Rating: 
Summary: "On The Water"
Review: This book is a great read, and it's one of those that you get lost in. The descriptions of Nathaniel Stone's travels and the people he meets come alive in your mind. And contrary to what another reviewer wrote, Zuni is not merely a place where Mr. Stone "went to teach Native Americans," Zuni is and has been his home for many years. He is a respected and well-liked member of the community and has a great many friends and "family" here. And I bet he's even helped butcher a sheep or two. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak about his rowing adventure, you are in for a treat. A wonderful book!!
Rating:
Summary: "On The Water"
Review: This book is a great read, and it's one of those that you get lost in. The descriptions of Nathaniel Stone's travels and the people he meets come alive in your mind. And contrary to what another reviewer wrote, Zuni is not merely a place where Mr. Stone "went to teach Native Americans," Zuni is and has been his home for many years. He is a respected and well-liked member of the community and has a great many friends and "family" here. And I bet he's even helped butcher a sheep or two. If you ever get a chance to hear him speak about his rowing adventure, you are in for a treat. A wonderful book!!
Rating: 
Summary: Row, row, row your boat -- and write to tell about it
Review: This is a book of an incredible adventure, something few people would even dream about and almost no one has to courage to undertake, and yet there is a curious emptiness about the whole exercise. Thing is, it's not new. People have rowed boats across the Atlantic before, let alone on inland waters in North America. Stone things of eastern North America as an island, not as a great body interlaced with streams that are a living breathing pulse of half-a-continent. In the Southwest, rivers are strangers; the Zunis store their river just east of the pueblo at Blackrock Lake. Spend a few nights at Ojo Caliente, and you appreciate the magic of water in a barren land. When it first opened, merely driving the Alaska Highway was an adventure worth a book. Now that thousands drive it every year, it needs more than a listing of mileposts and towns along the way. Canadian author Farley Mowatt showed what boats can be in 'The Boat Who Wouldn't Float.' Gerry Spiess described the feelings of sailing a 10-foot long boat (Stone's boat is 17-feet, 9-inches long) single-handed across the Atlantic. Stone was a teacher in Zuni, New Mexico; yet, from what he wrote, it's merely a place where he went to teach Native Americans. It makes me wonder if he has ever walked outdoors during a still night and breathed in the incredible soft smokey scent of burning pinon and mesquite; or been the victim of the wonderful Zuni sense of practical jokes; attended a Shalako or Zuni Tribal Fair; or even talked to folks as they replaster their adobe buildings. This account of his trip makes me wonder if he ever stopped to smell the flowers, or whether he was just interested in earning more miles. His writing is like that of many teachers, filled to the brim with very valuable knowledge which we really should learn --- but empty of interpersonal relationships. He offers no feel of New York, the damp gray cold of the water and air, especially at the time of year he left. I couldn't find his descriptions of rowing a day, or days, in the rain. It's as though this was an accomplishment to complete, more than an adventure to live. Granted, the classic American travel stories are by Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac. In comparison, Stone merely covered miles. His students probably do much of the same thing; they get facts from him, and they give facts back to him at test-time. Then, away from the teacher's gaze, they draw and paint their feelings instead of what they are taught -- and turn out some of the finest original artwork in the Southwest. Perhaps times have just changed too much from the years when I canoed. Near the end of the book, Stone offers a chilling observation, "I've long since learned that the more expensive a boat, the less likely its captain is to wave." Perhaps we are little too money-conscious, leaving adventurers such as Stone as orphans from a time long past. If so, it would explain much of the hollowness of the book compared to times past. Stone's friendliest receptions came from professionals who make their living on the water; his warmest experiences were in the Cajun country of Louisiana; his coldest chills were on the Florida coast where multi-million dollar mansions are hollow fronts for empty hearts and closed minds. Perhaps his discovery of America in a rowboat reflects a different land that the one of 50 years ago -- a much diminished sense of purpose and place. In conclusion, it's a mildly interesting story of an incredible adventure. Most people will be astonished to learn that such a voyage is possible; Stone not only did it, but showed the experience can be entertaining as well. It sure beats driving an SUV.
Rating:
Summary: Row, row, row your boat -- and write to tell about it
Review: This is a book of an incredible adventure, something few people would even dream about and almost no one has to courage to undertake, and yet there is a curious emptiness about the whole exercise. Thing is, it's not new. People have rowed boats across the Atlantic before, let alone on inland waters in North America. Stone things of eastern North America as an island, not as a great body interlaced with streams that are a living breathing pulse of half-a-continent. In the Southwest, rivers are strangers; the Zunis store their river just east of the pueblo at Blackrock Lake. Spend a few nights at Ojo Caliente, and you appreciate the magic of water in a barren land. When it first opened, merely driving the Alaska Highway was an adventure worth a book. Now that thousands drive it every year, it needs more than a listing of mileposts and towns along the way. Canadian author Farley Mowatt showed what boats can be in 'The Boat Who Wouldn't Float.' Gerry Spiess described the feelings of sailing a 10-foot long boat (Stone's boat is 17-feet, 9-inches long) single-handed across the Atlantic. Stone was a teacher in Zuni, New Mexico; yet, from what he wrote, it's merely a place where he went to teach Native Americans. It makes me wonder if he has ever walked outdoors during a still night and breathed in the incredible soft smokey scent of burning pinon and mesquite; or been the victim of the wonderful Zuni sense of practical jokes; attended a Shalako or Zuni Tribal Fair; or even talked to folks as they replaster their adobe buildings. This account of his trip makes me wonder if he ever stopped to smell the flowers, or whether he was just interested in earning more miles. His writing is like that of many teachers, filled to the brim with very valuable knowledge which we really should learn --- but empty of interpersonal relationships. He offers no feel of New York, the damp gray cold of the water and air, especially at the time of year he left. I couldn't find his descriptions of rowing a day, or days, in the rain. It's as though this was an accomplishment to complete, more than an adventure to live. Granted, the classic American travel stories are by Mark Twain, John Steinbeck and Jack Kerouac. In comparison, Stone merely covered miles. His students probably do much of the same thing; they get facts from him, and they give facts back to him at test-time. Then, away from the teacher's gaze, they draw and paint their feelings instead of what they are taught -- and turn out some of the finest original artwork in the Southwest. Perhaps times have just changed too much from the years when I canoed. Near the end of the book, Stone offers a chilling observation, "I've long since learned that the more expensive a boat, the less likely its captain is to wave." Perhaps we are little too money-conscious, leaving adventurers such as Stone as orphans from a time long past. If so, it would explain much of the hollowness of the book compared to times past. Stone's friendliest receptions came from professionals who make their living on the water; his warmest experiences were in the Cajun country of Louisiana; his coldest chills were on the Florida coast where multi-million dollar mansions are hollow fronts for empty hearts and closed minds. Perhaps his discovery of America in a rowboat reflects a different land that the one of 50 years ago -- a much diminished sense of purpose and place. In conclusion, it's a mildly interesting story of an incredible adventure. Most people will be astonished to learn that such a voyage is possible; Stone not only did it, but showed the experience can be entertaining as well. It sure beats driving an SUV.
Rating:
Summary: On The Water - Nathaniel Stone
Review: This is a wonderful book, providing great entertainment while also being thoughtful and reflective. It's a story of a true adventurer and a really authentic individual. I didn't want it to end. Can't imagine anyone who wouldn't enjoy it.
Rating: 
Summary: well written, not a lot of action
Review: Very well written book of Nat's rowing trip around the eastern half of the country. He's a very thoughtful person, and makes observations that make you think. He does interact with people on his trip, but those encounters are not written about with the detail that make you feel you are there. Consequently I don't feel I have 'met' any of the other characters. Also, though he has a few mishaps and adventures, most of his days are spent....rowing (as you would expect). While I have no problem with this, and it gives him ample time to muse over various topics, this isn't an exciting book. But it is very well written and won't disappoint. It will surely make you jealous of the life he discovered, where time does not matter, there are no appointments and he is at peace.
Rating:
Summary: An escape to the simple life.....
Review: With little kids around, I rarely get to read but on a whim I picked this book out of the new release section of my library. I really enjoyed it and am buying it for my Dad for Christmas. Not harrowing in the way of "A Perfect Storm" for example but a book that restores your faith in mankind and makes you wonder what you might do with your own life given the freedom from current obligations. Well written.
| 
