Have you ever heard of Rick Ridgeway? Neither had I, but I was pulled into this story by the title and beautiful cover. This is the autobiographical story of the many adventures Rick has had during his life, and about his close friends, the "Do boys". I'm an armchair adventurer myself, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the adventures of Rick and his friends. I'd recommend this for any lovers of nature or autobiography. Thanks so much to the publisher for providing this ARC for review.

You might not have heard of Rick Ridgeway, but even the casual hiker will surely have heard of some of Rick’s adventure buddies: Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia), Doug Tompkins (founder of The North Face and Espirit), and even Tom Brokaw (NBC Reporter)! Rick and his friends call themselves the Do Boys, because they DO things rather than just talk about doing them, and this book was full of all the stories.

Rick’s stories have a surprising amount of detail for happening decades ago, but that’s what makes them so rich. This book will take you all around the world and then some. The last quarter of this book highlights the conservation actions the Do Boys have undertaken to save what is left of the wild Earth. You might be familiar with Patagonia’s 1% for the planet — Chouinard’s commitment that Patagonia will donate 1% of its sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. However, Doug Tompkins and his wife, Kris, have personally created over 14 million acres of National Parks in South America!

I highly recommend this book.

Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map is the autobiographical story of Rick Ridgeway. The author chronicles his many adventures, grand and small, and the impacts that each has on his life. His story is also one of close friendships, as his friends often traveled/climbed/paddled right along side him throughout the world.

I was previously unfamiliar with the life of Rick Ridgeway before reading Life Lived Wild, and am very happy to have had the opportunity to read and review his book. Life Lived Wild is nonstop, it goes from one place to another and another, and the book was a great read. The book was honest and great care was taken to tell the stories of the friends that did not survive some of the journeys; these sections were heartbreaking but well told. I also appreciated the emphasis on a strong respect for nature and the author's efforts to protect the environment and combat climate change. Readers who love a good autobiography or outdoor/nature book should pick up a copy of Life Lived Wild when it is published.

Thanks to Netgalley and Patagonia for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.