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Michael Finkel

Goodreads Author

Born

in Atlanta, The United States

Website

http://www.MichaelFinkel.com

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MikeFinkel

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November 2015

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Michael Finkel is the author of "The Art Thief," "The Stranger in the Woods," and "True Story," which was adapted into a 2015 motion picture. He has reported from more than 50 countries and written for National Geographic, GQ, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, and The New York Times Magazine. He lives with his family in northern Utah. ...more

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Michael Finkel’s books

Average rating: 3.91 · 173,975 ratings · 20,326 reviews · 15 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author), Mark Bramhall (Narrator) 3.90 avg rating — 83,331 ratings — published 2017 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Art Thief 3.93 avg rating — 82,303 ratings — published 2023 — 51 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa 3.91 avg rating — 6,899 ratings — published 2005 — 45 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Here Be Monsters... 50 Days Adrift At Sea 3.67 avg rating — 367 ratings — published 2011	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Alpine Circus: A Skier's Exotic Adventures at the Snowy Edge of the World 4.27 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 1999 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Art Thief / The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author) 4.83 avg rating — 6 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Der Meisterdieb by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author), Alexandra Titze-Grabec (Translator) 4.17 avg rating — 6 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Advanced Tools and Models to Improve River Basin Management in Europe in the Context of Climate Change (Aquaterra) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Intended and Unintended Islanding of Distribution Grids it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	True Story: Murder, Memoir, Mea Culpa by Michael Finkel (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Michael Finkel and 2 other people liked Kristi's review of The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit: "I loved loved loved this book. There are so many facets about this book that I love. In so many ways it spoke to me. The parts of me that needs solitude, nature, literature, ingenuity, challenges, silence. This one will not be leaving my bookshelf."
Sep 24, 2025 11:53PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Finkel and 457 other people liked Meg ✨'s review of I Who Have Never Known Men: "i who will never be the same again"
Sep 13, 2025 08:34PM · see review
Michael Finkel rated a book it was amazing I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
There's an entire universe contained within 164 pages - a beautiful, horrible, depressing, uplifting, indelible, unputdownable read. Up there with the absolute best of dystopian novels, such as Cormac McCarthy's "The Road," David Markson's "Wittgenst ...more
Sep 13, 2025 07:46PM · 16 likes · like · see review
Michael Finkel and 4 other people liked Betsy Quammen's review of True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America: "I thought it was pretty good. 😆"
Jul 26, 2025 03:13PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Finkel and 4 other people liked David Quammen's review of True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America: "Keen, copious, trenchant, and humane. I've read it repeatedly and my biases, if any, are declared."
Jun 09, 2025 01:11PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — True West by Betsy Gaines Quammen <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Finkel wants to read The Ghost Lab: How Bigfoot Hunters, Mediums, and Alien Enthusiasts are Wrecking Science by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 12, 2025 11:24PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Ghost Lab by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Ghost Lab by Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Finkel is now following Matthew Hongoltz-Hetling Author of A Libertarian Walks into a Bear: The Utopian Pl...
May 12, 2025 11:23PM · like
Michael Finkel liked a quote “I think that most of us feel like something is missing from our lives. And I wondered then if Knight's journey was to seek it. But life isn't about searching endlessly to find what's missing. It's about learning to live with the missing parts.” ...more Michael Finkel
May 06, 2025 12:00AM · like · more quotes by Michael Finkel · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Finkel rated a book it was amazing The Rose Of Paracelsus: On Secrets & Sacraments by William Leonard Pickard	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 29, 2025 11:29PM · 2 likes · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Rose Of Paracelsus by William Leonard Pickard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Rose Of Paracelsus by William Leonard Pickard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Finkel made a comment on his review of The Art Thief " Margie you have a good eye! That bat on the cover, a print by Albrecht Dürer, was nearly stolen three different times by Breitwieser, but he was alway ...more "
Apr 07, 2025 11:37PM · see review

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Quotes by Michael Finkel (?)

“I think that most of us feel like something is missing from our lives. And I wondered then if Knight's journey was to seek it. But life isn't about searching endlessly to find what's missing. It's about learning to live with the missing parts.”
― Michael Finkel, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

47 likes

“Carl Jung said that only an introvert could see "the unfathomable stupidity of man”
― Michael Finkel, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

tags: carl-jung, introverts, stupidity-of-man

38 likes

“I read. That's my form of travel.”
― Michael Finkel, The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit

tags: reading, travel

34 likes

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Polls

Which nonfiction book would you like to read with the group during June and July? Please vote for your choice here.

When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

45 votes, 31.3%

The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel

29 votes, 20.1%

The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss

27 votes, 18.8%

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel

24 votes, 16.7%

The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey by Dawn Anahid MacKeen

11 votes, 7.6%

Savage Harvest: A Tale of Cannibals, Colonialism, and Michael Rockefeller's Tragic Quest for Primitive Art by Carl Hoffman

8 votes, 5.6%

144 total votes

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