Rating: 
Summary: Bill Bryson on a bike! Wonderful, witty, humane stories
Review: I thought this was going to be a book more for cyclists but itturned out to be that and so much more and indeed complete andsatisfying for the average guy who ain't gonna haul a bicycle around the world. (me) The METAL Cowboy takes us not only on his adventures around the world but into the corners of these experiences... sometimes sweet, sometimes sad and often just too damn funny for words... but the cowboy finds the words and the right ones. I will never look at geese, elvis impersonators and guys carrying large coolers the same again... and I'm really glad the cowboy went across the outback on a bike so I could go to from the comfort of my easy chair! Get ready for an offbeat adventure and something completely original
Rating:
Summary: Big view from a small seat
Review: I was drawn to this book because of my love for cycling. I was absorbed by it because of Joe's humor, forgiving and optimistic take on people, and, oh yeah, the ride. His easy style captures the call of the road for those of us who answer with grunts and wheezing of effort and yahoos and whizzing of downhills and tailwinds. The characters he encounters and their shared adventures along with his solitary musings form a palette from which he paints his notions about the world and us. From that small perch of a bicycle saddle he sees just far enough down the road that we wonder what's next and just deeply enough into people that we recognize each other.
Rating:
Summary: Big view from a small seat
Review: I was drawn to this book because of my love for cycling. I was absorbed by it because of Joe's humor, forgiving and optimistic take on people, and, oh yeah, the ride. His easy style captures the call of the road for those of us who answer with grunts and wheezing of effort and yahoos and whizzing of downhills and tailwinds. The characters he encounters and their shared adventures along with his solitary musings form a palette from which he paints his notions about the world and us. From that small perch of a bicycle saddle he sees just far enough down the road that we wonder what's next and just deeply enough into people that we recognize each other.
Rating:
Summary: This book belongs in your saddlebag or knapsack
Review: If you cycle then you need to read this book. If you are thinking about cycling, then read this book. If you remember how to cycle, (repeat mantra here). Kurmaskie is a master storyteller. His book is far more than a story of pavement, sweat, and daring do. He cleverly pushes the bike into the background as he richly portrays the characters he encounters on the road. In this cycling simile Joe K, explores loss, grief, friendship, growing up, personal challenges and risk taking. It's all there with delightful humor and rich detail. Like the other reviewers, I just wish it were longer. And I am glad that he decided to write a sequel.
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Summary: Bryson meets McIntyre...on a bike!
Review: If you have ever read the travel narratives of Mike McIntyre or Robert Perkins and loved the wanderlust and interpersonal experiences, then took a little Bill Bryson and added a bike, you would have Metal Cowboy.Books on travel can sometimes be too preachy or too operation oriented, but not Mr. Kurmaskie. His writing is very much about the journey, the experiences and people along the way. You don't take a trip when you read his book; you are along for the ride itself. Good stuff. His vignettes range from the personal acceptance of his persona via a blind southern sage to finding where he belongs in the world, and everything in between, all with a unique perspective that can only be found by someone who has actually lived life. Don't worry if you don't ride a bike, this isn't THAT kind of book. The bike is a facilitator for the journey that unfolds, you don't have to understand the pain and pleasure that people find in pushing pedals. It simply is a vehicle that transports him from one spot to another, putting him in places for things and interactions to happen. Buy it, you won't regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Stories about life
Review: It's more a book about why we cycle than cycling. Great series of short stories about a young man's exposure to the best and worst of the human race. From love stories to male bonding to the ultimate practical joke in 'a friendly game of darts'. This is a must read book for anyone who identifies with the freedom of 'life on the road.'.
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Summary: I really wanted to like this book, but...
Review: Joe Kurmaskie has written a travelogue/ slices of life book based on several cross country bicycle trips (and one to Australia). The stories are pretty engaging and optimistic, and the author has obviously worked hard in an attempt to be entertaining. I am a bicyclist who has done some touring, so there were a lot of reasons why I really wanted to like this book. But there is so much hokiness, bragging, and pseudo-philosophizing in these stories that I could only read it in small doses. Kurmaskie has talent as a writer. I guess it seemed to me that instead of being content with his small stories he tried to make them big, huge, epic, deep. But he overinflated his mental tube. The result- a blowout at 30mph. He overreaches so much he sounds silly instead of profound.
Rating:
Summary: Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled
Review: Joe Kurmaskie is a story teller for today! He combines the wit, wisdom and sensitivity of Sam Clemens, Will Rodgers, and John Gierach. this book will give you "itchy feet" whether you are a bicyclist or not, you'll want to get aout on the open road and feel the freedom. Thanks Joe for the wonderful yarns!
Rating:
Summary: Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled
Review: Joe Kurmaskie is a story teller for today! He combines the wit, wisdom and sensitivity of Sam Clemens, Will Rodgers, and John Gierach. this book will give you "itchy feet" whether you are a bicyclist or not, you'll want to get aout on the open road and feel the freedom. Thanks Joe for the wonderful yarns!
Rating:
Summary: Metal Cowboy: Tales from the Road Less Pedaled
Review: Joe Kurmaskie is a story teller for today! He combines the wit, wisdom and sensitivity of Sam Clemens, Will Rodgers, and John Gierach. this book will give you "itchy feet" whether you are a bicyclist or not, you'll want to get aout on the open road and feel the freedom. Thanks Joe for the wonderful yarns!
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