Into The Wild

By Jon Krakauer

Genre: Narrative Non-Fiction/Biography/Autobiography

Via: Library

There’s a reason Jon Krakauer is a bestselling author of narrative nonfiction. If you’re unfamiliar with  Krakauer, then consider picking up a copy of his book Into The Wild. It’s an excellent introduction into the work of this crack investigative journalist as he pieces together the life and death of Christopher McCandless (aka: “Alexander Supertramp”).

The 4-1-1

The son of a well-off family, McCandless disappeared after graduating from college. He donated his $25,000 in savings to charity. Abandoned his car and most of his possessions. Burned all the cash he had. McCandless chose to become a “leather tramp,” relying on hitchhiking as his primary mode of transportation (as opposed to a “rubber tramp,” someone who travels on wheels).

Essentially divested of all connections to civilization, McCandless sets off across the country with his sights set on his “great Alaskan adventure.” Intending to spend the summer alone in the bush, living off the land, McCandless walked into the Alaskan wilderness in April 1992. Along with his meager possessions, McCandless carried a pair of borrowed boots, a guide book on edible plants, and a ten pound bag of rice.

He was found dead by moose hunters four months later. He weighed 67 pounds. What may have happened to McCandless and why makes up the balance of this riveting read.

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