TeeGate said:
Ben,
Before you go to the Tracker school, buy or go to the library and read his first book. It is titled The Tracker and explains how he met his Indian friend and grandfather at the Forked River Mountains. I found many parts of that book to be far-fetched with other parts quite interesting. I guess the far-fetched portion sticks in my mind the most which is unfortunate.
Guy
Ben,
I have several of his books, the ones that actually describe how to do all of those things. The others, like Search, etc., I borrowed from the library. His instructional books are informative, and I enjoy them, but as Guy mentioned, his life story is quite...um...difficult to swallow. A *lot* of liberties taken, I think.
I am fairly compatible with his portions of his philosophy, the caretaker philosophy, however, and wouldn't mind going to a Standard just for the survival and tracking info. I don't know that you would be very comfortable with his philosophy. But I don't get into all of the prophecies that Grandfather made and the red skies coming and when they will come to pass. :not4me: He has a following that is almost cult-like. There is a tracker group based on Tom Brown on yahoo groups, check it out, you'll see what I mean. They also meet in Philly once a month to practice making bow drills, etc., and have camping trips, etc., at no cost...perhaps you might consider that first, before you fork out $600 to eat plantain all week and track bugs. IMO, it's the gold from Egypt concept; take what is useful, and there is plenty of it, and disregard the rest.
There is a woman who lives near me, Linda Runyon who has published several guides and does workshops fairly reasonably. She lived many years off of the land, foraging; she has been written about in Time and other magazines. She moved to Arizona? with her severely autistic child, whom the doctors had recommended be institutionalized, into a house with no electricity or stove and ate what grew naturally in her yard--plantain, roses, wild lettuce, sorrel, etc. Today her son is a designer for Neiman Marcus. She is really nice, but a bit eccentric. But her info is good, although it mainly focuses on what to eat.
Perhaps you might do better to check out Jon Young's Wilderness School.
He was a student of Tom Brown, and teaches the same information, with a very deep respect for nature, but he isn't quite so far out. He's located in Seattle, and has a website.
I know that's probably not very useful, because it's such a mixed review. I love the nonfictional stuff, and the rest I consider interesting stories, mythologies that are, I believe, used by him to teach a lesson (and improve book sales.
.
Renee
