Books: Into the Wild

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Into The Wild Book Cover

Into the Wild is a true story about a screwed-up kid who read way too much Jack London and got all obsessed with the Alaskan wilderness. So, he goes to Alaska, where the wilderness promptly kills him.

What made the book interesting to me, is that this sort of thing apparently happens to people all the time. There is a chapter about some guy who did the same sort of thing in the Dakota Badlands, and the author even tells his own story about how he got obsessed with climbing the Devil’s Thumb and almost fell off.

As a cubicle-bound office schlub, I often fantasize about selling the house, quitting the job, and moving into the woods to become a curmudgeonous mountain hermit. Of course I don’t actually do it, but it’s kind of nice to hear about the people who do.

Since it tends to be a fatal decision, I suppose I’ll stay in my cubicle for a bit longer.

Anyhow, I give Into the Wild 5 Jihadis out of 5

5 Jihadis out of 5

4 thoughts on “Books: Into the Wild

  1. Buck

    If you were to live in the woods the same way you fly a kite, you would be dead in two minutes. In other words, CRASH & BURN.

  2. I remember seeing a documentary on this story – the bus tipped me off. I’ve read a couple of Krakauer books. I’ll have to pick this one up.

  3. Girtong

    I hate to disagree with Girtong however I must… I see no point in making a martyr out of this kid. He had issues with his parents. To get back at them he ran off and made everyone listen to his Alaskan desires. Along the way he used a lot of people. I’m sure when he realized he was starving accidentally, that the self induced attention wasn’t worth it. He should have taken some of daddy’s money and seen a shrink…. Whatever…

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