Robinson Crusoe (version 2) by Daniel Defoe (c.1660 - 1731)

Shipwrecked and castaway, Daniel DeFoe’s hard-luck character is still the standard for “growing where you’re planted.” Captured by pirates, he makes his break in a small boat and undergoes desperate adventures before winning his way back to civilization. But Crusoe proves willing to chance his luck a second time when, after sweating his way to prosperity as a planter in Brazil, he undertakes a voyage that isn’t needful… and is marooned on a small island off South America. Crusoe shows the value of single-minded labor as he pursues ways to feed, shelter, and clothe himself. His ardent wish is to escape his island – why is it that the only people who come there are cannibals? But he spends more than two decades in isolation before acquiring a sidekick – the man Friday you’ve probably heard of. And who would guess his way to salvation would depend on leading a last-ditch fight against a shipful of mutineers? For other castaway stories inspired by “Robinson Crusoe”, listen to “The Swiss Family Robinson” (http://snipurl.com/swiss_family) and “The Mysterious Island” (http://snipurl.com/mysterious_island). (Summary by Mark F. Smith)