Wander Purposefully

A Reflection on How to Love Learning

By: Eric Travis

Narrated by: Eric Travis

Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

For Eric Travis, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail was not about hiking. It was about expanding his mental development by listening to audiobooks. Over the 156-day and 2,500-plus-mile journey, Travis completed 71 audiobooks on a wide range of genres such as religion, history, personal development, and literary classics - all of which served to expand his knowledge, cultural awareness, and business acumen.    

Originally released exclusively as an audiobook, Wander Purposefully: A Reflection on How to Love Learning introduces the listener to absorbent learning, a practical lifestyle that encourages and inspires learning for the sake of learning. Travis welcomes you - the learner - to envision and apply his techniques within your existing daily routines. Many of his techniques hide in plain sight and require minimal effort. The three types of absorbent learning - auditory, visual, and experiential - define a new learning lifestyle that benefits not only the learners and their surrounding communities, but ultimately the world at large.    

Absorbent learning coaches anyone, especially those with the busiest of schedules, how to maximize new learning potential and bring more focused purpose into their daily lives. This book is highly recommended to anyone seeking to live with a greater sense of intention and connection to the world around them.

©2019 Eric Frank Travis (P)2019 Eric Frank Travis

An uninhibited musing for all lovers of learning

Here is an uninhibited musing for all lovers of learning and those who desire to change their experiences in order to maximize self-growth. Equal parts pop psych and personal memoir, it is neither preachy nor authoritative; Travis presents intuitive educational tools at a level at which anyone can reach them. These are not doctrinaire findings of a distant expert but practical, intimate tips from a journeyer like you who is simply seeking meaning in life. At its heart, Wander Purposefully is a reflection on what it is like to be daily synthesizing the ever-variable information in the world around us. By seeing the author do just that throughout - to increasing degrees of critical thinking and introspection - we gain a bit of confidence in our own efforts to do the same. You'll find yourself rethinking the aphorism "learn something new every day." You'll find yourself counting your interests and idiosyncrasies, and also your blessings.

Top marks for debut audiobook WANDER PURPOSEFULLY

Wander Purposefully is a wonderfully narrated journey of how the author discovered and applied new learning techniques in his daily life that actually worked and led to many successes for him. He is able to double dip his learning techniques (dubbed "absorbent learning") along with other daily activities that don't require much attention or effort (dubbed "white spaces"). Part One of the literary journey unfolds within the backdrop of the author's real life, multi-month, trek of the Pacific Crest Trail. He reflects on how he gathered and sorted most of his book's inspiration and content while listening to an extraordinary sampling of books along the way.

What's best about this book is that the author does not simply stop at how to perform these techniques, but gives well researched and thought provoking arguments on why the reader should apply these techniques and what benefits the reader will see from them in their lives. During the second half of the book, in daring fashion, the author goes on to divulge how these learning techniques and efforts have the potential to push, IMO, welcome cultural changes at a macro level in this age of increasing globalization.

Another bonus is the side bar website the author has created to supplement his audiobook with helpful visuals and interesting content to be used at the reader's leisure.

Long story short - it's a great read, likely to inspire some changes in your day to day, and maybe even change the way you perceive a great many thing.

A Debut Success - Incredible & Thought Provoking!

Wander Purposefully is a must read (or should I say, must listen!).

The author's choice to release his debut book exclusively as an audiobook chimes harmoniously with book's main theme: learning how to color in the "white space" of one's busy day.

Wander Purposefully taught me how to grow in productivity. It taught me techniques become more knowledgeable on diverse topics, It taught me new ways to connect with myself, my community, and the world at large.

Moreover, the author uses his own experience on the Pacific Crest Trail as a narrative vehicle for the wisdom he imparts. Wander Purposefully is an immersive audiobook experience: the author's website displays his photos from the Pacific Crest Trail, as well as other products and posts, to support and supplement the listener's own journey to wander purposefully.

I can't speak enough to how fulfilling, and entertaining, this book is; if I could give it more than 5 stars, I would! Highly recommend!

Fantastic Book, Inspired Writing and Practical Wisdom

Wandering purposefully is a perfect guide to getting out of your comfort zone, getting inspired to experience new things, meet new people, and learn something new. All using time you don’t realize you already have.

Many thoughtful reflections from classic novels and non-fiction that will inspire you to read more and make more use out of your everyday to listen and learn more effectively.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and it has inspired me to get moving on my goals of reading more books. I’ve already downloaded three more classics, Don Quixote will be the First! See the reading list recommendations from the list of books he completed on the trail.

I hope this book inspires a community of wanderers to help change the world by helping people learn and love learning more. It has certainly inspired me.

If you are still reading this, stop go download the book and get listening/reading!

A Wanderfully Synthesized Book

I wasn't expecting to love this book because I don't really like self-help books, but I was quickly proven wrong. This is much more than a self-help book. It begs the ever important question that we have heard a million times "how are you spending the time in your life?" But with Eric's evident ability to synthesize important information, anecdotes, and personal reflection, the book really leaves you feeling optimistically motivated to enrich your life through absorbent learning. And, as an undertone, testament to Eric's hiking of the Pacific Crest Trail, to enrich your life through physical activity too. There is something for everybody in this book.

Exceptional read!

As someone who typically finds self betterment books far too fluffy, Wander Purposefully was a refreshing reset. The author gives a candid look into the hard work, time, and effort required to accomplish great feats while outlining actionable tasks to lead listeners to their goals. Far too often we are told tales of great success without properly examining the journey required to get there. Mr. Travis walks the listener through an insightful and exciting tale of his journey on the Pacific Crest Trail and brings the listener a well rounded perspective on continuous learning. This book can truly benefit readers of any age, absolutely recommend!

Inspiring, and a fantastic read

As someone who just discovered the value of podcasts and audio books with a new office job, I couldn't have listened to this at a better time. Upon reading this, I've found more fire than ever to continue my research and personal development during slow monotonous office work

This Is a GREAT (Listen/Read)!

I first bought the Audible version of this book in September 2020. As an educator that’s spent over two decades working with At-Risk/Promising Youth; I immediately recognized the validity of what is referred to, as the “Absorbent Learning” process; making the most of one’s “white space” or “downtime” where the body is busy, but the mind is free.

For those of us that self-identify as “Life-Long Learners” we already do this, because we understand the value of time, and we love both the formal & informal processes of learning.

Over the past two years I have both physically read and listened to this book several times, each time coming away with new insights that I have actively shared with students, family, and friends.

Wander Purposefully puts forth a series of very persuasive arguments, all of which build the case that a more judicious use of one’s discretionary time may yield enormous positive results in life, regardless of one’s age or station – greater insights, efficacy, & empathy -- even stronger (social) ties & healthier relationships. Wander Purposefully contains a very personal, yet universally applicable message of hope, not just self-help.

Most of us are awash in a sea of rivaling distractions that eat our time, promise satisfaction, yet rarely yield lasting (positive) results. Yet, on the other hand, the “Absorbent Learning Process”(put forth in this book), provides a Sim’s-like “bird’s eye” view of our moment-by-moment options, and what we can actually chose to do, to live more “Purposeful” lives. The methods & mindsets put forth in this book may serve those of you that are already Life-Long-Learners as you strive (via dialogue and example) to help others find a bit more joy and order amidst the chaos.

Although less well known, Eric Travis’ Wander Purposefully is a perfect complimentary read to other seminal chaos-killing, & life-affirming works such as Carol Dweck’s Mindset, David Epstein’s Range, & James Clears’ Atomic Habits. Please become familiar with (and share) this book’s message -- and wander a bit more purposefully.

Spence Robinson -- Educator

Good listen, GREAT message

You'll want to turn the reading speed up. Very slow narration. Other than that, good listen, GREAT message.

You'll Never Think About Learning the Same Way

Eric Travis' book is refreshing and avant-garde. As someone in the traditional education space (elementary principal), this is a wake-up call. Travis' "Absorbent Learning lifestyle" captures the imagination and rekindles the love for learning. This book shows how accumulating knowledge is more than transactional. It's relational. Travis outlines how to train your mind to be more attuned to learning opportunities, whether it's on your commute, in your shower, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, or wherever. But most importantly he beautifully explains how to translate this learning to into building relationships, expanding your worldview, and developing empathy and compassion. His approach is unconventional, but that's what's needed to awaken our society's shallowness and stupor when it comes to loving learning. Buy, read/listen, and wander purposefully!