Since the beginning of mankind there have been men, and some women, who were consumed with a driving passion to spend their lives in the woods, in the open spaces or on the water, as far removed as possible from the hassles and shackles of society. These hardy individuals never cared much for wealth, riches nor the material possessions that the mass of people covet so dearly. These people, sometimes referred to as "woodsbums", do covet freedom, quiet, solitude and a close, somewhat spiritual association with all things wild and the places they inhabit

Charles Cook's own recollection of his 13 months trapping, hunting, fishing, and living in the Boundry Waters between Minnesota and Ontario -- first written in the early 1950s but never before published.

Our modern idea of what a healthy landscape looks like and how it functions is distorted by the fur trade that once trapped out millions of beavers from North America's lakes and rivers. Goldfarb shares the powerful story about one of the world's most influential species. He explains how North America was colonized, how our landscapes have changed over the centuries, and how beavers can help us fight drought, flooding, wildfire, extinction, and the ravages of climate change. -- adapted from jacket