“But this land, and these people, have shown me precious things, which I will probably spend my whole life forgetting, and remembering, and trying not to forget again.”

I loved this memoir of self growth and exploration, set in what has always been a challenging environment, but the current century has exasperated the changing condition, in unexpected as well as predicted ways.
Perhaps what will stick with me the most is the bear and the mosquitos.

North to the Future is an engaging and thought-provoking debut that blends adventure, environmental reflection, and cultural critique in a way that feels fresh and relevant. While at first glance it might seem like a travelogue about Alaska’s wilderness, this book offers much more—a deeply personal exploration of what it means to unplug from a hyper-digital world and reconnect with nature in an era dominated by distraction.

What stood out most to me was the author’s vulnerability and insight as he reflects on growing up in the attention economy and the challenges of carving out mental stillness when our devices are designed to keep us hooked. His observations about how our ancestors used their senses for survival versus how modern life hijacks our attention were fascinating and, frankly, sobering.

The sections describing his time in Alaska—completely off-grid and immersed in vast, wild landscapes—were beautifully written. You can almost feel the cold river water and see the tundra bowing in the wind. These moments contrasted powerfully with the digital noise most of us experience daily and made the author’s journey feel meaningful and restorative.

While the book occasionally meanders, the mix of memoir, environmental commentary, and philosophical insight kept me engaged. It left me not only thinking about climate change but also about the personal cost of disconnection from the natural world—and how necessary it is to seek out wonder in our lives.

A remarkable and hopeful debut that I’d recommend to anyone curious about the intersection of nature, technology, and human resilience.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A eye opening look at how the climate is changing. We accompany very interesting people to Alaska & see changes through their experiences.Really interesting well written book. #netgalley#grandcentral.

A remarkable debut from a young author and scholar — a digital native who explores the importance of reconnecting with the natural world in wake of climate catastrophe.

While you will find great adventures and epic landscapes here, this is much more than a travelogue of the Alaskan wilderness. "Being part of the first generation to go through adolescence with front-facing cameras" and having a "perennially distracted mind," as he describes himself, he has a very accurate understanding of the challenges that young people face.

Our ancestors honed their senses to navigate the land in search of sustenance and shelter; by the time my friends and I entered the world, our attention had become a battleground for marketers seeking to exploit every cognitive foible, every evolutionary tic. And by the time we started high school, this battle no longer stopped at the front door. That was 2011—four years after Apple put the whole world in our pockets, a year and a half after Facebook created the Like button, and the same year Snapchat showed adolescents how to “live in the moment ;).” Almost overnight, the new digital culture flooded our lives, and only those things engineered to reach out and grab us—by our amygdalas, our dopamine receptors, our gonads—had a chance of getting through. Say what you will about the petabytes of vapid and often demoralizing content we consumed, but what about all we learned to ignore?

He makes an impressive effort to find that out, including living off the grid for weeks or months at a time while accompanying famous scientists slash explorers. And it pays off. I love the mood described in this excerpt:

In the evening we make camp on a gravel island and wash ourselves in the river. Then we build a fire and watch the smoke rise, and the water pass, and the tundra bow in the wind. After several hours Allen breaks the silence. “Does anyone know what time it is?” he asks. “No,” replies Julia. “No,” I say. “Good,” says Allen, and we return to our watching.

As somebody from an older generation who grew up without digital devices or the internet, I cannot imagine how difficult it must be for people immersed in the attention economy from an early age to find this kind of focus and awareness of the world around them. However, this book made me hopeful that it's possible.

Thanks to the publisher, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Alaska. Albedo. Untouched. The wild. Trek. Tree migration. Iñupiaq. This is a powerful, enlightening read. A journey through Alaska, all the while providing important insight into how the climate might be changing and how our technological advances may be both helpful and harmful to humanity. This made me long to be hiking alongside the author and his companions even with the knowledge that I’m not well versed in the great outdoors — hiking takes on a bit of a different definition for me, well-travelled local forest preserves and state parks. But nonetheless, the importance of seeing and experiencing this world firsthand instead of behind our screens and the realization of our impact on this world are themes throughout that we should not take so lightly. I highly, highly recommend this book. It reads well, the pace is just right, its descriptions bring you into the freezing cold temps and the pesky swarms of mosquitos. Do yourself a favor and read this important piece of work!

Interesting look at the environmental changes found in the northern territories of Alaska, but it felt like the book went on for about 100 pages too long. I usually enjoy wilderness, survival, informational types of books, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

This was an interesting read about the author’s time in Alaska studying the environment (with no background or training) with some interesting individuals both scientists and experiential sho present a different view of what is happening to the tundra and wilderness than what is commonly believed today. While this book may not be for everyone, I found it a worthwhile read.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher with the understanding that I would post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my nonfiction book review blog.

North to the Future is an engaging travel memoir detailing a young writer’s adventures in Alaska alongside some of the state’s most distinguished climate scientists. With little prior wilderness experience, Ben Weissenbach approaches the Alaskan landscape—and the people who study it—with humility, curiosity, and a refreshing willingness to admit what he doesn’t know. That honesty was one of the aspects I most appreciated about this book.
Weissenbach is at his best when observing and reflecting on the scientists he meets—each with their own unique relationship to the land and their work. These encounters offer fascinating insights into the challenges of conducting fieldwork in remote environments—from trekking through the wilderness in search of the northernmost treeline to mapping glaciers from the air—as well as deeper questions about how we make sense of environmental change.
The book also explores the contrast between digital life and the raw physicality of Alaska, though at times this theme felt a little overstated. The idea of “disconnecting” is a familiar trope in adventure writing, and I found myself more drawn to the tangible experiences and science than the philosophical reflections on screen time. That said, the section describing the author’s solitary days at a reindeer herding station in –40°F, was particularly interesting.
One aspect I found more difficult to reconcile was the portrayal of some scientists as skeptics of mainstream climate models. While it’s valuable to present diverse scientific perspectives, the book doesn’t always offer enough context to distinguish between healthy scientific debate and broader climate skepticism. In a time when clarity on climate science is crucial, that omission felt like a missed opportunity.
That said, North to the Future offers a thoughtful and often entertaining perspective on what it means to step outside your comfort zone and into a landscape that demands attention, respect, and adaptation. Readers interested in the human side of scientific research—particularly in extreme environments—will likely enjoy this book.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing for providing an advance content copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

A different read than my usual fare, but well worth the effort. A different tack to show us the dangers of climate change. A bunch of regular type people show us how the Earth is changing through their trips in Alaska, This is a highly readable book that shows us in a way I want to keep turning the pages how the Earth is changing for the worse. The adventures described are fun and I wish I was out there with them.