The Wander Society

by Keri Smith

Overview

From the internationally bestselling creator of Wreck This Journal...

wan·der
verb  \ˈwän-dər\
to walk/explore/amble in an unplanned or aimless way with a complete openness to the unknown
 
Several years ago when Keri Smith, bestselling author of Wreck This Journal, discovered cryptic handwritten notations in a worn copy of Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass, her interest was piqued. Little did she know at the time that those simple markings would become the basis of a years-long, life-changing exploration into a mysterious group known only as The Wander Society, as well as the subject of this book.

Within these pages, you’ll find the results of Smith’s research: A guide to the Wander Society, a secretive group that holds up the act of wandering, or unplanned exploring, as a way of life. You’ll learn about the group’s mysterious origins, meet fellow wanderers through time, discover how wandering feeds the creative mind, and learn how to best practice the art of wandering, should you choose to accept the mission.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780143108368
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/29/2016
Pages:	208
Sales rank:	1,048,280
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Keri Smith is a bestselling author, illustrator, and thinker. Her books include Wreck This Journal, The Wander Society, This is Not a Book, How to Be an Explorer of the World, Mess, Finish This Book, The Pocket Scavenger, Wreck This Journal Everywhere, Everything Is Connected, and The Imaginary World of... as well as Wreck This App, This is Not an App, and the Pocket Scavenger app. She enjoys spending time with her husband, experimental musician Jefferson Pitcher, and two children.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for The Wander Society

“Thanks to Smith's compilation of notes, observations, and musings, readers will have no difficulty incorporating these ideas into a daily routine [and] will have a fun time away from the hubbub of modern life. . . . The amusing and informative philosophy of a hidden culture that proposes that wandering is the key to a soulful life.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Curious and bewitching, this book serves as an antidote to modern consumer culture.” —BookPage 

“If you are looking for a respite from a hectic, busy life and wish you had more time to think and explore the world around you, The Wander Society might just be able to help. . . . The philosophy is sound and inspiring, and the writing draws you in.  You will find several helpful hints that will help you slow down the world around you just a little.” —Real Style Magazine

“The Wander Society truly is for everyone, and I have the feeling everyone can do with it what they want and as they please. . . .  Any book that encourages a reader not only to interact with the physical item ‘book’ but also with their surroundings in a playful and creative way while walking is a good book; of which too few are being published at the moment.  It is good to know that the Wander Society is out there.” —Elsewhere Journal

“While Smith gathers what she has discovered of the invisible Wander Society, the unanswerable questions of who and why begin to lose their importance. Planted, instead, is the seed of an inspiring and creative way of life: one tied not to technology and societal norms, but rather married to the more romantic notions of morality, curiosity, and discovery.” —Literary Inklings

“As someone who has been becoming more and more disenchanted with technology and how social media seems to rule everything around us, this book couldn't have come at a more perfect time. . . . The Wander Society really, really struck a chord with me and was exactly the encouragement I needed to get out and do more of what I really love.” —The Dainty Squid

“Amazingly creative. . . . If you’re a traveler like I am, this is a great gift to yourself (or another fellow traveler). Let it inspire you to let go of agendas on your next trip and just see where a path (beaten or unbeaten) will take you.” —Nancy D. Brown, What a Trip

“The Wander Society is inspiring and an act needed in our society today. It talks of slowing down, taking time, imagining, and living simply.” —Luxury Reading

“Part philosophical memoir, part investigative journalism, The Wander Society is a book unlike any I’ve ever read. It packs a hearty punch and truly left me inspired to go out and do some wandering of my own!” —The Pretty Good Gatsby

“The book is designed with an eye to portability. You can take it on your wanderings. . . . If you are inclined to or curious about wandering, I recommend The Wander Society.” —The Local Ecologist

“Different people will respond to different elements of The Wander Society. There are lists, there are diagrams, there are poems, there are assignments. They all encourage you towards a common goal: to let go, start wandering in your daily life, and see what happens.” —Reading Rambo

“There is something mysterious and deeply powerful about the ideas in this book: it deals with the exploration of not just the environment and your community, but inner exploration: an exploration of your own imagination and unconscious. . . . a fascinating and exciting book.” —Cats and Chocolate

“The Wander Society has both reaffirmed and changed the way I look at life. . . . Solvitur ambulando!” —Pretty Thoughtful

“Full of great ideas and motivations to get outside and clear your head and discover.” —Folded Pages Distillery


Praise for Keri Smith

“Keri Smith may well be the self-help guru this DIY generation deserves.” —The Believer

“A conceptual artist and author luring kids into questioning the world and appreciating every smell, texture and mystery in it.” —TIME Magazine

From the Publisher

2016-01-09
A guidebook to aimless wandering. When Smith (The Imaginary World of…, 2014, etc.) stumbled across an old copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass in a used bookstore and found some handwritten notes in the book, a wave of excitement went through her body. What did "WW will show you the way," "Solivitur ambulando," or the small thunderbolt symbol under the words "The Wander Society" mean? Determined to learn more, the author spent considerable time researching online and on foot to uncover this elusive society of aimless wanderers. In this book, she compiles her discoveries for those intrigued with the idea of meaning found through a re-examination of life. "While we cannot say for sure exactly who the Wander Society is," she writes, "I believe its members exist to aid us in our quest to discover our own deepest soul life, to help us to move to a higher place of consciousness." That may seem an impossible or even fruitless task, but thanks to Smith's compilation of notes, observations, musings on the writings of Whitman and many other "wanderer" writers, as well as specific tasks to perform to become a full member of the Wander Society, readers will have no difficulty incorporating these ideas into a daily routine. By following the listed initiation rites—e.g., making a wander badge complete with a stitched lightning bolt insignia or finding a talisman, reading at least some of the suggested literature, and simply getting outdoors and walking—contemplative readers and those inclined to New Age rituals will have a fun time away from the hubbub of modern life, even if they never attain full membership in this secret society. The amusing and informative philosophy of a hidden culture that proposes that wandering is the key to a soulful life.

Kirkus Reviews