Book excerpt: Ryan Starr is a backpacking legend... with a heart for our world and its many wonders. This camping novice became a survival expert as he wandered the globe taking every risk that fell his way. With humor, persistence, and a good bit of luck, Ryan lived to tell the tale. He’s not sure just how many times he stared death in the face, but Ryan would do it all again in a heartbeat. He’s left bits and pieces of his self and his psyche on uninhabited islands from the Florida Keys to New Zealand, and in the lush peaks and valleys of Hawaii and Central America. The pages of this book convey the pulse-quickening beauty of New Zealand, and the sometimes poignant, sometimes laughable escapades Ryan has chosen to reveal.