Paulsen’s books range across several genres and topics, but he is most famous for his wilderness survival books, which portray the instructive power and serenity of nature. Paulsen’s love of nature began at a young age as the wilderness offered him refuge from his troubled home life. Both of his parents drank alcohol heavily, which prompted him to spend as much time as possible outside, either on the streets or in nature, even sleeping outdoors many nights. The defining moment of his childhood came when a librarian offered him a library card, which opened him up to books and the power of storytelling. After a successful career as an aerospace engineer, he quit abruptly to become a novelist and went on to be one of the most prolific authors of the 20th century.

Paulsen was a self-proclaimed misanthrope—hater of humankind—with the exception of children. He lived and traveled the rural parts of America, participating in solitary activities such as cross-country motorcycling and the Iditarod dogsled race in Alaska. Paulsen struggled to communicate with or tolerate adults, but he always had a soft spot for children, for whom he penned the majority of his wilderness adventure books. Paulsen also had a steady dislike of technology, which he believed prevented children from reading and becoming the future generation needed by the human race.