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 enlarge | Authors: Sam Keith, Richard Proenneke
Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy Used: $6.65
You Save: $10.30 (61%)
New (34) Used (37) from $6.65
Avg. Customer Rating:  102 reviews
Sales Rank: 8526
Format: Illustrated
Media: Paperback
Edition: 26th Anniversary ed.
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.6
ISBN: 0882405136
Dewey Decimal Number: 917.984
EAN: 9780882405131
ASIN: 0882405136
Publication Date: June 1, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: EX-LIBRARY; used item may have library binding and show stamps, stickers or other marks. Items not meeting quality expectations may be returned for refund. Buy with confidence - your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics!
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| Customer Reviews:
 I read his original, handwritten journal... April 2, 2008
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.
Wow, what a read, what a life! March 13, 2008
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.
 Good Book: Great Video March 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
A Chronicle of Doing One's Best... February 27, 2008
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 this 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. Proenneke admires critters. It's only the two-legged varmints that offend him, offend nature, and most of the time, destroy it randomly. His encounters with animals are laugh out loud funny, touching, impressive; his encounters with humans -- or their aftermath -- do not say much for us as a species. 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.
Great for the self-reliant minded January 14, 2008
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.
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