Finkel slowly and patiently gained enough access to this reclusive private "hermit" to let readers peer into the solitary world he occupied in the woods of Maine. Finkel adds just enough research on solitude and hermitage in history, on Aspberger's, and other contexts relevant to the story to deepen our understanding of why a young man would completely withdraw from society at the age of 20, and stay hidden and solitary for nearly three decades. A gripping read.