Rating: 
Summary: "Boat - check, Money - check, Reality - check..."
Review: My wife and I recently began seriously considering cruising as a way to depart from the 9-5 working world, before we were too old to enjoy it. In addition to doing a lot of sailing since these societally mutinous thoughts have entered our heads, we've read a lot of books on cruising.If you want a comprehensive reference book on all things sailing, get The Annapolis Book of Seamanship. If you want drama and a lesson in the harshest of realities, read The Perfect Storm and pray you can avoid that kind of experience at all costs. The Cruising Life is a practical, tasteful overview of how to start cruising, and my opinion is that this appears to be a reasonable approach to the pursuit of happiness in warmer (or colder) climes on a sailboat. Sometimes I wanted a lot more information than I got here, but that wasn't the point... The author offers frank, balanced treatment of all topics - and admits his opinions are his. For example, he offers a great account of what passes for a bluewater capable cruising boat (smaller may be better than larger, and older, well-used boats are best). My thanks to Mr. Trefethan for fanning the flames of our cruising ambitions.
Rating: 
Summary: a down to earth no-nonsense book on cruising life
Review: Really enjoyed both Jim's style and his philosophy which are based on practical and honorable life goals. He deliberately avoids the 'must-have-new-gadget' views and shows how by simplifying your life you can greatly enrich your value system. However Jim is a practical person who treats finances very seriusly with sound explanations. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: opinionated and enjoyable read
Review: Some of the reviewers of this book seem put off by Trefethen's opinionated writing style. I enjoyed it thoroughly. This book was not meant to be read by someone on a boat, but rather someone who is thinking about being on a boat. If there were more cruising books like this one, there would be a body of literature from which a budding cruiser could read, compare opinions and then decide for themselves what route is the best for them. I'd rather have an author tell it like he/she thinks it is than say "you'll just have to find out for yourself."
Rating:
Summary: opinionated and enjoyable read
Review: Some of the reviewers of this book seem put off by Trefethen's opinionated writing style. I enjoyed it thoroughly. This book was not meant to be read by someone on a boat, but rather someone who is thinking about being on a boat. If there were more cruising books like this one, there would be a body of literature from which a budding cruiser could read, compare opinions and then decide for themselves what route is the best for them. I'd rather have an author tell it like he/she thinks it is than say "you'll just have to find out for yourself."
Rating: 
Summary: Highly opinionated and not highly accurate...
Review: The book does have some good points if you can wade through the fluff. His obvious scorn for all "plastic" boats and the manufacturers that build them is quite obvious. He makes no bones about the fact if you buy anything other than a wooden boat for less than $50,000 you're a fool. I still would have given the book three stars until I got to his section on batteries. In two wiring diagrams he showed a direct short across the battery terminals that would cook the batteries if it didn't burn the boat up first! Fortunately he admits he is no electrical expert!
Rating:
Summary: Highly opinionated and not highly accurate...
Review: The book does have some good points if you can wade through the fluff. His obvious scorn for all "plastic" boats and the manufacturers that build them is quite obvious. He makes no bones about the fact if you buy anything other than a wooden boat for less than $50,000 you're a fool. I still would have given the book three stars until I got to his section on batteries. In two wiring diagrams he showed a direct short across the battery terminals that would cook the batteries if it didn't burn the boat up first! Fortunately he admits he is no electrical expert!
Rating: 
Summary: self indulgent &very opinionated
Review: This book is so full of waffle and technical innacuracies, dangerous ones at that, see the chapter on wiring a battery. You either agree with his attitude or yours doesn't count. You must do this, you must do that. My way is best, no other way counts runs all through this book. He is uncompromising and dictatorial and I'd hate to crew for him. I also wonder if his family life is as described in the book as it sounds so soap opera stereo typical, incidents pulled right from a tv show. It is not much help if you don't have money as he writes from a position of starting off with a healthy amount. All in all there are many more interesting and accurate and helpful books on this subject
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: This book starts with a couple of very good chapters, but then goes downhill fast. Mr Trfethen is an ad man who jumps from point to point giving the reader the "sound bites" of his profession and then quickly moving on with little solid information. He's stuck with double ended, full keel boats who days of glory are properly gone. There are lots of well written text out there on crusing, but this is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Save your money
Review: This book starts with a couple of very good chapters, but then goes downhill fast. Mr Trfethen is an ad man who jumps from point to point giving the reader the "sound bites" of his profession and then quickly moving on with little solid information. He's stuck with double ended, full keel boats who days of glory are properly gone. There are lots of well written text out there on crusing, but this is not one of them.
Rating:
Summary: Cruising for people with more sense than money.
Review: This is a book about how to go cruising.
What he is really dealing with in this book is the fear of what might go wrong if we go cruising, and how to plan for the best possible cruise.
He does not say it in his book but the reality is that more yachts are wrecked by badly judged finances than the sea, and proper financial planning is the core of this book.
If I were to consider this book to be at one end of the cruising book spectrum then 'Steel Away' by Smith and Moir would be at the other.
This book could save you time, money and much anguish.
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