This book offers wisdom on the path toward simplicity. Andrew Fiala describes three mountains we must climb, the mountains of simplicity, compassion, and hope. The book is full of beautiful photography and inspiring words. It will provoke, invigorate, and make you wonder.Conceived while backpacking the John Muir Trail through the mountains of California, the book reminds us of the complex history of nature's wonderlands. It encourages us to learn the simple lesson of a well-tended fire, a quiet stream, and a place to call home.Fiala weaves a rainbow of wisdom discovered on the trail with Socrates, Jesus and Lao Tzu. It follows in the footsteps of authors such as: -Henry David Thoreau-John Muir-Gary SnyderAndrew Fiala is a professor of philosophy. He is an expert on ethics and religion, and is a well-known scholar of peace and nonviolence. He is the author or editor of dozens of books, including: -"Transformative Pacifism" -"The Peace of Nature and the Nature of Peace"-"What Would Jesus Really Do." Fiala resides in California's Central Valley in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada, where he hikes, climbs, skis, and wanders. The book features original photography taken in Yosemite, Sequoia, King's Canyon, and other wonderlands. Take this book with you on the trail or wherever you wander, wonder, and play.Excerpt: "In the mountains near here, there are some very old and useless trees. They are older than the Great Wall, older than the trees of Gethsemane. The sequoias grow tall and thick in hidden groves at around 6,000 feet. One April we visited a secret grove that can only be found by hiking for a few days along the Kaweah River. A bear passed through our camp that night. We forded an ice-cold creek and climbed a steep hill. At the top of the hill, the sequoias were standing silently, waiting for us as they have since the time of Socrates..."