Miscalculated Risks

Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once)

By: Michael Cooper

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Paperback | 13 October 2025

At a Glance

Paperback
302 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
22.86 x 15.24 x 1.73

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Michael Cooper was compulsively drawn to perilous places. It nearly got him killed over a half-dozen times.

In its action-packed, often-comical pages, Miscalculated Risks recounts how Cooper's increasingly dangerous ventures far into wilderness landed him in dire situations: Mortally wounded in a Mexican jungle, twenty roadless miles from the nearest medical facility. Half-drowned and severely hypothermic on an isolated Oregon river, shooting sixty-nine miles of rapids during a weeklong blizzard. Deathly sick and out of water in sun-scorched desert . . .

Retelling the near-fatal adventures in Cooper's own words, Miscalculated Risks introduces a mix of unforgettable characters: The superhuman mill worker and the ADHD-tormented tax assessor, Cooper's quirky cohorts on over thirty mountaineering ascents. And the charismatic hippie, offbeat national park ranger and reckless journalist who join Cooper on thirteen daring expeditions on foot through five trackless deserts-including to places where nobody in recorded history had gone before.

Industry Reviews

"Harrowing and engaging."-Jedediah S. Rogers, author of Roads in the Wilderness

"An outdoors adventure memoir packed with hair-raising encounters, gripping moments of life-or-death, and confrontations with nature that will leave readers on the edges of their seats. . . . Nothing short of remarkable."-D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

"A masterpiece. Not just a chronicle of close calls but a glimpse into another age and insight into why we humans challenge ourselves with hard tasks."-Warren C. Easley, author of The Cal Claxton Mysteries

"The wilderness comes alive on the page in this (literal) trailblazer's memoir. . . . Cooper portrays his adventures in immersive detail. His descriptions of his experiences in untouched areas are lyrical. . . . Lovers of the outdoors and armchair travelers alike will enjoy adventuring along with him."-Kirkus Reviews

"Outstanding and inspiring. A beautiful story told remarkably well."-Courtney Purcell, author of Zion National Park: Summit Routes

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