This book has been my companion for nine months now. My mentor recommended it, and we read it slowly together, taking our time with each chapter.

One of my favorite parts about this book is the way he equates the journey in and out of physical wilderness to the journey of the spiritual life. The first leg is departure, or the call to adventure. We sense that God is calling us to something new. A necessary part of this is dissatisfaction and disillusionment. We must realize how far we have to go, and accept things for what they are, rather than we desire them to be. The second leg is discipline, or the embracing of spiritual disciplines that help us through the wilderness. These include mediation, prayer, fasting, simplicity, solitude, and service. The third leg is descent, or failure and loss. This part of the journey is the most fearful and dark. The final leg is delight, where you return home and bring a newer sense of discernment and joy. Having this as a frame for Lane's stories made the book that much more personal and helpful in my own journey.

I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to encounter a kind and intelligent guide in the spiritual life. Lane has definitely been that for me. ( )

This is an excellent combination of travel memoir and spirituality textbook. Be prepared that it is definitely not an easy travel memoir read. The author is an academic, and it is thus written with that style. However, it is written quite well if you are prepared to read this style of book. Each chapter has a small story from the author's outdoor experiences and then talks about a saint that the author either read on that trip or who's writings relate to the experiences of the trip. Overall it is a great way to introduce these spiritual masters from many religions as well as introduce the reader to the theme of wilderness spirituality. ( )