How far would you go to find yourself? That's the question author Rich Shapero poses in his provocative debut novel about one man's obsessive quest for the foundations of the heart.

Sam Altman, disillusioned with the answer of the 60s but inspired by his love for the mercurial Lindy, rejects a normal life and sets out to live in a new world of "inexhaustible desire." His unleashed and increasingly unhinged imagination drives the young lovers first to Seattle, than farther north, to the remote Alaskan wilderness. There, Sam grows progressively fascinated with the mountain ram, which seems to embody the passion and wisdom he seeks to possess.

On the unforgiving ridges of Mt. Wrangell, alone with his dangerous ideas, Sam, who has changed his name to Ransom, brings his inspiration to life, transforming himself into a wild creature pursued by a pack of strangely familiar wolves.

Is Ransom inspired by a transcendent truth, or prey to a misguided fantasy? As his grip on reality weakens, the reader shares Ransom's fears, his hopes, and his extraordinary discoveries.

Wild Animus is a search for the primordial and a journey to the breaking point. It is a story of love and sacrifice, of obsession, of finding the limits of the heart and going one step farther.