1,001 Ways to Live Wild

About 1,001 Ways to Live Wild

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic (March 29, 2016)

Bestselling author 14,000 Things to Be Happy About Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer pours her creativity into an irresistible book of bite-size inspiration for leading an adventurous, happy, and fulfilling life. 1,001 Ways to Live Wild is filled with light-hearted quick hits of encouragement for anyone looking for a jolt of “get out there and live.” Short entries—musings, things to do, and inspirational quotes—are paired with stunning artwork, creating a beautiful keepsake to give as a gift or to keep on your bedside table. Presented as one continuous list accompanied by whimsical sidebars and thought-provoking quotes, the text touches on many and varied themes such as: following your passions, staying curious, appreciating nature, traveling, trying new things, and living life with courage.

Purchase Links

National Geographic | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer

Barbara Ann Kipfer has written more than 60 books of wit and inspiration, including 14,000 Things to Be Happy About, The Wish List, Instant Karma as well as numerous others. Kipfer holds Ph.D.s in linguistics, archaeology, and Buddhist studies.

Hello!  And Happy Monday!  I can’t think of a better way to kick off the week than with a review of the book 1,001 ways to live wild by Barbara Ann Kipfer.  Disclaimer:  As a TLC Book Tour Host, the publisher sent me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I have to start by telling you that this is a beautiful book.  It has lovely artwork on the cover and throughout the book.  There is a colorful and whimsical quality to the artwork that I love.  I also love the feel and size of it.  In addition to the 1,001 suggestions on living wild, there are also quotes and “Wild Lists” with tips on things such as “Wild Ways to Spend Your Lunch Hour” and “Adventure Books to Read” and more.

In the introduction the author mentions that the book entries are “serendipitously offered, so you can either read straight through or go wild(!) browsing them.”  I have decided to go with the flow of serendipity (“serendipity” being one of my favorite words, by the way) and I will be dipping into the book randomly because this is a book I intend to continue to explore beyond this review.

In the meantime and for the purpose of this review, I have skimmed through the book with the objective of following a few of the ideas.  The ideas range from short and simple and not costing a cent (“Stargaze”), to more adventurous and sometimes expensive (“Take a hot-air-balloon ride”).  There are suggestions for things I’ve already done, ideas for things I hope to do, and activities that I doubt I’ll ever do no matter how wild I live my life.  It should be noted that it’s not a matter of saying no to some of those things, but not enough time or money to do them all.  I don’t mean to present that as a negative.  I’m a practical person.  If I’d had this book earlier in life, I might have attempted to do them all (and blog about it, too!).

You might notice that I haven’t posted any of my own photos, something I usually do even for book reviews.  That’s because of this:

208. Put your camera away and enjoy a sunset.  There are enough pictures of sunsets.

Dr. Kipfer is right, and enjoying the sunset without my camera is something I intend to do more often.

Because life became suddenly full, I didn’t have time to do more, but I am excited about allowing the suggestions in the book lead me towards various adventures and journeys.  I’ll let you know how that works out, perhaps in a weekly or monthly blog post.

I wish this had been a give-away tour because I’d love to share this book.  Instead, I will have to highly recommend it.  I think some of the suggestions in this book can lead to profound experiences if you approach them with a spirit of adventure, curiosity, playfulness, and/or exploration.

On that note, I’m off to do this one:

48.  Play in the dirt.  Getting dirty gives you permission to let go.

Anyone want to join me?