I read Ed's first book about Leap of Faith and decided it would be good to live on a boat too
344052
As being a Boat Bum, myself, traveling the Caribbean on a Catamaran, it is very interesting to read about what happens to Breeze.  He does get himself into messes.  I read Ed's first book about Leap of Faith and decided it would be good to live on a boat too.  These books are easy to read, entertaining and "can't put it down" good.  Thank you Ed!  Looking forward to see how Breeze works his way out of the current situation!
2844288
It's March and there's still snow on the ground with the temperature hovering in the twenties. I figured a nice little romp through the tropics would make it okay. I was wrong. Jonathan Reid's book didn't cure the winter blahs, it made me want to pack everything in and sail away.

Reid's adventure enthralled me and by the end I felt like I knew him and his boat Deja Vu like they were part of my family. He paints a beautiful picture of cruising the far corners of the world without sugar coating it. The good, bad, beautiful and ugly is all there and when the final page was reached it felt like I had watched him grow and did some mental growing of my own.

It's not every book of this sort that leaves you wondering about the next chapters in the author's life. This book does. It a good picture of one man's journey and the places and time he made it.
607740
I'm an experienced sailor, so storms & otherwise brought memories from similar locations I sailed.
At that time I sensed the Buddhist theology, but was not practicing formally. Now I attend 2 Sangas
on Martha's Vineyard; seated next to Ed. I hope this book influences you to emulate.
 Your own boat is not necessary, as crew members are sought.
The book developers more depth as you read on; it all comes together at conclusion.
1989039
I have had the opportunity to know several skippers of big and small motor yachts to which I was able to be a "First Mate" on occasion. What a fun and learning experience.  I enjoyed reading this book so much as it brought back all those wonderful memories of all the good times and cool places we visited.  The Caribbean, Mexico and the USA.  This book is an adventure from start to finish.  I recommend this book to all those who love boats and love to travel.  This book will take you all over the world.
2774615
A Leap of Faith is about hope, trust and understanding. Of believing in oneself and realizing that there is more to the world than just what is in front of your eyes. It's a great book to teach children about these needed life lessons; and even more so for us adults (I'm 39) who have kind of lost our way. The prose and content are very easy to understand and it's a delightful  read.

Great job by the author - can't wait to read your follow up.
4538430
A friend loaned my husband and me this book to read on the road.  We accepted because I was aquainted with Ed and Bernie going back to 1972 in our small Oregon town.  My husband,Bob,loves anything nautical. I read to him as we go down the highway.  From the first paragraph we were hooked and found it difficult to wait for the next trip so we could read some more. I am not as adventerous as ed,  Bernie or Bob but I found this account so exciting and daring that I almost wanted to buy a sailboat and head out to sea.  This is one of those books that you hate to see come to an end.  It would make a terrific movie. Be prepared to laugh and even cry.  It,s a very impressive journey.
3292746
When I first picked up the book, I had the limiting belief that this world is not a safe place to live in. I always believed people will only help or notice you if you have something to offer them or that you have some value to them.

This book dropped all those limiting beliefs in one strike. I'm in awe. Jamie's journey and this book is too good to be true. I didn't even know you could hitchhike, let alone embark on a hitchhiking journey.

Jamie is living an authentic life. What he writes doesn't have any friction with how he lives. It's all real, raw and authentic.
I had watched videos of his hitchhiking journey from his website. And I always wanted to know story behind it - how it happened, how he did it and all. For me, this book was the answer to that.

The book is about the goodness of strangers, which makes you realize that people are generally helpful and filled with goodness.

However, I also don't want to sell the idea that the world is a paradise and there are only good people. Of course, there are bad people, but the world isn't as scary as you think it is. People are all not bad. All people have similar dreams, hopes and fears.

I learned that living a precarious life isn't that bad. I was really anxious about my life and what I'd do with it. But after reading this book and Jamie's journey, I felt very relieved and learned to live in uncertainty - that worst case scenario isn't that bad at all.

Actually, Jamie hitchhiked and lived in worse conditions than I'd end up with, but he still enjoyed it more than anything and was happy. I think that's what matters. I felt free!

I think the value I got from this book is enormous. I'm inspired and motivated to move out of my comfort zone and face the world.

I will always keep this book within my reach so that I can read it when I'm anxious and afraid of the world.

This is uncensored, authentic and real journey of Jamie. There were lots of heart breaking moments and happy moments. I felt lots of different emotions while reading it.

I felt like I was on a journey with him. I felt the people, places and all emotions.

If you're in dilemma for buying the book, just go for it. You'll enjoy it. The value you'll receive is endless. It feels exactly like it's your journey.

While reading the book, I would wake up everyday to figure out what will happen next. Where will I end up, how will I end up, what will I do.

Thank you Jamie, for this wonderful book.
451506
Imagine quitting your job and then sailing around the world for nineteen months. What an adventure! For those of us who can't escape reading this books is truly a way to live vicariously.

It is one thing to experience a trip and quite another to actually write about all the intricate details. Jim Salmon is an outstanding author who captures each moment with evocative prose. He is a great storyteller and also focuses a lot of attention on the human interactions on the ship.

While you may think of a journey on a boat as something romantic, it is actually a lot of work! However the tales of eating fresh pineapple, visiting live volcanoes, eating coconuts right off the tree, stories of swimming with sharks, explanations of exotic cuisine, stories of laying around in a hammock and encounters with pirates all make this story very exciting.

Yes there is some salty talk in this book but nothing too offensive. There are also some realities of dealing with other humans. Many of the sailors don't make it through the whole trip around the world but Jim Salmon lives to tell his tale. I think you will love this book.

~The Rebecca Review

I received a free copy of this book for review.
856283
This is the story of Wendy and Garth who lived their dream life on a sailing adventure that lasted 7 years. I loved this story because Wendy and Garth planned for this voyage, saved their paychecks, quit their 9 to 5 jobs and made it happen. They escaped. Ran away, so to speak, and they lived on about $33 dollars a day. This book is both funny and exciting. The narrative perks along with lots of humor. I laughed when they had to get jobs on an Army base for 2 years when their equipment broke down and felt the grip of excitemnt with the typhoons in Japan--exactly why I'm more comfortable as an armchair sailor. Read it yourself and find out what it was like returning to a post 9-11 world after living the dream life. This isn't a book I'd normally choose off the shelf to read, but it was hard to put down once I got started. I'd read it again and recommend it to friends.
1461542
Reading this great book has inspired to me take my first adventure. Im a little apprehensive but at the same time, excited...
4790948
I am generally a person of little faith, and that's the reason I chose to read this book. It details the story of a man of God coming from Cameroon to the states, taking every step armed with full faith in God that He would fulfill his dreams and live out his purpose in life. Living the U.S., we always complain about insignificant things when Dr. Tangumonkem, for some time, had to study without electricity or running water! If someone can, under those conditions, achieve what he achieved, then it helps me believe that, with God's leading, I can do it too. Dr. Tangumonkem's book contained testimony after testimony of God being ever-present here in this day and proof that, with faith in God, miracles can still happen today and God is with us. I finished this book with a renewed faith in God and the trust and belief that he can do what he set out to do in my life, and that walking with Him and being in His will is where I need to be.
3169084
I knew Roz Savage was an adventurer after reading her first book, but the fact she is an excellent writer took me my surprise.
As much as I enjoyed her Atlantic crossing 1st book, this was even better. I'ts almost like along with becoming a more
accomplished rower, she also became a more accomplished writer. The new book flows beautifully from chapter to chapter, and
there is a life lesson to be learned in each one. I feel like I almost know Roz. Her dreams for a cleaner more environmentally friendly world, echo my own. However, she is doing something about it, while I am reading about her endeavors to make at least a small change, if only an awareness,  in the environmental mess, which our fellow human beings have created.
1678376
I couldn't put it down after I got 30% through. I've never sailed but I feel like I could! I learned so much from this adventure. Now I want to see it on the silver screen. The vocabulary and the philosophies, the adventure, the romance, the time period & customs--everything came to life! This is a gripping and worthwhile read!!
2361677
I haven't actually read the book yet, but I have been listening to the audiobook version that has been released as installments on the Sailing Stories/On the Wind Sailing podcast. The story is well written and entertaining. It also contains a lot of useful information for people like myself that, someday, want to have a sailing adventure their own.
751535
After reading the previous review I was fully prepared to buy this book and enjoy it primarily because of my love for life aboard ships and being a fan of cruises. In the book Dr. MacFarlane condenses his experience working as a shipboard doctor on a round the world 4 month grand cruise into a fictional story.

Contrary to what I expected, I found it well written, funny, and highly enjoyably.

I absolutely think it would be worth the cost of purchase for anyone looking for this type of memoir, and after reading in the author notes at the end, that he had written another book, I bought that one immediately before writing this review .

Bravo Doctor!
2306745
I really enjoyed this book. It's a fun true story about two novice sailors, of untested competence (at least in the beginning) who sell their worldly possessions and head out into the deep blue sea. Their experiences along the way are a window onto both sailing and island life, meeting new people and encountering different cultures.
So, full disclosure, these two sailors are my parents. I've heard most of these stories before, enough times that I could probably tell them myself. And yet I still found the book compelling and hard to put down. I got chills reading about hearing voices in the middle of the ocean, and laughed at the perils of church picnic cuisine.
This book is straight from the people who experienced it all, not "based on" a true story, nor ghostwritten by a professional author. It shows a little, but what the book might lack in polish, it makes up for in authenticity. You get to understand the choices that were made in sailing, the rationale behind them, and in some cases the dangerous consequences thereof.
If you're at all interested in sailing, or if you're just curious about people who pick up and leave everything for a second life, you should read this book.
3178805
It isn't often I find an awesome read, combining my curiosity of the open sea life, a frequent good sense of humor, and a pull at my heart strings on multiple occasions.  I am so glad I ordered this book.  Any sailor could love this story. I hope that it gets the attention it deserves,  and look forward to more stories from Vega. What a great mission, memory, and adventure!