10 ratings | 7 reviews | avg rating:5.00

more photos (1)

#36 most followed

Michael Finkel’s Followers (750)

Michael’s Bookshelves

read (17)
currently-reading (0)
to-read (2)

Michael’s Friends (59)

Rowan

4,469 books | 3,735 friends

Olivier Delaye

590 books | 1,011 friends

Jenny

171 books | 98 friends

Aria

2,534 books | 43 friends

Heather Gibson

2,843 books | 171 friends

Scottsdale Public Library

3,179 books | 1,638 friends

Bernard Jan

1,867 books | 1,529 friends

Kristie

1,122 books | 76 friends

More friends…

Michael Finkel

Goodreads Author

Born

in Atlanta, The United States

Website

http://www.MichaelFinkel.com

Twitter

MikeFinkel

Member Since

November 2015

edit data

Michael Finkel is the author of "The Stranger in the Woods" and "True Story," which was adapted into a 2015 motion picture. He has reported from more than 50 countries and written for National Geographic, GQ, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine. He lives with his family in northern Utah and southern France. ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Michael Finkel questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Did you ever purchase that cabin for Christopher? How did the publishing The Stranger in the Woods help him monetarily or in any way at all. Have proceeds gone to him? Christopher T. Knight is a profoundly gifted individual. His nature/nurture influenced the way he interacted with his surroundings. Not all children have the opportunity to be diagnosed and helped at a young age.

Michael Finkel Hello. I answered this over on the book page, but I'll paste my response here too:

Mr. Knight is, of course, an extremely private individual, and thoug…moreHello. I answered this over on the book page, but I'll paste my response here too:

Mr. Knight is, of course, an extremely private individual, and though he agreed to accept each of my jailhouse visits (he could easily have rejected any or all of them) and respond to many of my letters, he did not want to establish any real ties to me -- or, for that matter, to virtually everyone else. I did not purchase a cabin for him. Even a gift (especially such a valuable gift) creates a relationship between two people. As does exchanging money. Mr. Knight is not profiting from this book. He said he did not want any money from me, as money is a way to bind people together. Instead, the Pine Tree Camp, a summertime program for adults and children with physical or mental challenges (and the most frequent victim of Mr. Knight's thieving raids) will be receiving donations from me.(less)

flag

36 likes · like
11 comments

Hi Michael, I just finished Stranger in the Woods and was very moved by it. I am interested in your description of how hermits frequently experience a "loss of self.” This seems similar to what you hear from Buddhist meditators who reach a deep point in their practice where the concept of self also begins to dissipate. Did you notice this connection and if so what do you make of it? Thanks, Ross

Michael Finkel You are correct, Ross -- the "loss of self" reported by many people seeking solitary lives, and the reports from many experienced Buddhist meditators …moreYou are correct, Ross -- the "loss of self" reported by many people seeking solitary lives, and the reports from many experienced Buddhist meditators seem very similar. I believe that that these states are, indeed, very nearly the same. During the course of my research, I've read many descriptions from both hermits and Buddhists, and the same sensations keep repeating themselves. And why not? Both hermits and meditators are exploring what Thoreau called "the private sea, the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean of one's being." And to venture out into these wild internal seas one senses a loss of self... and a gain of, it seems, incredibly deep experiences.(less)

flag

23 likes · like
12 comments

See all 72 answers from Michael Finkel…

Combine Editions
Michael Finkel’s books

Average rating: 3.88 · 74,490 ratings · 8,332 reviews · 13 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author), Mark Bramhall (Narrator) 3.89 avg rating — 67,945 ratings — published 2017 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa 3.88 avg rating — 5,184 ratings — published 2005 — 40 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2002 by Dave Eggers (Editor), Michael Cart (Series Editor), Sam Lipsyte (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 3.81 avg rating — 990 ratings — published 2002 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Here Be Monsters... 50 Days Adrift At Sea 3.59 avg rating — 290 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Best American Travel Writing 2001 by Paul Theroux (Editor), Russell Banks, Marcel Theroux 3.83 avg rating — 173 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Alpine Circus: A Skier's Exotic Adventures at the Snowy Edge of the World 4.27 avg rating — 33 ratings — published 1999 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Art Thief really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 19 ratings — published 2023 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author), John Chancer (Narrator) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 17 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	LE JOURNALISTE ET LE MEURTRIER 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Michael Finkel…

rss
Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael Finkel is now friends with Helena Mattie
Nov 09, 2022 10:57AM · like
Michael Finkel answered Dana Booth's question: Why does the description of this book say that Chris left his home in "Massachusetts", drove to Maine and disappeared into the forest??? It says this on Goodreads and Amazon. I just read your book (loved it btw) and Chris grew up and lived in Maine, not Massachusetts. Thanks for reading the book, Dana. Yes, you have pointed out a rather confusing line. Chris, though he grew up in Maine, was working in Mass. installing car and home alarms (after finishing a computer tech school there), and so that is where he began See Full Answer
Aug 13, 2022 11:33AM · like
Michael Finkel and 5 other people liked Romany Arrowsmith's review of The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit: "POETRY OF DEPARTURES by Philip Larkin Sometimes you hear, fifth-hand, As epitaph: He chucked up everything And just cleared off, And always the voice will sound Certain you approve This audacious, purifying, Elemental move. And they are right, I think. We all h" Read more of this review »
Jan 24, 2022 02:22PM · see review

More of Michael's books…

Quotes by Michael Finkel (?)

“I think that most of us feel like something is missing from our lives. And I wondered then if Knight's journey was to seek it. But life isn't about searching endlessly to find what's missing. It's about learning to live with the missing parts.”
― Michael Finkel, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

41 likes

“Carl Jung said that only an introvert could see "the unfathomable stupidity of man”
― Michael Finkel, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

tags: carl-jung, introverts, stupidity-of-man

33 likes

“I read. That's my form of travel.”
― Michael Finkel, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

tags: reading, travel

30 likes

See all Michael Finkel's quotes »

Polls

Which nonfiction book would you like to read with the group during June and July? Please vote for your choice here.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

46 votes, 31.7%

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

29 votes, 20.0%

The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss

27 votes, 18.6%

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel

24 votes, 16.6%

The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey by Dawn Anahid MacKeen

11 votes, 7.6%

Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman

8 votes, 5.5%

145 total votes

7 comments

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
The Seasonal Read...: Spring Challenge 2012: Completed Tasks -DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC	2302	752	May 31, 2012 09:02PM
Cozy Mysteries : Books into Movies	1	51	Jan 12, 2015 06:13AM
J.D. Robb : Books into Movies	1	18	Jan 12, 2015 06:22AM
Let's Talk About ...: Books into Movies	11	80	Jan 12, 2015 08:04PM
Boxall's 1001 Bo...: Books into Movies	2	82	Jan 14, 2015 01:49PM
21st Century Lite...: Books into Movies	14	91	Feb 10, 2015 12:59AM
Classics for Begi...: Books into Movies	6	76	Mar 19, 2015 04:01PM
The Seasonal Read...: Spring 2015 Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE POSTS	3381	562	May 31, 2015 08:59PM
Reading Along Wit...: Audible.com College Course: Serial Killers	1	4	Sep 10, 2015 03:20PM