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Common Book Project
The 2004 Common Book
Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer has been chosen as Winthrop's 2004 Common Book.
Krakauer's book is a true story of “a young man from a well-to-do family who
hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley.
His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to
charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in
his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his
decomposed body was found by a moose hunter."
The book includes stories from people who knew or met McCandless during his
journey. His notes, made in his journal and favorite books, provide readers with
insight into McCandless' character and choices. His story forces readers to
re-evaluate their own lives, values, and motivations. Students reading this book
find its title, Into the Wild, an accurate metaphor for the beginning of college
and life away from home for the first time.
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