Into the Wild Great Book! It helped to understand why a person would want to do this. Very interesting. Also didnt know about the rest of them...............

This book was awsome. Chris McCandless is one of my true heroes and i was pleased to see this book came out after the small article about in in outdoor magazine. For anyone who like the movie, the book is 10 times better and more informative. i loved every minute i read of this book. GET IT.

This story shares a tale about life and death--real life and real death. Make no mistake, you know how this ends. But it's not the ending--it's the journey. It's about the people left behind, and the effect one soul can have when paths cross on the street called life.

I read few non-fiction books like this. I recommend fewer. But I humbly request you read this one.

Listen, learn, and live what Into the Wild tells you. It'll change the way you look at life.

Wolfe

I loved this story, and finished it in one sitting. How many of us ever dream of just dropping everything and going off, exploring nature and taking in the landscape around us, instead of the steady day to day rat race of life? I grew up into the area that Chris did, and can understand the pressures of competition, the hassle, and the need to just crawl inside yourself for awhile and be alone.
My only irritation with this story was the fact that the author cut in with his own. I see the author trying to compare his experiences in understanding Chris's thought process, but it was a deviation most distracting. It made things feel out of order and even took some of the punch out of the ending. I didn't feel the need of the authors interruptions and musings.

I read this book to my husband and while we finished it in about 4 nights, I can't say that I loved it. The author took to many opportunities to give mini biographies about other people, including himself, which I found irritating. Also, the author seemed to scour his dictionary for obscure words that the average college graduate and avid reader would not recognize. I ended up keeping a list of words I had never heard before and looked them up on Dictionary.com. And lastly, the kid was self absorbed and a real jerk to his family. Interesting because it is a true story, but...

I first picked up this book because of all the hype around the movie. I had not seen the movie and decided that I really wanted to check out the book before hand. All I needed to do was read the author's notes in the front to know that I had to read it.

Jon Krakauer's words stopped me from putting it down until the book was finished. I enjoyed how the book was woven together for good and bad on Chris Mc Candless's relationships. It made me appreciate my own experiences with people and helped me to understand how our approach to life has influences on those around us. Even when relationships are brief the outcome can be life altering.

Into the Wild is a great read. I could not put it down and I was happy that I read the book before seeing the movie.

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I give Krakauer credit for not musing more then he did and sticking to the facts he was able to uncover. It was an interesting and sad story. I think McCandless was presented in a reasonably honest manner but did not understand his character so could sympathize with the parents. At some point you let go and hope. In this case McCandless was interesting, intelligent, charming but not world wise practical. There just wasn't enough here for an entire book, albeit short. The story was longer then a magazine article but to write a book meant including details in greater length then I thought necessary to appreciate the story. I would have enjoyed the book more if the author has filled the pages with some detail of Alaska and the trouble others encounter and how Alaskans deal with the wild.

It seems to me that many have missed the point of this book by Krakauer, which is a journalistic assessment of a young man, not unlike many in today's up and coming generation, who views the world as a sort of extended Disneyland. McCandless' adventures are tainted by his own egocentric methods of refusing to listen to good advice, to learn anything useful about what he is planning to do (for many have done it before), and to literally avoid information that might help him prepare, all in an effort to naively increase "the adventure." It may be a sign of an ever-shrinking world, when those looking for the next adventures must heighten the effect of it by being intentionally naive about what they are doing, and by avoiding all guidance or knowledge. Those that cite McCandless as intelligent may be missing the point about intelligence. Intelligence is not something you gain in college, or that you are naturally gifted with from birth; it is a factor in how you deal with your own experience of the world. Intelligence is exactly what McCandless was lacking. He survives longer than he probably would have with even a slightly different turn of events. It is not too far to go to say that he had a latent suicidal tendency, a deathwish (his eating habits alone suggest this), and fulfilled it slowly over the course of a few years. What is dangerous in our attempts to make heroes of such young men, of such actions, is that in Romanticizing the death of these individuals we fail to see the difference when someone actually does perform beyond their capabilities to achieve selfless ends. Krakauer's book is a must read, but we must also read what its author is saying about the society that produces such new adventurers. This kind of faulty idealism should not be deified but examined for the uncanny sense of disaster it presages in a self-satisfied society.

I read "Into the Wild" after watching the movie, which I don't regret doing. I thought the movie was pretty good but was surprised too find that I could not stop thinking about Chris McCandless and the people he that impacted. So I picked up a copy of the book.
I have read several negative reviews about this book, complaining about Jon Krakauer glorifies an ignorant young man who died as a result of his lack of experience and respect for the Alaska wilderness. As well as Jon's attempt to compare Chris to other individuals who took similar risks and lost their lives as a result. And then offering his own account to a time in his life that he felt matched the path that Chris had taken.
However, I don't think that this should discourage someone from reading this novel. I found it fasinating and feel that Jon did an impeccable job of doing his research, bringing in the stories of people who were impacted by Chris, as well as doing his best to bring some sort of understanding as to WHY Chris did what he did.
Only Chris McCandless knows what went on in those last days of his life, everyone can speculate but it's for a lost cause. I think that the fact that the McCandless family trusted Jon Kraukauer with the story of their sons struggles and ultimately his death says something about Jon as an author as well as the story he has brought to life.
I highly recommend this book. I could not put it down and have been talking about it non-stop to whomever will listen. It gets you thinking and isn't that one of the primary reasons why we read?

I'm not entirely sure how much I can offer. Hopefully I can provide my unique perspective, and hopefully it will help someone in their decision making.

I read "Into the Wild" after watching the movie. I was intrigued by McCandless's story, and hoped the book would provide more information than the movie.

It didn't, not exactly. It provided a few more details, the "correct" version of events. A few more insights the author offers directly about his subject. The book was solidly written, well researched, enjoyable. While trying to explain the "why" behind McCandless and his actions, Krakauer gave me what I was looking for--other examples of people who shunned society and lived in the wild, other places to learn more about Chris and others who shared his worldview.

If you're hoping to find large chunks of information in the book that Hollywood cropped out, you will probably be disappointed. If, like me, you watched the film and had a desire to simply learn more this book will be an excellent read.

Into the Wild begins with the ending - the body of a starved young man is found in a sleeping bag in Alaska. So there's no suspense as to where Alex Supertramp (born Christopher McCandless) is going to wind up. Reading his story, I found myself too much of an old fart to appreciate it. McCandless hits the road in rebellion against his suburban middle class parents. Author Jon Krakauer explores the culture and tradition of extreme minimalist travel, from Henry David Thoreau and John Muir to lesser-known figures like Everett Ruess, who was lost in the California desert in 1934. When I read about some nineteen year old young man setting off alone with no map and no money, all I think is, "What a dumb kid". I never succumbed to the romance of Kerouac's On the Road (Penguin Classics) back in the day either. I read Into the Wild on the recommendation of a younger coworker who found it a romantic and tragic tale. I can see how it could strike people that way, but not me. I acknowledge that adventurers' lives are theirs to risk, but I don't find McCandless's story romantic, but more like a submission for the Darwin Award.

I anctually watched the movie prior to reading it. I would suggest reading the book first, then watching the movie. It goes into further depth and explains a lot of obscure parts of the movie in more detail. A lot of people have said some harsh things about Chris Mccandles in their reviews. I can relate to his story. In each generation, there are always a group of individuals who feel disenfranchised from our society. Our culture has become morally corrupt, and that is why Chris did what he did. It's about true freedom, and separating ourselves from the socialistic aristocracy that our country is on it's way to becomming. Without getting into a huge heated political debate, this is truly an American classic in nonfiction. Chris was a modern day Thorreau/Kerouac, it's a must read.

Think adventure, dream of being free, living each day as it comes, never really knowing what joys or hardships tomorrow may bring.

This is the story of Chris McCandless, who in 1992 abondoned everything in search of adventure and survival in the Alaskan wilderness. Notes, lettersw and diaries discovered after he was found dead in an old bus detailed his day to day adventure after leaving his home state of Atlanta.

This true story ends in tragedy, but the very way Chris lives freely during that time has a rather uplifting affect.

Whether you read the book or see the film, I highly recommend this one.

Real Life Dramas - Volume One

Darren G. Burton

This is a book about a young man going on a vision quest. Fate dealt him a horrible hand. He is a wonderful soul caught in the wilds of Alaska with no way to get out. Yes he was careless. He was young and full of life, he was taken too soon. When you read about him and see those pictures you realize what a wonderful soul he was. This book is very worthwhile. The movie is worth seeing too. It hurts every time I see his photos. May he rest in peace.

This book was a really great story and I am so glad that i read it. The authors writing style became a little boring at times, but all in all i would recommend you to read this book if you like the road trip, and adventurer themes.

Into the Wild is an excellent read, telling the tragic tale of Chris McCandless's ill-fated journey to the heart of the Alaskan wilderness. Krakauer clearly did his due diligence when it came to researching the book, and the inclusion of his own time in Alaska draws interesting parallels between himself and McCandless. Many young men have journeyed to the wilderness in the hopes of find themselves (Thoreau, McCandless, John Muir, Krakauer), and many have narrowly escaped death in such expeditions. Unfortunately for McCandless, he was not afforded the luck to ever walk out with a new sense of purpose in his life. Thankfully for us, Krakauer does a fine job of reconstructing his multi-year journey, and analyzing the circumstances that ultimately led to his death.

"...there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun...we just have to have the courage to turn against our habitual lifestyle and engage in unconventional living..."
-Alexander Supertramp
Certainly unconventional, Into the Wild, is not your typical coming of age story. Christopher McCandless, a graduate fresh from college abandoned all aspects of the predictable way of life to be immersed in nature and his personal ideals. Leaving behind family, his few friends, and his own name, McCandless or Alexander Supertramp was, "a man of means, by no means...king of the road." However Into the Wild is not chronological fiction-esque novel, but more of a scavenger hunt jumbled with Krakauer's personal and historical anecdotes. Into the Wild is not only informative on the life of Chris McCandless, but also of other figures with similar stories, and some of Krakauer's past as well.
This novel, as it follows a young boy through his journey, is not just a memoir, but more of a warning and source of inspiration. If I would take anything away from this story it would be the need for personal experiences. McCandless warns against a stationary life, not only physically but mentally and to perpetually change. The story begins as Chris road trips across the US in a run down old car, and ends in a run down old bus in semi-Alaskan wilderness. And between those two circumstances lay hippie camps, encounters with southwestern farmers, danger on the railroad, kayaking on the Mexican border, bonding with strangers, and a final trek into the Alaskan wilderness. Chris heeds all to find themselves in nature and to travel by ever-changing scenery
McCandless, stated in Into the Wild, was criticized as a young naïve radical, without the common sense to take on an adventure of this proportion. However, McCandless was an extremely intelligent young man, not only a college graduate, but always earning high marks in all courses, an avid reader of philosophy and a follower of Thoreau. The novel doesn't really focus on Chris's life before his cross-country adventure, so its hard to see if his experiences we read about really affected him as a person, or if he was the same way his entire time.
This story was an eye-opening experience. As Chris wandered around the American continent I wandered my own mind. Chris's attitude and way of life melted through the pages of this novel and into my own fingertips. His individual character, and never-ending love of nature and his charismatic way of drawing in the people he met in his life. I can only offer my sincere recommendation for this novel as the story gives so much to you.

I wanted to read this book before I saw the movie and I actually regret that decision. A compelling and mysterious story, it's well told by Krakauer, who is wise enough to warn you about his non-objective slant on the subject matter right in the introduction.

The book really was 'hard to put down', except in chapters 14 and 15 where Chris McCandless is scarcely mentioned and Krakauer instead dissolves into a memoir about his own time spent trekking the Alaskan wilderness.

To his credit, this is the author's attempt at giving the reader a comparable viewpoint into the mind of an adventure-seeking young man, but he tended to delve too far into his own experiences leaving me wondering if I was ever going to hear the rest of Chris' story.

Overall, a good read, especially if you're a fan of travel/adventure books. To be frank, however, I think the movie might be (a) more exciting and (b) stick to the subject at hand better.

I'll let you know once I see it :)

I bought this for le' fiance as one of her birthday gifts after recently watching the film based on it. She can't stop talking about how great it is, so it has become one of those books I am dying to read, and will be after I finish "Autobiography of a Yogi" by Paramahansa Yogananda, which is another great one.

Please forgive me if this review is a little rambling. This is my first time as an Amazon reviewer, but several books I've been into recently really pushed me to start writing reviews, just so people won't miss out on great reads, and this is one of them. As a librarian, I see thousands of books every day, and normally, people's requests don't change my mind on what I like to read - historical fiction or historical romance. But after people began continuously asking for INTO THE WILD, I thought I might pick it up a try it myself.

The author, more widely known for his book INTO THIN AIR, tells the story of "Alexander SuperTramp", as he called himself, in a strange - but immensely satisfying - sequence of events. He begins with his death by probable starvation, then goes onto account how Alex, born in a well to-do family and actually named Chris, decided to eschew life as a college grad joining the business world for a life as a vagabond. His incredible journey across the US, his survival for a time in the wild, and his sad innocence make this book unputdownable. It's a wonderful read for anyone into survival (or not) stories, wilderness stories, or just great nonfiction.

Firmly Five Stars.

Into the Wild was our May book club selection, and I put off reading it until a few days before our meeting. Thinking it was a "guy book," I didn't even bother buying my own copy. That was a mistake, for once I began reading my borrowed book, I was entranced. Krakauer's writing style was captivating and managed to hold my attention from page one. Not only do we learn about Chris McCandless (a.k.a. Alexander Supertramp) and his family, but we learn about Krakauer's experiences, meet some fascinating folks who befriended Chris, and discover much about the geography and nature of various parts of the United States.

Yes, the writing itself was great. It's the story of Chris McCandless, however, that haunts me. How could someone with such promise act so foolishly? I can well understand the inner voice to "Go west, young man," but to travel into the Alaskan wilderness without compass or adequate provisions is utter folly. And this was a intelligent young man, a recent college graduate who had been raised with advantages unknown to many.

Chris was, like most of us, a bundle of contradictions. He was idealistic and gave all of his remaining college fund to an organization to feed the hungry; yet he sponged off of many of the people who befriended him. He was angry with his parents for living a lie, but he couldn't see that without his parents he wouldn't have had the resources that allowed him to finish Emory. He's perturbed at their treatment of him, but he treats them even more abominably by not even letting them know he's alive. Yes, he had "issues," but don't most people? Was he too fragile to handle them? If he had survived the wilderness, would he have returned to West Virginia with a softened heart and a more mature attitude?

Was he just a narcissist? Was he another affluent, sheltered, idealistic young man angry with society? Was he a typical young person in search of adventure? Did he feel any guilt at all about capturing the hearts of those he met when he bid them adieu?

I have my own copy of Into the Wild now. It's a great story about an intense, idealistic, determined young man who died in a deserted bus after eating a poisonous plant. While the reader will learn a great deal about nature, geography, and "adventure," he or she will also be forced to look at the psychological questions that Chris and his choices evoke.

Chris was not a wing nut like some parts of the movie portray. He was kid tired of societies crap, the pressure to have an education to become someone. He proved education doesn't make you happy, it's the adventure life shows you that will. Even know he died a young man, I completely relate to him and his need to venture off solo and find out who he is! I spent many summers as my father did in his youth taking trips by myself in the wilderness. People thought I was crazy, but I understand and appreciate the simple things in life because of it. It helped me figure out what I wanted in life. If Chris would have made it out alive he would have been a success in what ever he attempted. He studied life and what made him and others happy within themselves. For one kid to make such an impact on the people he met while he traveled he had to have been enjoying life to the fullest. This book is an inspiration to anyone looking to find out what makes them tick. Great Book!

This is a remarkbly written book about a unique young man. All are probably aware of the plot - guy basically becomes a modern Henry David Thoreau. This book is about his physical and, I guess you could say, spiritual journey.

Other reviewers have judged the morality and character of Chris McCandless, but I refrain. Whatever he was, he was unique and, most importantly, real. I'm glad he wasn't idealized. Real people are always more interesting than fake, because flaws permeate our world and define reality.

Above all, this story is inspiring because it reflects the inner struggle of a wanderer who is searching and searching, though what for he is not quite sure.

Having been to some of the places outlined in this book, you can understand why someone would want to go "into the wild". The sights are truly breath taking. The west is a totally different culture, in my opinion, and geared toward the artistic and bohemian type of individual. That being said, I found this book hard to put down and totally haunting. My teenage son and I debate this book often. It has left in my mind, the thoughts that noone truly knows what young children are thinking and the impact certain situations have on their life. I found it disturbing that this child was intelligent, from a good background, and no violent abuse to speak of. I often think of the saying "youth is wasted on the young". Had he had more wisdom and more experiences in his life, would he have made the same choice? At times, I am angered by the way that he did not have the kindness in his heart to let his family know occassionally that he was alive and well. At other times my heart breaks, because in this child's eyes perhaps he didn't think he would be missed. I found this book to have a profound impact on my life to the point that it has changed my view of teenagers and the world around me. If you are an avid reader, it is a must have.

Yes, it is very well written. But honestly, I couldn't make myself finish reading this account about a foolish, disrespectful, idealistic, whiny, spoiled affluent kid who got himself killed through his own stupidity and superior opinion of himself. What a waste of a promising life.

Though adventurous, I am not the gung-ho outdoorsy type. While I have no inclination to climb, I can appreciate stories like "Into Thin Air". Perhaps my expectations for this story were unrealistic. I felt as if I was wasting my time by devoting it to the extended story of this self absorbed boy and that it is really most valuable as a cautionary tale. Perhaps it was best left between the pages of Outdoors Magazine.

I feel strong sympathy for his parents and hope that the retelling of this story doesn't cause them unending grief and regret.

First off, my rating is for this book, not a referendum on Chris McCandless's life and death. This book succeeds on many levels and is driven by the author's affinity for his subject. This is foremost expert detective work, solving the mystery of exactly what happened to Chris. Next, this is a psychological study of a unique individual, and Krakauer also presents parallels with similar people including some of his own experience. Maybe the most important point the author conveys is that nothing about Chris's tragedy is as simple or transparent as it appears. Many reviewers dismiss Chris as naive and ignorant, but Krakauer disproves this notion several times over. A good example is the wild potato seed/mold incident at the end of the story.

You will not forget Chris McCandless or this book. I would have enjoyed it had this only been a straightforward telling of the facts, but Krakauer's treatment of this story makes this book truly compelling. In response to many critics, Chris is not heroic but misunderstood. He clearly made several missteps and was "over his head," but was never suicidal.The author details many experiences in Chris's background during the 2 years prior to his death which gave him overconfidence in his abilities. His tragic mistake with the mold on potato seeds took his life.

Chris had a passion for solitude yet was unforgettable to anyone who ever met him. Krakauer offers tremendous insight into the meaning of Chris's life and the cataclysm that was his death. All readers won't agree with the author's handling of Chris, but to paraphrase him: a dispassionate rendering of this tragedy is impossible.

The power of the human spirit is none more inspiring and striking as it is in Jon Krakauer's Into The Wild. A young man abandons a well-to-do life to find himself through an adventure that concludes in Alaska. Based on the true story of Christopher McCandless, the book is retold from Krakauer as he interviews McCandless's family members, friends and the people he encountered on his journey. Krakauer paints the arresting picture of life that was Christopher McCandless effortlessly.
Originally written by Krakauer as an in-depth article for Outsider magazine, the article was extended and more extensively researched for it's 1996 publication as a nonfiction book.
Shortly after graduating Emory University, McCandless set off. He burned the dollar bills in his wallet, donated his $25,000 worth of savings to OXFAM and mapped out his adventure to Alaska. A big fan of author Jack London, McCandless wanted more out of life. He saw a hollowness in a typical post-college future. Krakauer paints McCandless as a young man on a solitary quest to enlightenment. By living off the wild, McCandless thought he would reach a sort of independent, spiritual apex in his life. Bumming rides, money, jobs on his cross-country adventure to land in Alaska, McCandless crossed into the lives of a handful of people, who were all seemingly touched by McCandless.
The book is noteworthy, chronicled by Krakauer in a reporter-like style. Christopher McCandless's great Alaskan adventure is one proving the remarkable nature and beauty of the human essence, proving Into The Wild a modern masterpiece.

I don't understand why so many people are celebrating the stupidity of Christopher McCandless. While I understand his goal, to live an untethered life, the idiotic way he went about it is mindboggling and what is even more confusing then that is people are making him out to be some kind of great man. Chris is not a great man or even avid explorer, Chris was just another unprepared, undereducated person whose ignorance lead to his demise.

It's been a while since I read this book and I haven't yet seen the movie (maybe I'll watch it this weekend?), but the story of Chris McCandless's fatal excursion into the Alaskan wilderness is still vivid in my mind. Perhaps it's because when I was a high school student I also had dreams of going somewhere and "living off the land" for a while. (My dreams focused on the West - Colorado, Wyoming, Utah...) Perhaps it's because I spent many adolescent evenings arguing with my father about the value of a college degree, living a so-called middle-class life, waiting for retirement to do the things I want.
I'm not sure exactly why, but I found myself both thrilled and terrified by the story of Chris McCandless as told by Jon Krakauer. I could relate to Chris's headstrong sureness and self-confidence at the same time that I could shake my head and think "if only he could see that simply throwing everything away is not more reasonable than simply accepting everything."
Jon Krakauer does an excellent job of presenting this story. With a clear narrative style and a reporter's eye for what parts of a story are interesting and how to develop the human element of what's happening, Krakauer almost seems to disappear from the narrative, making it feel as if you are watching the actual events themselves unfold as they happened. There is little editorializing, and a pretty good balance of empathy and skepticism regarding Chris's quest.
I think Krakauer's "Into Thin Air" is a better story than this one, but this one is also very readable and easily worth your time.
Now, I only hope that the movie lives up to the book.

Wow, the book was not just boring but all of over the place. As about interesting to read as an owner's manual. Save your money.

Into the Wild is classic Krakauer - reads much like Into Thin Air. Brilliant, heart-breaking and lovely all at the same time.

I ordewr the book after seeing the movie. It arrived in perfect condition and I enjoyed the book as much as the movie.

Though this Jon Krakauer effort is not as thrilling as INTO THIN AIR, it had its moments. Nature lovers and literature lovers alike will find something to admire in the restless young soul of Chris McCandless. There's plenty of description of God's Country (Alaska, to us) and of Chris's tastes in authors (Thoreau and Tolstoy figure prominently). The problem is, at times we lose track of McCandless as Kraukauer gets sidetracked with storylines about other restless seekers from history who misjudged the wild and either lived to regret it or regretted to die because of it. While somewhat interesting, these chapters break the narrative arc as well as the interest built in McCandless as a protagonist.

The story of McCandless was originally an article Krakauer penned for OUTSIDE MAGAZINE. Transforming it into a full-fledged book required not only the historical asides mentioned above, but even an autobiographical chapter about Krakauer himself (the author justifying it by a similar experience he had while climbing a mountain in his rash youth). If you read the magazine article and craved more details, you'll be treated to some updated theories on McCandless's demise. If the "padding" distracts you, however, skip those chapters that experience their own "wanderlust" and stick to the chapters about the protagonist.

This was my first book by Krakauer. We were assigned to read it in highschool as a sort of "american dream" type novel. I heard a lot of bad press about it. I was not expecting to fall completley in love with this book. Many people say that Chris was dumb and should not have done what he had done but for people like myself who have always had that "live in the wild" call inside them for years this book is wonderful. He has done everything I have wished I could do (other than the dying part). The movie also does justice to the book, very well actually.

Its a wonerful story- very touching and heartfelt. I have read it around 8 or 9 times.

John Krakauer's book got over 1,100 comments at Amazon.com and was made into a recent movie, so the story of Chris McCandless' death in the Alaska wilderness interests many.

I connect with the story in several ways, as follows:

1) A difficult father/son and inter-family dynamic can propel a young man on an outward "heroic journey." After college I moved 1500 miles from home partly from this desire to find an independent place apart from my extended family.

2) Young people often desire a taxing travel journey as a means to self discovery. I've known many young people who took extended solo trips and my own cross-country journey from after college was this kind of journey that included the desire for new experiences and risks.

3) The long-distance runner is accustomed to enduring pain in pursuit of victory. McCandless was a hard-core competitive runner who relished the challenge of enduring the accompanying pain in cross-country running. He refused to accept necessary survival equipment people offered him partly because he wanted to do things the hard way. Having run cross-country and track, I can relate to this "no pain, no gain" impulse.

4) The individual who confronts wild natural beauty in solitude can secure deep inner rewards. Many of my pivotal memories involve solitary experiences with nature, so I understand the draw of the solitary encounter with the wild.

5) Being destitute and at the mercy of circumstances allows us to connect with exhilarating experience - this weird juxtaposition of self-reliance and dependence on the kindness of strangers. I've experienced this several times when our car broke down far from civilization and people "miraculously" came along to help us.

6) Some kids are just wired differently than "normal." McCandless was strong-willed and refused to let anyone tell him what to do, especially his parents. He also thought he was smarter than others. Some people just make up their mind what they're going to do and nothing can deter them.

7) Some young people, for whatever reasons, reject societal values and mores. History reveals examples of people who share this solitary inclination: highly intelligent, injured by others, idealistic, on a mission. Krakauer mentions medeival Irish monks as fitting this category.

8. It is a quality of youth to think nothing is impossible and to be willing to take risks. Later in life after some risks have caused painful damage, we become more cautious and self-protective.

9. People who are intelligent and capable often find that success comes easy. They get used to having confidence that they can overcome any obstacle. The harder the challenge, the more they relish the opportunity.

So, I think McCandless had a mix of these qualities and characteristics, some positive and some detrimental. It's great to have confidence, so seek solitary connection with nature, to be willing to suffer pain and discomfort in the heroic journey. However, it is detrimental to be over-confident in refusing wise counsel.

Sometimes these qualities can become a dangerous mix - the ignorance of youth mixed with the over-confidence of youth often leads to trouble. It is the fortunate young man who makes it through to his 30's without suffering damage. But when the dangerous qualities are present in extremes, it is usually a prescription for disaster, as was the case for McCandless.

He was extreme in his cut-off from his family and from his past identity as an educated, comfortable, upper-middle-class person. He was extreme in his desire to do things the hard way, such as eating only rice for weeks at a time. He was extreme in refusing help or advice from people. His desire for solitary connection with the wild was extreme.

Apart from these extremes, he might have survived as a rugged outdoorsman like many rock climbers, skiers and mountaineers. However, his extremes led him to tackle an Alaska survival project that included no safety net. The result was almost predictable. Was McCandless' journey heroic or suicidal? I don't think it was intentionally suicidal, because I think he realized he was placing himself in a risky situation. He knew enough to know he could die if things went wrong.

He was smart enough to research hunting skills, but not smart enough or patient enough to gain actual hunting experience before placing his life at the mercy of his hunting abilities. He knew enough to take a gun, but not enough to know what kind of a gun was needed, much less how to be proficient in using a gun for survival.

I've seen profiles of survival fanatics in Alaska who actually do what McCandless attempted to do - they live alone by their wits in wild Alaska. But to succeed, these people first gain years of wide experience in all manner of survival skills. They learn what it takes to survive an Alaska winter before they launch out to attempt it. This preparation and survival seasoning us what McCandless lacked and thought he could do without. His hubris cost him his life.

Great book. I didn't like that the author dips into his past about how he relates to Chris for a couple chapters. Other than that, I thought it was great and informative.

WHAT A WASTE OF LIVE AND HURT TO THE ONES LEFT BEHIND.TO GO INTO NOWHERE WITH NOTHING TO SURVIVE WITH...NO REAL REASON FOR THE EFFORT TO GO ON HIS OWN IS EVER FIGURED OUT.LEAVES YOU GOING..WHY???SAD AND DISTURBING.I EXPECT THE MOVIE WIL BE MUCH CHANGED AND ADDED TO ALSO TO MAKE IT WORTH WATCHING..BUT WILL IT BE TRUE TO THE PERSON?

Into the Wild was just great.....I have always wanted to trek and adverture about, but find myself too old and not enought motivation.....Krakauer does a great job again of persuading me to be careful....after reading his into thin air, i wanted to visit everest but just stay at base camp.....

I was taken aback by this book and found it captivating and haunting. I have a son the same age as Chris and debated giving him a copy because its so tempting to sample the taste of tramping while adding huge risk to a young life, but on the other hand see the tempentations of the call of the wlid and how it could call an adventerious young man. The author is supurb at the detail necessary to truly make Chris's actions believeable. This is a book I will think about for a long time.

I was very moved by this movie, and the book does highlight some of the things that were missed in the movie. The only thing that really didn't interest me was what the author needed to add his two cents worth, when he was growing up.
About Chris, it broke my heart, that he really wanted to get back home and the little mistakes that were made prevented him from doing that. What a heartache for his family.
I had a husband "disappear" and he died in 1987, so I believe I can relate to a "what-if" scenaro.

This incredible story really needs to be read in conjunction with "Let's roll!" [ordinary people, extraordinary courage] / Lisa Beamer with Ken Abraham.
No two people are the same for we are all unique individuals. But both of these stories involve very bright people, surrounded by very supportive friends and systems. Both of the main characters and people around them came face to face with incredible tragedy. Some chose to rely on philosophy. Some became stronger and some went into a destructible tailspin. In my opinion, these two fantastic books illustrate that it all comes down to faith, character and personal choices.

The story drew me in, as it probably does to many. In the end, the unanswered questions are what kept me from giving this book a better rating. I understand that there are a lot of conjectures about McCandless, and that they can't be answered because he is dead, but that doesn't make me any less disappointed.

I think that Krakauer did a decent job of telling McCandless's story, and I agree with many of the conclusions he came to. The only real issue I had with this book was that it seemed to have a lot of "filler pages". Krakauer would spend pages and pages talking about one theory, only to turn around and refute it with what he actually believed happened. To me, when he did this it felt as if he was just trying to make the book longer and not actually presenting any worthwhile information.

As I read this book I had a lot of mixed feelings. As a parent I could not have imagined the pain his parents felt for having lost him. Both through his disappearance and death. As a man I was envious of his sense of adventure and his fortitude. As a person who lives on the edge of wilderness in rural Utah I was angered that he would take such risks (although remebering my own misadventures that could have been as fatal).

I wished that he would have properly prepared the moose meat which would have bought him plenty of time, I wished he had done a proper recon of the area so that he new what his rescources were and what his way out could have been. I wished he would have spent some time in Healy and talked to the locals and HEEDED their advice. I wished he would have lived and made peace with his family!!! An excellant book. I hung on every word.

I know many will say I'm copping out but I can't help it. Half of me thinks it is great that he tried to live independant of the modern world around him and he survived as long as he did. But on the other hand, as intelligent as he was he should have known better then to go in the alaskan wilderness without some basic life saving skills and equipment. it is very well written, although the pictures he took while on his trips would have been great were they included in this book. At this point I still don't know what to think. If he were mentally ill then it would explain things a lot better, but according to the book he wasn't. Maybe at least it will provide others who decide to take on nature to be better prepared.

I saw the movie before I read either book about Chris Mccandless. I was moved by the movie, both by Chris' spirit and determination. I did not like this book at all. I felt that the author ridiculed Mccandless' journey, and probably caused a lot of grief for his family, the way he called him ignorant. I really did not like how it was a book that was supposed to be about Mccandless, and more than 3/4 of the bookare about the author's own experiences, and how he feels he's better than Mccandless. It oozed with arrogance, and it angered me that the author had no problem tarnishing the good memories people had of Mccandless. but then the author goes on to brag about his own adventures, and how he was/is better than Mccandless.

I would recommened this book for people who did not like the movie. If you loved the movie like I did, please read the original book. It stays truer than this rag did.

Very good read - have your kids read it too. There's one thing to be adventurous in life, there's another to be prepared.

This book occurs at an interesting intersection. It is first and foremost the tragic story of an idealistic young man. However, intertwined in the main story are various autobiographical notes from Jon Krakauer, which parallel the narrative quite neatly. There are also many anecdotes and vignettes from explorers and writers who have encountered the vast adventures of the wilderness. The wealth of quotes scattered throughout the chapters serves as a fitting ornament to the book. It is fitting that the biography of such a complex young man is filled with such complexities itself.

Krakauer did an excellent job on this book. It really takes you into the mind of McCandless about as well as any writer can do trying to piece together McCandless's journey. I read the piece in National Geographic Adventure and watched the movie before reading the book. I found in all cases that the writers and filmmakers were genuinely respectful of what Chris and his family went through.

Regardless of what your opinion may be of Chris's "foolishness", I came away believing that Chris was running away from a confusing childhood but was essentially an optimist and had no intention of never coming back. Sometimes the journey to finding one's self can be difficult and lonely (even on those around us), but I think McCandless was trying to find himself and in doing so would have eventually restored his faith in his family and humanity. Unfortunately, he did not get the opportunity.

After Chris McCandless starved to death in the Alaskan wilderness, many Alaskan oldtimers referred to McCandless's attempt to live off the land as amateurish if not down-right stupid. His rifle wasn't big enough to bring down big game, he did not know how to preserve meat, and he relied on a field guild to determine which plants were safe to eat.

Jon Krakauer spends most of the book trying to rehabilitate McCandless's memory. He argues that not even veteran bush adventurers would have survived as long as McCandless did, that it was just bad luck that he died. He then sites his own experience trying to climb Alaska's Devil's Thumb, during which time he walked across a glacier with hidden crevasses, his only protection a ten-foot span of curtain-rod-like metal tied to his shoulders. According to Krakauer, his survival was only a matter of luck.

INTO THE WILD began as a magazine article. Krakauer doesn't really have enough material for a full-length book, so after showing us what led to McCandless's attempt to explore Stampede Trail, he compares Candles' ill-conceived adventure to that of other wilderness enthusiasts such as Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and Everett Reuss who disappeared into southern Utah's Davis Gulch at the age of twenty. Reuss seemed to court oblivion. Once his burro stirred up a nest of wild bees, and Reuss spent three or four days just getting his eyes open. He also suffered from almost terminal poison ivy.

Although we find out quite early that McCandless did not survive, Krakauer establishes suspense by making us guess what eventually killed the boy. After all, he was only a few miles from an Alaskan highway, and the raging river that blocked his way when he first tried to leave would have been passable later that summer.

Krakauer also delves into McCandless psychological make-up. He didn't get along with his parents, especially his father, who was some kind of NASA genius. He was also incredibly stubborn and idealistic, going so far as to give away what was left of an inheritance after graduating college and burning the money he had left so he could live off the land. That said, he put his money where his mouth was, spending time in Washington DC, trying to feed the homeless. Krakauer was right. Many of are dreamers, but only a few of us try to turn them into reality.

This book takes the reader on a journey through the mind of Christopher McCandless along with the thousands of others who roam this Earth in search of a deeper connection with the world. An intelligent boy from seemingly perfect family is scarred from the lies that hide beneath the surface. These lies cause Chris to set out on his most extensive trip yet; survival in the Alaskan Wilderness. However, after an honest mistake leaves his body slowly dying, Chris's luck as some would say catches up with. The author does a terrific job of showing both sides of the story, while showing Chris's positive characteristics and his faults. This book is guaranteed to reach out to minds of anyone that feels a passion for the outdoor. Chris will leave the reader inspired and refusing to believe that such a good person could leave the world in such a horrendous way.