Koncocoo

Best New England U.S. Regional Travel

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded. Though the ‘stranger’ in the title is Knight, one closes the book with the sense that Knight, like all seers, is the only sane person in a world gone insane—that modern civilization has made us strangers to ourselves." —Jennifer Senior, The New York Times "Michael Finkel has done something magical with this profound book… [His] investigation runs deep, summoning…the human history of our own attempts to find meaning in a noisy world."
Reviews
"Not only is this story of Chris Knight one of the most compelling that I have read in some time, but the lengths that you went to, to research his venture into the woods of Maine, to understand him, to get to know him, clearly better than anyone else has, and to represent him with such dignity, astounds me. While some, especially those whose homes were burgled, might still never understand what would cause a person to want to live in such extreme conditions let alone in solitude, far removed from the ‘regular’ world, after reading the book, while I will never spend a night, let alone an hour in the woods, what drew Knight makes sense to me now. It’s not to say that after reading THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS that every reader will feel compelled to pick up and leave their jobs, families, and the comfort of modern society behind, but it sure does offer food for thought."
"I wanted to read this book as the Maine woods have been a part of my life and I was unfamiliar with this story until I saw this book. I realized from the start that at the core of this story was an important topic I already have been worrying about that I feel American society either is unaware of or is purposefully ignoring: the neuro-atypical person and the challenge of how they will live (not thriving but suffering) in modern America. Knight was content and found peace in living that life until he was caught with the help of sophisticated surveillance equipment while robbing food from a nonprofit camp for disabled children (including kids on the Autism Spectrum). The heartbreaking part of this story is that the suffering that Knight endured was due to square pegs not fitting in the round holes of modern American society, his relief and contendedness was found living in isolation in nature, but this is not really allowed in America, and when possible it's only available to those who are able to financially support themselves due to an inheritance or some income stream that they are lucky to find that meshes with their talents and abilities. But this book provides more food for thought, for me at least, than just Knight's hermit years story. I hope this book is a catalyst for Americans to think about this issue, with the rising rates of Autism and mental illness, we have more people this decade than ever before who are not fitting in with the mandatory American public school system and who are not fitting in to work jobs as adults enough to support themselves independently let alone the issue of if a person is happy or content."
"Many of us dream of secluding from the busyness of modern living—the fast-paced, noisy, cyclical nature in which life has become; yet many of us do not have the courage or tenacity to pursue such a dream, much less achieve this dream for the amount of time that Knight did. On a practical level, Michael Finkel has written this biographical account excellently."
"My heart goes out to Mr. Knight."
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Will's Red Coat: The Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again
Drawn by an online post, Tom Ryan adopted Will, a frightened, deaf, and mostly blind elderly dog, and brought him home to live with him and Atticus. A story of a dog and an indelible bond that is beautiful, heartbreaking, uplifting, and unforgettable, Will’s Red Coat honors the promise held in all of us, at any stage of life. Drawn by a fateful online post, Tom Ryan, with the help of his canine hiking partner, Atticus M. Finch, adopts Will, an elderly, deaf, and nearly blind soul who is filled with anger and pain. With endless patience and the same meditative empathy Tom has nurtured in his relationship with Atticus, Will eventually begins to thrive, transforming into a happy, frolicking companion with a puppy-like zest for discovery and inspiring hundreds of thousands of people with his courage, resilience, and renewed heart.
Reviews
"Will has other health challenges, and he’s not expected to live more than a few months when the author and animal activist brings him from a New Jersey kill shelter to his home in bucolic New Hampshire. He doesn’t shout commands at Will and Atticus, for instance, but asks nicely, as when he cautions one of them to be wary of wildlife: “Be careful, my friend.” Some readers may find it remarkable how animals respond to being accorded such courtesy. Yet through it all, he treats Will with tenderness, recognizing that this elderly dog with severely limited senses had been abandoned by aging guardians who could no longer care for him and suddenly found himself navigating a strange new world. “I love animals,” he writes, “and yet I had done my best to ignore where the hamburger on my plate came from, the suffering of chickens that led to buffalo wings, or how many lives had to be sacrificed to fulfill my desire for barbecued ribs.”. A keen observer of the human condition, Tom narrates the story with the voice of a philosopher-poet, bringing to mind many of the writers (Emerson, Thoreau, Muir, et al.) he mentions throughout. Story. For me, the sign of a good book is if I would read it again; I plan to enjoy this one many times over, revisiting the spirit of compassion and hope that fills its pages."
"Tom Ryan follows up his wonderful Following Atticus book with Will's Red Coat. My hope is that this book skyrockets to become a bestseller and that older dogs who are in shelters are given a second look and a second chance at life."
"How many of us would take in an elderly dog, mostly deaf and almost blind, not house broken and then work with that dog to the best of our abilities in order to make his last few years happy ones? Both dog and man had to learn to open their hearts to each other, and it was not an easy path for either."
"What a wonderful story of an old dog with some life and love left to share."
"Using a quote from the book, 'Will chose to live again' and all the credit that brought about this change belongs to Tom."
"Tom Ryan is a writer and philosopher and these two books are works of art to savor and enjoy."
"Tom's story of hope & redemption strikes a strong chord."
"The continuing life journey of Tom Ryan, Atticus and those who accompanied them, which, for a time, included Will."
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Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches
Disarmed of falsehood, he was left only with the awful truth: John Hodgman is an older white male monster with bad facial hair, wandering like a privileged Sasquatch through three wildernesses: the hills of Western Massachusetts where he spent much of his youth; the painful beaches of Maine that want to kill him (and some day will); and the metaphoric haunted forest of middle age that connects them. An Amazon Best Book of November 2017: In Vacationland , John Hodgman describes an afternoon he spent building cairns – those steeple-shaped piles of stones you see along hiking trails. But Hodgman’s first cairns are “ass”: “Naturally,” he says, “I went for the big rocks, the showy ones with flashy colors and boss marbling. I hauled them out of the mud as if strength mattered even for a second in cairn building and used them as the base for huge, high monuments to overthink … And then I would step back and see how terrible they were.” Just when a metaphor for the writing process begins to seem obvious, Hodgman lets his grand creation fall. “Oh, I forgot to mention: we were high out of our minds.” Throughout Vacationland , Hodgman strikes a delicately calibrated, seemingly artless balance of pathos and humor. A memoir, of any sort, by a man whose success as an actor, podcaster, and writer (of the Complete World Knowledge trilogy) allows him to own not just one, but two vacation homes, seems fated to evoke resentment, but though he may be fulfilling his “Caucasian class destiny in the most loathsome way possible,” the book never feels braggy. Setting it down, you’re left with the sense that you’ve just finished a long, pleasant trip into the author’s mind. The book is a cleverly composed meditation on one privileged American’s life—and, glancingly, on America—at a crucial moment for both.” — Chicago Tribune. Hodgman has a gift for capturing the modes and mores of New England in a way that is wry and true.” —Los Angeles Times. Sharp, silly, and sensitive, Vacationland is a literary selfie of a concerned citizen storyteller—one in which the oldest slice of the United States does a little inelegant photobombing.” —NPR. At some point, long after I gave up resisting the near-constant impulse to laugh out loud, I came to the realization that with Vacationland , Hodgman has established himself as a memoirist and, unquestionably, a master prose stylist, of rare power and restraint.” —Michael Chabon “This book is genuinely it-will-make-you-laugh funny, it is a wistful and sad examination of the impulse that causes us to move to out of the way places and of what John Hodgman found when he went there, and it is always wiser than it seems. “John Hodgman is a literary wizard, an imaginative humorist, and a true man of mystery. “I am delighted that Vacationland exists, because it will finally prove something to the world that I have known for years: John Hodgman is a seriously great writer. It's easy to miss this point about John, as his literary talents are often overshadowed by his well-known and much-loved sense of humor. These essays demonstrate his rare gift in a volume that is rich with sensitivity, subtlety, grace, and—yes, of course— wit. ‘Show him to me, that I may mock him for his lousy sense of humor and his inability to know good prose when he sees it.’” —John Darnielle, bestselling author of Universal Harvester and primary member of the Mountain Goats “John Hodgman thinks we’re rubes, trying to convince us he’s some unlovable fraud or a post-post Dick Cavett. But his wondrous Vacationland proves the truth: he is a man from the future sent here to save us with comedic metaphors, relishable scoldings, and neoclassic wit.” —Brad Meltzer, bestselling author of The Escape Artist “We’ve known for a while now that John Hodgman is a master of invention. Moving, hilarious, and deeply heartfelt, Vacationland is a wonder.” —Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, bestselling author of The Nest. “John Hodgman returns to the page with a humorous, yet sincere look at his time spent on the beaches of Maine and his trek through middle age.
Reviews
"This is an honest look at people who live in the upper East coast area."
"Do you like Hodgman?"
"Fast shipping, items as described or better, A+."
"I will buy all of this man's books."
"I read this In one sitting, I literally couldn’t put it down."
"Delightful."
"John Hodgeman is one of the most thoughtful, articulate, and comedic writers of our time."
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Best Vermont Travel Guides

Fodor's New England: with the Best Fall Foliage Drives & Scenic Road Trips (Full-color Travel Guide)
Check out Fodor's travel guides to Boston and Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. “Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher….aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times “The Fodor’s guides are notable for their ratings of sights, restaurants, shops, accommodations and attractions.” – Chicago Tribune.
Reviews
"Great product!"
"Just used to follow the foliage on its recommended route."
"This book was complete and very helpful during our trip to New England."
"Bought it for my sister."
"Very informative and well organized."
"Comprehensive guide to towns and attractions."
"An excellent resource for trip planning."
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Best Northeast US Travel Guides

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail (Official Guides to the Appalachian Trail)
The AT offers an astonishing landscape of silent forests and sparkling lakes — and to a writer with the comic genius of Bill Bryson, it also provides endless opportunities to witness the majestic silliness of his fellow human beings. When this American transplant to Britain decided to return home, he made a farewell walking tour of the British countryside and produced Notes from a Small Island . Accompanied only by his old college buddy Stephen Katz, Bryson starts out one March morning in north Georgia, intending to walk the entire 2,100 miles to trail's end atop Maine's Mount Katahdin. As Bryson and Katz haul their out-of-shape, middle-aged butts over hill and dale, the reader is treated to both a very funny personal memoir and a delightful chronicle of the trail, the people who created it, and the places it passes through. Awed by merely the camping section of his local sporting goods store, he nevertheless plunges into the wilderness and emerges with a consistently comical account of a neophyte woodsman learning hard lessons about self-reliance.
Reviews
"I'm a sexagenarian who, on a recent vacation, happened to walk out and back on the first three miles or so of the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail (Springer Mtn, GA) and, in a fit of exhilaration, decided then and there that I would, by golly, hike the AT before I died. As I was joyfully entertained by his incisive sense of humor, I was simultaneously and seriously learning history, biology, geology (and several other -ologies) as well as being discomfitted by Bryson's documentation of our culture's dismissive practices regarding ecology."
"In total Bryson hiking around 800 miles of the 2,500 mile trail."
"You young guys can deal with that...[...], I should have done this trail 30 years ago!! What's funny is just a couple weeks back we did a small day hike in north Georgia on the High Shoals trail, down to a beautiful water fall, just a 1.2 mile hike. On the hike back up to the car I was huffing and puffing, my hip was hurting, I was sweating heavily in GOOD weather... and I think I want to do this with a 40 pound pack on my back??!! We spoke with the first two guys, one who wanted to celebrate his 65 birthday on the trail, the other guy, much younger, hiking the trail for several days on his own. I topped off their water bottles and thanked them, thinking I should do this hike!"
"Was told it was "Hilarious.""
"Read one and except for a few events, you've pretty much read them all and almost any extended backpacking trip involves the same rigors, risks, weather and that mixture of misery and exhilaration."
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Best Mid Atlantic U.S. Regional Travel

Humans of New York: Stories
Now, Brandon is back with the Humans of New York book that his loyal followers have been waiting for: Humans of New York: Stories . “Some street photographers hide behind phone booths like paparazzi so their subject won't be aware of their presence, but for Stanton it's precisely that awkward interaction, the tearing down of the wall between strangers, that he covets.” ― The Huffington Post. He was a 2013 Time Magazine "30 people under 30 changing the world," an ABC News Person of the Week, told stories from around the world in collaboration with the United Nations, and was invited to photograph President Obama in the Oval Office.
Reviews
"~~~~~~~~~It appears Amazon posted my review under both books Humans of New York and HONY Stories. If you are deciding on whether or not to buy the book, consider the following, which Brandon posted on the HONY facebook page: "I want to take a quick opportunity to remind everyone that HONY is advertisement free and almost entirely financed by book sales. By purchasing a book, you can help HONY continue to grow in a way that remains focused on telling people’s stories--- and nothing else."
"I've purchased all three Humans of New York books and have loved them all, but in Humans of New York - Stories, it all comes together. Even something went unspeakably wrong and against all odds the book was garbage (it isn't) you STILL should buy it, if for nothing more than to cast a vote of support for the JOY, LOVE, and EMPATHY that HONY provides."
"It makes a great coffee table book and everybody that has come over has picked this up and started reading it."
"An amazing collection of photos and personal stories."
"I follow the Facebook page but there's something about holding a tangible book and reading through all the stories in 2 nights that make it better."
"Love this book."
"In the midst of ISIS, corruption, American elections, tanking economy and a degree of narcissism that boggles the mind... another great bit of sanity, sharing, true storytelling and remembering what it is to be human."
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