Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (nonfiction)

I'm a fraidy cat, so I don't undestand why anyone would want to climb a mountain or go "into the wild" of Alaska. I don't understand the thrill of flirting with death, and I've been able to commune with nature without risking my life, thank you very much. However, if you want to try to understand why a healthy, intelligent, affluent 24 year old kid would want to abandon everything and trek into the interior of Alaska with few supplies, this is the book for you. The author of the book obviously spent a lot of time researching the story behind Chris McCandless's death in Alaska. I can follow along as he presents the thought process of Chris--or Alex or whatever name he chose to go by. The one thing I don't understand is how a person can think he is stronger or smarter than Nature. Didn't this kid's English teacher in 8th grade discuss this? In man vs. nature, nature always wins. Only someone bordering on arrogant would think he could outsmart nature. Yet, I do feel sorry for Chris; starving to death must have been horrible, and no one wants to say "I told you so" when it cost him his life. I didn't see the movie, and actually, I was surprised they made a movie out of this book. I bet the cinematography was gorgeous--the book follows the adventures of Chris which spanned most of the West and into Alaska. However, if there is another person out there struggling with whatever demons Chris had, I hope he or she remembers (and respects) that Nature didn't intend for a human to survive alone. We need each other.