The Stranger in the Woods

If you've ever wanted to drop everything and escape to the woods (I won't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind recently), you'll want to read The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel. It tells the true story of Christopher Knight, who disappeared one day in 1986 and lived alone in a camp in the Maine woods—just minutes away from civilization—for 27 years. While we may never understand Knight's motives (his goal was simply "to get lost"), The Stranger in the Woods also compellingly dips into the history of hermits and people who have retreated from society.