Customer comments on this selection.
 Great biker read
Anyone that has done any long distance riding will like this one. Mark Edmonds tells it the way it is with no punchs pulled. The good and the bad of which there is plenty.All bikers have lived some of his stories.Easy read.
 Excellent book sharing the joys of riding and living
This book is so well written you actually DO hear a voice in your head as you read each line telling you these stories. Knowing many riders and being one myself, I've heard many (and seen some) similar stories.
Riders are a different breed. Mark does an excellent job of expressing the heart and soul of the joys (and agonies) of motorcycling. If you've never ridden, read this book to see if you're really up to it. You'll appreciate the insight.
Let's Review....
Now maybe I'm not the the best person for putting out an unbiased opinion on this book, seein' as how I actually make an appearance or two in the sequel, but I'm not tapping away here to write a review, but rather to clear some things up (decided this needed doing, and did it for the other book, too):
1) He really does talk like that - it's called vernacular - they're called colloquialisms - it's not "poseur misuse of grammar" or "poor writing", it's legitimate misuse of grammar that he uses to let you 'hear' his voice in the reading.
2) He really is a professor of English (at my alma mater) - the colloquialisms don't get in the way, as he doesn't use them while grading papers of inconsiderate, psycho, crapweasel children (though the fact that it gets straight under the skin of administrators is a bonus).
3) Such of his stories as I'm personally able to speak to (having known him for only 15 years) are the gods-honest truth - I've patched too much fiberglass for them to be anything else.
4) Forget what I said about being biased - it's a great book - go buy one for yourself and a couple for your friends right now.
....Go on, what are you still reading for? I mean it - right now!
Great reading
I am also an old longrider, but this fellow has been places I have yet to visit. This is a stroy of the sights, sounds, and senses of riding long distances with various people to diverse locations. I would galdly accept an invitation to ride with the author.
 If you read at a third grade level, this is the book for you
I was unable to finish this book. It was unbearable. It was hard for me to believe the writer teaches anything at any college, except maybe how to mop. While I expected crazy stories, they were outlandish to the point of unbelievably. While I can enjoy some long tales, and yarns as well as anyone, these yarns are so over-embellished I found myself doubting the author actually lived any of the events he discribed. I suspect the author probably actually rides a BMW motorcycle, and maybe is educated, but attempted to write this "book" in a manner he or she thought would be appreciated by uneducated rough biker types. If I am correct, that might explain the feel of un-authenticity. I just could not believe a supposed college professor could write so poorly, nor could I believe a rough-and-tumble person that is capable of the situations the author claimed himself to get into, would buy and ride three or more brand newe BMW motorcycles in his life, or be able to keep a steedy job teaching in order to afford those brand new bikes. The type of person that would live the described experiences from this book would ride a rat bike held together with duct tape and wire, not ride a brand new German bike.
|
