The text on the dust jacket of Jon Krakauers Into the Wild makes it clear that the thread of suspense running through this compelling book isnt necessarily tied to the fate of its subject In April 1992 a young man from a well to do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt McKinley the jacket reads His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless He had given 25 000 in savings to charity abandoned his car and most of his possessions burned all the cash in his walle