risky, but urges and exemplifies caution a great deal more. Nevertheless, his scale of toughness means the average reader will probably be a little stunned at what he occasionally shrugs off. 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 8/? There is humour and humility and resilience. A good read physically or on audio.
Definitely a collaborative effort, as Smith had Millard's assistance in writing the book, and Dean Williamson narrates the audiobook. Unsure of the origins of the accent, but it works to tell this story. I should mention, there are differences between physical book and audio, I assume the audio is based off the UK written version, with a fair amount of local 2mo

Robotswithpersonality 9/? parlance thrown in, and it's obvious the written version I've got has been revised to substitute more North American synonyms. I found the foreign slang utterly charming, while also being grateful for a reference with more familiar terms to translate. ☺️ Can highly recommend the tandem reading experience for my fellow North American readers.
2mo

Robotswithpersonality 10/10 ⚠️Loss of parents, discussion of depression, animal death, mention of injury, suicide, cancer diagnosis and treatment 2mo

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