Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America (WanderLearn Series) by Francis Tapon

Description

Francis Tapon sought wisdom when he quit his Silicon Valley job, donated most of his belongings, and set off to hike the Appalachian Trail. He and his hiking partner, Lisa Garrett, traversed the 2,168 mile footpath by walking for nearly four months from sunrise to sunset. The pilgrimage gave him insights that not only apply to backpacking, but to life itself. It also taught him that there sure are easier ways to go from Maine to Georgia.

While you enjoy the intense journey, you’ll learn: Why the Appalachian Trail’s credo is relevant to your life.

– How to control your finances.
– How to discover and pursue your passion.
– How to avoid costly mistakes and conquer your fears.
– How to dramatically improve your health.
– Why the Appalachian Trail teaches you more about human nature than Mother Nature.
– How to shrug off misfortune and live stress free.
– Why mosquitoes just want to be your friend.

Packed with a map, photographs, sidebars, and self assessment quizzes!

Francis Tapon knew he had a good life—he had a great career, fantastic friends, a nice home, and a cool electric shaver. However, something was missing. His life was good, but not great. It was quite predictable and safe, but thoroughly uninspiring. He wondered how to take his life to the next level.
He thought it would be smart to do what the sages do: hang out in the woods for several months and get some wisdom. Although he ultimately found wisdom, finding it wasn’t as easy or as romantic as all those spiritual books say it is. They neglect to mention that during the hot humid summer months there’s no air conditioning in the woods.

Hike Your Own Hike balances the story of an adventurous and insightful trip across the Appalachian Mountains with practical advice on how to squeeze the most out of life both on and off the trail. It’s enlightening, educational, and entertaining. It’s a
serious book that doesn’t take itself so seriously.

Hiking the entire Appalachian Trail in one season has soared in popularity over the last 20 years. Compared to 1986, there are eight times more people trying to “thru-hike” it! What accounts for this phenomenon?

Today people are overly stressed and need a break to return to the fundamentals. Feeling disconnected from the rhythms of life, hikers go on multi-month trails to recalibrate their perspective and to remind themselves of what really matters.

Hike Your Own Hike is about an incredible pilgrimage, what we can learn from it, and how to enrich our lives without getting too muddy.

Francis is donating 50% of his book royalty to the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. So even if you don’t think you’ll like this book, buy it anyway so you can support those trails.

“This is definitely not your ordinary Appalachian Trail thru-hike memoir.”
—Brian T. Fitzgerald, Chair, Appalachian Trail Conservancy

“Francis Tapon’s book is a marvelous addition to the very best outdoor and personal development books available. Against the
backdrop of a rich and unique journey along the Appalachian Trail, Hike Your Own Hike offers the reader a wealth of
practical how-tos blended masterfully with the wisdom of the ages. This isn’t another boring hiking guidebook, it’s a wonderful
guidebook for life.” —Kim and Demetri Coupounas, Co-Founders, GoLite

“Don’t expect a dull trail log. Don’t expect a humdrum self-help book. Instead, expect to laugh and learn as Hike Your Own Hike weaves practical wisdom with an epic journey as the backdrop.”—Dave Roberson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Hitachi Data Systems

“It’s hard to imagine a book that combines the strengths of Bill Bryson’s “Walk in the Woods” and Stephen Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” but “Hike Your Own Hike” has done it!” —Marco Iansiti, Harvard Business School Professor