Bookshelf

The one form of entertainment on the trail was reading. Here's a list of the books we read and our recommendations.

On the Road Jack Kerouac - A timeless classic. I didn't fully appreciate it when I first read it in high school, so I must suggest a second read after you've actually had some experience being out on the road. The joys and struggles of endless, aimless travel are beautifully captured and the historical context of Kerouac's post-WWII America is worth exploring. Highly recommended.

Dharma Bums Jack Kerouac - Another classic novel that inspired the "rucksack revolution" - essentially hippies leaving the streets of San Francisco and tramping through the mountains making up ridiculous haikus and drinking too much cheap wine. Best read while in, or dreaming of, the back country. The highly poetic prose makes for a fun read, but it gets a little ridiculous. Recommended.

The Last Lion: Winston Churchill, Alone 1932-1940 William Manchester - One of my favorite books of all time. A masterfully written biography of one of the central figures of the first half of the twentieth century. The author expertly weaves together quotes from personal letters, government documents and previously unexplored diaries to make an extremely captivating tale of Churchill's life. Even more interesting, the author provides the gripping historical background, which includes the build up of WWII generally and Britain's inside political follies allowing Hitler to invade half of Europe. Best read in conjunction with the first book in this two part biography, The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill, Visions of Glory. Highly recommended.

Crime and Punishment Fyodor Dostoevsky - A book picked up on a whim just before an 11 day trek. It ended up being a highly readable classic that was fairly entertaining. At best it was a novel that delves into the depths of the human mind after a calculating murder and a look at Dostoevsky's critique of 18th century Russian utilitarian philosophy. At worst, it was a moderately interesting crime thriller. If you're looking for a classic, I'd recommend it, but otherwise I'd look elsewhere.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Robert Pirsig - A novel loved by some, but not by me. Essentially, a megalomaniac's tale of his and his son's motorcycle trip across the country as a background to an explanation to his shallow and plagiarised philosophical theories. The theories are largely lifted from eastern philosophy (like Taoism and Buddhism) and became so repetitive that it seems the author thinks people will accept his theories if he just keeps repeating them in tedious verbosity. The author comes across as arrogant and his philosophical system is mediocre at best and completely unoriginal. The Buddhist doctrine of Zen is not discussed at all and any discussion of motorcycle maintenance is glib. Not recommended.

To The Lighthouse Virginia Woolf - Supposedly one of the best novels ever written. One of the first to be described as using a "modernist" style and stream of consciousness prose. The book was an odd read. Every page took time to read and comprehend, but at 154 pages it never seemed insurmountable. The book explores human relationships among family and friends at their most basic levels while also showing the changing roles of women after Britain's Victorian Era. I was hesitant to read it at first, but now that I'm done, I'm glad I did. Recommended.

Sophie's World Josten Gardener - A novel that provides a outline of the history and theories of western philosophy that was both easy and fun to read. Written at a junior high school level, the book was a quick read and gave me a much needed update on the basic ideas of every western philosopher from Socrates to Sartre. I was disappointed by the inadequate coverage of my personal favorite Nietzsche, but life will go on. Recommended.

Lonely Planet Nepal - Good book; lots of up to date information, but the writers didn't do Nepal justice. The country is absolutely amazing. The scenery epic, the people nice and the food cheap and good. The book's dry tone downplays many of Nepal's greatest assets. Use the guide book, but be prepared for awesomeness far beyond the written descriptions.

Lonely Planet India - This book has the opposite problem that the Nepal Lonely Planet suffered from. The writers of the India guidebook make every place in India sound like these spiritual meccas of friendly people and good food. We found this to be nothing but hyperbole. Take everything written with a grain of salt and don't expect the magical place that these (clearly doped-up) writers describe. On a better note, the information regarding hotels and restaurants was decent and up-to-date. Be careful of hidden fees for any tourist activity (like visiting forts, mosques, etc.), the guidebook failed to mention some of these costs.