My friend Mike Stern said I should read this book after I suggested getting rid of my possessions (along with the overhead of maintaining them) and living in the wilderness. Into the Wild is the story of Christopher McCandless who, shortly after graduating college, gave away his money and disappeared from society. His travels took him across the country and up into Alaska where he finally froze to death while living out of a hunting "shack". Jon Krakauer usually writes about climbing and is best known for Into Thin Air: A personal account of the Mt Everest Disaster. Krakauer traces the steps of McCandless's journey, using interviews with friends and contacts Chris made along the way. He found Chris to be a fairly well balanced individual and noted his considerable skills at self-sufficiency. The author found himself increasing compelled to understand McCandless's motivation for seeking isolation and ever more challenging living conditions. As a reader you will too.