Longtime readers have come to understand that Outside's true gift is in chronicling misadventure. That's the common thread among the stories found in Out There-those memorable tales that begin with the promise that, even if no one's life is necessarily hanging in the balance, something may go horribly awry at any moment, and that documenting this misfortune will inevitably yield rich comedic material or a surprisingly poignant moment. Or sometimes both. Out There chronicles fringe athletes, fitness freaks, and others obsessed by ill-advised dreams. It takes us to far-flung places no sane person would want to go. What ties this collection together are the incredible voices of legendary Outside contributors such as David Quammen, Tim Cahill, Susan Orlean, Wells Tower, Christopher Solomon, Patrick Symmes, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Nick Paumgarten, and many others, who turn their subjects into literary gold and have helped to keep Outside in business for more than forty years.

For over 20 years OUTSIDE magazine has devoted itself to featuring the best of contemporary travel writing and here is a magnificent collection of essays and profiles on the world as it is, written by people who revel in experiencing the new, unusual or offbeat. They take us cartwheeling down a Himalayan river, on a journey to the oil fields of Kuwait, chasing after killer bees in Africa, and into the world of cowgirl culture. Here is a wonderful tour of the natural world and an incisive view of the people and animals who inhabit it. Whether they are about the simple pleasures of outdoor life or about confronting the forces of nature, the stories and articles take us out of the noosphere, the term Teilhard de Chardin coined to describe 'the conscious unity of souls'. Each piece focuses our attention on the ways we choose to express our individuality, our passions, and our dreams.

Longtime readers have come to understand that Outside's true gift is in chronicling misadventure. That's the common thread among the stories found in Out There-those memorable tales that begin with the promise that, even if no one's life is necessarily hanging in the balance, something may go horribly awry at any moment, and that documenting this misfortune will inevitably yield rich comedic material or a surprisingly poignant moment. Or sometimes both. Out There chronicles fringe athletes, fitness freaks, and others obsessed by ill-advised dreams. It takes us to far-flung places no sane person would want to go. What ties this collection together are the incredible voices of legendary Outside contributors such as David Quammen, Tim Cahill, Susan Orlean, Wells Tower, Christopher Solomon, Patrick Symmes, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, Nick Paumgarten, and many others, who turn their subjects into literary gold and have helped to keep Outside in business for more than forty years.

Longtime readers have come to understand that Outside's true gift is in chronicling misadventure. The Darkest Places chronicles mysterious disappearances, unsolved murders, and deadly disasters, taking us to far-flung places no sane person would want to go.

Short of near disaster or the sublime, what are our most memorable outdoor moments made of? The totally surprising, sometimes bizarre oddball moments that catch our psyches off guard and strike our funny bones to the core. Call it the wild side factor. The editors of Outside proudly present outstanding images gleaned from 300 issues of their back-page "Parting Shots" photo feature. It's their way of celebrating the pratfalls and singular coincidences of an outdoor life the comic circumstances of relatively tame mammals (us) spending more and more time closer and closer to large, wild animals. These images are a rare chance to look into the wide world outside and laugh at both ourselves and that infinitely wondrous, entertaining three-ring circus we call the universe."