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.
About the Author :
A wilderness adventurer, mountaineer and backcountry navigator, Michael Cooper has explored over 8,000 miles of wild country-including places where nobody in recorded history had gone before. His memoir chronicling his many near-fatal expeditions, Miscalculated Risks: Attacked, Crippled, Paralyzed, Drowning, Unconscious and Freezing in The Wild (Just Not All at Once), was the Winner of the American Writing Awards for Best New (Debut) Nonfiction and Winner of the Literary Global Book Awards for Narrative Nonfiction. Miscalculated Risks has also been selected as a Finalist for the Foreword INDIES' Adventure, Sports and Recreation Book of the Year and has been nominated for the Eric Hoffer Awards' Montaigne Medal recognizing the year's "most thought-provoking books"-distinctions prompting National Today to recognize Cooper as "a leading voice in adventure literature." Miscalculated Risks has been the #1 bestseller of print books in the SPORTS and RECREATION/Extreme Sports category since the book was launched in October, 2025 [source: IngramSpark Global Distribution Network]. Leading literary critics have heaped glowing praise on Miscalculated Risks: Midwest Book Review says Miscalculated Risks "will leave readers on the edges of their seats" and is "nothing short of remarkable." Kirkus Reviews says, "The wilderness comes alive on the page in this (literal) trailblazer's memoir. . . . Cooper portrays his adventures in immersive detail. OUR VERDICT: GET IT." And Readers' Favorite calls Miscalculated Risks "terrifying . . . a gripping, cautionary book that definitely stays with you after you finish it."Michael Cooper is also widely known as a recording engineer and producer, having worked with Academy Award-winning actor William Hurt, ABC World News anchor Barry Serafin, and Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Ashley Cleveland. A noted authority on music production and sound for film, Michael Cooper's journalism has appeared over 500 times in eight national and international magazines. He has served as Contributing Editor for the recording industry's preeminent magazine, Mix, since 1996. Michael Cooper lives with his wife in Central Oregon.To view documentary photos and video of Michael Cooper's wilderness expeditions, go to https: //michaelcooperadventurer.com/. Information about his memoir Miscalculated Risks can be found on Larrea Press' website: https: //soloist.ai/larreapress.
Review :
"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. OUR VERDICT: GET IT"-Kirkus Reviews
"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. . . . Libraries seeking adventure stories of mountaineering and outdoors encounters will want to add Miscalculated Risks to their collections. . . . Nothing short of remarkable."-D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
"This isn't some slow-burning narrative; it's a series of high-stakes moments when things went completely wrong during backpacking, climbing, and rafting trips. Cooper walks the reader through several terrifying scenarios . . . The honesty in Miscalculated Risks is what makes the memoir work so well. Michael Cooper doesn't try to sound like a legendary explorer; he sounds like a guy who is genuinely lucky to be breathing and wants to show you exactly where he tripped up. There is a lot of vulnerability here, especially when he describes the mental toll of being completely helpless in the wild. The pacing is great because the intensity of the accidents is balanced by some really thoughtful reflections on why people take these kinds of risks in the first place. . . . It is a gripping, cautionary book that definitely stays with you after you finish it. I highly recommend this book!"-Kristen A. Peters, Readers' Favorite (5-star review)
"Brazenly honest . . . and gripping storytelling."-The SOURCE
"[Cooper's] memoir explores . . . the lure of untouched landscapes, and the human drive to test boundaries - sometimes recklessly so."-The Nugget Newspaper
"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
"Harrowing and engaging."-Jedediah S. Rogers, author of Roads in the Wilderness
"Outstanding and inspiring. A beautiful story told remarkably well."-Courtney Purcell, author of Zion National Park: Summit Routes
"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
