Lost in the Wild: Danger and Survival in the North Woods (Hardcover)

by Cary J Griffith (Author)
Key Phrases: orange swatch, canoe base, next portage, Dan Stephens, Jerry Wills, Pow Wow (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Freelancer Griffith details the travails of two hikers who lost their way for several harrowing days in separate incidents in the Minnesota and Ontario wilderness and emerged alive and relatively unscathed thanks to the efforts of search-and-rescue professionals and volunteers. Hiking alone in a remote area with a changeable climate in October 2001, medical student Jason Rasmussen ran into trouble on the first day when he ventured onto a wrong path and became lost in dense forest. The hapless Rasmussen next lost a crucial map and eventually abandoned his tent, food, and hat and gloves as he tried to recover the trail. By contrast, young Dan Stephens was a savvy canoeist and guide who, in August 1998, on a routine search for his next portage, fell, hit his head and wandered away from the inexperienced group of Chattanooga Boy Scouts he was leading. Griffith writes lucidly throughout, but is more adept with flora than people, whose characterizations are bland. This doesn't have the scope and power of standouts in the adventure genre like Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild and will be best appreciated by Minnesota and Ontario wilderness buffs. Illus. (Mar. 15)
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Review
"Absorbing and suspenseful, Lost in the Wild brings wilderness survival lessons to life." -- Suzanne Swedo, author of Wilderness Survival

"[A] riveting narrative of peril in the North Woods. . . . Anyone who relishes the wilderness should read this book." -- Peter Leschak, author of Ghosts of the Fireground : Echoes of the Great Peshtigo Fire and the Calling of a Wildland Firefighter

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Borealis Books (March 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873515617
• ISBN-13: 978-0873515610
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #874,823 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writer lets facts speak for themselves, March 19, 2006

By	Kjforjen (United States) - See all my reviews

I read this book in a day -- what makes it so gripping is that the facts of each account are detailed without comment, which lets the reader come to his/her own conclusions. I was frustrated with the boy scouts (they left their guide behind!) and inspired by the team that rescued Rasmussen. While the back and forth between the two stories of survival may work for some, I prefer to read one account straight through, which is easy enough to do, since the chapters are clearly laid out. Highly recommended for fans of other survival books like Into the Wild, Touching the Void, Into Thin Air, and Alive.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book That Puts the Reader in the Middle of the Story, April 24, 2006

By	John Devaney - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this book in the Minneapolis Airport with the thought I would start it on my flight. Once I started reading I immediatly could relate to the plight of the two central characters and those trying to help. This is am amazingly well written book and near impossible to put down. If you have ever wondered what it was like to be lost and looking death in the face this is one book you should not miss. This is a must read for even the casual weekend hiker who ventures into the woods for leisurely strolls.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Account, June 13, 2006

By	Terry Serres (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This fascinating book tells two stories, of two men who lost their way on separate journeys into the north woods. Its structure is engaging: it tells the two stories side by side in alternating chapters. It details their peril, their survival efforts, and the search and rescue operations.

This book has some advantages over other books of adventurist survival. The situations are more accessible, something average people can relate to better than tales of mountain climbers and victims of shipwreck. The tales contrast nicely -- one of the men is seemingly well-prepared but makes some grave errors that put him in the jaws of death; the other is an expert outdoorsman who overestimates his abilities in a fleeting moment.

The author balances the themes of the story very nicely: the narrative details that help us understand all the activity surrounding these incidents, the high emotions of the various players, the natural and social milieu in which the incidents occurred. I do wish that the author had provided a "cast list" summarizing the participants in each story and their roles; it would have made it easier to maintain continuity in the alternating stories. The maps are adequate but merely that: they could have been used better to advance the story.

I enjoyed getting to know both of the protagonists as they developed through the storytelling. The author does not overemphasize their lapses in judgment. Sure, one could berate the one hiker for not checking his map and compass until well into the second day; and the canoe trip leader for the bravado that made him think he could achieve a leap that needn't have been attempted. But pointing out lessons is not the point of the tale. Rather, this book presents a tale of the human spirit in extreme situations, and offers a travelog of the north woods into the bargain. He draws their characters vividly, and the reader cheers on their ingenuity in surviving, their inner struggles and breakthroughs. Tears of relief and delight meet their rescues.