“democratic world”
…for the aspiring writer/artist.
Absolutely!
Unfortunately for the readers, it also imples MANY so-so quality “books” got “self-published” on the net and you end up wasting your time going through them.
In this adrenalin-charged board, those who prefer quiet paddling seems the minority. It’s understandable some think they’ll have difficulty finding books catering to their preference. But I’m a “avid book store browser”. And I can’t help but notice there’re actually MORE books on the quiet side of paddling on shelves than those by Duff el al.
three books that might fit the bill
Hidden Coast by Joel Rogers
Water Trail by Joel Rogers
Paddling the Waters of Vashon Island by Biffle French
Whimsical, introspective essays on paddling, the larger community, etc.
Quality vs. ease of publishing
Image quality also is much more “variable” on the Internet than it is in printed books. I like that with most books, an editor has had someone winnow down photo selections so that you don’t get a slew of poor-quality or simply boring photos repeated ad infinitum. Who wants to watch someone else’s “Uncle Bill’s slide show”?
Still, it’s not like I can’t weed out for myself, so the Internet is ONE of my favorite information repositories.
I agree that there are at least as many books about “quiet” paddling as there are adrenalin-rush books. Often their writing is far more interesting even if the physical aspect is not.
Essay collections might fit the bill
Not kayak-specific, but beautifully written essays on wilderness: “The Telling Distance” by Bruce Berger.
Also, read Jon Turk’s “Cold Oceans.” While these accounts of his young exploits are filled with danger, they also reveal his maturing as an explorer and appreciator of the outdoors. His description of losing sense of space and point of view among nothing but blue sky and icebergs will make your mind reel.
On a more practical level, George Gronseth’s “Deep Trouble” will give you a good idea of how a few seemingly minor things can combine into a major problem. This is useful info regardless what kind of paddling you do.
As for inspiration, good photos do it for me. I see those and think, “I want to paddle there!” Along those lines, my favorite DVDs are the entire This is the Sea collection (four of them). A lot of people focus on the wilder, woolier parts of those DVDs but there are plenty of quieter moments, too. I am amazed at the footage of wild animals in their natural environments. Also, I find the attitude alone of many of the expedition paddlers to be inspiring, they are so adaptable under difficult circumstances.
Some great responses
I’m glad this actually fostered some conversation.
Believe me when I say I read a lot of blogs and have found tons of info on the internet and web. I have worked in IT for almost 15 years now, so I always take advantage of that particular resource. I also read ebooks on my pocketPC… I have found a few ebooks to read.
As to the “Why?” question, I am actually a little surprised by some of the reactions.
I asked what “YOUR” favorite book/DVD was, not what your favorite book that pertains to my style was.
I thought the question was pretty clear, but maybe it wasn’t. I was just sharing what my style was, but it was as an afterthought, aside from the main question, hence it’s own paragraph.
To those that offered up your favorite books, thanks! I’ll take a look at them.
Edwin Way Teale
– Last Updated: Nov-09-09 4:03 PM EST –
It sounds like you would also enjoy Edwin Way Teale's A Conscious Stillness: Two Naturalists on Thoreau's Rivers.
A conscious stillness pretty much describes what I am talking about when I say "my style".
I enjoy pretty much enjoy everything Mr Teale wrote though.
Squirt boating and beyond
by James Snyder. “How to rip in anything that squirts.”
My son and I have one uncoverted kayak amongst our 12 boats, and it’s the squirtboat Corgimas handed off to us. We’ve found this to be a wonderful initially scary way to play locally in modest eddy lines and confluences.I still hyperventilate getting into this boat if I haven’t been in in awhile. I find the book shows so many moves to make, I don’t think even Aaron will get to them all.
Besides that, with my reputation as a single blader/poler, it’s best that if I am in a kayak, it’s out of sight!
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2977030860094366337qKYLZL
another vote for Riversense…
for a DVD. For a book… either Kayak by Nealy or The Bombproof Roll and Beyond by Dutky.
The water isn’t so warm
– Last Updated: Nov-09-09 8:46 PM EST –
I think yourself and Doc misread the question. I was not asking what books you think I should read, in fact I already gave my favorite.
Instead I wanted to know what "your" favorite kayaking book or movie is. If that is something you don't want to answer, no problem. I was just curious.
Perfect
The movie looks awesome. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for responding, this was exactly what I was looking for!
Sorry…
– Last Updated: Nov-09-09 9:13 PM EST –
just responding to you saying the same thing in two other forums. No one seemed to have responded so I thought I would offer an observation since again you mention the shortage of books/magazines for your type of paddling here.
sing