5 comments about Two in the Far North.

1. This is perhaps the most inspiring and entertaining book I have read in years. Mardie Murie is to me the quintissential woman, a true feminist, and first female to graduate from the University of Alaska, who follows her own star while completely respecting the stars of others. Her prose is "luscious," intelligent, rich in imagry, and filled with honesty and joy. She writes about her life growing up in Alaska at the turn of the twentieth century, and how she transcends cold and harsh conditions to follow the love of her life, Dr. Murie, as he studies the caribou herds in Alaska's wilderness. She even finds breathtaking romance on this amazing life adventure, spreading her love of life and nature to everyone she encounters. I can't recommend this book enough!



2. I'd heard Margaret (Mardy) Murie's name in the same news and conversational circles as I'd hear names like John Muir, Barry Lopez, John McPhee - all among my favorite writers, scientists and naturalists - so when this book appeared in my stack of Christmas gifts this year I was really excited.
   
   Over the last several months I've picked up several books set in the northernmost corners of the world, some of them truly incredible stories of frontier exploration, survival and human endurance - and Murie's book did not disappoint.
   
   In Two in the Far North, Murie spends the first few chapters recounting her childhood in then-brand new Fairbanks, growing up in a modest cabin during winters that dipped, and often stayed, well into the -40s and -50s, and witnessing the growth of a burgeoning frontier town. Later, after graduating from the University of Alaska (she was the first woman ever to do so), she married Olaus Murie - a scientist studying the migration patterns of Caribou in remote northern Alaska. Together they set off for the Brooks Range to explore wildlife in areas like Bettles and Wiseman and the Old Crow River valley.
   
   Murie is considered by many to be the grandmother of the conservation movement, and much of the passion she had for this territory that later translated into her advocacy for wilderness protection were born in the stories of this book.



3. Well written essay of a life adventure in the wilds of ALASKA by devoted NATURE LOVERS---This is a must read book for Outdoor Enthusiasts !I sent a copy to my daughter& grand daughters--knowing that they would enjoy the experience of the writer & spouse and may experience a similar event.



4. I lived in Alaska for 20 years and found this to be one of the best, first books I read when I moved there.



5. Margaret Murie was ahead of her time when she explored Alaska. I fell in love with my state all over again. She did what most people only dream of nowadays. I admire her for her courage and strength, both as a wife and mother and as an explorer and naturalist. She also explored ANWR before it became the refuge. Anyone with doubts about opening ANWR should read this book.

5 comments about The Alaska Cruise Handbook: A Mile-by-Mile Guide.

1. I purchased copies of this handbook for both my husband and me as well as his brother and wife for our first time Alaskan cruise. It was interesting to follow our route on the included map and know what we were cruising by, as well as to anticipate what lie ahead. We were able to take wonderful photographs of lighthouses, etc. by knowing when to watch for them. We saw several people onboard with the books, and I would highly recommend it as a "must pack" item on an Alaskan cruise.



2. I bought this book because I was looking for information on the best things to do in each port, including kinds of excursions. The pictures were beautiful and there was a lot of great information on the history, but details on the excursions was very limited.



3. Wow what a book! Loved it so bought 2 copies for friends. To take the included map and read the book as you go "mile by mile" up the coast is fantastic! Since we are cruising next year, we purchased the book to see the pictures and read the info! No better compliment than to purchase other copies for other cruisers!



4. This is an excellent resource guide for anyone planning to travel to Alaska. I am a travel professional planning trips for clients and this book is a fascinating read and gives me some unusual insights to share with my clients:)
   
   It is easy to read - lots of photos and interesting facts about Alaska!
   
   Gabriele:)



5. This lavishly illustrated book, with an included map of the inside passage, is sold on cruise ships to supplement the sights the passengers are encountering along the way. It adds much detail about the history and culture of the splendid land from Seattle and Vancouver northward, particularly for the myriad coastal towns and harbors where cruise ships call or sail nearby. If you are looking for a dry listing of hotels, restaurants, and trinket shops, this is not the book for you. If you want to expand the sensory impact of your trip to Alaska, your money will be well spent on this companion guide.

2 comments about The Last Frontier: Incredible Tales of Survival, Exploration, and Adventure from Alaska Magazine.

1. "The Last Frontier" is an interesting collection of feature stories that originally appeared in "Alaska" magazine from 1935 until the present. They were chosen by the current editors of the magazine. The subject matter is quite varied, featuring outdoor adventure tales, life among the native people, wildlife exposes and much more. The stories are as varied as the people who inhabit the last great American wilderness.

   The caveat I would note for anyone interested in reading the book is that most of the stories are quite short, and because they were published for a then-contemporary audience, someone not familiar with local history or geography might sometimes get lost in the narrative. Also, "Alaska" started out as a sportsman's magazine, so a lot of the early stories are about hunting and trapping, which some people might not enjoy.

   Those cautions aside, "The Last Frontier" is a decent read for those who likes outdoor adventure stories.




2. I bought this book for stories about fishing, hunting, trapping, wilderness travel and "white knuckle" adventure. What I found was a book that covered a wide variety of topics, all relevant to Alaska but in some cases a little "tame" or mundane for the typical adventure reader.

   So, as is always the case, whether or not you'd like this book depends on your particular interests. I give it a high rating because it has something for everybody. In fact, the book contains almost 60 stories and if you find only 10 that you really enjoy the book is worth buying. I also rated it high because while every story is not a "gripping" adventure thriller, many of them are, and others are informative, entertaining or interesting in other ways.

   Among the more "riveting" stories are two about men surrounded or pursued by wolves; one about researchers on a frozen lake during an earthquake; one about a fisherman caught under a capsized fishing boat and one about a daring float plane rescue of men stranded in a deep canyon river. There is the obligatory "avalanche" story and another about a raging walrus, and several "big fish" stories.
   
   One or two stories deal with the psychological effects of prolonged isolated, wilderness living. Another, and one of my personal favorites, is a unique and revealing story about crime and punishment in the bush. It is entitled "Of Traps and Treasures--Klutuk."

   Another story, "My Sunset Moose" deals with the realization that time changes everything, and that for better or worse, change must be accepted. Another, "A Trapper Leaves the Country" deals with the same subject, in the same somber way, but in a different context.

   But my single favorite story is "A Few Mosquito Bites." I believe that any man or woman or any child old enough to understand simple language would enjoy this story about a man, his hybrid wolf-dogs and life in the wilderness. In fact, it would be worth buying this book just to get this story.

   But please don't think that every story is about men going hunting or fishing, or getting killed or maimed in the woods! Many are written by women about the extraordinarily tough and determined women who were attracted to life in the the world's last great wilderness and last free country!

   Lots of stories, lots of fun, easy reading. Recommended.

5 comments about Alaska's Wolf Man: The 1915-55 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser.

1. I read these type books on a regular basis & this one is head & shoulders above the rest. Captivating, interesting, & very informative. Well written & a true treasure. This should be included in the required reading for wolf relocation advocates & "Naturalists". Glasser has no axe to grind, simply tells of his adventures & experiences. I assure you, it is time & money well spent !



2. Excellent read ! I read mostly African based books, but put onto this from a friend now living in Juneau; thanks Scott! This is the "Capstick" adventures for Alaska !



3. Frank Glaser's story is a real, first hand look at Alaska in the early days. If you love Alaska and the wilderness, this is the book for you. Frank goes into the back-country and his adventures never cease as he traps, hunts, builds, explores and generally just checks things out. It amazes me that he is always so at ease, even in the most difficult of situations. He is the kind of guy you would just love to tag along with (if you could keep up with him!) His stories and accounts bring Alaska to life at a time when few tourists ventured into the back country. Jim Rearden has done a great job in compiling Frank's stories and amazing life. This book has given me a much greater appreciation of a great state...Wonderful Alaska! I doubt if anyone has ever experienced it like Frank Glaser.



4. A phenomenal book for all outdoors people and Alaska fans. The text flows very naturally. There is a lot of information on Alaskan nature and history.



5. I have lived in Alaska for 10 years and can't believe I just heard about this book. I bought it yesterday and have not been able to put it down since I opened it.
   
   Not only is it an excellent read but I am learning a lot of tips about wilderness survival. It is about the best adventure book I have ever read.

5 comments about Death in the Grizzly Maze: Th Timothy Treadwell Story.

1. Although this book cannot be tagged the Anti-Treadwell story, it represents the viewpoints of many professional biologists employed by Alaska and/or the federal gov. It is important to know both sides, and well worth your while to read this account. It may even explain some of the influences on Treadwell's death, although I am sure no one intended that. It is almost a rationalization offered in place of an apology. Go ahead - read it.



2. This book is the best of all, so far. I am not finished with the others I ordered yet. I was interested in the author's point of view of Mr. Treadwell. I was at first tempted to defend him, but at the end I found I agreed with the author's evaluation of him. I like books where you start out with one opinion and the writer turns your whole thought process around by the end. The descriptions of Alaska were breathtaking. I almost want to go there. Almost. I mean, there are bears, after all.



3. I was very grateful that Mike Lapinski took the time to investigate and write this book. It's well worth reading. His research and conversations with so many key people help clear up alot of rumor, bias and speculation. There is alot of valuable details that help clarify a broader, balanced viewpoint on Treadwell's life and final days in Alaska.
   I also appreciated the info concerning Amie, Tim's girlfriend. In the end, I think this book gives a more complete picture, filling in alot of blank spots and helping bring closure to a tragic event.



4. This book was a well written and very honest take on Timothy Treadwell's tragic story. While the author has compassion for Treadwell and values him as a human being, he does not sugar coat his behavior and actions that ultimately contributed to his death. A great read for bear enthusiasts and those interested in Timothy Treadwell. He seemed like a sweet, likable, but misinformed and troubled individual. May he rest in peace, along with his girlfriend Amie.
   
   A very tragic story, perhaps others can learn from it.



5. This book gets one star for its few photos depicting the bears and Treadwell; otherwise it is, without exception, a terrible read. The author is clearly biased in his painfully inept attempt to document the life, and death of Treadwell as he lived among the bears. The insideous message conveyed throughout the book (though the word insideous perhaps suggests that the author artfully IMPLIES his thesis rather PANIFULLY OVERSTATE)is that Treadwell acted foolishly among the bears and so died as a result of his actions....unfortunately it takes the author 165 pages to do so over and over and over again. Especially disconcerting is the author's gratuitous reconstruction of what actually happened during the attack (creative writing 101 perhaps). Interesting how the author is set upon a mission to ferret out the truth of the Treadwell story, yet fabricates Treadwell's demise all the way down to the huffing of the bears and a dramatic imaginative fight scene that he almost appears to enjoy writing. I would have prefered a more even-handed telling of Treadwell's story, not the knee-jerk anti-Treadwell reaction this book appears to be. Absolutely horrible read.

3 comments about Alaska (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I am a frequent Alaska tourist and have used several of the Eyewitness city guides in the past, so I was glad to see that they came out with this book. No one can touch Eyewitness for design and illustrations and their Alaska guide is no exception. Their maps are amazingly clean and functional. It is impossible to pick up this book and not get sucked into it.
   
   The guide is not as comprehensive as a Frommer's or Fodor's, but for me, who needs a listing of every restaurant and gift shop in an area. Eyewitness focuses on the can't-miss attractions and gives more than enough shopping and dining options to cover your stay in state. The information is in bite-sized chunks that are easily scanned and give a good overview to the areas you're visiting.
   
   If I had to say something against this guide it would be that it is so filled with photos that they need to be pretty small. When I flip through it and see these tiny images of areas I have visited, they just don't do justice to the scope of the landscape. But then, maybe this will just help you appreciate Alaska when you are there in person.
   
   If you or someone you know is going to Alaska for a vacation, get them a copy of this book. This is the best guide to the entire state I have found.



2. I enjoyed working with this seller who was very prompt. The book was used, but came in without any wear at all. Great stuff!!



3. I have used the Eyewitness guides for several other countries. The Alaska guide has the same beautiful color pictures but the city & tour info was nat as complete as some of the other guides. I ended up borrowing a Fodor's guide from a friendFodor's Alaska 2007 (Fodor's Gold Guides)

5 comments about The Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness.

1. This story grips you like an Arctic winter. It is hard to put down as Heimo Korth lives a storybook life subsisting 28 years in back country of Alaska as a trapper and frontiersman. James Campbell takes you through Heimo and his family's incredible story. If you have any sense of life outdoors or appreciation for living off the land, this award winning book is for you.
   
   Heimo and his family did it their way and Campbell's book celebrates their courage, difficulties and successes.



2. It is hard for me to realize that Heimo and his family live even today in the manner in which they live.The hardships they overcome daily as part of their everyday living shows the will that some people have and develop.I recommend this book highly and it has also made me realize that I am not so tough as I thought I was.



3. Really painted a good picture of what life was like living in the cold Alaskan wilderness.



4. There are not very many people I would like to meet, but Heimo and his family are at the top of my list. Fantastic story of some extraordinary folks.



5. The Final Frontiersman is the true account of the wilderness life of Heimo Korth and his family. Heimo grew up in Wisconsin but followed a dream to live in the bush in Alaska. Heimo is a "successful" subsistence trapper and hunter in the ANWR where you can freeze at -55 in the winter and the clouds of mosquitoes torment you in the short summer. The sun disappears for over a month in the winter and there is no night in summer. Heimo and his family spend most of the year in the bush where their nearest neighbor is more than a hundred miles away--human neighbor that is; bears, wolves, wolverines, caribou, and many other kinds of animals abound. Heimo is successful in the sense that he and his family survive, all except one. Theirs is a tough life, and Heimo is a tough but likable character.
   
   I enjoyed reading this book. The author, Heimo's cousin, has a direct, clear writing style and a good sense of pacing. The story reminded me in some ways of The Big House by George Colt: "Here is the story of my (extended) family and all my weird relatives" and like The Big House this book could have used extensive editing. We get too much detail about Heimo and his brood, who in fact are not really all that weird or exceptional after all.
   
   The author presents this work as a meditation on the meaning of wilderness and a vital but disappearing American way of life, but he never manages to infuse these issues of wilderness and the struggle to survive with a sense of metaphysical profundity. Heimo's work and life all come off as somewhat mundane, if exceptionally lonely and uncomfortable; even deprived and brutal (Heimo kills large numbers of furbearing animals for a living). In the end, the author failed to communicate why Heimo would choose such a life, or what about it is attractive. I got the sense that neither the author, nor Heimo's family, nor Heimo himself understand Heimo. He remains a discomforting enigma.
   
   Like The Big House, The Final Frontiersman is most interesting as an exploration of family and what it means to be involved in this most natural and troubling human institution.

5 comments about Alaska (Regional Guide).

1. It was bought as a gift and my Dad really liked the book. It was a great present for someone who is taking an Alaskan trip!



2. I just came back from the vacation in Alaska last night. I came from China one year ago and had this vacation all by myself. Thanks for this book, my trip was fantastic! I used this book for trip planning, like booking hotels. And I had it on my way always. Information in this book is very updated and really helpful. On the last several blank pages, I got some stamps of national parks, as well as contact information of many friends made in this trip. I'll keep this book, which will make me recall all the great details of my trip. And I will recommend this book all my friends who are interested in traveling in Alaska.



3. If you hitchkiking, backpacking or not using an RV that this is your book. If you using a RV, this book as little value.



4. Another really great book - typical of Lonely Planet quality. Shipped on time - I'm a happy camper.



5. I always buy Lonely Planet guides because they are great but I purchased this in August 2008 and was shocked to find it's a 2006...the costs of everything in the book are meaningless because it's so outdated. There are new tours, new prices not even listed in here. I was disappointed that Lonely Planet would sell such an old book and hasn't come out with a new edition since 2006.

5 comments about If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska.

1. Heather Lende writes the social column and obituaries for the small town paper in Haines, Alaska. You get to feel you know all of the residents there through her eyes and the columns she tells about that she has written. A book well worth reading. It will show you the joys and sorrows of a small town in Alaska and help you appreciate that small town where you may have grown up any where else.



2. I have been wanting to move to Alaska for about 15 years but my family won't come with me, so after the kids are through college and I have put in 20 years on my job, (I have 7 years to go) Haines, AK, here I come. During the past 15 years I have been reading about different towns in Alaska and there is always something that turns me off. Not one thing about Lende's descriptions about life in Haines has turned me off. I am sure this is the place for me. I am going to take a road trip in the summer of 2008 to Alaska and will definately spend time in Haines. I can't wait. One thing for sure, I won't be getting on any planes there until I am ready to go meet my maker.



3. Though I enjoyed reading about Haines and parts of this author's life, the preoccupation with death throughout this book was overwhelming. Death of relatives, strangers, friends, animals. Accidental death. Death by falling, by weather, by cancer, by boats sinking, by airplanes crashing. Fear of death. Near death. Funerals. Researching and writing obituaries. Anniversaries of loved ones dying. Even when it seems a chapter is going to be about a different subject, within a few pages it seems like death always sneaks in there.
   
   I'd like to see another book by this author, this time devoted to life and living, instead of death and dying.



4. Heather Lende is a freelance writer, commentator for National Public Radio, and obituary writer for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, Alaska. "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is a portrait of life in Haines--a small isolated Southeast Alaska town dominated by awe-inspiring wildlife, majestic mountains, and 1,800 people (give or take) who manage to tenaciously hold onto their rugged individuality yet know when to set their individuality aside for the sake of greater goods (e.g. families in need of assistance, strong relationships with neighbors).
   
   Lende writes from a first person perspective and thus Haines life is told from her idiosyncratic point of view. Many anecdotes revolve around Lende's vocations of stay-at-home-mother, school board member, member of the local Episcopal church, environmentally-conscious citizen, and (especially) obituary writer. As she presents Haines life from these angles, she often juxtaposes the complex emotions surrounding Haines. She presents examples of the breathtaking beauty of her town, but then tells the story of how their son almost died of appendicitis as they raced through a blizzard to a Canadian hospital. She writes about her divisive attempt to institute a mandatory gay sensitivity workshop at the local high school, but then writes about the unity she experienced with one of her most bitter rivals as they cooked a benefit meal together to help defray the medical bills of another town resident. She effectively shows that life in Haines, Alaska, is as complex as life anywhere.
   
   A major theme running through "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is death--or to be more accurate, the cycle of life. This should not be surprising since one of Lende's vocations is that of obituary writer (and every Haines death gets a full treatment). Writing about "good deaths" for people who lived life fully to a ripe, old age is easy; writing about a twenty-year-old who drowns when his fishing boat sank isn't nearly as easy; why? Each death is totally unique; each death fits the pattern of life-and-death that had been established since the world began; how is this reconciled? And then, how do the related issues of birth, ageing, growing, loving, and how one spends his life come into play? Lende manages to be poetically reflective even while she avoids the temptation of being simplistic about death. She allows it to be mysterious, fearsome, natural, and expectedly complex. Even still, her last chapter, "I Am Not Resigned" surprisingly ties up a lot of running themes and brings a feeling of completion without presenting "solutions."
   
   In my reviews, I try to present both positive and negative aspects of any book. For this book, Lende's memoirs, it is difficult to condemn her life experience. I never get the sense that Lende is being less than totally truthful (even when she portrays herself in a bad light). This reader appreciates her honesty, even to the point of admitting that those on different sides of various "issues" have valid points. Being one on the other side of these various issues, I do have trouble identifying with Lende at times. Crying, she comforts herself by imagining a future in which a homosexual from Haines becomes President of the United States; when writing an obituary of a Tlingit, she is overcome by "white guilt" because of what all the "people who look like her" have done to American Indians; she indulges in religious pluralism as she is a leader of her Episcopal church, seems to believe Tlingit creation stories, writes laudably about a wedding in which the "eternal spirits of the universe" are invoked, writes equally highly about a totally secular wedding, and experiences the joy of praying the Rosary. With all of these, this reader and Lende are so far apart, that I simply can't put myself in her shoes and say, "I understand what you're feeling, even if I disagree."
   
   However, as previously mentioned, this is Lende's life experience and it is well told. I was fascinated as she mused on life during the winter months (where the sun doesn't rise until 9:30 and sets by 3:00!) and summer months (where the sun stays out well past midnight!). Her relating tales on the process of smoking fish, picking wild berries, raising chickens, cooking meals for thirty from scratch, and the like are fascinating. She succeeds in getting this reader to envision what living in Haines would be like...and in fact envy the people of Haines (until I remember the lack of hospitals and winter sun). In all, this book is highly recommended as it provides a great balance of enjoyment and forces to the reader to contemplate things common to us all--life, death, family, vocation, and what's really important.



5. I lived for several years in Alaska and my wife thought I would enjoy this book, which she got through Paperback Swap. I read the book during a recent illness and only finished it because I felt I had to, not because there was any epiphany to be gained in the last few pages. I realized this early-on, but kept reading only to learn more of the well-described and interesting people that are part of Lende's social circle. Alaska seems to bring out the best some of its citizens- and I have known some really funky and admirable Alaskans. A story about them or folks like them would have been a better goal for Lende. She has the talent to pull-it-off and she certainly has the presence of mind to jot-down relevant comments made by others. Her recollection of quotes and comments borders on the spooky. I wonder if her friends will ever be so frank again. Her ability to use quotes to capture a "life" is exceptional.
   
   This book could have been edited better. A good editor would have guided Lende in a more cohesive arrangement of her content to support any one of the supposed goals of the book: a narrative about death as it shapes how we view life, a first-hand account of life in small-town Alaska, a collection of profiles of Alaskans, how marriage is shaped by life's experiences and challenges, the development of the conflict between her secular (permissive) view of social freedom and the role of prayer and religion in her life, how liberal or conservative views shape a culture or a small community in the face of modern challenges, or a narrative that explores gritty details of life from the feminine (or maybe liberal) perspective. Any of these goals would have been admirable, but not all at once. A good editor would have made her choose, and fully develop it. What she created was a collection of disjointed vignettes, with a heavy overlay of first person. It is readable and fun, but not a very important literary achievement.
   
   Her technique of using the Duly Notes column as a launching pad for each chapter was interesting, but not very helpful to the reader, since those details were not further developed by the examples in the following chapter. Further, the digressions placed in the middle of her profile-obituaries seemed like more of a distraction rather than a technique to introduce or bolster some larger meaning. Heather Lende's story about Haines is really a first-person memoir. All the vignettes, obituaries, and profiles seem to provide some direct reflection on Lende or her family, or seem to be used to validate her own social or political viewpoints. So it is not as much about Haines as it is about Lende's perception of how Haines reflects on her life. A true narrative about Alaskan life would have less first person pronouns in it. Her view of Haines is one from privilege; though it is endearing to read her self-critical commentary during her visit to the trailer of a native (in her Patagonia jacket) it falls short for the very effort she uses to convince us that she is trying to understand. Sensitivity towards modesty would have prevented her from dropping "elite" details of her life that set her apart from the mainstream. Those very details betray her motive.
   
   As other reviewers have mentioned, her version of Haines, and of small town life in general, is one of a well-healed community leader in one of the best places to live if your are a millionaire. But not everybody there will be a millionaire - we can expect a full-on pluralistic society. I imagine few folks in Haines have the resources to be flying in and out of Alaska as often as she does - even if you stretch all those trips over 15 years. Her story might make me want to visit Haines again, but what would I find? A town of "haves" and "have nots" So this book is a "teaser" in many ways. It trades the neutral excellence of a John McPhee with first person impressions of a narrator that gives us just enough of her opinion and emotion to betray her own credibility. You want a piece of Heather's Haines, but you'll never get it because you can't afford it.
   
   I recommend others read this book, but not because it will give them some Alaskan Lake Wobegon fix. Read this book to get a voyeur's glimpse of what small towns look like from an ivory tower viewpoint. Just don't be teased into believing it is possible to have it yourself.
   
   M.A.'s husband, Chris

4 comments about The Accidental Explorer.

1. Sherry Simpson's earlier essay collection, The Way Winter Comes, was topnotch. The Accidental Explorer is even better. Her voice has mellowed some since her last book, and this seasoning imparts a difficult wisdom--the price of living an examined life. Two of the essays, "Impedimenta" and "Fidelity," are more than worth the price of the book. Excellent.



2. The more I read her work, the more convinced I become that Sherry Simpson is not only Alaska's most accomplished essayist, but that she ranks among the best in the nation. The latest proof is The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska. At one level, this collection of 10 personal essays recounts memorable trips into Alaska's wild places (most, but not all, emphasizing her own travels), written by a person who thinks hard about things, is willing to take risks, and has a wonderful talent for self-deprecating humor and story telling. The remote areas she writes about range from Glacier Bay to Denali National Park, the vast flatlands of the Yukon River basin, and an imposingly wild stretch of the Alaska coast that remains unnamed. But the specific places aren't as important as her experiences, lessons learned, questions raised, and the ideas that Simpson mulls in that restless, roving, worrisome mind of hers. Early on she admits to being a fretter. The reader gains as much, if not more, from her fretful and inquisitive mind as from the adventures themselves.
   
   As with the best of essays, these are multi-layered gems. Besides sharing her sometimes funny, other times sad or disconcerting, occasionally frightening, and always humbling passages through Alaska's wilds, Simpson writes movingly and unflinchingly about home and family. One of the strongest essays, I think, is "Fidelity," which in large part reflects upon about a troubled time in her marriage and the importance of what endures. In fact home and wilderness - and various notions of each - are juxtaposed against each other throughout the book and that juxtaposition creates one of the book's delicious tensions. Simpson is also fascinated by both the Euro-American explorers (many of them military men) who made the earliest Westernized maps of Alaska, and Alaska's Original Peoples, who created their own internal maps of the landscape while building a far more substantial and lasting relationship with the places they have come to know over the millennia. Both "The Mapmaker" (which focuses on mapper-and-explorer-turned-homesteader Bill Yanert) and "Hypothetical Geographies" take the reader to unexpected terrain as they consider the various ways we humans "map out" new territories and homelands. There's lots more here: the importance of stories, the dangers of not paying sufficient attention to advice, instincts, or the landscape itself (death and the specter of death are frequent elements of the stories, including a wonderfully provocative piece on Chris McCandless, of Into the Wild fame - or notoriety - in "A Man Made Cold by the Universe"); and the internal tensions carried by a writer who wonders "how could I ever reconcile this constant restlessness with the desire to know and love one place?" The essays superbly blend Simpson's personal idiosyncrasies with larger questions about discovery, longing, imagination, and how it is that each of us finds - or seeks to find - his or her own place in the world.
   
   A final thought: I'd previously read (and in one case, heard) versions of five of the essays included in this collection; and I found each to be powerful and illuminating this time around. In short, these are essays you can return to again and again, and take away some new insight or delight. That's essay writing at its best.



3. You could live in London all of your life, and never see Buckingham Palace. You could live in Washington D.C., and never see the White House. You could live in Alaska, and never see the beautiful wilderness that surrounds you - and that's what happened to author Sherry Simpson. "The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska" is her tale of accidentally discovering the vast natural wonder surrounding her during an epic solo hike across it all, despite not being much of a seasoned hiker. Written with humility versus the nature that she is simply a simple city girl facing vast odds, "The Accidental Explorer: Wayfinding in Alaska" is highly recommended for any true adventure collection and for anyone who wants to read a tale of explorer about someone who is not so much unlike them.



4. This is an excellent book, a fine collection of musing and description, memoir, history, and self-revelations of an honest, restless, soul-searching, funny, self-deprecating, cerebral Alaskan woman in rubber boots. As a fellow "grew-up-in-the-Alaskan-wilds" writer, I appreciate her work as that of a kindred spirit, but I think readers will appreciate her work no matter where they live or how they grew up.
   Of special note: her essay about the "Into the Wild" kid, and her non-(very Alaskan) pilgrimage to that bus, the descriptions of hapless Outsiders in search of Truth while locals sneer. Her encounters with bears and discomforts are right on, very authentic in affect. Her respectful, erudite delving into the Native Alaskan historical, linguistic and cultural layers of the ancient land is superb and deep. This book is a keeper.