The Alaskan Retreater's Notebook: On Man's Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness

Over the course of reading this book one gains tremendous admiration for the author. Primarily focused on his three-year sojourn in Alaska in the late 1970s, Ordorica's detailed and practical advice-filled account tells of how he survived in an uninsulated cabin in remote interior Alaska and, drawing on his already considerable survival skills, eked out an existence that most would never wish to even consider. Later sections relate the author's time as a professional photographer in Anchorage. The title concludes with a short chapter on his return to remote Alaska, albeit this time under much more "civilized" conditions. Throughout we also learn a lot about Ordorica's twin passions: guns and wildlife. And how he ultimately comes to respect the creatures he encounters so much that he gives up hunting altogether; his enthusiasm for guns turning into a more intellectual and abstract pursuit.