TAKE LESS. DO MORE.

Van Peski’s memoir/self-help book tells of how he designed an ultralight backpack and pursued a lifelong interest in traveling light to go farther and see more.

The book begins with the author’s entrepreneurial origin story as a Boy Scout leader around 1996 with a very heavy pack on a long hike through California wilderness. In 1998, he founded what would become Gossamer Gear, a company that sells very lightweight gear he designed for outdoor adventure. He preferred to make his original design available as a free online pattern, but was surprised when admirers found replicating his engineering feat to be a daunting challenge. Van Peski is candid about the travails of his professional life, which included closing his engineering firm during an economic downturn in 1993. He also writes about the tragic loss of his son in 2007. In 15 chapters, the now-retired Van Peski champions basic lessons, such as “Be Kind,” “Cultivate a Heart of Gratitude,” “Keep Making Friends,” and “Say Yes.” The “Know Your Gear” chapter will particularly appeal to gear aficionados, with comprehensive explanations of what Van Peski carries with him and why, including a tarp anchored with trekking poles rather than a tent, an aluminum can he uses as a stove, and a down sleeping bag with a hood and no zipper. The prose style is clear and conversational, and each moral is illustrated with a combination of personal anecdotes and entertaining stories from outdoor adventures. However, one may wish that Van Peski offered more perspective on his intense drive to “do more,” the second component of his titular exhortation; at one point, he writes about how he was unable to bring himself to stop for a drink of water while suffering from heat exhaustion on a desert hike. His views on simplicity and traveling lightly through life are significant and valuable. However, for Van Peski, these seem to lead inevitably to doing more things rather than slowing down and savoring the moment.

A book with helpful and practical advice that could use a bit more insight.