This is an issue of The Wonder Reader, a magazine in which our editors recommend a set of stories to pique your curiosity and delight you. Register here get it every saturday morning.
The word event tend to bring up images of people climbing mountains, skiing down waterfalls, or traveling to remote parts of the world. It looks expensive, athletic, and a little boring.
But adventure is just the experience of stepping into something uncertain—doing something you don’t already know the outcome of. And that can happen almost anywhere. Maybe you can sign up for a new class, introduce yourself to a stranger, or just say yes to an opportunity that scares you. What these events have in common is not danger. It is unpredictability.
Adventure runs against the logic of modern life. We spend most of our time trying to reduce uncertainty—to make things more predictable, efficient, and manageable. Adventure wants us to do the opposite. It measures our willingness to leave those we know.
On Adventure
Why You May Need Adventure
By Arthur C. Brooks
In a rut? Try to shake things up. (From 2024)
Seven Death Defying Books for the Intrepid Reader
Written by Eva Holland
These titles will draw you into some of the wildest landscapes on the planet, without making you leave your seat.
How to Turn Anxiety into Adventure
By Arthur C. Brooks
The secret is to turn your feelings of fear into excitement of opportunity. (From 2025)
Still Curious?
Other detours
PS
My colleague Isabel Fattal recently asked readers to share a photo of something that evokes their sense of wonder in the world. “The breathtaking beauty of Red Rock Canyon, just a 15-minute drive from my house. It takes my breath away every time I see it—whether it’s from my car or when I turn on my laptop!” Michele R., from Las Vegas, Nevada, writes.
– Rafaela
