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Michael’s 2025 Year in Books

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Michael Cooper

Goodreads Author

Website

https://michaelcooperadventurer.com

Genre

Memoir, Sports, Travel

Member Since

August 2025

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A wilderness adventurer, mountaineer and backcountry navigator, Michael Cooper has explored over 8,000 miles of wild country—including places where nobody in recorded history had gone before. His memoir chronicling his many near-fatal expeditions, Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once), was the Winner of the American Writing Awards for Best New (Debut) Non-Fiction and Winner of the Literary Global Book Awards for Narrative Nonfiction. Miscalculated Risks is also a Finalist for the Foreword INDIES' Adventure, Sports & Recreation Book of the Year and has been nominated for the Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal recognizing the year's "most thought-provoking books")—di A wilderness adventurer, mountaineer and backcountry navigator, Michael Cooper has explored over 8,000 miles of wild country—including places where nobody in recorded history had gone before. His memoir chronicling his many near-fatal expeditions, Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once), was the Winner of the American Writing Awards for Best New (Debut) Non-Fiction and Winner of the Literary Global Book Awards for Narrative Nonfiction. Miscalculated Risks is also a Finalist for the Foreword INDIES' Adventure, Sports & Recreation Book of the Year and has been nominated for the Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal recognizing the year's "most thought-provoking books")—distinctions leading National Today to recognize Cooper as "a leading voice in adventure literature." His memoir was selected for a juried show presented by the Oregon Historical Society. Miscalculated Risks has been the #1 bestseller of print books in the SPORTS & RECREATION/Extreme Sports category since the book was launched [source: IngramSpark Global Distribution Network].

Leading literary critics have heaped glowing praise on Miscalculated Risks. Midwest Book Review says Miscalculated Risks is "an outdoors adventure memoir packed with hair-raising encounters, gripping moments of life-or-death, and confrontations with nature that will leave readers on the edges of their seats" and is "nothing short of remarkable." Kirkus Reviews says, "The wilderness comes alive on the page in this (literal) trailblazer's memoir. . . . Cooper portrays his adventures in immersive detail. His descriptions of his experiences in untouched areas are lyrical. . . . OUR VERDICT: GET IT." Readers' Favorite says in its 5-star review that Miscalculated Risks is "terrifying . . . a gripping, cautionary book that definitely stays with you after you finish it."

Cooper is also widely known as a recording engineer and producer, working on projects with Academy Award-winning actor William Hurt, ABC World News anchor Barry Serafin, and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Ashley Cleveland. A noted authority on music production and sound for film, Michael Cooper’s journalism has appeared over 500 times in eight national and international magazines. He has served as Contributing Editor for the recording industry’s preeminent magazine, Mix, since 1996. Michael Cooper lives with his wife in Central Oregon.

To view documentary photos and video of Michael Cooper’s wilderness expeditions, go to Michael Cooper Adventurer.
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Michael Cooper’s books

Average rating: 4.48 · 29 ratings · 18 reviews · 1 distinct work • Similar authors

Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once)

4.48 avg rating — 29 ratings — 2 editions

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27 posts
Michael Cooper's Blog

The show must go on!

On July 22, I had to evacuate my home in the face of the fast-approaching Akawa Butte Fire, the highest-priority wildfire in the United States at the time. Undeterred, that same evening I presented a slideshow of my desert expeditions to an audience at the REI store in Tualatin, Oregon. In keeping with my, um, perverse sense of humor over being a refugee performer, and to memorialize the crazy sit Read more of this blog post »

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Published on July 29, 2026 18:02

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Michael’s Recent Updates

Michael Cooper wrote a new blog post The show must go on! On July 22, I had to evacuate my home in the face of the fast-approaching Akawa Butte Fire, the highest-priority wildfire in the United States at the Read more of this blog post »
Jul 29, 2026 06:02PM · like
Michael Cooper is now following Mark's reviews
Jul 07, 2026 11:00AM · like
Michael Cooper made a comment on Miscalculated Risks now at REI! " The REI in Beaverton (Oregon) added Miscalculated Risks to its shelves today. The Bend REI says Miscalculated Risks is its bestselling book. "
Mar 06, 2026 11:35AM · see blog post
Michael Cooper and 1 other person liked Diane Jackson's review of Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once): "Quite the collection of adventures!"
Feb 05, 2026 11:57AM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Miscalculated Risks by Michael Cooper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Miscalculated Risks by Michael Cooper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Cooper and 1 other person liked Fred Rafilson's review of Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once): "Miscalculated Risks was a big hit with our Guys Book Night. The story is fast-paced, gripping, and genuinely nerve-wracking in all the right ways. It sparked lively discussion, debate, and more than a few “did that really just happen?” moments—always" Read more of this review »
Feb 04, 2026 05:32PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Miscalculated Risks by Michael Cooper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Miscalculated Risks by Michael Cooper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Cooper and 1 other person liked Reader's review of Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once): "This non-fiction adventure book is incredibly well written. Keeps you entertained from start to finish. Thank you Mr Cooper."
Feb 04, 2026 05:32PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Miscalculated Risks by Michael Cooper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Miscalculated Risks by Michael Cooper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Michael Cooper made a comment on Miscalculated Risks wins second major award " The full title of the book is Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once ...more "
Dec 22, 2025 05:05PM · see blog post
Michael Cooper made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Subtitle to my book still incorrect three weeks on topic " Hello: The subtitle shown for my book is incorrect (incomplete) on this webpage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2.... The full title of my book is ...more "
Nov 30, 2025 04:39PM
Michael Cooper made a comment in the group Goodreads Librarians Group — Book subtitle is incorrect/incomplete topic " Hello: The subtitle shown for my book is incorrect (incomplete) on this webpage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2.... The full title of my book is ...more "
Nov 21, 2025 10:43AM
Michael Cooper finished reading Everest 1953: The Epic Story of the First Ascent (Legends and Lore) by Mick Conefrey (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
Nov 01, 2025 12:06PM · like