Alaska's people enchant tourists and armchair travelers as

utterly as that state's wildlife and scenery do. Its cultures,

subcultures, and individuals have long fascinated Michael

Engelhard, a former resident, outdoor educator, and wilderness

guide, a scholar of philosophical bent. His smart, witty voice here

profiles a river ranger, a bear-dog trainer, a pathfinder, a grifter,

smoke jumpers, Orthodox nuns, and Denali's shuttle-bus drivers,

among other characters. Through him, we meet artists, activists,

naturalists, crafters, hobbyists, seasonal workers, and adventurers.

Some were born and bred in-country. Others swallowed its lure.

Regardless of roots, their pursuits bond both kinds to the land,

as is true for many Alaskans.

Grounded, trenchant, lustrous with details that highlight Alaska's

diversity, the 59 chapters of Northerners bracket pre-territorial

days to the present. They illustrate this writer's belief that the

mindset of Alaskans essentially never changed. You will get to

know them by their passions and occupations, by the goals, grit,

and ease that let them thrive boldly outside of boxes.

Michael Engelhard became a cultural anthropologist at the

University of Alaska. He is the author of the award-winning

memoir Arctic Traverse and has called Fairbanks, Nome, and

Cordova "home." His writing has also appeared in dozens of

magazines, with 160 articles in Alaska alone. Ever since his

teenage years, he felt drawn to the formidable, faraway North.