The Last Empty Places - by Peter Stark (Paperback)

About the Book

"A smart rumination on what it means to get lost." --Outside

Book Synopsis

". . . intriguing, both a solid refresher on our savage colonial history and a smart rumination on what it means to get lost."― Outside

• First time in paperback, ebook, and audio editions
• Part travel adventure, part history, part exploration
• Features four specific "blank spots" from across the country and delves into our human relationships with place

In The Last Empty Places, bestselling author Peter Stark takes the reader to four of the most remote, wild, and unpopulated areas of the United States outside of Alaska and mainly not part of protected wilderness: the rivers and forests of Northern Maine; the rugged, unpopulated region of Western Pennsylvania that lies only a short distance from the East's big cities; the haunting canyons of Central New Mexico; and the vast, arid basins of Southeast Oregon.

Stark discovers that the places he visits are only "blank" in terms of a lack of recorded history. In fact, each place holds layers of history, meaning, and intrinsic value and is far from being blank. He also finds that each region has played an important role in shaping our American idea of wilderness through the influential "natural philosophers" who visited these places and wrote about their experiences--Henry David Thoreau, William Bartram, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold. It's a fascinating look at the value of nature, the ways humans use and approach it, and what it means to seek out empty places in today's world.

Review Quotes

. . . intriguing, both a solid refresher on our savage colonial history and a smart rumination on what it means to get lost.-- "Outside"

An engaging, informative travelogue that combines first-person accounts of driving, rafting and backpacking trips with concise histories . . .-- "The Oregonian"

Between vivid narratives describing the hazards of wilderness travel . . . Mr. Stark skillfully interlaces local history and discussions of America's great naturalists. The mix makes for pleasant, informative reading.-- "Washington Times"

More satisfying are the moments when Mr. Stark goes off on his own, relying on serendipity and his reporter's nose to sniff out regional character.-- "The Wall Street Journal"

Part travelogue, philosophical musings, environmental treatise and family vacation journal, the variety provides humanity and context. . . . What's most interesting is Stark's recurring questioning of why such places . . . matter.-- "Star-Tribune (Minneapolis)"