The Call of the Wild

Ever since I read his awesome short story "To Build a Fire" I wanted to read Jack London's classic The Call of the Wild. Sometimes written off as an adolescent book, it is actually a searching, philosophical masterpiece. It helped to establish London's reputation as one of the great writers of Naturalism, a literary movement that dealt heavily with man's relationship to nature.
The book tells the story a pampered wolf dog, Buck, who is sold into captivity in the Yukon to work in the gold rush. Taken from his rich lifestyle, Buck quickly adapts to his new life and the natural feelings he inherited from his primal ancestors are awakened within him for the first time. London tells the story through Buck's eyes and attempts to show the thoughts and reasoning behind a dog's actions.
Buck eventually escapes from captivity and is faced with the choice to go back home or stay in the wild. Buck opts to go back to his natural roots and take his place in a pack of wild wolves. Once here, Buck feels truly at home.
I found this book very moving and convincing in its effort to encourage man, like Buck, to leave behind all the worldly distractions we have created for ourselves and return to who we really are. As technology advances and things become more and more convenient, London's book is just as important as it ever was.