Review by Booklist Review
Graham is a survivalist who has lived in the jungles of Kauai, the rain forest of Costa Rica, and the deserts of California. In this fascinating book, he chronicles several pilgrimages across the U.S., relying on his own sense of survival and lessons learned from Native Americans and nature itself. He details his 58-day trek on the 1,600-mile Pacific Coast Trail, a 65-mile single-day run from Death Valley to the Sierras, and his close call with death in a snowdrift at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. All along the way, he denies himself the comforts of modern-day outdoor outfitting, often running barefoot or shod only in sandals made of tires or yucca fibers. He survived by consuming pine tea, berries, fish, and roadkill. Interspersed throughout, Graham offers drawings and diagrams for constructing tools and other equipment. He credits his survival to his close connection to the earth and his deep spirituality, including a vision quest at one point in his journey. Graham details a spartan life; though he was not always lonely, his lifestyle took its toll on friendships and romantic relationships. Readers interested in environmental consciousness and survival skills will appreciate this account of the joys and trials of the hunter-gatherer life.--Bush, Vanessa Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
Intended to expound upon the philosophical aspects of a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and the negative effects of modernization on society rather than offer an instructional manual for survival, this work strives to give listeners a taste of a radical, daily mode of living based on harmony with and survival in nature. Though not designed to be a practical guide for those who wish to enhance backpacking and camping experiences, listeners will glean from the text many useful facts and tips related to hunting, gathering, weapons making, and surviving in the wilderness. To get to these facts, however, listeners will have to wade through quite a bit of unvaried thought and description. While Graham states that he wants to pre-sent his views without judgment, he tends to denigrate life choices of less conviction. Possibly this is caused by poorly constructed discussions with constant repetition of both concepts and specific vocabulary. Unfortunately, Tom Perkins's narrative performance matches neither the honest reverence for the environment nor the intensity of spiritual beliefs felt by Graham. Other than in a few instances, Perkins seems removed from and even disinterested in the content. VERDICT A supplemental purchase for those audiobook collections with large nonfiction components or with many patrons interested in survival.-Lisa Youngblood, Harker Heights P.L., TX © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
