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 from 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 environmental biography of Douglas Tompkins, a true story of one man who became one of the primary founders of our modern land conservation movement.

Piloting his small plane, Tompkins explored the uninhabited lands of Patagonia and gaped at the singular beauty: 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 True Story of Redemption: Discover how the founder of The North Face and Esprit turned his back on corporate capitalism to reverse the damage he felt he had done to the planet.
• An Epic Adventure Memoir: Soar with Tompkins in his small plane over the wilds of Patagonia-a breathtaking landscape of active volcanoes, untouched forests, and pristine rivers.
• A Mission for Nature Conservation: Witness the quarter-century obsession that drove one man to dedicate his life to protecting the wild beauty of the natural world.
• An Unforgettable Legacy: Learn how one wild idea became one of the most significant contributions to the modern land protection movement, cementing a legacy only realized after his death.