Great Cycling & Adventure Books!
Thursday, May 17th, 2007I thought I would take a few minutes and share a list of some of my favorite books, this list will be in the vein of adventure so as such it will be limited in scope.
Walden - Henry David Thoreau
Called the grandfather of transcendentalism, Thoreau built a cabin in the Walden woods of Concord, MA where he lived alone for 2 years in the mid 1800’s. His goal was to discover just how little one really needed to survive and be happy. You might say he wanted to disspell the idea of “keeping up with the Jones.” It’s a grand adventure and also a lesson in life, if you are even a little concerned that the world we live in may be spiraling down an ever worsening path you may find some solace in Thoreau’s words, I did.
Roughing It - Mark Twain
Another wonderful story of adventure, in this autobiographical work you will meet the real Samuel Clemons, you probably never knew old Mark was such a cool guy!
A Walk Across America - Peter Jenkins*
In the early 70’s Peter and his dog Cooper started a walk across America, his goal was to rediscover America. Saddened by the war in Vietnam and the protests that went with it he set out to discover the “good” in America and he found way more than he ever hoped for. (This book created the notion to take a personal grand adventure!)
Metal Cowboy - Joe Kurmaskie
When I read this book everything clicked into place in my head, it gave me the mechanism to complete my own grand adventure, my own Walk Across America and my own Walden! I owe you one Joe! Here is a snippet from the first chapter of Metal Cowboy where you will learn how he got his nickname! (You can read the whole chapter here)
“Metal Cowboy”
“Tales from the Road Less Pedaled”
Chapter 1
Oh, to Be Young and Go Very, Very Fast
As I waited, an old rancher ambled up to the intersection. The fur collar on his long coat was tattered, crusted with tobacco stains, and faded. As his cane tapped its way over my bike, I noticed for the first time that he was blind. One eye drooped shut like that of a tomcat that had seen too many late-night brawls, while the other, still open, was cloudy and distant. That eye reminded me of an African tribesman seen in the pages of National Geographic who suffered from river blindness.
The old rancher continued to work his cane over me, tapping as he went. And though the light changed from red to green several times, I remained frozen, allowing this slow survey of my person.
The moment felt intimate and awkward, but I did not break it.
When he was done, the old rancher stood back, grinned through a ruin of teeth, and said, “Ah, metal cowboy.”
The Handsomest Man in Cuba - Lynette Chiang
Lynette is friend of mine, she has been all over the world on her Bike Friday (she works for them as a customer evangelist!) and has a million stories! This, her first book, is about a bicycle tour she did of Cuba. I very much enjoyed reading about her journey and she is a great writer, I had a hard time putting the book down but even more than the stories (which are sometimes funny, sometimes deep, sometimes scary and sometimes blunt) I was impressed with her openness, Lynette isn’t afraid to share her inner feelings. It was also interesting to get a glimpse of bicycle travel from a womans perspective, as a stocky guy I never really worry about danger on the road but imagine what it must be like for a 4′11″, sub 100lb gal riding around Cuba with every penny she has in her panniers! This is one brave gal! (She was also voted “Rugged Individualist” by Forbes Magazine in 2005)
True North - George Erickson
Exploring the Great Canadian Wilderness by Bush Plane, George is an adventurer of the highest order and a wonderful writer! He’s also a great guy! If you have ever dreamed of being a float plane pilot then read this book! It’s been months since I have read this book and still think back to it at least once a week. If you have ever dreamed of exploring Northern Canada and Alaska, then read this book!
Other Titles
Below I will just list titles without a narrative explanation, but take my word for it, all of these books provide wonderful adventures!
Momentum is your Friend - Joe Kurmaskie
Riding Between The Lines - Joe Kurmaskie
Into the Wild - John Krakauer*
A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf- John Muir*
The Yosemite - John Muir*
Wild America - Peterson & Fisher*
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage* - Alfred Lansing
As Told at The Explorers Club* - George Plimpton, Et Al
Books by Peter Jenkins - Amazon Search Page*
The Walk West - Peter Jenkins
Along the edge of America - Peter Jenkins
* Click on this links to purchase these books from Amazon
Autographed editions of Joe Kurmaskie and Lynette Chiang’s books are available at www.metalcowboy.com
I’ll add more to this at a later date, and feel free to make your own suggestions!
Enjoy,
Gary
