No comments about National Geographic Traveler: Alaska, 2nd Edition (National Geographic Traveler).

5 comments about Against the Wind: A Maine to Alaska Bicycling Adventure.

1. As a work of literature, this book doesn't quite make it. Sentence structure is poor, and it is riddled with grammatical problems and sloppy typos. However, this could be a very useful book for a cyclist planning a long-distance trip. Some of the author's observations are very interesting (although his way of describing them is often annoying) and he details some of the hardships and adventures involved in such a journey. His description of a temporary riding mate and their undesired reunion later was amusing.

   Still, this book could have used a good proofreader, as the author (though he claims to be a journalist) has very little understanding of apostrophe and comma use, and his attempts to be amusing with wordplay end up looking clumsy. His writing style is often confusing and I found myself rereading passages several times to figure out what he was talking about. If you love biking and don't care about grammar and sentence structure, this is a good book for you.




2. As a work of literature, this book doesn't quite make it. Sentence structure is poor, and it is riddled with grammatical problems and sloppy typos. However, this could be a very useful book for a cyclist planning a long-distance trip. Some of the author's observations are very interesting (although his way of describing them is often annoying) and he details some of the hardships and adventures involved in such a journey. His description of a temporary riding mate and their undesired reunion later was amusing.

   Still, this book could have used a good proofreader, as the author (though he claims to be a journalist) has very little understanding of apostrophe and comma use, and his attempts to be amusing with wordplay end up looking clumsy. His writing style is often confusing and I found myself rereading passages several times to figure out what he was talking about. If you love biking and don't care about grammar, sentence structure or interesting writing, then this is a book for you.




3. I tend to agree with the reviewer from Chicago - the author could have used a (better) proofreader. This is one of those books where the reader almost begins to look for the next mistake. At one point the last line on one page is repeated in its entirety as the first line of the next page. And, as was noted in the other review, the proper use of apostrophes is very inconsistent.

   The adventures the author experienced cannot be discounted, however. There are many interesting stories that, if you're a cyclist, cause you to pause and try to imagine yourself in those situations. One that especially struck me - other than his "bear/human interaction" - was having a mechanical failure with the closest bike shop being 300 miles distant. Also, the number of "it's a small world" incidents Basch experienced on the trip makes for interesting reading.

   If you are a cyclist who enjoys touring, and can overlook the typos and such, you will probably find this book a quick, entertaining read.




4. This book is amazing. It described a wonderful adventure of a man fulfilling his dream despite many risks.The author faced many obstacles including weather, aggressive drivers, bears and yet perservered to the end while managing to have fun, learn many things, and meet a wide variety of people. He wrote about it from a laptop computer which he carried with him. Anyone who noticed any mistakes in grammar doesn't deserve to read this book. I recommend that you get it as soon as you can and pass to anyone who loves to read, travel or ride a bicycle.



5. This book feels like an accumulation of unedited e-mail. If punctuation and grammar are important to you, this book might get on your nerves.

No comments about Welcome to Denali National Park (Visitor Guides).

No comments about Portrait of Alaska's Wildlife ("Portrait" Series).

No comments about Denali (Alaska Geographic).

1 comments about Polar Journeys: The Role of Food and Nutrition in Early Exploration (ACS Symposium Series).

1. Stupidity, arrogance, foolishness - courage, brilliance, vision. The path to scientific discovery is never straight and not always rational. Such was the path to our current understanding of modern nutrition. In Polar Journeys: The Role of Food and Nutrition in Early Exploration, Professor Feeney, a real-life polar explorer and food biochemist, does a wonderful job describing the trial and error (and sometimes irrational) approach to establishing what we now know as "recommended daily allowance" (RDA) or the basic nutritional requirements for human health. Feeney traces the course of nutrition research from early explorers who ventured onto the oceans in small ships for months and years looking for new lands and learning the hard way, the basics of human nutrition. Did you know that ship rats are a good source of vitamin C? Did you know that 165 years after British Navy doctor James Lind found that citrus fruit cured scurvy, polar explorer, Robert Scott, still believed that scurvy was caused by ptomaine poisoning? Did you know that before there was an Atkins Diet, there was the "Eskimo Diet" which consisted of 2900 calories per day - 73% fat, 26% protein and 1% carbohydrate (one of the benefits of the Eskimo Diet was nearly odorless stool). Long before there were Institution Review Boards to oversee human experimentation, explorers were using the Earth's poles as laboratories to test the very limits (and beyond) of human endurance. Hundreds of men gave their lives, often needlessly, to discover that humans need a balanced diet of protein, fat and carbohydrate, laced with just the right mix of vitamins and minerals. If you like food, adventure and a good yarn well spun, you will enjoy this book.

No comments about Alaska Passages: 20 Voices from Above the 54th Parallel.

No comments about Kayaking in Paradise: Journey from Alaska Through the Inside Passage.

No comments about ONCE A FOOL -- From Japan to Alaska by Amphibious Jeep!.

No comments about Passport To Your National Parks Companion Guide: Pacific Northwest & Alaska Regions.