Ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to deeply poignant, this collection of essays from one of Maine’s favorite outdoor writers explores the way life should be, could be, and sometimes is in the great state of Maine. Whether he’s at camp finding newborn mice in a drawer at camp, at home saying good-bye to his beloved son after graduation, or at church searching for the right words for the passing of a friend, George Smith inevitably finds the emotional hook that will land your attention and keep you engrossed until the very last page. George is one of a number of my outdoor contemporaries who have written books about the Maine outdoors published by Islandport Press. I have read them all, and in so doing made a wonderful discovery. To a person, these acquaintances in their writing divulge a remarkable personal depth and keen sensitivity about the Maine outdoors that I never discerned before in my workaday relationships with them. In A Life Lived Outdoors, George Smith eclipses them all in this regard. He embroiders with surgical precision a word­tapestry that reveals and revels in that gauzy dimension we fondly call the Maine essence. Of course, the book is a wonderful read. Why wouldn t it be? The guy is a seasoned writer and a thoughtful person who has a lot of outdoor experiences under his belt. But his book is far more than an enjoyable read. In his last chapter about the benefits of a rural church life, George talks about how a word or a slogan can get caught in your brain where it just can t get dislodged. He s right. His book coincidentally enough leaves me brain­locked into a one­word description of its central appeal: homespun. A Life Lived Outdoors is a collection of thoughtful essays that convinced me of one thing of which I was really never quite sure: George is the real deal, a true son of Maine. If the best that is Maine runs deep within you be sure not to miss A Life Lived Outdoors" by George Smith. --V.Paul Reynolds, The Sun Journal The book is a refreshingly non-political look inside the mind of Smith, especially for readers who may not have been reading his regular columns in central Maine newspapers over the past 20 years or more, or his work as a BDN Maine blogger for the past year or so. That s what this book is made up of, after all: The short chapters each appeared in print elsewhere, whether in newspapers or magazines. They were called columns, but are more accurately slice-of-life essays that illuminate different aspects of Maine life, much of it spent outdoors. There are exceptions of course, like when Smith tells readers about his father s passion for yard sales both shopping at them and holding them. Turns out Smith s dad can never rid himself of his junk, because as soon as his own yard sale is over, he s off shopping for new junk at somebody else s bargain bonanza. Throughout the book, there are essays like that. And while Smith s opinions sometimes find their way into the prose, for the most part A Life Lived Outdoors avoids the political topics that have dominated the man s public life, and therefore the public s perception of him. Smith takes readers on trips to trout streams and ponds, deep into the woods behind his Mount Vernon home, and on hunting excursions with his father and his son. He celebrates the iconic Maine camp, whether it has running water, electricity, or not. That, Smith will tell you, doesn t matter. Just being there, somewhere near water or woods, and enjoying time with family and friends, is what camp s all about. --John Holyoke, Bangor Daily News "In every selection, Smith's crisp language is devoid of frills, making for a simple-but-elegant exploration of both state and self. 'No one should doubt the richness of Maine life,' Smith writes. This collection affirms it many times over." --Down East Magazine "From hunting and fishing to watching nature, this pairs philosophical with sports and outdoors insights; all packaged in a lively read accessible to any outdoors sports enthusiast ..." --Midwest Book Review George A. Smith is an outdoor writer, newspaper columnist honored with awards from the Maine Press Association, television show host, and former executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, the state’s largest sportsmen’s organization. He writes monthly columns for The Maine Sportsman magazine (for more than 30 years), a weekly editorial-page column for central Maine’s two daily newspapers (for twenty years), and a blog for Downeast magazine’s website (started in 2009). He is co-host of a unique weekly television show called Wildfire, a talk show now in its 11th year, focused on conservation and environmental issues and seen on the Time Warner cable stations throughout the state (in 312,000 homes) and the internet (www.wildfiremaine.tv). He is the father of three children and grandfather of two boys. In addition to his family, his interests include hunting, fishing, birding, writing, reading, and eating. He is very fond of Maine’s micro-br