Spirited ... Wallace blends biography, art criticism, reportage and essayistic digressions to create a portrait of a man so disillusioned with civilization that he sought to 'rewild himself' ... Wallace’s thesis about a playboy intent on living according to his untamed impulses...is convincingly argued in Twentieth-Century Man, and the man is sharper as a result ... Wallace also drops any pretense at objective distance, preferring something more intimate and brashly opinionated ... A reader’s tolerance for...meta commentary will vary, though Wallace deserves credit for grappling so directly with many difficult subjects ... Wallace, a former executive editor at Interview magazine, is good at dishing up the gossip ... Less persuasive is the presentation of Beard’s ideas around conservation and the natural world ... Beard...was possibly a sociopath, fascinating to read about, but ultimately a bit frightening when you survey all the evidence.
