Gordon's books consider approaches to freedom in life and the actions people take to create a kinder world. Much of his writing concerns the interplay of nature, technology and humanity. His novel A Returning Wind is the  journey of a man caught up in a corporate muddle compelled to return to the quietness of nature, whereas his non-fiction book Finding Balance: Stepping Stones for Enlightened Living is a book of reminders on finding happiness in life. Gordon's writing has been influenced by Henry David Thoreau, whose cabin on Walden Pond was located near his birthplace in Massachusetts. Today he lives in northern Arizona, which still retains the kinds of untouched landscapes Thoreau so greatly admired. Gordon's work reflects his years serving as an ecology professor (Univ of Puerto Rico, Indiana Univ, Northern AZ Univ). It also reflects his love of traveling and meeting people of different lands, which led to the writing ofQuikquide to Independent Travel, a guide to experiencing the world on one's own.