Enjoy Happy Trails, the free monthly newsletter from Hiking For Her

Receive a free resource: "Hiking Layering System Explained"

1001 Ways To Live Wild
Review:
A Hiking For Her Book Review

This 1001 Ways to Live Wild review was written to acquaint you with a new book by its author, Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer.

This book was published by National Geographic Partners, LLC in March 2016.

I received the book from TLC Book Tours, a virtual book tour site. TLC invited me to act as your tour host, sharing my thoughts about a book filled to the brim with insights into how to make every day adventurous - both on and off the trail.

TLC's perspective of
1001 Ways To Live Wild

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (March 29, 2016)

Bestselling author of 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer pours her creativity into an irresistible book of bite-size inspiration for leading an adventurous, happy, and fulfilling life. 1,001 Ways to Live Wild is filled with light-hearted quick hits of encouragement for anyone looking for a jolt of "get out there and live."

Short entries—musings, things to do, and inspirational quotes—are paired with stunning artwork, creating a beautiful keepsake to give as a gift or to keep on your bedside table.

Presented as one continuous list accompanied by whimsical sidebars and thought-provoking quotes, the text touches on many and varied themes such as:

• following your passions,
  
• staying curious,
  
• appreciating nature,
  
• travelling,
  
• trying new things, and
  
• living life with courage.

1001 Ways to Live Wild Review:
Hiking For Her's perspective

By Diane Spicer

There's not one theme on that list that a hiker wouldn't be eager to explore!

I know for a fact that women hikers embrace passion, curiosity, and the chance to push their physical and mental limits every time they lace up their boots.

The challenge of having this many suggestions presented to you in one go is "Where do I start?"

1001 Ways To Live Wild Review: recommendations

There are lots of ways to let this simple book knock loose some of that festering wildness bottled up inside of you.

Try this:

• Get your trail journal, a pen and a mug of something hot and delicious.
  
• Sit in a spot where you can see (and feel, if you're lucky) the outdoors.
• Flip open the book. The entries are numbered, but you shouldn't let your linear left brain shame you about starting at #102 or #870. The fun in reading this book is surprising yourself!
• As you read Dr.Kipfer's suggestions for ways to "live wild", some of them are going to hit you as impractical: "Run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain."
• If the suggestion intrigues you, even the tiniest little bit, write it down! There's something there that you should be paying attention to. With the "Run with the bulls" example, perhaps you shouldn't take it too literally. Maybe you could read a blog about that intriguing area - and discover some great hiking trails (bull free but worth exploring).
• If the suggestion strikes you as a great idea, write that down, too. Create your own personal list of ways you dare to challenge yourself to incorporate some new types of adventures into your life.

Personal example: When I read "Sleep suspended above the forest floor" I wrote that down, making a notation to look into backpacking hammocks. This one sentence unleashed a flood of questions (What are the drawbacks? How much do they weigh?) and possibly opened the door to a new type of sleep system on my next backpack trip.

Another way I plan to use the book: Make a list of her ideas for sharing adventures with other people.

• "Kidnap someone on their birthday" is a great place to start.
• Why not plan a day hike to a beautiful location, pack a great lunch, and drive the birthday girl to the trail head without sharing the destination?
  
• What fun for the birthday girl, the sense of adventure with all the mundane details (navigation, food, parking) taken care of! Way better than a birthday lunch in a restaurant, right?
  

 

Explore the great quotes
and wild lists

Finally, it needs to be mentioned that this pretty little book contains some great quotes.

I've already got a few taped to my workspace to remind me of my wild side.

The author also provides enough "wild lists" to keep you adventuring in many ways over the next years.

Here are my favorite lists for hikers in this 1001 Ways To Live Wild review:

• Trailblazers to learn about (page 118)
• Life-changing places to experience (pages 108-109)
• Plants you can eat in the forest (pages 72-73)
• Destinations to put on your bucket list (pages 242-243)
• Fears to face (pages 306-307)
• Adventurous walks to take (pages 210-211)

Final thoughts
on living wild

I learned an important fact in this 1001 Ways To Live Wild review:

This book is too lovely to keep to yourself.

• It will inspire you to seek out some water colors, a brush and some thick paper to replicate the humble but richly satisfying designs on the pages.
• It will gently challenge you to shake off the ho-hums and really experience what's around, and inside, you every day - not just on hiking days.
  
• It will remind you that it's possible to have big and little everyday adventures in your crowded, hectic life.
  

Feed your wild side!

And then share it with your trail buddies.

I hope this 1001 Ways to Live Wild review provided a simple but challenging way to help you go wild.

Thanks, TLC Book Tours, for the opportunity to welcome this little book into my life.

Interested in purchasing a copy? Go here.

Home page > Hiking Resources >

Hiking Books >

1001 Ways To Live Wild Book Review