Editorial Reviews
Independent Publishers Book Awards
Winner of the 2003 IPPY Award in the environment/ nature/ ecology category!
Review
"Tougias never did live full time in that cabin. But he spent four years of weekends and vacations bumping into moose, getting lost on trails, and once even sinking waist-deep into a mud hole. So, again like Thoreau, Tougias put it all into words, only his tome has far more laughs in it....The tales the now-nature columnist and Franklin resident tells range from the porcupines to the words he says he'll never forget....But Tougias's text goes beyond the silly anecdotes....And he captures what drew him there in the first place -- the simplicity of a rustic cabin, the allure of nature, and the relaxed pace."
Denise Taylor, Boston Globe, August 19, 2004
"'There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse: Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe,' is a more personal tome; it is his account of the dream cabin he bought in the woods of Northeast Kingdom, Vt., at the age of 25. There's electricity but no plumbing, and yes, there really was a porcupine in said outhouse....The book won the Independent Publishers Award for the best nature book in 2003, and comes out in paperback this fall."
B.J. Roche, Boston Globe, 7/27/2003
"Massachusetts author Michael Tougias and his book, "There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse: Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe," have won the 2003 Independent Publishers Award for best environment/ecology/nature book. The book chronicles Tougias' experiences at a remote cabin in Vermont, where he learned his outdoor lessons the hard way. He evolved from a hapless flatlander into a knowledgeable naturalist with an eye toward protecting the land."
Berkshire Eagle, September 3, 2003
"This is the way natural history should be taught-by a good story teller with a sense of humor!" Ted Williams, Audubon Magazine
"Outdoor writing can be a little grim and self-righteous, so it's a great pleasure to read Michael Tougias' new book and learn that yes, indeed, outdoor writing can be very funny and enjoyable. A most welcome book!" W. D. Wetherell, author of Upland Stream and Vermont River
"Tougias blends wit with wisdom, skillfully interweaving wildlife and nature lore with anecdotes from his days spent in the north woods. Whether he's relating tales of cars being broadsided by canoes gone airborne or encounters with porcupines, bears, and other denizens of the back country, this book resonates with a love of the natural world." Susan DiGeronimo, book review critic, Fitchburg Sentinel
"Columnist and outdoor writer Michael Tougias describes his adventures in a northern Vermont cabin - from slogging through the mud to swimming in a pond to getting acquaintanced with animals."
Sally Pollak, Burlington (VT) Free Press
"In his latest book, a funny, honest and personal history, Tougias describes his evolution from a helpless unknowing "flatlander" who learned to have a deep respect for and connection to the wilderness, and how his views were transformed on all aspects of the real world outdoors." Woonsocket Call
"...he's turned his early missteps and discoveries there into the subject of an amusing new book, ''There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse: Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe.'' (Capital Books, Inc., Sterling, Va., $18.95). But the book will have the most meaning for people who share Tougias' passion for the peace and beauty of the outdoors." Jody Feinberg, The Patriot Ledger
"...an engaging, insightful and often humorous story of one man's journey toward communing with nature and all it has to offer. He writes of it simply and eloquently, filling the reader with a sense of longing for the peace that nature brings Tougias' journey in the Vermont forest reads very much like a novel. I looked forward to each new disaster/adventure he and his friends encountered, and he relays these stories against vivid descriptions of the woods and all its beauty. There is also a great deal of spirituality and reflection in his narrative regarding his newfound paradise, but he never gets preachy or sanctimonious about his love of the land. He tells a great story about a coexistence with, but not claim of, the land...Humor, as well as your love of nature, is intertwined in your writing. The overall effect is a book that takes you away from the hectic pace of our everyday lives." Jane DeWitt, Metrowest Daily News
"He writes eloquently with vivid descriptions and I looked forward to each new adventure." The Boston Herald
"A very funny memoir. Tougias learned from his cabin experience and today he is one of New England's leading nature writers." Book Views
"There is a great deal of spiritual and reflection in his fine narrative that never gets preachy." Telegram and Gazette
"Tougias blends wit and wisdom resulting in a nature book that, fittingly, goes slightly off the beaten path. Lots of laughs" Sentinel and Enterprise
"Sweetly humorous" Worcester Magazine
"A wonderful read! You'll enjoy this book thoroughly by a gifted writer"
Into the Outdoors
"Tougias describes connections so profound that they speak not just to the mind but to the soul." The Union News
"...a good storyteller with a self-depreciating streak that makes for some seriously humorous writing." Jim Witty, Bend (OR) Bulletin
"...detailing his time spent on a six-acre parcel overlooking a pond in northern Vermont." Winchester (MA) Times Chronicle, Reading Times Chronicle, Woburn Times Chronicle, Burlington Times Chronicle, Wakefield Times Chronicle
"This is the hilarious story of Tougias' first six years as a novice in the woods, trying desperately to live out his mountain man fantasy, resulting in a career and persona change that would affect him for the rest of his life...His stories are funny, honest, embarrassing, and contain a 'natural history' of himself and his natural world...He also tells wonderful anecdotes about wildlife...This is a charming and satisfying personal memoir." Bill Bushnell, Waterville (ME) Sentinel, Kennebec Journal
"...woodsy, charming tale...a pleasant and entertaining...account." Dan Barber, Dallas Morning News, Idaho Statesman, Billings (MT) Gazette
"...this rough-hewn slice of Americana is probably just what you need to get in touch with your inner porcupine."
Brian Hamlin, TheReporter.com
"It's a humorous reflection on Tougias' early years at his remote cabin in Northern Vermont."
The Republican (MA)
"Humorously, and with fond self-deprecation, this memoir chronicles the time that syndicated columnist and author Tougias spent living in a tiny cabin in northern Vermont. Fraught with his misadventures, this tale shows Tougias' growth as he discovers and is humbled by the vast outdoors."
Natural Home Magazine
"...Tougias details his adventures at his remote northern Vermont cabin, learning about nature, life and himself."
Stephen Peterson, Attleboro (MA) Sun Chronicle
"...recounts his experiences in the 'wilderness' with candor and humor."
Cape Cod Times
There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse: Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe (Capital Discoveries Book)
There's a Porcupine in My Outhouse: Misadventures of a Mountain Man Wannabe (Capital Discoveries Book),Michael Tougias,Capital Books (VA),1931868123,1955-,Country life,Essays,Form - Essays,General,History,Humor,Montpelier Region,Mountain life,Natural History,Nature/Ecology,Personal Memoirs,Tougias, Mike,,United States - State & Local - General,Vermont,Vermont - Local History,Tougias, Mike
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