Out There

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In today’s high-tech world, getting away from the stresses of everyday life can be tricky. Cell phones, palm pilots, and laptop computers allow you to be wired-in from pretty much anywhere. But Ted Kerasote wanted none of that. He wanted a chance to disconnect from the buzz and grind of the wired world. And what better way to do that than to head to the far reaches of Canada’s Northwest Territories for a canoe trip through 400 miles of wilderness.

Or so he thought. Much to Ted’s chagrin, his friend and traveling companion, Len, brings a satellite phone along on the journey, ostensibly in case of emergency. Throughout the trip, however, Len uses the phone simply to touch base with family, friends, and the office—undermining their sense of being "Out There."

"Out There: In the Wild in a Wired Age" is Kerasote’s entertaining account of this journey down the Horton River toward the Arctic Ocean, through a stunning landscape of tundra and varied wildlife. Between navigating rapids, staying warm and dry in rainstorms, and avoiding grizzly bears, Ted and Len discuss the meaning of life, love, and solitude in a wired age.