▁experiences ▁encourag ed ▁him ▁to ▁explore ▁nature ▁writers ▁like ▁Th ore au ▁and ▁John ▁Mu ir . ▁The ▁out do ors ▁compl iment ed ▁the ▁academic ▁work ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁purs uing ▁and ▁he ▁applied ▁his ▁gradu ate ▁studies ▁in ▁compar ative ▁literature ▁to ▁his ▁passion ▁for ▁the ▁out do ors . ▁ ▁Pat ric ia ▁Hass ler ▁stated ▁in ▁a ▁Book list ▁review ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁young ▁ideal ist ▁" T all mad ge ▁sought ▁the ▁authentic ity , ▁power , ▁and ▁possibility ▁of ▁the ▁w ilder ness ▁by ▁following ▁the ▁intellectual ▁and ▁physical ▁tra ils ▁bla zed ▁by ▁Henry ▁Th ore au ▁and ▁John ▁Mu ir ... ▁he ▁takes ▁us ▁along ▁on ▁his ▁h ikes ▁to ▁the ▁High ▁Sierra , ▁K ata hd in , ▁and ▁the ▁De eps ▁and ▁C any on lands ▁where , ▁like ▁some ▁kn ight - err ant , ▁he ▁proves ▁himself ▁over ▁and ▁over . ▁If ▁his ▁teaching ▁ten ure ▁is ▁denied , ▁T all mad ge ▁real izes ▁he ▁has ▁learned ▁nature ' s ▁less ons : ▁just ▁as ▁water ▁over comes ▁through ▁non res istance ▁and ▁the ▁jack ▁p ine ▁needs ▁fire ▁to ▁release ▁its ▁se eds , ▁man ▁end ures ▁through ▁spirit ▁and ▁faith ." ▁ ▁His ▁studies ▁in ▁nature ▁writing ▁fall ▁under ▁the ▁genre ▁of ▁ec oc rit ic ism , ▁a ▁term ▁co ined ▁by ▁William ▁R ue ck ert ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁and ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁works ▁of ▁Th ore au , ▁John ▁Mu ir