This is a great book. It was delivered quickly and was in excellent condition. A must for any library.

Preserving Alaska's Natural Wonder

Based on the 1960's journals kept faithfully by Dick Proenneck, an archetype of the Sierra Club's advocate, this book presents an amazing story with glorious color photographs. "I don't think a man knows what he can do until he is challenged," p. 211) concludes the man who hewed out a log cabin single handedly in the wilderness. This is a succinct statement of Proenneck's motivating philosophy of personal achievement. Readers follow his non-boastful narrative of trial and error during a remarkable 18-month sojourn in wild Alaska. His survival odyssey (physical and emotional) presents him as the quintessential Mountain Man.

Satisfied to rely on Nature to supply his basic needs (and more contemporary items being flown in at irregular intervals by a cheerful bush pilot, faithful Babe, Proennecke realizes his dreams of carving out a pioneer life in the wilderness near Twin Lakes. Several chapters are quite long but fall into natural, timely categories. I am always interested in How-to descriptions involving caareful planning and manual labor, so I found the BIRTH OF A CABIN chapter fascinating. Even many of his actual tools were made by his own hands, as he started from scratch; his rustic creation is now part of a State Park which tourists may admire 40 years later. The cabin, fireplace and chimney, and cache-on-stilts all bear testimony to his skill and craftsman dedication--proving that a determined man can carve out a hearth after his own heart.

A conscientious chronicler of his own activities (and thoughts) Dick used both his still and movie cameras to capture the cabin in various stages of completion, as well and the flora and fauna of the relatively unspoiled Alaska. With tongue-in-cheek humor he shares his attempts (successful and otherwise) to peacefully interact with the curious or persistent creatures who tried to share his digs and provisions. He seems to feel that critters are a lot like some people-- drawing stoic or amusing conclusions about his attempts to coexist. His gripes with the callousness of humans (seasonal hunters, flown in to bag moose, caribou and Dall sheep) indicate his deep awareness of the fragility of an environment and man's duty to preserve it intact as much as possible--not only out of respect for the animals that inhabit the area, but for future generations of tourists and residents. When he was flown out after his 18-month odyssey he realized that many of the smaller creatures would suffer Hand-Out withdrawal, now that Dick's Welfare was about to dry up. Hats off to a pioneering environmentalist who made us all Aware of Alaska's potential.

Sept. 2, 2008

One Man's Wilderness; ..... Well written, entertaining , I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys adventure in beautiful Alaskan Wilderness .....

One Man's Wilderness is an amazing book about how Richard Proenneke lived in Alaska for 31 years! This book was made by Sam Keith, and it has the journals and photographs by Richard Proenneke. If you buy the book you have to get the documentary, "Alone in the Wilderness," this special is just as interesting as the book!

The photographs are amazing and are crystal clear.

This book is just a nice way to relax and read about Richard Proenneke in nature. I would be very happy to be out in the wilderness, but I can't so reading about it is awesome.

Cabins are amazing, and much neater than the modern home today, so it's very interesting how he built it himself.

So I rate One Man's Wilderness 5 stars.

Excellent book to read. I believe everyone will enjoy this and the story of this amazing person. Easy to read diary-like story of Dick Proenneke's 16-month life alone in a beautiful wilderness of Alaska. Page by page you'll be thrilled to continue on reading and it even gets better at the end. You'll probably stand up and clap your hands to this amazing man.

This book is written "by Sam Keith from the journals and photographs of Richard Proenneke" - so although I read it and visualized the events within as if it had all been written by Richard Proenneke, it wasn't. Sam Keith tells us in the preface: "Using Dick Proenneke's rough journals as a guide, and knowing him as well as I did, I have tried to get into his mind and reveal the "flavor" of the man. This is my tribute to him, a celebration of his being in tune with his surroundings and what he did alone with simple tools and ingenuity in carving his masterpiece out of the beyond."

I've seen the PBS presentation of "Alone in the Wilderness", which uses selections from the text of this book along with movie footage of Proenneke building his cabin and living there. Those selections are read by someone other than Proenneke, but the voice is a perfect fit to the text and image. Because the text is not exactly Proenneke's and the voice of the video isn't his either, our experience of the man is filtered though these interpreations. Sam Keith hasn't shown us any unedited examples from the "rough journals" he used to compose the book, so it's difficult to know how far this beautifully crafted language matches the character and psychology of Richard Proenneke.

It is an extraordinary book and was a great pleasure to read. I recommend it without reservation.

This book is great! As close to the wilderness as you can get. If you find you can never make it to Alaska, read this and you can say how close you were.

Sometimes you have to do what you need to do solo to get what you want from life. An inspirational journey into ones limits and dreams.

I read this book cover to cover in less than two days - it's excellent!

This is a must have for any handyman, outdoorsman, alaska lover, etc. You will be amazed by what this man does and the age he does it at!

This book is a fantastic journal of one man's personal adventure.
It is a daily log and seems to put you right into the day and time
of every event. As you read it, you will feel yourself picking the
blueberries, shaping each log and building a cabin. You will find
yourself watching bears, listening to sounds of a river flow at night,
the sounds of ice breaking from the frozen river.
You will find yourself creating a batch of sourdough biscuits, cooking
a pot of beans, to making friends with animals that arrive daily for you
to feed.
After I finished reading this book, I immediately started it again.
It is fantastic. I am now picking up little bits of information that
I somehow missed with first reading. It is definately a book that you
will find yourself going back to, because it IS an adventure without
ever leaving home

This is a great book about Richard Proenneke that choose to live his dream. He is an honest good man enjoying the wonderful land of Alaska.

From 1970-74, I was an associate editor of ALASKA, the Magazine of Life on the Last Frontier, which was then owned by Alaska Northwest Publishing Company. I remember the day a stranger walked into our editorial offices in Anchorage and introduced himself as Dick Proenneke. Executive Editor Ed Fortier and I sat with him for a long time, listening, enthralled, as he told us of his experiences at Twin Lakes. Ed, who had built a log cabin of his own across Cook Inlet, was a sourdough journalist who understood the challenges this soft-spoken man had faced. I was especially touched by his account of the wolf pups he had adopted and raised, and by their farewell to him as they reentered the wild. Soon I was taking a stack of Dick's handwritten journals home with me to read, and to pull out article ideas for the magazine. My husband picked up those pages and was soon absorbed by the narrative -- so eloquent in its simplicity -- and became an instant admirer. Everything about Dick and his story are uniquely Alaskan. So when I happened to see the documentary, "Silence and Solitude" on tv last night, I was delighted to rediscover my old friend. I'm so pleased that Dick has been able to spend so many years at Twin Lakes and to continue sharing his experiences. I view him as something of a modern-day Thoreau -- reminding us all to "simplify" and to respect the lessons we can learn from Nature, while cherishing her incredible beauty.

I have read this book three times. Each time, was better than the previous. The detail in this book is astounding, from how Mr. Proenneke cleared the land, and cut/prepared the lumber for his cabin, crafting hand made wood hinges, to his cooking of his meals "just the way a man likes it".

This guy knew how to survive in the most remote and harshest of regions and he did not just survive, he thrived. I think most of us at one time or another dream about leaving the rat race and living in a more simple fashion, 99.9% of us do not have the survival skills nor the mental makeup that Dick had.

I have given copies of this books to friends and bought myself a new copy each time. The whole family watched his home movies with great interest when they were on PBS. This man's story and life was meant to be shared and I am so glad I stumbled across it.

This is a must read and a must read again.

Fascinating and inspiring. Could you leave behind the crutches and bobbles of this modern age and live every moment, your labor alone in God's palm? Definetly a perspective corrector.

I think I know why Richard Proenneke was up there in the wilds alone, sans wife or woman. While I utterly admire his craftsmanship and drive for perfection, I think that, in person, it would drive me crazy. A perfectionist makes an ideal loner. Having said that, I must also say that is incredibly readable book was able to transport me to the Alaskan wilderness every time I picked it up. Author Sam Keith (who bases the book on Porenneke's journals) captured the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the bush. This is the story of a cabin. Richard Proenneke builds it by hand, to his own unbendable standards of practicality and aesthetics, and makes the reader love every minute of it. Interspersed within this chronicle are Proenneke's encounters with bears, weasels, birds, wolverines and other humans, and they are laugh out loud funny, impressive, or in the case of most human encounters, infuriating. If you are enchanted with the Alaskan wilderness and want to be entertained, amazed and amused by a very singular man, this book is a must-have.

The book is a simple read that details Richard Proenneke's quest to live off the land in Alaska. It is a great chronology of his time there and his relationship with nature. Proenneke leaves the civilized world at 51 years of age to challenge himself to make a home in Twin Lakes Alaska. He constructs a small log cabin and lives there til he passes in his late 80's, visiting the mainland only a few times. Proenneke appears to be a perfectionist in every way. He has many interesting ways to describe life. He sumarizes his few short comings in humorous cliche, that will make you smile. I would also suggest purchasing the DVD if you are an outdoor enthusiast, wood worker, craftsman, etc.. Proenneke is truely a character to watch, read and enjoy.

The service was excellent. I didn't realize I was placing an order with a company in England and was surprised at how quickly my book arrived.

This book will have you dreaming of building a log cabin in Alaska and living there! The complete details of building the cabin by hand without any power tools are given in detail. Descriptions of the incredible beauty of the area and lake are written with the loving care of an avid outdoorsman. He lives the secret dream so many of us have.

This book was purchased for my 23 year old son that has long contemplated going to Alaska. I have not read the book (I will when I can pry it out of his hands) but the photography is excellent.

Ten years ago I spent a summer volunteering for the National Park Service at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, in Alaska. My remote rangers cabin was located at Twin Lakes. Being on the lower lake, I was about 9 miles from my nearest neighbor- Dick. We spoke daily on our walkie-talkies, checking in about the weather, any visitors, or interesting wildlife viewings. I trekked up his way several times over the summer, and enjoyed a few meals with him. I can't remember if it's in his book, but his favorite sandwich was the "Twin Lakes Special": sourdough flapjaks, raw onion, and honey; don't knock it 'til ya try it! Just like his book, he was a gracious, thoughtful man, a true naturalist. Also the most spry 82-year-old I think I'd ever seen! I was saddened to hear of his death several years ago, and was grateful the NPS kept his cabin as a historical site; it is a cozy place, dark inside, smelling faintly of woodsmoke and 1948 sourdough starter, with wonderful decorative touches throughout. Dick was truly a special person, and this book captures his voice, his no-nonsense manner of talking, as well as his appreciation of the beauty of the natural world, perfectly.

You cannot visit Alaska without reading this book FIRST! Just the photography alone will make you want to go. I dentify in many ways with Dick as I lived in a cabin in the White Mountains of NH for many years. He didn't intrude on nature...he simply lived in harmony with it. He appeals to all of your senses in his simple but beautifully written words, never mind the pictures. He is definitely portrayed as a "loner" but that is a good thing..for a loner has much higher self esteem and sense of character than those who can't survive in the world without people around them all the time. Dick is a true steward of the land because of his deep, abiding love and connection for this piece of God's Creation. His beautifully chronicled life in Alaska will remind you of Robert Frost's words.."We love the things we love for what they are." Enjoy!

I was telling my husband about this book as I started reading it. He said, "Don't you remember, we read that many years ago when Alaska Magazine published it"? I knew that Babe, the pilot, seemed familiar. It didn't matter. I was happy to read it a second time which is unusual for me. Oh, how I would have loved to have been able to do what Mr. Proenneke did and to live where he lived. There is nothing dull about this book and I suspect the people who find it dull haven't any interest in living in the wilderness without Blackberries, i-pods, automobiles and restaurants.

Even though most of us who enjoyed the book probably don't begin to have the skills that Richard Proenneke had which made what he did possible (and a pilot friend who delivered for free) I think we all wish we could do what he did. I know I do. I didn't realize that a sequel exists. It costs big bucks, but if it's anything close to as interesting as this book, it's worth it. Maybe I'll find out if the Mission Girls ever showed-up.

The year was 1968. The setting, the Alaskan bush. The mission, to live simply, deliberately, and self-sufficiently off the land, free of the trappings of contemporary society. The protagonist, clearly not what you might expect given the era. He was not some young, free spirited hippie, luddite, or draft dodger. Rather, he was a skilled hard working machinist/woodsman, who at age 51 decided to permanently leave the rat race behind.

Why this man, Dick Prenacke, suddenly left behind his conventional existence to live in a remote and unforgiving section of Alaska is never fully explored in the book. While snippets do reveal his distain for modernity, it never fully embellishes on what ultimately drove the author to do what few would ever conceive of doing. Perhaps Dick realized that at 51, the physical and physiological fortitude required to make such a transition would soon be out of his reach. More likely however, he foresaw the end of an era. No more than a few years after his departure into the wild, Alaska would enact laws prohibiting trappers and homesteaders from freely trudging off into the woods to live the quintessential "Alaskan experience." Soon Alaska would become like the rest of the lower 48, where people like Dick would be considered trespassers and evicted from any land that they did not rightfully own. Fortunately for the author, the laws were grand fathered in.

While the book is essentially a personal account of Alaskan homesteading, the author episodically weaves social commentary into his writings. He laments a society that is wasteful and superficial. The hunters that come into his Alaska, products of such a society, leave garbage and animal meat behind, unaware that the author cleans up after as well as makes use of their squander.

The author also reveals his anxiety for a society that is increasingly consumed by materialism. He feels that man is entrapped by things that he doesn't need and he seeks to avoid the superfluous at all costs. To the outsider, surviving in the wilds of Alaska would seem to require an extravagant amount of equipment and gear. One can only imagine the bill the average suburbanite would amass at the local REI in preparation for such an endeavor. Yet the author demonstrates just how little is required to not only to survive but also to prosper in such an inhospitable region.

The book closes with some thoughts on technology, and the rapidity of change that comes with it. The author's words are both haunting and prescient as he elaborates on his first year in Alaska and how his experience conflicts greatly with society at large.

The year was 1968. The setting, the Alaskan bush. The mission, to live simply, deliberately, and self-sufficiently off the land, free of the trappings of contemporary society. The protagonist, clearly not what you might expect given the era. He was not some young, free spirited hippie, luddite, or draft dodger. Rather, he was a skilled hard working machinist/woodsman, who at age 51 decided to permanently leave the rat race behind.



Why this man, Dick Prenacke, suddenly left behind his conventional existence to live in a remote and unforgiving section of Alaska is never fully explored in the book. While snippets do reveal his distain for modernity, it never fully embellishes on what ultimately drove the author to do what few would ever conceive of doing. Perhaps Dick realized that at 51, the physical and physiological fortitude required to make such a transition would soon be out of his reach. More likely however, he foresaw the end of an era. No more than a few years after his departure into the wild, Alaska would enact laws prohibiting trappers and homesteaders from freely trudging off into the woods to live the quintessential "Alaskan experience." Soon Alaska would become like the rest of the lower 48, where people like Dick would be considered trespassers and evicted from any land that they did not rightfully own. Fortunately for the author, the laws were grand fathered in.



While the book is essentially a personal account of Alaskan homesteading, the author episodically weaves social commentary into his writings. He laments a society that is wasteful and superficial. The hunters that come into his Alaska, products of such a society, leave garbage and animal meat behind, unaware that the author cleans up after as well as makes use of their squander.



The author also reveals his anxiety for a society that is increasingly consumed by materialism. He feels that man is entrapped by things that he doesn't need and he seeks to avoid the superfluous at all costs. To the outsider, surviving in the wilds of Alaska would seem to require an extravagant amount of equipment and gear. One can only imagine the bill the average suburbanite would amass at the local REI in preparation for such an endeavor. Yet the author demonstrates just how little is required to not only to survive but also to prosper in such an inhospitable region.



The book closes with some thoughts on technology, and the rapidity of change that comes with it. The author's words are both haunting and prescient as he elaborates on his first year in Alaska and how his experience conflicts greatly with society at large.

The year was 1968. The setting, the Alaskan bush. The mission, to live simply, deliberately, and self-sufficiently off the land, free of the trappings of contemporary society. The protagonist, clearly not what you might expect given the era. He was not some young, free spirited hippie, luddite, or draft dodger. Rather, he was a skilled hard working machinist/woodsman, who at age 51 decided to permanently leave the rat race behind.

Why this man, Dick Prenacke, suddenly left behind his conventional existence to live in a remote and unforgiving section of Alaska is never fully explored in the book. While snippets do reveal his distain for modernity, it never fully embellishes on what ultimately drove the author to do what few would ever conceive of doing. Perhaps Dick realized that at 51, the physical and physiological fortitude required to make such a transition would soon be out of his reach. More likely however, he foresaw the end of an era. No more than a few years after his departure into the wild, Alaska would enact laws prohibiting trappers and homesteaders from freely trudging off into the woods to live the quintessential "Alaskan experience." Soon Alaska would become like the rest of the lower 48, where people like Dick would be considered trespassers and evicted from any land that they did not rightfully own. Fortunately for the author, the laws were grand fathered in.

While the book is essentially a personal account of Alaskan homesteading, the author episodically weaves social commentary into his writings. He laments a society that is wasteful and superficial. The hunters that come into his Alaska, products of such a society, leave garbage and animal meat behind, unaware that the author cleans up after as well as makes use of their squander.

The author also reveals his anxiety for a society that is increasingly consumed by materialism. He feels that man is entrapped by things that he doesn't need and he seeks to avoid the superfluous at all costs. To the outsider, surviving in the wilds of Alaska would seem to require an extravagant amount of equipment and gear. One can only imagine the bill the average suburbanite would amass at the local REI in preparation for such an endeavor. Yet the author demonstrates just how little is required to not only to survive but also to prosper in such an inhospitable region.

The book closes with some thoughts on technology, and the rapidity of change that comes with it. The author's words are both haunting and prescient as he elaborates on his first year in Alaska and how his experience conflicts greatly with society at large.

Inspiring book. Diarist was over 50 when he began this journey. Helps me look to the future for myself.

Book arrived on time & in the condition it was promised. Highly approve of this vendor!

I first became interested in Dicks story after catching the tail of a PBS show about him. The book shows a little more of his actual day to day life. Dick was an awesome & talented guy & never tired of making his own way. The author draws from Dicks diary & so the book drags at times but I'd rather see this than filling in the slow spots with fluff. Not the best book I've ever read but definately a "Must Read".

I've read Sam Keith's book, co-authored by Dick Proenneke, several times and have found it one of the most informative how-to books on living in the wild. From his masterful work on building his cabin to the photographs and video Proenneke shot, Dick imparts his day to day fears and uncertainty on living in the wild, his quest for food on a day to day basis and his criticism of those who visit the area for a few days and leave behind their garbage and trash for others to pick up. He doesn't particulary criticize all hunters, just points out how lazy many of them are in not salvaging ALL of the meat of game they've taken. Many of them are just trophy hunters, but, they are required to respect the game and harvest all of the edible meat of game they kill. As for the man he refers to as Boss Hunter, he's referring to the Outfitter/Guide who transports the hunters in and out of the area for their hunt. Proenneke doesn't say it, so I will. Whoever that outfitter was has the responsibility of keeping a clean camp and taking ALL of his garbage back to a landfill in his home base and disposing of it properly. You can tell by comments that Proenneke made, that he was thoroughly abhorrent of transient hunters and campers coming in and using such a beautiful and pristine area and leaving it trashed. I know what I'm talking about too, because I have a place in Alaska about 400 miles north of Twin Lakes and spend several weeks a year there. All of my trash goes out with me when the float plane or ski plane pilot picks me up and goes to Fairbanks to a trash receptacle where it is then disposed of in a landfill. If you have property in the Bush of Alaska, you are much more respectful of the area and take care of it, than if you're one of these "in and outers" who just "slash and burn" an area. I've seen this repeatedly by outsiders and have cleaned up their messes, bagged it up and taken it out with me when my trip is over.
In the first part of the book, there is a poem by Robert Service entitled "I'm Scared Of It All", which compares living in the wild with living in civilization, where there are traffic snarls, danger and doom, tumult and terror in the streets and the faces of people he meets in the street," not one has the face of a comrade to me", and he closes the poem by stating "I've got to get back to my thousand mile beat (meaning the wilderness), Goodbye, (to civilization) for it's safer up there". There is an interesting entry in his diary on the 4th of July where Proenneke says something to the effect that "no one died at Twin Lakes this day, I wonder how many in the Lower 48"?
Dick was a complicated man who, at the age of 51, basically was fed up with the 'dog eat dog' mentality of the workplace and society in general, and longed for the solitude of the wilds and wanted to prove to himself that he could survive the harshness of the environment, he wanted to build a cabin with his own two hands, something he could be proud of, and he obviously loved wildlife, the idea of going to sleep at night to the sounds of the trickling waters of the nearby creek and the occasional howls of the wolves in the distance. He referred to it as nature's sleeping pill. I can identify with him, because on many nights I've gone to sleep listening to the beautiful sounds of the loons on my lake and the wolves back in the hills.
In reference to his love of wildlife, he had started a garden to see what he could do with it. At one point, a snowshoe hare (he called it a rabbit), had been eating the leaves of the peas he'd planted and then later he stated that the "rabbit had changed his menu. He cleaned half a row of rutabagas. Bet he never tasted them before, either". But not once did Proenneke say anything about killing the offending rabbit. He just stated that he really didn't need the peas, so he just let the rabbit dine unmolested.
I've picked up more each time I read the book and watched the video, little items I glossed over initially. I even bought the DVD entitled Silence and Solitude, where an author and his son went up to Twin Lakes and filmed in the area. They included Dick in their documentary and Dick was in his seventies then. At the end of their presentation they noted that Proenneke had died in 2003. His cabin is being maintained now by the National Park Service as an Historic Site.
When Proenneke went to Twin Lakes at the age of 51, he was desperately seeking solitude, he yearned for simplicity, he loved the beautiful country of what is now Lake Clark National Wildlife Refuge, and, after he met the challenge of surviving a year on his own, especially through the bitterly harsh winter, he realized he'd found his niche. No bills to pay, the most beautiful country in his world and he apparently had enough money to buy food he couldn't grow or harvest at the lake, and he was a contented man. He didn't require much. He left the world of Murders, Rapes, Robberies, Thieves and such for a simple place. He wrote and received many letters that arrived periodically on the bush plane, he referred to his brother, who he wanted to come up and see the place with him and he was friendly and congenial to those who approached him.
Some might see Dick Proenneke as a drop out, a hermit who disliked others. But, to the contrary, I see him as someone totally at peace with himself, someone who'd succeeded in the workplace and civilization for 51 years, and yearned for a change. He seemed to have found peace around him, and within himself, and was content to spend the remainder of his life with that inner peace that many of us strive for, but never really find. I saw a very happy, contented and proud man, in Mr. Richard Proenneke. Not once did I see any profanity used by him and not once did I see him wish ill will toward others. I felt so very good inside after reading the passages of the book and I was at peace with myself and felt comforted each time I picked up the book. It was truly medicine for my soul, and so uplifting to see a man so content and happy with his life. I know that many could pick apart his lifestyle, trod on his successes, try to read something into many of the things he said or did.
But.....I saw and heard what I'd like to believe was...a decent man.
Respectfully, Jim Calvert

Someone once asked me what One Man's Wilderness was about, and to put it into a sentence or two, it doesn't seem like a fascinating read, but, in fact, it is. The day to day routine of building a cabin, watching, enjoying, and becoming a part of your surroundings, as simple yet beautiful as the Alaskan wilderness is not only is fascinating, but inspiring.
The author, Sam Keith, was my high school English teacher, and became a friend. He used to bring in his own old 8mm home movies about Dick and his own adventures in Alaska. In fact, for a hunting trip I planned to Alaska, I purchased the same antique Winchester rifle Sam used to hunt with when he was there in the late 1940's.
In today's world of complications, read this book and take a lesson from it. Keep it simple, and enjoy what's around you.

If you enjoyed the public television show about this man and how he built and lived in his Alaska cabin....you'll enjoy the book.

Written in a very similar manner to the narration of the movie, the book is a collection of Pronneke's journal writings. It is a great book to read a few pages of before going to bed to help clear your mind. It's a simple book, but very enjoyable.

If you have ever dreamed of giving it all up and moving to the mountains...but the family and job keep you grounded....then read the book and get away for at least a few minutes every day!

The book and the DVD changed my life what an inspirational story.

If u like books about being one on one with true alaskan wilderness throughout all of Alaska's crazy seasons this book's for you. I really enjoyed the fact that his journal entries made you feel like you were the one alone in the wilderness and also the fact that he built a log cabin all alone you really understand how easy our lives are after reading this book...All in all this book rocked, I would advise anyone to buy/read this book.

After seeing the documentary on PBS about Dick I wanted to know more about what he did and maybe his motivations. I found him interesting, knowledgeable and philisophical. His ingenuity and self reliance proved to be his strongest suite...something that does not necessarily come through on the documentary.
My wife is reading this book to a 93 year old gentleman that has been "up north" many years ago and he finds memories coming back that he hasn't thought of for years.

GREAT BOOK! I watched the documetary on PBS and was amazed. A co-worker let me borrow his book, now I am buying it plus going to purchase the other book about him "More Readings From One Man's Wilderness". I just wish I had the skill and opportunity to do what he did. Truly an amazing man.

I loved this book. I saw the documentary in PBS and was really amazed and inspired by Dick Proenecke. There's a part of me that would love to do what he did, but a part of me that couldn't. I'd get too lonely. In the book, you can see how he loves and enjoys nature, as well as his visits from the bush pilot. The book is a great addition to seeing the movie. It's a very different story about "nature."
Mike, the old rocker and Eagle Scout
-Eagan, MN

Buy the book. Read the book. Then see if you don't want to build your own cabin someplace. I think seeing the special on PBS really made the story special, but still, Dick Proenecke's ingenuity, resourcefulness and energy is hard to surpass. To think he lived for 30 years in that little cabin in the wilderness...
Some great photos in the book too. If you buy the book, please look for the DVD somewhere. You will enjoy the entire story that much more.

I saw the movie that accompanies this book on PBS. After seeing the film that Dick Proennecke made himself, I had to have this book. Dick has lived out the dream of living in the untamed wilderness of Alaska. The book is a collection of his journal entries that are wonderfully written.

This is a must-read for any person who has ever dreamed of the wilderness.

This is an account of a very ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary feats in the wilds and winter of Alaska. He did it alone, without communication with the outside world, save one friend who checked on him monthly and brought in supplies. It is a true story. The book includes color photos made by the author as he worked.

I have watched this more times than I can remember. What a great way to destress after a hard day at work. I also recommend the book that goes along with this film. The book is a daily journal that takes you through the four seasons and goes into much more detail than the film. I enjoy them both and have given both as gifts to friends.

The story of Dick is a great one and the photos in the book are great but there is something missing. There is no real personality here.The text is 2nd grade lvl,it just doesn't convey into any kind of excitement.I wanted to like it more than I did.

Like others, I too bought this book after watching the PBS special. Who would have known that following the day to day activities of one man alone in the wilderness could be so captivating? Detailing life at Twin Lakes with both vivid descriptions of day to day life as well as pictures taken by the man himself, this book almost takes you to the Alaskan wilderness to live with and watch the man himself. You might not think that reading this simple journal would be interesting at all. But, you are quickly drawn in. Love the outdoors, you'll love this book. Love tales of people living their lives on their own terms, you'll love this book.
This man built a cabin and everything to go with it by himself, in the wilderness, while in his 50's. He is a man's man through and through.

I really enjoyed this book. Our local PBS station has been using the video as a teaser for a while, and having seen the video, this book was especially interesting. It gives a bit more "fill-in" detail. When the author is describing something, it's easy to visualize it exactly since you watched him make whatever it is he's talking about. It's not a life I aspire to, but reading about people who are doing what they are passionate about is almost always interesting.

I First Saw The Film About This Man On PBS TV. I Wanted To Learn More So I Decided To Purchase This fine Book.Good read & I enjoyed It very Much. Nice Photos Too.I Recommend This Book If You would Like To Learn about One Man's Life In The Alaskan wild. ENJOY................

I was 15 when this wonderful book was published. I read it for the first time now at age 48. All of those years while I was living through crammed schools, heavy traffic, overtime hours, smokey bars; this man was living the life I always dreamed of. Away from the commotion and confusion and strain of civilization. Now reading this book takes me back over all those many years to stand with Dick Proenneke by the cabin he hand built on Twin Lake -55 degrees watching caribou through misted breath and dancing snowflakes. Indeed I am lucky to be able to finally vicariously live my dream though this vivid simple honest book.

What an exceptional book this is. I very much enjoy the outdoors--fishing, hunting, camping, and hiking for long stretches of time in the wildest places I can find. If you like similar activities, you may come to love this book as I do.

This book is more of a journal than anything. The central figure here relates his true account of retiring to the wilds of Alaska to build his own cabin and live as independently and honestly as possible. I very much enjoyed the small details that fill nearly every passage of this book. Everything from the food he eats to how he prepares it, the wildlife of Alaska he encounters and how he relates to them, and the means he uses to craft his cabin and carve out a place for himself in the wilderness.

Though few people came to visit him even on a monthly, or even yearly, basis during his long stay in the wilderness--I admired the pride he took in his workmanship in building his cabin. He built everything as if it would be scrutinized and critiqued by countless eyes. He often takes the longer, more difficult road when creating everything from his own tools and utilsels to an intricate and useful rock fireplace and "squirrel-proof" roof for his cabin.

I also enjoyed his many colorful pictures and descriptions detailing his fishing, hunting, and exploring adventures and his painstaking preparations that allowed him to survive brutal winters and temperatures rather comfortably.

This is a slow-paced, detailed, highly descriptive book, which I believe is a tribute and reflection itself of the personality of the book's central figure.

A top-notch recommendation, for sure.

Flipping channels a couple of years ago, I came across a show on PBS about a man building his own cabin, with no power tools, in the Alaskan wilderness. I was mesmorized watching this program. It was one of those shows that stuck with my thoughts and emotions for several days. I was awestruck with some of the things he was making with his hands. I wanted to be there myself. Wanting to get more out of this, I bought the book. I would describe the book as interesting, not riveting. It held my interest and does inspire me to start and complete the task at hand, whatever that may be. To me, the description of the cabin building process was a little too tedious, but the rest of book seemed to flow right along. I'm glad I read the book, but I think this is one of those rare instances where I liked the video better than the book

This book is a good read for those who feel inspired by someone who follows their "dreams" (trite, but true!). The book reads like the subject is talking, simplified but descriptive. The Alaskan wilderness plays a big part in the story, although I would've thought that life on your own would have been slightly more difficult - the subject almost makes it seem easy. The idea of someone making a life on their own from nothing (building a house, obtaining food) is tempered somewhat by the fact that the subject had supplies flown in on a regular basis. Still, living on your own for 35+ years is an interesting topic. A nice addition to an "outdoor adventure" library. For those that have seen the companion video, this book may be less important.

There aren't craftsman like this anymore and it is inspiring to get to live with him through his personal journey. The result is a story that children would benefit the most from. His attention to detail and 'work to completion' attitude lack in today's society - - let's rebuild it!