Planetwalker by John Francis, Ph.D. (Signed First Printing, 2005)

Elephant Mountain Press, 2005. Hardcover with dust jacket. First edition, first printing, signed by John Francis on the title page, with the publisher’s original “Autographed Copy” sticker on the front jacket.

Planetwalker chronicles Francis’s remarkable journey after he stopped using motorized transportation in 1971 following an oil spill in San Francisco Bay. What began as an environmental commitment became an extraordinary way of life: Francis spent 22 years traveling on foot and 17 years in voluntary silence, ultimately walking across the United States while continuing his education and environmental work.

Part memoir, part travel narrative, and part environmental meditation, the book follows Francis through decades on the road and explores conservation, personal responsibility, communication, and the relationship between people and the natural world. The volume is especially appealing visually, incorporating Francis’s own illustrations, hand-drawn maps, journal material, and color watercolors documenting the places and landscapes he encountered.

An attractive signed first printing of an unusual modern environmental memoir, combining travel, art, environmental history, and a genuinely singular American life story.