“As I got closer it seemed to take the shape of Joe’s snake bag. I was ready to kick it away with my foot, but then I saw it was not a cloth bag. Instead it was a bunch of paper towels at the end of my sleeping bag. In the center of the towels was a paper plate. At first, I didn’t recognize what was on the plate, but when I picked it up there was just enough light to show a tin of anchovies and a handful of crackers. Next to the plate was a cold can of Coke.”

— Stories from the Wilderness, Brothers in Arms, p.17

Tales from the Edge

Stories from the Wilderness isn’t a book you read cover to cover in one sitting—it’s a collection you come back to, story after story, because you know the next one’s going to hit just as hard as the last. And maybe even harder. It opens with “Brothers in Arms,” where Goodrich, a grad student with zero street cred, gets paired up with Joe—a real-life Hell’s Angel and rattlesnake collector—for a wildlife expedition into the Baja peninsula. Things go sideways before they even cross the border. What follows is a masterclass in tension, humor, and grudging respect forged through shared hardship, bad chili, and snake-catching drama.

And that’s just the opener. Other chapters bring you run-ins with elusive cougars (the actual wild kind), turf wars with gophers who practically unionize against him, and the kind of yard battles that make HOA complaints look like child’s play. Every tale is soaked in wild instincts—both animal and human. Whether it’s collecting lizards for academic research or navigating the etiquette of stealing sardines in the middle of the night, Goodrich manages to find the line between chaos and insight, and dance on it like it’s a tightrope over a cactus patch.

But what really makes this book special is its honesty. These stories are rooted in nature, but they’re really about navigating life—awkward conversations, dumb mistakes, guilt, redemption, and the weird ways people (and animals) learn to get along. Or don’t. It’s funny, yes. But it’s also deeply human.

The Wilderness is His Backyard

Robert L. Goodrich  has lived a life in and around the wilderness, and this book is the proof. A lifelong “weedstomper,” field explorer, and unapologetic amateur naturalist, he doesn’t just write about nature—he lives in it, trips over it, and sometimes argues with it. Stories from the Wilderness captures that spirit in full force. It’s funny, rugged, thoughtful, and at times, surprisingly emotional.

Goodrich’s background is rooted in both academia and fieldwork. A graduate of UCLA, he’s done his share of traveling, researching, and collecting wildlife specimens (ethically and with purpose, of course). He’s got the eye of a scientist and the storytelling chops of someone who knows how to hold a crowd. His style is sharp, raw, and deeply relatable—even if you’ve never once tried to wrangle a rattlesnake or outwit a gopher.

This isn’t just someone writing about wildlife. Goodrich writes with it—dirt on his boots, sun in his eyes, and a wild story always up his sleeve.

You don’t need to be an outdoorsy type to love Stories from the Wilderness. This book is a must read for anyone who’s ever felt like life gets weird in the best ways when you step outside. The book invites you to laugh, reflect, and maybe even head outside to see what’s watching you from the bushes.

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Stories from the Wilderness

^{All My Friends Are Mean, Cold, or Slimy}

Grab your copy before your backyard gets ideas.

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