** Finished 1/10/20 at 10:10 pm **

Back in 2014, I distinctly remember reading an intriguing article in GQ that detailed the story of a man who was recently found in Maine that had lived in the woods by himself for almost 30 years. Shortly after, I saw 'Stranger in the Woods' at my local bookstore -- it took me some time (5 years?) but I've finally found and read the full account. It's just as interesting and fascinating as the first read.

They book details the story of Christopher Knight, who walked into the woods of central Maine, lived on his own (subsiting largely by minor break-ins across several cabins in the area) while only saying one word out loud (to an unexpected hiker) in 27 years.

Finkel conducted several interviews with Knight and details a deep (well, as deep as possible) picture of who Knight is, and why/how he did it. In the process, he details many studies on hermits (including finding a fascinating 'hermit community' on the web) both current, historical and scientifically).

The book is fast read and is fairly enjoyable. Finkel's journey to get to the fundamental question of 'why' can only go so far, but is more satisfying than I expected (through perhaps ironically, hard to put concisely). It's worth reading for a deeper understanding of a societal outlier who carries some unconventional wisdom for us all in the process.