Readin' Vegans--"A Wild Idea"

For our July 25 online book club, we'll discuss A WILD IDEA, by Jonathan Franklin (HarperOne, 2021). It tells the incredible true story of Douglas Tompkins, who became one of the primary founders of our modern conservation and land protection movement. You need not have attended a previous discussion to join us for this one. We'll discuss the book until about 8:00, followed by open conversation.
If you'd like to read ahead:
August 22 -- The Nation of Plants, by Stefano Mancuso
Sept. 26 -- For Banned Books Week, read one or more from the American Library Association's list of frequently challenged books:
https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
Oct. 24 -- Once upon a Time We Ate Animals, by Roanne van Voorst

The Zoom link to the discussion is posted on the right, visible to those who RSVP. PLEASE NOTE: THIS LINK DISAPPEARS AT THE MEETUP START TIME, THAT IS, 7:00 PM. We'll be available from 6:50 on to help anyone who might need extra time to connect.
You will need a computer, laptop, smartphone or other device with internet access. It's pretty easy; if you're curious, check out https://zoom.us/.
If you can't get on, call us at 303-300-2368.
We hope to "see" you there!
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About A WILD IDEA:
In 1991, Doug Tompkins abandoned his comfortable life in San Francisco and flew 6,500 miles south to a shack in Patagonia. Instead of the Golden Gate Bridge, Tompkins stared out the window at Volcano Michinmahuida, blanketed in snow and prowled by mountain lions. Shielded by waterfalls and wilderness, the founder of such groundbreaking companies as Esprit and The North Face suddenly regretted the corporate capitalism from which he had profited for years. As a CEO he had caused much pollution and, “made things nobody needed.” Now, he declared, it was time to reverse the damage to the planet, and maybe even himself. In A Wild Idea, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Jonathan Franklin tells the incredible true story of Douglas Tompkins, who became one of the primary founders of our modern conservation and land protection movement. Piloting his small plane, Tompkins explored the uninhabited lands of Patagonia and gaped at the singular active volcanoes, forests never logged, rivers never dammed—all so undisturbed, so exquisitely designed. Could he protect this wild beauty? For the ensuing quarter century, that dream— that obsession—became his life. Only in death did it become his legacy.

"A WILD IDEA is a primer for rewilding your own mind. Jonathan Franklin has written an epic. It’s a book about what really counts in life. Nature and beauty are fundamental. Doug Tompkins battled to stop the bad and start the good. Franklin shows how Doug did both — deliciously and wickedly well. You’ll learn how to beat 70 to 1 odds. Via sizzling stories, A WILD IDEA documents this man’s odyssey in such a way you will surely investigate your own worldview. Who are you?" — Randy Hayes, Founder Rainforest Action Network, Executive Director Foundation Earth

"A WILD IDEA is a rollicking good read about the on-the-edge life of mountaineer, entrepreneur and earth saver Doug Tompkins. This comprehensive but never dull recounting of the founder and co-founder of North Face and Esprit camping and clothing brands and his late life struggle to live on and protect millions of acres of the world’s most stunning lands in the face of fierce opposition is the stuff of modern legend. But Franklin’s A Wild Idea is no hagiography. In exposing Tompkins flaws; his obsessions, ego, obstinacy and extreme risk taking (he died in a kayak accident in 2015) Franklin also illustrates how imperfect humans, with the right life partners, can transform the world. Tompkins greatest legacy may be in proving how in saving the earth we’re really saving ourselves. Read A WILD IDEA and you might get the idea that hope is still a viable option." — David Helvarg, author of The Golden Shore and Rescue Warriors

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