The Last Best Adventure - Paperback

by Howard L. Smith (Author)

Some experts argue that adventure is dead because few places on this magnificent planet have escaped explorers' snowboards, boot steps, parachutes, paddles, skis, or bicycle tires. However, a growing number of respected adventurers claim that the future of adventure isn't solely about being there first, achieving the most enormous physical goal, or surviving extreme conditions at the edge. It is increasingly about cultivating personal discoveries that lead to uniquely insightful epiphanies or revelations - the last best adventure. The Last Best Adventure focuses on attention-grabbing revelations discovered when exploring wild country - that unique moment when adventure attains a higher level of meaning because someone has a gripping revelation, discovery, epiphany, paradigm shift, or other soul-altering realization; they transcend being first on an ice-throttled peak or first at careening down a raging river. This book examines the pinnacle of extraordinary moments in the wild, yet it also explores more universal adventures. Join Howard Smith as he penetrates the remote hinterlands of Mt. Rainier, survives winter blizzards when snowshoeing, confronts a grizzly bear and her three cubs in the Tetons, dances down the Deschutes River on a rafting trip poised for disaster, and treks through the lonesome alpine country of Glacier Peak. He provides a passionate recollection of hard-core backcountry quests and outdoor recreation soulfully tempered by the power of epiphany. Come explore adventure's final frontier.

Author Biography

Howard L. Smith, Ph.D., is Professor in the Department of Management, former Vice President (2007-2011) for University Advancement and past Dean (2006-2007) of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University. He formerly served as Dean (1994-2004) at the Anderson Schools of Management and School of Public Administration, University of New Mexico, Director of the Program for Creative Enterprise and the Creative Enterprise Endowed Chair (2004-2006). From 1990 to 1994 Dr. Smith served as Associate Dean at the Anderson Schools. He has published over 230 articles on health services, organization theory/behavior and strategic management topics in journals such as the Academy of Management Journal, Health Services Research, Health Care Management Review, and New England Journal of Medicine. He has published 6 books on prospective payment, staff development, hospital competition, financial management, strategic nursing management, and reinventing medical practice and published 3 books on nature literature: In the Company of Wild Bears: A Celebration of Backcountry Grizzlies and Black Bears (The Lyons Press, 2006), Mountain Harmonies: Walking the Western Wildernesses (UNM Press, 2004) and The Last Best Adventure (CreateSpace, 2011). He also published Taking Back the Tower: Simple Solutions for Saving Higher Education with Greenwood Press/Praeger Publishers (2009).