Walt McLaughlin is a philosopher of wildness. He holds a degree in philosophy but insists that his thoughts regarding the relationship between humankind and nature arise from his backcountry experiences. He has worked as a bookseller, outfitter and hiking guide over the past 40 years. Currently he runs an online bookselling business and small press called Wood Thrush Books. His short narratives and essays have appeared in Conservationist, Vermont Life, and many other periodicals. He has over a dozen books in print, including a narrative about his solo immersion in the Alaskan bush, Arguing with the Wind, another about hiking through the Adirondacks, The Allure of Deep Woods, and a collection of nature-related essays, Cultivating the Wildness Within. He blogs on a regular basis at woodswanderer.com.