The Last American Man
Books | Biography & Autobiography / General
3.9
(51)
Elizabeth Gilbert
_____________'It is almost impossible not to fall under the spell of Eustace Conway ... his accomplishments, his joy and vigor, seem almost miraculous' - New York Times Review of Books'Gilbert takes a bright-eyed bead on Eustace, hitting him square with a witty modernist appraisal of folkloric American masculinity' - The Times'Conversational, enthusiastic, funny and sharp, the energy of The Last American Man never ebbs' - New Statesman_____________A fascinating, intimate portrait of an endlessly complicated man: a visionary, a narcissist, a brilliant but flawed modern heroAt the age of seventeen, Eustace Conway ditched the comforts of his suburban existence to escape to the wild. Away from the crushing disapproval of his father, he lived alone in a teepee in the mountains. Everything he needed he built, grew or killed. He made his clothes from deer he killed and skinned before using their sinew as sewing thread.But he didn't stop there. In the years that followed, he stopped at nothing in pursuit of bigger, bolder challenges. He travelled the Mississippi in a handmade wooden canoe; he walked the two-thousand-mile Appalachian Trail; he hiked across the German Alps in trainers; he scaled cliffs in New Zealand. One Christmas, he finished dinner with his family and promptly upped and left - to ride his horse across America. From South Carolina to the Pacific, with his little brother in tow, they dodged cars on the highways, ate road kill and slept on the hard ground.Now, more than twenty years on, Eustace is still in the mountains, residing in a thousand-acre forest where he teaches survival skills and attempts to instil in people a deeper appreciation of nature. But over time he has had to reconcile his ambitious dreams with the sobering realities of modernity.Told with Elizabeth Gilbert's trademark wit and spirit, The Last American Man is an unforgettable adventure story of an irrepressible life lived to the extreme. The Last American Man is a New York Times Notable Book and National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist.
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More Details:
Author
Elizabeth Gilbert
Pages
288
Publisher
A&C Black
Published Date
2009-08-17
ISBN
1408806878 9781408806876
Ratings
Google: 4
Community ReviewsSee all
"I feel really mixed about this book...not sure how to write my review. It started out positive and enjoyable. Engaging, complex situations and relationships. Til the end it felt like it was repeats of broken relationships and patterns that never seemed to improve or heal. In the midst is a man fueled to find and teach people who are wanting to protect enjoy and live off the natural land, respecting nature and living simply. It left me questioning priorities though. If you are learning so much about nature, but not slowing down to focus on inner work and healing, what is the point? Are people or trees more important? I wish he could have said it doesn't have to be one or the other. Sadly, that was not the case."
Jessica English-Ramsay
"Loved ! Loved this book!! Elizabeth Gilbert tells an amazing story of Eustace Conway! A man who at an early age was told he was ,”a man of destiny”. As a nature lover myself and one who seeks to “change the world” after being told I was “destined to do more” this book helped ground me to see we do more with the little we do than with the big we kill ourselves trying to do. Such a great read and in a time of need. Great graduation gift for any recent grad ready to make a mark in this world"
Josh
