Arkansas Canoe Club Forums

ive been reading a book called Deep Survival by lawrence gonzales. i highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys any kind of dangerous outdoor sport. it has alot about managing your fear and emotions and explains what physical changes your body goes through when your emotions take over. i really cant explain it that well, just trust me...its a great book!!

http://www.deepsurvival.com/

I second that. good read.

Brothers on the Bashkus is the best paddling book I've read in a while, although I havn't read the book you have recommended. Dale

yeah it isnt technically a "paddling book", but, it has alot of information and lessons that can be applied to paddling...

Going to the library to get a copy tonight. Thanks! Any other good reads out there?

I will offer a couple up of good reads:

Hell or High Water was a good paddling read of a first descent in Tibet. You get an interesting perspective on Sherpas and the egos of the of the paddling elite.

Just finished Stand up and Walk by Dennis Byrd. The is a NY Jet lineman that was paralyzed in early 90s and the book details his career and his journey to walk again. There is a local connection to the dust bowl chapter as he lives in Oussua (sp?) OK and played at Tulsa. This book gives you a perspective into the boys you see playing on Sunday that may challenge a few sterotypes. A lot of religious overtones in this read that some will find inspirational and others may not.

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson is a good one im reading right now.

3 Cups of Tea....more than inspiring

I would recommend the book "KAYAK" by William "Not Bill" Nealy, The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique.
This is an illustrated guide to some very good to know whitewater technique with splashes of humor that will keep your interest and make you smile (or laugh)!
Great book!
Despite it's name, there is a lot of information that would be valuable to any paddlers, period.

Between a Rock and a Hard place. by Aaron Ralston

I believe its called On Top of the World couldn't spell the authors name even with book in front of me.

both are great reads will inspire the human spirit in us all

I've been enjoying Touching my Father's Soul Jamling Tenzing Norgay.

And for something completely different - "A Bridge of Birds" by Barry Hughart. Not a paddling book, but one of the best reads I've had in a while, and certainly an adventure story.

For paddling adventure, it doesn't get much better than Joe Kane's "Running the Amazon", which, not ironically, can be found on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Running-Amazon-Jo ... 545&sr=8-2" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Fish

The Liquid Locomotive: Legendary Whitewater River Stories edited by John Long full of great river tales http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Locomotive ... 460&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don't forget A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, not a paddling book, but well worth the short read http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b_0_1 ... river+runs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Also, my favorite recent read Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson, I believe the New York Times listed it as one of the best books of 2008 http://www.amazon.com/Out-Stealing-Hors ... 585&sr=1-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry I listed three, but I am a librarian after all!

I picked up Deep Survival, but haven't gotten to start it yet. I love the William Nealy books...got Kayak and The Mountain Bike Way of Knowledge...got some laughs and learned a few things from both of them. A Walk in the Woods is the best AT book. The stories about his friend Katz make the book!

As far as outdoors books...Into Thin Air and Into The Wild (liked the movie better than the book) aren't bad. A must read for all whitewater kayakers is Never Turn Back about Walt Blackadar (even more entertaining is talking to Eric Esche about his adventures with him). The Last Season about a backcountry ranger in the Sierras is really good. I recently started The Only Kayak and Last Child in the Woods. Oh yeah, also working on Down The River about boating rivers out west. I'll let you know what I think of these later.

LOL Roman, I thought I was the only person who read more than one book at a time! I'm currently reading the Cactus Eaters, and The Wilderness World of John Muir. I think you'll enjoy The Only Kayak, and I enjoyed Last Child in the Woods, because it's sooooo true, as a teacher I see it all the time.
I have enjoyed many of those listed; I second Liquid Locamotive, The Last Season, Running the Amazon, all excellent. Another that I liked was The River of Doubt, by Candace Millard; the story of Theodore Roosevelt's 1914 descent of an uncharted tributary of the Amazon, very good book.

Barnes and Noble has been out of Deep Survival for awhile. I finally ordered it from Amazon. It's selling well they say.