Book Reviews

“Backcountry Cooking, Dorcas S. Miller, $16.95

Published by Rodale (Backpacker Magazine), really good job at translating 'home' recipes to 'backcountry' recipes. Lots of good ideas, and helpful information. Has been good reference material in preparing for fall hiking season.”

“IN A SUNBURNED COUNTRY
by Bill Bryson (the dude who wrote A WALK IN THE WOODS)

about Bryson's travels in Australia...stinkin' hilarious!! and educational too, but don't hold that against it. excerpt:

"Bashfully I dropped my shirt onto the sand and stood naked but for my sagging trunks. Glenn, never having seen anything quite this grotesque and singular on an Australian beach, certainly nothing still alive, snatched up his camera and began excitedly taking close-up shots of my stomach..."

also, i learned that the first settlers were British convicts and their guards, and that the convicts were mainly petty thieves...one was "transported" for stealing 12 cucumber plants. about the landing of the first British settlers:

"As they stood surveying their unhappy situation, there happened one of those coincidences in which Australian history abounds. On the eastern horizon two ships appeared and joined them in the bay. They were in the command of an amiable Frenchman, Count Jean-Francois de La Perouse, who was leading a two-year journey of exploration around the Pacific. Had La Perouse been just a little faster, he could have claimed Australia for France and saved the country two hundred years of English cooking."

now, everybody go out and get this book right now. ;-)”

“"Had La Perouse been just a little faster, he could have claimed Australia for France and saved the country two hundred years of English cooking."

That's heavy... and so tragic.”

“hey, pedxing! is it not?? LOL!”

“Sounds like a very funny book Lyra. What else can the editor recommended?”

“umm...i don't know, newgirl, what are you in the mood for? my favorite book in the whole wide world is DEMIAN by Hermann Hesse. i like it so much that i give it to all my very close friends.

what have you read lately that you'd recommend, newgirl? i'll probably be finished with this one in a couple of days...”

“Thanks! That's one I haven't seen. Have 5 other cookboks for back country tho.”

“lyra, ever read the Gaia Trilogy by John Varley? It's sci-fi, but I think it'd be right up your alley, so to speak.”

“oohhh, okay, i was getting ready to go out and look in the alley! LOL! ;-) thanks bitpusher, i'll have to check that out. what's the trilogy about?”

“Check out "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz. It's a true story about the author who is captured by Russians from his native Poland during World War II, and he is shipped to work at a prison camp in Siberia. He escapes with about half dozen other friends, and they walk all the way to India and their freedom. Very nicely written and a fantastic read. The encounters they faced during their trek are incredible. I could not put this book down! Good stuff.”

“The discovery of a gigantic "space station" for lack of a better term, that turns out to be a living organism run by a being which is slowly going insane. Start with "Titan", then read "Wizard", and then finally, "Demon".

Varley is one of the best authors around, and I've never been disappointed by anything he wrote. Unfortunately, the only thing of his that's ever made it to the screen was an awful rendition of "Millenium", starring Kris Kristofferson and Cheryl Ladd. The book was a lot better.”

“...by Valerian Ivanovich Albanov, with a preface by Jon Krakauer.

Very interesting book, reportedly published in primarily the author's own words, rather than being heavily edited. The history of the book itself is interesting, too, as it sat in a library for 30 years or so with no one even checking it out. This is a good read as you're trying to pare down gear for your next ultralight backpacking trip!!

Amazon has several pages of it you can read as a "preview" of the book, including the front and rear "flaps," which kind of tell you what the book is about. Definitely a must read for all TTers.”

“Lyra, I recently read "The Bean Trees." Om gave it to me. That was good. Right now I'm reading "The Girlfriends Guide to Toddlers." Not what the average joe is interested in picking up, but for me at the moment, it is hilarious.”

“I recently read and strongly recommend "East of the Mountains" by Dave Guterson. (His previous book "Snow Falling on Cedars" was also an enjoyable read.) "East of the Mountains" chronicles a dying man's return to the Eastern Washington apple country of his youth. Lots of poignant recollections and encounters with folks along the way. Two thumbs up!”

“Man, you guys are really sparking my interest! Keep them recommendations flowing, I'm going to have to visit Barnes and Nobles again this week. :-)”

“Roland Huntford, "The Last Place on Earth," & "Shackleton"

Apsley Cherry-Garrard, "The Worst Journey in the World"

Jon Krakauer, "Into Thin Air"

Terris Moore, "Mt. McKinley: The Pioneer Climbs"

Edward Abbey, "Desert Solitaire" & "The Monkey Wrench Gang"

James Cahalan, "Edward Abbey: A Life"

Peter Matthiesen, "The Snow Leopard"

Heinrich Harrer, "Seven Years in Tibet," translation by Richard Graves

T. Lobsang Rampa, "The Third Eye"


And books of general interest...

Anita Diamant, "The Red Tent"

Arthur Koestler, "The Sleepwalkers: A History of Man's Changing Vision of the Universe"

These can all be found in libraries.”

“Just recently finished Blackberry Wine and Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. Both excellent books.

Now reading Lila, by Robert Persig (Definitely not light reading, I get the most out of it early in the morning over a pot of fresh coffee. Before my brain gets cluttered by the events of the day.)”

“Forrest, I met Peter Matthiesen last fall. He is amazing. He gave a presentation on birds.”

“Artex is right, "The Long Walk" by Slavomir Rawicz is outstanding.

However, probably the best outdoor book I've read is "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage," by Alfred Lansing. It's an amazing account of an Antarctic crew's survival after their ship was crushed by ice floes in the early 1900s.”

“Wow, newgirl, that's great! Have you read "The Snow Leopard?" Matthiesen demonstrates an encyclopedic knowledge of zoology (especially birds) and botany in this book.

I found interesting my own reaction to the author's self description that he gives in "The Snow Leopard." Matthiesen is quite honest in portraying his own shortcomings. About midway throught the book, I was particularly miffed about Matthiesen's cavalier attitude that he displayed regarding his making promises to his family that he knew he couldn't keep. The book is so good, however, that my opinion of the author was pretty much "rehabilitated" by the time I had finished reading "The Snow Leopard."”

“snow leopard is also an outfitter w/a site.

i grew up on comix. thor, spider-man, hulk, GHOST RIDER, etc..

love "BATTLEFIELD EARTH" Hugo award winner i believe. pure sci-fi
(movie was a waste of everyones time. suk. suk. suk.)

fact, fiction, science, fantasy, social, political, humor, and deth. all in one.”

“Well, Forrest you are right about his being honest about his shortcomings. Before the presentation there was a short reception. When he got up to speak he quickly admitted to the audience that he was a bit fuzzy-headed, as he'd had a bit too much wine at the very enjoyable recpetion. LOL! By the way, I forgot how old he is (much older than me), but he is a babe.”

“emian. I once rabidly read everything I could find by Hesse. I liked Demian, but I think I liked Steppenwolf and Narcissus and Goldmund best. (then again Siddartha was pretty kewl!)

It was some reference to Nietzsche in Steppenwolf that got me reading him and thuse Hesse launched me on a huge intellectual revolution.”

“My 2 favorite books ever are:

In the Lake of the Woods - Tim O'Brien. A mystery story about a vietnam vet who was present at the May Lei massacre. Super book, I promise you won't be able to put it down.

The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell. A sci-fi ish story about a futuristic trip to another planet with another sentient species. The trip is organized by the Catholic church. Very interesting take on religion, and also how we would make assumptions based on our frame of reference that could be very wrong when applied to a totally different culture. Highly recommended.”

“The Hyperion books by Dan Simmons are also excellent. Hyperion, The Fall of Hyperion, and Endymion. Excellent trilogy.”

“Atonement by Ian McEwen

Fascinating characters...”

“Fabulous, just fabulous.
Have you checked out my book club. Oh yeah, I quit doing that I couldn't find any more good books. Everyone might as well stop reading now.”

“A Spiritual Odyssey in the Arctic

It's non-fiction adventure

Just picked it up this weekend and I'm only 1/3 the way through it but it's a relly good read so far. Not hiking but....

This guy drags his seemingly awesome wife to the Arctic seeking spiritual renewal and adventure. Don't know what happens to her yet, but I don't think she makes it through the whole tale.

So far it reads really well. I'm even enjoying the technical sailing stuff.”

“This is a nonfiction bbok thats very good.

It explains how white Euopreans have taken over most of the world because we know how to make guns out of steel and use them and germs against primiitive tribes.”

“hmmm just found out what happens to wifey pooo. He's alone now and it's interesting to read about the effects of continual darkness, danger and loneliness on the mind and body.”