Rating: 
Summary: And I thought rock climbers were a bit off the scale.....
Review: A dynamite read even for someone who has never lived north of Key West, who has never even heard of the Iditarod, and who hates dogs. Adds credence to the fact that I never read fiction..life is a lot stranger, and a lot more exciting
Rating: 
Summary: O'Donoghue captures the essence of the Iditarod
Review: Brian O'Donoghue uses his experience as a journalist with his flair as a writer to give you all the facts you need to appreciate the depth of his true adventure as a musher. I bought and read this book in Alaska, and it made me want to stay and witness the insane spectacle of the Iditarod. Here's a guy who knows he must be crazy to try this race, yet he does it, only to find a whole group of people equally crazy or more so, in somewhat the same way. I loaned it to someone... and they liked it so well I never saw that copy again! In short, get two.
Rating:
Summary: My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian
Review: I bought this book on the way to the airport for a flight to Helsinki. I wanted a book on mushing but and this was the only book the store had in so I grabbed it not convinced I was going to like it. Once I opened it I couldn't put it down. This has to be one of the greatest books I've ever read. This is a guy who can really keep a captive audience with his stories. And funny!!! I laughed almost all the way across the ocean. I'm a musher who wants to run the Iditarod and have gone through one when my boyfriend ran it and thought that's why I appreciated his humor so much but while I was in Helsinki my housemate who HATES dogs period and has ZERO intrest in mushing was laughing really hard one evening. I peeked into the livingroom to see what was so funny and there she was reading this book. I must have loaned it to a hundred people so far and everyone of them loved it! I reccomend this book to everyone!!! Even cat lovers! PS - we even "borrowed" one of his dog's names for one of ours!
Rating:
Summary: My Lead Dog Was A Lesbian
Review: I live in CA now, but I'm originally from Minnesota and try to get back to MN for at least two winter weeks every year - yes, in WINTER! This year I'm trying to put together a dogsledding day trip for the whole family when visiting MN. I bought this book a few years ago, and it's always stuck in my mind. It made me determined to at least try mushing, even if only as a tourist! If you ever get a chance to see the start of a dogsledding race, you will be amazed and pumped at how they have to restrain the dogs at the starting pole. They want to RUN so badly, it's an awesome sight.
Rating:
Summary: Great little book!
Review: I live in CA now, but I'm originally from Minnesota and try to get back to MN for at least two winter weeks every year - yes, in WINTER! This year I'm trying to put together a dogsledding day trip for the whole family when visiting MN. I bought this book a few years ago, and it's always stuck in my mind. It made me determined to at least try mushing, even if only as a tourist! If you ever get a chance to see the start of a dogsledding race, you will be amazed and pumped at how they have to restrain the dogs at the starting pole. They want to RUN so badly, it's an awesome sight.
Rating:
Summary: Frank Discussion of Other Mushers Adds to Realism of Book..
Review: I ordered this book based on rave reviews of others. Initially,
the shift in time from one scene to another is confusing, but
once the reader gets used to the format, the book is engrossing.
Having also read Winterdance, by Gary Paulsen, I was prepared for the descriptions of the grueling test the mushers and
dogs face. What was great about THIS book is the realism
of the event and especially the character sketches of "name"
mushers. The other mushers in the race are far more than
just names, they are real people, acting in the "sometimes great, sometimes evil, sometimes stupid, sometimes humane" way that real
people do. In addition, because the book spends a lot of time "in the back"
of the race, you understand that the Iditarod tests ALL the mushers,
not just the winners.
Rating:
Summary: Frank Discussion of Other Mushers Adds to Realism of Book..
Review: I ordered this book based on rave reviews of others. Initially,the shift in time from one scene to another is confusing, butonce the reader gets used to the format, the book is engrossing. Having also read Winterdance, by Gary Paulsen, I was prepared for the descriptions of the grueling test the mushers and dogs face. What was great about THIS book is the realism of the event and especially the character sketches of "name" mushers. The other mushers in the race are far more than just names, they are real people, acting in the "sometimes great, sometimes evil, sometimes stupid, sometimes humane" way that real people do. In addition, because the book spends a lot of time "in the back" of the race, you understand that the Iditarod tests ALL the mushers, not just the winners.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: I thought the book was well written - I read at every opportunity, even my lunch time at work! I'm from South Africa, where winter day temperatures hover around 15 deg C (59 F) and I've seen snow maybe twice in my life, but this story was written in such a way that I'm burning to try mushing myself! Imagine that! I've ordered other books on mushing which, I'm hoping, will convince me that I shouldn't be so crazy. Well worth the read and keep it on your bookshelf for future reading.
Rating:
Summary: A must read
Review: I thought the book was well written - I read at every opportunity, even my lunch time at work! I'm from South Africa, where winter day temperatures hover around 15 deg C (59 F) and I've seen snow maybe twice in my life, but this story was written in such a way that I'm burning to try mushing myself! Imagine that! I've ordered other books on mushing which, I'm hoping, will convince me that I shouldn't be so crazy. Well worth the read and keep it on your bookshelf for future reading.
Rating:
Summary: Whole new prespective
Review: I was given this book as a birthday present and it was one of the best gifts ever. The trials and tribulations that these athletes (dogs and man) go through for very little glory relative to professional sports was awe-inspiring. I did get lost in the names of the other mushers and so of the dogs. So confused that I wrote the names on the inside back cover to keep things straight. A good book to give people an overview and insight into a grueling human and dog feat.
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