About this item
The incredible true story of an entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic companies The North Face and Esprit who used his fortune to protect over 12-million acres of land from development and exploitation and battle to save the wild. In 1991, Doug Tompkins left his comfortable life in San Francisco and flew 6,500 miles south to a shack in Patagonia. Instead of the Golden Gate Bridge, Tompkins now stared out the window at Volcano Michinmahuida, blanketed in snow and prowled by mountain lions. All of his possessions fit into a single duffel bag. Shielded by perfect nature, Tompkins regretted the corporate capitalism he had profited from for years. As founder of Esprit and The North Face, he had "made things nobody needed." Now, he declared, it was time to reverse the damage to the planet, and maybe even himself.
About the Author
As an investigative journalist and non-fiction writer, I seek to capture the spirit of extreme survival. After more than a decade covering South American narco wars and organized crime heists, I realized I was risking my life for no good cause and switched careers. Now, I chronicle the everyday heroism of extreme survival.My August 2020 book A WILD IDEA, is a rollicking, inspirational biography of environmental activist Douglas Tompkins who fought for the survival of forests never logged, rivers never dammed and animals never fenced in. Working for nearly 25 years Tompkins singlehandedly launched a campaign to create a half dozen national parks in South America.A rebel climber who came of age in 1960's San Francisco '60's Tompkins was intimately tied to the outdoors throughout his life. He founded the North Face and Esprit clothing company but just as he reached the peak of capitalism he realized his mistake! He had climbed the wrong mountain. At the age of 49, Tompkins cashed out. Took his millions off the table, moved to Patagonia, and joined by Kris Tompkins, the love of his life, began to buy up entire forests and ecosystems in a mad plan to protect the planet. Based on more than 150 interviews with Tompkins, his wife Kris, colleagues, and lifelong friends A WILD IDEA is an intimate portrait of a bold voice fighting for nature and wildlands. Coming in June 2022, my next book CABIN FEVER is a terrifying true story of survival at sea, aboard a cruise ship ambushed by Covid. Based on exclusive interviews with passengers and crew, CABIN FEVER, chronicles the heroics as beleaguered crew members fight to survive as port after port refuse to receive what is known as "The Pariah Ship."My previous books include 438 Days - a stunning tale of survival at sea that Outside magazine called "the best survival book in a decade." I spent months interviewing fisherman Salvador Alvarenga and diving deep into the world of extreme survival. At first, it seemed impossible. How could a fisheman adrift in a tiny boat live 14 months at sea? Only Hollywood could have an ending like this where a single man drifts 6,000 miles and survives on his wits, humor, and resourcefulness. But it's true, Alvarenga lived for over a year in his tiny fishing boat, adrift in the Pacific. This is a daring, bold tale that highlights the simple pleasures in life. Like a glass of water. A square of chocolate. A smile. Maybe life isn't so complicated?
