Take Less. Do More.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker

by Glen Van Peski

In this personal journey, ultra-light backpacker and sought-after speaker Glen Van Peski shares the life lessons he has learned through years of lightening his pack and helping others.

Adventures provide the richness and texture to a life well lived. So remain open. Keep saying yes to life's opportunities.

Glen Van Peski helped revolutionize backpacking by creating ultralight equipment, which allows people to take less so they can do more in the wilderness. During decades of championing ultralight backpacking, Glen became aware that “take less, do more” is more than just a hiking slogan. As he reduced his pack weight, he realized that the lessons learned applied to all areas of life. Now he wants to share the lessons he learned to help others live full and vibrant lives—lives characterized by purpose, meaning, and joy.

In this book, you will discover transformative life lessons, which may go against the grain of popular thought but have been proven to change lives for the better. You'll learn

Often the best strategy for achieving goals comes from subtracting rather than adding. When your first instinct is generosity, the long-term dividends will be greater than if you strive to gain your own advantage. Revising the stories you tell yourself about situations will reframe your life and increase gratitude. By investing creatively in relationships, you will generate more joy in your life. Making friends with failure will cause you to grow and improve.

take less. do more. It's a revolutionary idea that will transform your life and free your soul to find your purpose—and maybe a little bit of adventure too.

Genres: Nonfiction, Nature, Adventure, Outdoors, Memoir, Travel, Audiobook

273 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2024

About the author

Glen Van Peski is known by the trail name “Legend” for his legendary contributions to the backpacking community. A native Californian, Van Peski grew up in the western outdoors, and when his oldest son joined Scouts, he led the Troop’s backpacking program. Through those experiences, he became intrigued by lightweight backpacking. He started sewing his own gear and eventually started his own company, manufacturing ultralight backpacking equipment. Glen and his company Gossamer Gear have been featured in Backpacker, Outside, and National Geographic Adventure magazines, and the New York Times.

Van Peski is an internationally sought-after speaker known for his inspiring, humorous, information-packed presentations. He has hiked most of the Pacific Crest Trail, has wandered the backcountry in Japan and Europe, and bikepacked on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route. He lives in Bend, Oregon with Francie, his wife of over forty years, and is the father to two grown sons.

Reviews

[Jessica Koster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was looking for an inspiring read about backpacking and life lessons learned on the trail, instead got a picture of living the straight white male American dream in which a guy with a lot of money thoughtlessly thinks of himself as generous.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this would be more about backpacking, but it's more: backpacking taught me these things about life. Not a bad difference, but just not what I was expecting. There was a little bit too much woo-woo in it and way to much jesus (though I wanted none, so it's probably not that much).

[Maggie Meagher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly cheesy at time, nevertheless a good reminder that my hike will not be judged by how many miles I log but rather how I adapt to challenges along the way.

[Megan Flanagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was the reminder of all things my mom taught me, but took someone else saying it to sink in- kind of books. As someone who prefers being outdoors to in, to spending time with animals over people, and who values experiences over material things, this book really highlighted important life lessons and reminders for me. The idea of taking less requires a lot of discipline, but whether it’s hiking, or the next life step, we could all use a little less clutter in our lives. Highly recommend.

[Esau Odidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glen Van Peski’s new book is a fascinating blend of trail stories and wisdom gained through a lifetime of investing in others. It is both challenging and inspiring as each chapter gently compels the reader to seek a lifestyle focused on impacting others.

I loved that so much of Van Peski’s journey is profoundly shaped and influenced by his faith, but at no point does he come across as preachy.

Each story drawn from decades exploring the backcountry, while entertaining on its own, is far more impactful when viewed as a metaphor for the author’s journey towards personal growth and life’s work of developing others.

While I may never reach his level of the mastery of all things outdoors, I too have a deep appreciation for the wonder and mystery of exploring nature. Each page pushes me to want to spend even more time reveling in the natural beauty that many people often take for granted.

I was personally challenged to view the world through a lens of gratitude and to focus more on building relationships with the intention of building a legacy.

I feel as though I have been gifted the privilege of trekking alongside “the Legend” from the comfort of my armchair and can say without exaggeration that this book has shaped the way I look at the world.

My hope is that many other readers (and hikers!) will be awakened to the value of a life examined, and will begin building their own legacy for those who will follow in their footsteps!


I am most grateful to Weaving Influence for the ARC and excited to share this incredible book with others!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is delightful even if you’re not a backpacker. Van Peski’s personality shines through and his engaging way of telling stories leaves you feeling like you might be friends. He’s learned a thing or two from life and hiking the back trails. For backpackers, you’ll enjoy his recaps of his hiking adventures. For people like me, you’ll discover some life lessons worth hanging on to. Van Peski has led an interesting life and his enthusiasm for life is infectious. If you’re planning to make a long backpacking trip, you’ll find some resource information not only throughout the book, but also in the Appendix. While his goal is to pack the lightest possible gear when hiking, his observation that “the less encumbered we are in our lives, the more we are free to do,” translates to everyone. However, being less encumbered doesn’t mean avoiding others. Not at all. If anything, Van Peski demonstrates over and over how being active in life and with others is the real key to happiness.

[Cari Dunbar Philpott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be quite different from many of the other backpacking books I’ve read. It gives a lot of good advice and talks about life lessons and alternate ways of doing things. I love his philosophy on things and his outlook about staying open in life and how in that way you can continue growing and having a meaningful life.

[Teri Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great stories and life lessons! I loved this book!

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my more favorite backpacking books. Lessons for life and lessons for literally lightening your load while backpacking.

[Jack · Rating 1 out of 5]

I heard about this book after Glen Van Peski was on The Backpacking Podcast (episode 211). The fact that I was listening to the Backpacking Podcast and interested in ultralight gear, definitely got me interested in this book. Spoiler: Most of the good stuff in the book was talked about in that podcast episode and you don't have to go through all the stuff I disliked about the book. If I was able to go back in time, I would have told myself to not bother with the book after listening to the podcast.

At first, I started reading this book and was excited that it was dealing with not only ultralight gear, but taking lessons from ultralight backpacking and applying it more widely in everyday life. I was optimistic and putting a positive spin on what Van Peski was writing. I thought that it was awesome that someone who is extremely well off in life would be willing to work as a dishwasher. I was grateful and appreciative of his humbleness.

I told my wife to start reading the book as well, and she did. She eventually even got further along than me and got to the part about how Van Peski came to religion. She is more cynical than myself and after that section, she stopped reading it and recommended that we stop supporting Gossamer Gear. I thought that maybe she was overreacting, but when I got to the section, it definitely made me much more critical and cynical going forward. If it's not bad enough to blackmail God and say that you will only believe in him if he does something for you... but to call upon God to help you kill a gopher is despicable. Van Peski is supposed to be a sometimes vegetarian (more on that later), but made a deal with God that if God helped Van Peski kill a gopher that he would believe in him. A gopher digging up your yard is not a sufficient reason to kill the gopher brutally with a shovel, by itself, but to blackmail God to help you kill the gopher is something else altogether.

Van Peski says that he is a vegetarian, but he is constantly talking about eating things which aren't vegetarian. He's not actually a vegetarian, he just says that to flex. It's extremely irritating as a vegan, that he feels he needs to brag about being a vegetarian when he doesn't care enough to do it fully, just enough that he feels warranted bragging about it. At the beginning of the book, I was under the assumption that he was working full time as a dishwasher. It wasn't stated as such, but it seemed to be implied. He was actually just a backup to the backup of a dishwasher. He was basically just covering for a backup dishwasher that worked once a week so that backup dishwasher could go on vacation. Working full time as a dishwasher and working one day a week for a limited amount of time is not a sufficient reason to brag.

I have never been in the situation, and luckily I have a daughter who is healthy. Van Peski had a child however who wasn't. I have never been in that situation, so I can't judge him, but his family puts the child into a permanent home as it becomes too much of a burden to take care of the child at home. That part is debatable, but I can accept it. What is horrible though, is that even though his wife visited the child more frequently... Van Peski only visits the child "periodically" as he calls it. My assumption is that this is not weekly, and potentially not even monthly but even both of those time frames doesn't seem sufficient for abandoning your kid. If my kid had a limited amount of time to live and wasn't living at home, I would be visiting just about every day, but even if there were extenuating circumstances, I would be visiting my kid at least once a week. Van Peski seems to imply that his kid's death and disability were worthwhile because it lead him to religion and being a believer in God.

At one point in the book he also says that he was lucky that he was born straight showing just how homophobic he is while trying to portray himself in such a spectacular light. He talks VERY frequently (repetitive even) at how he gives freely of himself and his possessions. At first I thought this was awesome and a good idea. But as he continues praising himself, he seems to only do it expecting a reward, because he is always rewarded when he does give of himself. He doesn't seem to give freely because he likes to help others or it makes him feel good, he seems to give freely because he'll be rewarded for doing so.

For someone who supposedly cares about the environment and living with less... becoming a pilot and flying in private jets is the antithesis of both of these things. Flying commercially is bad enough with the carbon impact for each traveler being astronomical, but when you only have a few people on a plane the carbon impact is obscene. It's all for something as trivial as being able to fly a plane, which he has no intentions of doing professionally so it's just a hobby for the obscenely rich that destroys the planet.

When I first started writing this review, I was going to give it a 2/5. There are some huge problems with this book and therefore Van Peski (that were only amplified as I wrote this review) but at least it was talking about ultralight gear and backpacking. When I reviewed my notes from when I was reading the book prior to the religion/gopher story, I was giving it steady 4s and 5s and left a note saying that the book specifically on ultralight gear was one of the worst sections that I had encountered to that point. So, if Van Peski's bragging and gloating is suspect and I didn't enjoy the chapter actually on ultralight gear... what's left to like about this book?

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glen Van Peski is a well know thought leader and innovator in the world of ultralight backpacking. Glen (and his wife Francie) are also some of the most generous people I know. I first “met” Glen on-line in the backpackinglight yahoo group mailing list more than two decades ago. I was immediately impressed by his humble spirit, out of the box thinking, and his experimental / engineer approach. As I have gotten to know Glen I found this initial impression to only strengthen, and I have come to appreciate how he leads an intentional, thoughtful life of engagement.

Take Less, Do More is a refreshing departure from the typical books about voluntary simplicity, ultralight backpacking, or minimalism. Rather than centering on our relationship with “stuff” the book focuses on how the way we live impacts our relationship with other humans.  Many books in this genre would go into great detail about  downsizing possessions. Glen writes about embracing generosity which is the best counter-narrative to a life focused on consumption.

Throughout the book Glen shared how a life with margin that provides space to  notice and respond to the world around us, especially other people,  produces a rich and meaningful life. That being less conscious of one’s self, and more aware of others is liberating and enriching, far beyond what one experiences if they were focused on maximizing their happiness.

Each chapter is built around several personal stories from Glen’s life. From these experiences Glen draws out principles that can be applied, perspectives to shape one’s viewpoint, and/or insightful observations which might help sharpen one’s understanding. Some of the stories I already knew, some I learned while reading the book, all of which I appreciated.

Side note: I think a great practice is to identify key stories that you want to shape your life, take the time to write them down, and regularly share them with others.

Glen is well known for his influence on the ultralight backpacking community. People from that community will find some stories from Glen's adventures and a chapter called "Know Your Gear" which does a deep dive into Glen's approach to ultralight backpacking. If you are looking for a book about ultralight backpacking, there are better books, this is a book about life. People with no interest in backpacking will enjoy this book as well. While several of Glen’s stories are in the context of backpacking, they are stories about human connection which is universal. People with no interest in backpacking might want to skip the chapter "Know Your Gear", but I would encourage them to give it a read to learn and maybe be challenged.

[Francis Tapon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't a how-to-backpack book.
It's a how-to-live book.

I interviewed the author, Glen Van Peski, several times on my WanderLearn podcast.
Glen Van Peski is a civil engineer who used his skills to engineer the lightest backpacking gear in the Solar System. Glen is the founder of Gossamer Gear.

The book teaches you:
- Using different lenses, we can radically transform how we view macro- and micro-moments throughout our lives.
- The Power of Generosity
- Reframing & Recalibrating Your Self-Assessment Changes Everything. Glen Van Peski shares the story of an American worker who visited India to see where his outsourced job went. The lesson was surprising. Do you think you're not in the top 1%? Think again.
- Glen Van Peski's top five tips on lightening your backpacking load. He shares several other brilliant tips on improving your backpacking skills and gear.
- Glen Van Peski sat in the co-pilot seat of a tiny plane that crashed, killing the pilot next to him. What happened? How did Glen and all the other passengers survive with minor or moderate injuries?

CONCLUSION: I authored "Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America," and I'm happy to say that Glen has taken the spirit of my book and made it even better. Our idea was to use backpacking as a launchpad to discuss more profound topics. Glen has executed marvelously.

BONUS: All the profits are going to the Pacific Crest Trail Association! So buy it to support the PCTA!

[Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Glen Van Peski’s book, “Take Less. Do More,” is a refreshing exploration of minimalism, outdoor adventure, and the art of intentional living. Drawing from his own experiences as a hiker, father, husband, engineer, entrepreneur, and very active retiree, Van Peski weaves together practical wisdom and personal anecdotes to create a compelling narrative. As someone who shares Van Peski’s generation and many parallel experiences, I appreciate the familiarity of his journey and the authenticity of his story.

In a world obsessed with accumulation, Van Peski reminds us that true wealth lies not in ownership but in our ability to thrive with less. The person who needs the least is, indeed, the richest. “It’s not ‘can’t add anything more,’ but rather ‘nothing left to remove.’” In “Take Less. Do More,” Glen Van Peski invites us to shed excess, embrace simplicity, and find richness in the essentials. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or an armchair adventurer, this book leaves a trail of inspiration.

The book’s full title is, “take less. do more.: Surprising Life Lessons in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker”

[Joshua Southard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book written as a collection of life lessons by the author. Glen is an engineer by trade, but most of the lessons in this book come from his adventures as an ultralight backpacker. Glen got into backpacking with his son and their Boy Scout troop. He quickly learned that to go farther, faster, he needed to carry less. The book is divided into two parts: 1-take less. 2- do more. The lowercase title even gets into the spirit of the book. The lower case font takes less ink to print than an upper case font or a longer title. The first half of the book contains seven lessons about taking less. The second half is about doing/being more. Glen has amazing stories, a fantastic partner, Francie, and very interesting perspectives coming out of the wisdom he gained along the way. Glen talks about how the wilderness provides perspective. It has great power to strip away our comforts and petty worries and take us back to what truly matters in life. The wilderness helps us need each other. Glen also points out that when you go into the wilderness you are only three bad decisions away from never coming back. Glen teaches about the power of taking only what you need and how that allows you to go farther, faster, see more, and potentially carry extra to help other travelers. One danger Glen points out with taking “take less” to an extreme is that you might not have enough. There is a balance between taking what you need, taking everything, and taking not enough. In the do more part, Glen talks about the importance of building relationships, being generous, and learning from failure. Glen talks about all the opportunities he came across by being open to new things, being generous with what he had, and deliberately meeting new people. Here’s one of my favorite quotes: “One surefire way to navigate through sadness is to be of service to someone else. When I get out of myself and my personal bog of despondency by seeing what I can add to another’s life, it works every time.” At the end of the book Glen did this neat thing I’ve never seen before: He summarized his life from two perspectives. First, he told the hardship story where he only included the hardships he faced in his life. He tells all the bad things from anxiety, abuse, misfortune, surviving a plane crash, Francie’s depression, and his son Derek’s severe handicaps and eventual death. Then he flips the script and tells the happiness story where he shows how he overcame the bad, how he has been able to thrive in the face of challenges, and how he has been blessed with amazing talent, friends, and adventures. Both stories are absolutely true, but separately, they don’t tell the whole truth. What story are we focusing on? I learned a lot from reading this book. I hope to implement some of the ideas about taking less and doing more in my own home and family. Thank you, Eddie, for lending me this book.

This is for anyone who loves the outdoors and crazy adventure stories.
(Rated PG, Score 9/10, hardback, 253p.)

[Robley Sicard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book after hearing an interview of Glen Van Peski on the REI Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I am a backpacker, though I wouldn’t consider myself part of the ultralight crowd, there were lots of great backpacking tips in this book. But what I really enjoyed were his stories and explanations of life lessons he’d learned in backpacking that apply in every area of life. He shared very personal stories, including his faith journey related to his experience as a father of a severely disabled son - while some may shy away from mentions of religion, I’d urge you to give it a whirl anyway. One of the concepts he writes about is getting out of your comfort zone and saying yes to experiences - he doesn’t evangelize or proselytize, and it’s really a small part of the book.

One quote that really resonated with me include: “Fulfillment, I’ve come to realize, is all about what I can add to the stream of life.”

Overall, a great book with lots of food for thought.

[Amanda Athanasiou · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish Glen had listened to that intuited feeling he talked about at the beginning that he didn't really have anything to add to literature on ultralight backpacking and minimalism. Then I wouldn't have been tempted to read this and I wouldn't have wasted $13. This was an absolutely useless humblebrag. He might be a great guy, he loves gear, he mentions he's an engineer probably 20 times. But this book reads like a boring, self-aggrandizing journal of a hobby-obsessed wealthy retired white guy who, despite being an engineer, somehow didn't think through packs snagging on rocks when he made his first prototype. He tells us that hammocks and tarps exist, he tells us that bugs exist and that he once hiked with Matthew McConaughey, it tells a story about how sublimely happy a couple once was to have been to cook him breakfast (always a red flag when one assumes this hard about how others feel about helping them). in the spirit of subtraction, this is one you can easily skip without missing out on anything.

[Will Rietveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

In his book “take less. do more.” Glen Van Peski essentially weaves together an account of his evolution into ultralight backpacking, from designing/making his own gear leading to founding of Gossamer Gear, and the co-evolution of his life philosophy, leading to the formation of a remarkable person – Glen, the Legend. This is not just another book on how to convert to lightweight backpacking. Indeed, Glen covers the principles of UL backpacking and provides us with his gear lists. However, the real gold to be found in the book is learning of unknown experiences in Glen’s life and how his UL backpacking philosophy provided the catalyst for developing his life philosophy. Basically, the “take less. do more.” philosophy translates to being a giver in life, not a taker. Through looking for and acting on opportunities to give to others, Glen discovers the many ways he is rewarded in return. His book is yet another way of giving to others.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, I really, really enjoyed this book. I have never backpacked and don't ever plan on it (although maybe i should "say yes"??), but even the hardcore backpacking sections were interesting.

More than the info on ultralight backpacking, though, I loved his view on life. I've been on a bit of a journey since I went on sabbatical last summer learning to walk away from the "busy just for busy-ness" sake and trying to unravel my greater purpose. I picked up this book because it was recommended by someone in my book club not knowing much about it or the author, and it had such synergy with what I've been working towards in my life. He might say it's some form of "trail magic"... or "book magic"!

But Glen has done so much better of a job at it than me. He's really perfected this art of take less, do more. He's woven it into the fabric of his life, and I only hope to live these ideas out half as well or with a modicum of the impact he has had. What an inspiration!

[Kara Edwards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Name dropping aside, the core material lessons are good and worth it to hear. The purposeful theme is gaining perspective, and the reader should position themselves with that in mind. Meaning: it doesn’t all have to resonate with you, but it should be an active listening (reading?) experience where - even if you disagree - it’s Glen’s story. Every story is worth the telling.

What I didn’t prefer is the regular reference to Glen being an introvert and practicing defying his introvertedness… he doesn’t seem like an introvert from his anecdotes, even the ones from college (his youth), so I’m skeptical that this is an introvert speaking, I can’t discern that he prefers time alone from the book, but maybe it’s just the way it’s written (retrospectively). I think this may do disservice to the introverts out there (there are 4 types), making assumptions that it’s easy to just cast aside the introversion to meet endless amounts of people - much less many famous people - along life’s way.

[Malin Friess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Glen’s book. He’s a fascinating guy—he didn’t have to, but he even took a job as a dishwasher at Sparrow Bakery in Bend just to meet people. Fun fact: he’s actually neighbors with my brother and sister-in-law in Bend!

I don’t do hyperlite backpacking where you cut off the end of your toothbrush to save weight, but I’ve done some light ultra-running adventures—two full circumnavigations of Mount Hood in a day. All I carried was water, food, a light jacket, a headlamp, and a few iodine pills. Running free without heavy packs or unnecessary gear is the best.

There are some really good lessons in the book about gratitude, community, and generosity. I hope I get to meet Glen someday out on the trails in Bend!

4 stars. Very enjoyable and easy read.

[Jason Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mix one part memoir, one part self-help, and one part outdoors/recreation and you'll begin to approach the cocktail that is Take Less. Do More. Glen Van Peski uses his copious outdoors experiences as analogies to illustrate the lessons he has garnered to enrich his life. Instead of merely retelling the birth of his brand Gossamer Gear, Glen shows us how this journey helped him grow into a better person. Each chapter is a lesson that can be applied to the reader's own life. Glen doesn't claim to have all of the answers, but his hope is that his experiences can help us all expedite our quests of personal growth.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much like Ted Lasso wasn't a story about soccer, "Take Less. Do More" isn't a story about ultralight backpacking. It's a story about life. A story about humanity. About leaving the world better than you found it. It's a reminder there is still good in the world and that you too can add to it.

But if ultralight backpacking is what piqued your interest, don't worry. You'll get that too! Glen imparts his hard-earned wisdom on this subject as well. The appendix is sure to delight the avid ultralight backpacker as it will help veterans refine their expertise and novices find a place to start their journey.

I encourage you to read this book and help make the world a better place!

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - I didn't think that I could learn so much about life from a backpacker! Glen Van Peski has written a book that has many ideas that all of us can learn and apply to make our lives better.

A quote that I have been pondering is "In all aspects of our lives, balance matters, and it shapes what our ultimate experience will be. But to find our own true and unique balance, we have to first asses our choices." While this can apply to the things you choose to physically carry it can also be applied to the things you choose to mentally carry. I am sure that there are things that all of us need to drop.

[Carly Swisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think whether you ever intend to backpack or not, the lessons Van Peski shares in his book are universally relevant. As a backpacker myself, I resonated with the connection of minimalist, intentional living. It can be difficult to capture why packing lighter is more than purchasing light gear, and Van Peski articulates that ethos beautifully. It's not about less, it's about unburdening yourself from a load you don't necessarily need so you can, indeed, do more. This is both a lesson about backpacking and just about everything else.

I read this book in one sitting, but it stuck with me beyond the initial read.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gobbled this book up! I'm not a backpacker of any sort, but the lessons were applicable to my life and renewed a sense of excitement for how I can show up in the world more generously. I had the pleasure of interviewing Glen on my podcast (Paring Down) that focuses on living more minimal lives, and was overwhelmingly impressed with how his interpretation of minimalism focuses so distinctively on the way we benefit OTHERS with our choice to take less, rather than the traditional focus of how minimal living can improve our own lives. The stories in these pages range from hilarious to terrifying to magical, and I can't recommend it enough!

[Chris Sunderland · Rating 4 out of 5]

My very good friend Read Miller gave me Glen's book; Read and Glen have a passion for backpacking adventures, taking as little weight as possible to make the hikes more enjoyable. Glen is an engineer by training and has managed to squeeze almost every ounce out of his backing equipment. Glen gives valuable insights to the back pack company he created and offers very sound advise on living with less to be able to give more to people he encounters. Though many examples Glen offers wisdom on generosity, gratitude, kindness and encounters with God. It is a book well worth your time reading and pondering what could done with less.

[Jonathan Dawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I bought it to read about ultralight backpacking. I learn about that and so much more. Glen does a wonderful job of distilling a life well lived into chapters about lesson learned and suggestions and recommendations about how to improve, learn, develop, and grow.

I plan to buy this book for all my children and have an in depth discussion with them when they finish. I took notes whilst reading (in the margins) and plan to now go back and put my thoughts and highlights into a document for future use.

I can’t say enough good things about this book. Highly recommend! I will review this book annually.

[Joel L · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take Less, Do More was a good book. Very well written by Glen Van Peski. I connected with the going light effort for backpacking since I went through the same process though not to the extent or the extreme that Van Peski did. It was remarkable the he made his own equipment and how that led to starting his own ultralight backpacking business. However, I guess I expected more out of how the lessons learned from going ultralight translated to a change in everyday life. He talked a lot about opening up and meeting new people and how that enriched his life, but I don’t see that as an outgrowth of going ultralight. Nevertheless, I respect the effort by a fellow introverted engineer to write this book and I think other serious backpackers would enjoy it.

[Lisa Kosak · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a gardener, I enjoyed this book because Glen explores the connection between wilderness beauty, exploration, and personal growth. He shares how backpacking is an adventure and why so many lessons can be learned along the way. Backpacking is more than just hiking and enjoying nature. You learn so much about yourself, including how to achieve more and how life lessons enable you to grow and see your life more clearly. It was fascinating to read about Glen’s adventures, thoughts, and what backpacking taught him.

[Michael Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to enjoy this book and appreciate its message, but unfortunately, I found the author’s tone off-putting. While the book seems to have been written with good intentions, it often came across as overly self-congratulatory and the narrative seemed to lean heavily on the author’s own achievements. While some readers might find this inspiring, it detracted from the experience for me. I believe the core ideas have value, but the delivery made it difficult to fully connect with the book.