On the Water : Discovering America in a Row Boat

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Summary: On the Water
Review: A very nice read, with some memorable metaphors, such as the rowboat moving at the speed of a hand moving stealthily toward the swatting of a mosquito. Strangely, I found such throwaway lines the most diverting. Stone's experiences of the places and people he encounters generally fell a bit short of vivid or gripping or perceptive. And why wouldn't he include Laurent de Brunhoff's sketch of Babar plying the oars? Finally, the nitpicking editor in me asks: "plebian"? "miniscule"? Doesn't Broadway Books have a spellchecker?

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Summary: I couldn't put it down!
Review: A wonderful story that inspires the reader to find the capacity and courage to reach further.

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Summary: 6,000 Miles of Rowing Adventure.
Review: At age ten Nathaniel Stone pictured the eastern United States as an island he could circumnavigate. The author fulfills his childhood vision and chronicles the adventure with boyish enthusiasm in his first book, "On The Water". His seventeen-foot scull departs at the Brooklyn Bridge; Stone states, "I was a late bloomer when it came to anything adventurous." We sympathize as he quickly learns to deal with buoys, massive barges and numerous other obstacles encountered on the ten-month journey via rivers, lakes and canals to the town of Eastport, Maine.
Stone`s writing resonates the beauty of his surroundings; the writing engages the reader to the point of seemingly joining the author on the rowboat. Misadventures occur often along the way; the most notable is Stone being "THROWN OUT" of a small village on the Ohio River. The book reminds us how culturally diverse this country is-a glimpse into the towns that lie near the waterways.
Stone's innate desire to circle the eastern United States is a testament to follow one's dreams-a unique travelogue not in a rush to reach its destination. Several black-and-white sketches by Elizabeth Stone and a map inside the covers is a nice visual touch.
Rowing backwards six thousand miles affords him long periods of solitude within nature. Stone appreciates these solitary moments in the vein of Henry David Thoreau, the naturalist writer and author of "Walden Pond". "I sit up for another stroke, now looking down as the blades ignite swirling pairs of white constellations of phosphorescent plankton . . . `Remember this,' I think to myself."


Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book, on par with "Walk across America"
Review: Being a guy who loves messing around in boats and having traveled overland near many of these places I have been fascinated by his journey. It makes me want to get a canoe, load it with my tent, bag and go. It's a modern version of "The Walk across America" or "Caught on the inside". Part of the reason for only having sketches of the people he met is that on a journey like this one, you don't have time to fully know everyone you meet. Also the book would have been a tome that only the most dedicated would be able to plow through.

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Summary: Makes you want to row
Review: Great book about traveling, rowing, USA etc.

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Summary: Let's Get Away From it All!
Review: Have you ever been driving across a bridge and looked up the river and wondered what it would be like to be on the river instead of the road? Well this book will give you a look into what it is like to be on that river. The author does an excellent job painting the picture of isolation and contact with the rest of the world. While the reader does get some feel for what it is like to row for mile after mile, the author does not push the physical requirements too far. The writer treats us with his various encounters with different people along his way while covering a wide range of personalities. If you have wanted to take that long walk (or boat ride) down the road (or river) then this book is for you.

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Summary: awesome
Review: Nat Stone did a beautiful job in bringing readers to experience his rowboat trip. It's a refreshing and inspiring story. A rejuvenating perspective of America from a rowboat. I recommend this book to all my friends.

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Summary: A Gentler Paul Theroux
Review: Nathaniel Stone brings to mind a gentler version of Paul Theroux or perhaps a more innocent Jonathan Raban. He relates the concept and experience of the short-term nomad with a skill that at times makes even Bruce Chatwin seem clumsy. And being an oarsman, though my voyages last but a few hours, I can attest that Stone captures the magical feel of sculling.
But most impressive is the obvious joy and the wonderful people Stone finds during his travels. I read this book over three days when The Washington Post (my local paper) was filled with depressing headlines about the war-mongers Americans had just elected and the impending ruin of our environment. My wife and I were, half seriously, discussing to which city in Canada or Europe we should move. Stone snapped me out of my funk with his upbeat take on Middle America.

Rating:
Summary: a unique view of people, places and things
Review: Stone presents a unique prospective of American people, values and geography. While the book is about a physical feat, the real story lies with the characters and e challenges. If you've seen America fro a bar, train and plane, you're in for a treat!

Rating:
Summary: a unique view of people, places and things
Review: Stone presents a unique prospective of American people, values and geography. While the book is about a physical feat, the real story lies with the characters and e challenges. If you've seen America fro a bar, train and plane, you're in for a treat!