Rating: 
Summary: Read the review
Review: Peart here finally proves he can write prose as well as he can lyrics
for his band. I am only surprised he didn't try his hand at it a long time
ago.
Ironically though, for fans of Rush, there is nothing in this book that
will have any obvious appeal to them at all. Peart stays clear
of the subject of music throughout the entire book, probably deliberately,
insofar as the whole adventure was of course partly a means of escaping
his high profile musical career and exploring another side of life.
In fact I almost felt sorry for him in the one case where he did
have to face the ubiquitous problem of people fawning
over him for his fame. I can see where the appeal of bike riding
comes in -- it is a chance for him to escape the pressures of
life as a famous musician.But one of
the questions I was left with after reading this book was why anyone
would wish upon himself such a harrowing experience, in a country of
such unfriendly geographical and social environs. When I picture
an ideal bicycle-riding trip I envision something along the lines of the
Swiss
Alps, or some place where one can at least
enjoy the scenery, culture and food, in case the biking isn't stellar.
Well apparently that isn't the point. The hellish challenges Peart
put himself through were exhausting to read. Enough to
convince me of one country I know I will never want to
visit (whether on bicycle or anything): Cameroon. What I found distasteful
about his writing
was Peart's penchant for taking ANY chance, no matter
how irrelevant, to ridicule the Christian (particularly Catholic)
faith. His potshots at the Holy Father as well, were self-serving and
insulting to a believer. Peart is a great writer though, and he should spend
a
lot more time on it, now that he has given forty years of
his life to rock bands.
Rating:
Summary: NEIL the adventurer
Review: Fun read even for non-followers of RUSH. It takes a lot of courage to go biking in West Africa. So this is a good read on an adventure that only a small fraction of Westerners would ever do.
Rating: 
Summary: Get naked and party!
Review: There is not much that hasn't been said about this book in it's dozens of reviews. However, I found it very enjoyable and have always admired Neils's lyrics and philosophy. I, like most people expected to read a lot about "behind the scenes" Rush. Needless to say, I was sorely dissapointed. Perhaps Neil purposely neglected to talk about what was beyond the scope of the book. What we are left with is the true story about a cranky and obnoxious man who travels, sees, smells, eats and thinks and has no qualms about being real to his experience. What it means to him as a person, not just as a "white man", but as a concrete human being. Even when wearing a mask, he stays real to that. Throughout the trip, Neil bumps heads with virtually everyone, at times being downright rude. Anyone who does not know him or Rush may have a hard time relating to this pretentious and politically incorrect narrator. But it is that utter sincerity which permeates these pages and make it such a pleasure to read. A worthy book in the Objectivist tradition. If you know the recent losses in Neil's life, The Masked Rider is even more sad and uplifting to read. This book explores issues from a (very) self-centered point of view, but never losing track of the relativity of it all. Materialism and spirituality need not be opposing poles. So get naked and party!
Rating:
Summary: "There's No Rock Star Treatment in Cameroon"
Review: I have long been a fan of Rush, following them closely since the early 1980's. The bands' complex arrangements and the incredibile drum work of Neil Peart are ever inspiring. But what has really made me a fan of the Canadian power trio, is their lyrics. Neil's lyrics, to be more precise; which is why I chose to read "The Masked Rider." Written in the same descriptive style as their songs, Neil takes us along on a journey through some of the hottest, dangerous (and uphill) sections of western Africa. From his struggles with dysentary, to run-down "hotels" with no water, electricity or A.C., to dealing with unruly guards at border stops; Neil's undying optimism and positive outlook was refreshing. Some people hated cycling up 3 mile hills, but Neil didn't mind. For as he put it, "When you get to the top, there's a view." - and then an adrenaline-filled descent down the other side! Don't look for much mention of "Rush" in this book. I think the fact he's a professional musician only surfaced 2 or three times. But it was not dwelled on, which was actually nice and somehow made this read all the more interesting. Neil seems to be very humble, and as the best drummer in the world, this still amazes me. Although I'm not an avid cyclist, I enjoyed this read because it wasn't only about "cycling". It was about travel, both physically and spiritually; with Neil's self-effacing humor creeping through before it ever became pretentious. After reading "Rider", I now feel I have a slightly better understanding of the African culture, cycling, and of a great human being, Neil Peart. Buy "The Masked Rider." Whether a Rush fan, cyclist or one who enjoys good writing, you'll find this book to be a truly enjoyable read.
Rating:
Summary: a book that i could not put down!
Review: i could not put the book down once i started reading! neil is a fantastic and intelligent writer. the book is very detailed and makes you feel as if you are actually in africa with him. so much so that i will never travel to africa for a vacation. a must for any rush fan.
Rating:
Summary: Worth the Weight
Review: Lets face it - I've been a Rush fan all my life and curiosity is the only reason I bought this book. But its not the reason I read it twice. And three times... Neil Peart is a good writer, intelligent and thoughtful. He is a thinker and passionate about communication. This is one of the reasons I am a Rush fan. The is one of the reasons I like this book. But the other reason is that I am a cyclist. And lets not forget this is primarily a book about cycling. There is almost nothing about the band and his musical career. Its all about his cycling adventure in Africa. If you are looking for gossip and trivia about Rush then don't read it, you will be disappointed. Its purely about the struggle of cycling, the mechanics, the exhaustion, the thrill and the zen. Its a great read if you have been through it yourself. If you are thinking about throwing yourself into your own trip - then read this book. If don't like cycling but wonder why anyone would put themselves through it - then read this book. Consider this - I liked the book so much I took it with me on my last cycling trip across New Brunswick. I never take books with me when I cycle because they weigh too much and I am often too tired to read them. But I took this one. I carried it over a thousand kilometers, up and down hills, through scorching heat, fog and driving rain. It was worth the weight.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Rush and drumming
Review: This book is just amazing ! From the very beginning, Neil Peart takes you into a fantastic journey through the marvelous yet hot and dusty scenarios of West Africa. Besides, the book helps you to see Neil as a plain, simple human being, tortured by the heat and thirsty as anyone of us, tormented by the pains of dysentery and clouds of mosquitoes. Although all the above, plus the sometimes-not-so-friendly encounters with Cameroonian military forces, Neil gathers all his passion about bicycling and love for Africa to pedal ahead and finish his journey happily in one piece. Being myself a Rush fan, drummer and bicycle enthusiast, I couldn't resist to buy this book, and I found out not only that Neil and I have lots on things in common, but also, that he turned out to be a great writer. This one certainly worths the money. My advice: if you like Rush and cycling, buy this book. There's a lot in it to enjoy, and it will also help you to understand the mind and thoughts of one of the greatest rock music's drummers of our time.
Rating:
Summary: Neil Transcends Music
Review: As the drummer and lyricist of the Rock band Rush, Neil has made himself known the last 25 years. As a human being and writer, he transcends rock music. Neil makes no apologies for himself, nor does he have the big head of a rock star. Neil offers himself (probably unintentionally) as a powerful example of an intelligent and self made individual. Others would do well to give their world as much consideration as Neil has given his. Very inspiring writing....
Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: Like so many of the people who have reviewed this book, I was also every impressed. I found the book to be thought provoking, entertaining and honest. From the very beginning I found myself caught-up in the journey and had difficulty setting the book down. The book reads as a journal of Neil's private thoughts and also provides history about the various places in West Africa. I found his writing style to be direct, logical, easy to follow and very descriptive. Finally, I would like to add that after I read this book, I was inspired to buy a bike of my own. This book really got me interested in cycling and I've really gotten into the sport. I feel this book is a must read for any serious cyclist.
Rating:
Summary: skeptical about the bycicle trip
Review: When I first read the book I noticed how well written it is, and how entertaining, I have to admit that at times I felt like sweating too or feeling the bumpy road beneath my feet. But lets face it Africa is not a safe a place and much less to make a bike trip either in jungle or desert. That only happens in Hollywood, I think Mr peart had a 4x4 truck and the bike was on top of it and sometimes when safe brought the bike down, rode a little bit and took the pics.
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