I came across this book because May recommended it to me. My partner has good taste, and this was no exception. There's something quietly serendipitous about that, which will make more sense by the end of this post.
Boyd Varty grew up on Londolozi, a game reserve in South Africa, learning to track lions alongside Renias Mhlongo, one of the greatest trackers alive. The Lion Tracker's Guide to Life takes that experience and draws something genuinely profound from it. Not in a loud, self-help way. More like someone sitting across from you and sharing something they've actually learned.
It's a short book. You can read it in a couple of hours. But it's the kind of thing that stays with you.
My take
The central idea is deceptively simple. A tracker doesn't set out knowing exactly where the lion is. They read signs, follow what's there, adjust when the track goes cold, and trust the process of inquiry over the certainty of a plan.
What struck me most was the idea of recognising the right track when it passes you, rather than forcing yourself down a predetermined path. Going down a path and finding nothing is still information. It tells you where not to go.
I think about this a lot in a professional context. When you're looking for what comes next, the instinct is often to move quickly, to fill the gap, to follow the first track that appears. But the tracker knows that not every track is worth following. The skill is in reading what's in front of you carefully enough to know the difference.
The book gave me a framework for something I think most of us do intuitively but rarely examine. You already know what feels right and what doesn't. The tracker's skill is learning to trust that knowledge rather than override it.
Five pages that stopped me
These are the passages I photographed as I read. They might land differently for you, and that's kind of the point.
To live as a tracker is to know your track when it passes you. I think that's the whole book in one line. Not knowing where you're going. Not having a five year plan. Just being present enough to recognise the right thing when it appears.
Track what makes you feel good and bring more of it into your life. Notice what makes you feel lousy and do less of it. It sounds simple. It isn't always. But it's a better compass than most.
Highly recommend for a quick perspective realignment when life gets loud.
