On July 13, I headed out on my grand Fund For Teachers Fellowship to Yellowstone National Park to collect data on water, soil, temperature, flora and fauna, to become more infused with what I teach my students each year and to become the teacher/scientist I’ve always wanted to be. With me is Sean, who is helping to make sure I negotiate my way safe around the wilds of Yellowstone in a kayak, in a campground and on back country trails.

What do Bear Grylls and Patrick McManus have in common and where would you find them together? That’s what I was wondering after having asked for some reading recommendations. You see, I was looking for outdoors authors–and was unfamiliar with the suggested Patrick McManus. That’s when I decided to plug his name into one of the most useful tools for literature lovers that I have discovered online…