The 2 Oz. Backpacker: A Problem Solving Manual for Use in the Wilds

Customer Reviews:

Useful and original book.......2006-11-05

This little book is a very refreshing perspective on backcountry hiking. It is certainly dated but since there is no shortage of information on the latest gear and techniques, this book provides other key ideas. Wood's views on the usefulness of vapor barriers alone makes this book worth the price. His ideas on finding or forming a comfortable bed area are original (although not appropriate to all campsites) and effective for getting a good night's sleep. I also think he is right on in the areas of cooking, navigating, and general backcountry philosophy. The fact that his suggestions for stoves is out of date doesn't matter, there are plenty of guides for current gear. Wood's original and well tested backpacking methods are still very relevent.

Total Crack-up.......2005-08-04

This book is a total crack up around the campfire. I just hope no one actually takes any of the advice seriously because it is so crappy and out-of-date.

Sunglasses are a crutch! If it gets too bright for you, make 'indian sunglasses' by looking through the crack between your index and middle fingers!

Cold? Make sure you wear a waterproof vapor barrier near your skin to trap in the moisture! Make a vapor barrier vest out of plastic bags to stay toasty warm!

Tired? Try the limp step! Rest one leg by dragging it behind you!

This book is lame, but funny.

Wonderful Little Book.......2004-06-12

I don't really know what the other reviewers are talking about,
this is a little gem of a book, wonderfully written and packed, yes, with common sense advice, which doesn't get out of style.
Mr. Wood is clear and eloquent.

A waste of money.......2002-10-11

I bought this book because I liked its small size and after glancing through it thought it
would be a fairly thorough, if abridged, reference book for backpackers. After all, the
subtitle is A Problem Solving Manual for Use in the Wilds. I was...less than satisfied
with this book, although it does have some useful information.

In the Introduction Mr. Wood states that "This isn't a survival booklet, either. A
backpacker shouldn't need to know how to rub two sticks together for fire, flag down a
passing plane, snare rabbits or cook without pots. He's supposed to have all the
essentials on his back and be prepared to travel through the country he's chosen to visit."
That's tantamount to saying that you don't need car insurance because you're a good
driver. Life happens, and if you get separated from your pack for whatever reason you'd
darn well better know something about survival or you might not live long enough to
have to worry about it. Would it have been that difficult for Mr. Wood to put one extra
chapter, or even a few pages, in his book to teach some survival basics?

Under Trail Manners (p. 28), Mr. Wood's first paragraph is devoted to the evils of guns
and how "...the boom of gunfire ...invades privacy and solitude..." Darn, there goes my
vacation! He further states that "Guns are not needed as protection against wildlife..."
This will come as news to most hunters, but quite frankly I'm more worried about the
threats from other humans. Unfortunately, crime has become a serious consideration
when hiking, and I doubt that banging pots and pans together will scare away the average
crazed ax murderer, or even a lowly mugger. To abdicate your responsibilities to your
own and your family's protection is both foolish and dangerous.

I also have a problem with Mr. Wood constantly referring readers to his other book,
Pleasure Packing for the 80's. I'm sure it's just my imagination, but it seems that every
other page has something like "There are eight things that you must do within the next 15
seconds or you'll die a horrible and painful death...find out what they are in my book
Pleasure Packing for the 80's!" I won't even mention that the 80's were 20 years ago.

All in all, this book isn't terrible, but it could've been so much better. On the plus side,
it's [inexpensive] (relatively speaking), small and light, but it's too dated and has too little
information...for just a little more money and not much more weight you could buy any
number of books that offer similar information but don't leave out anything important.

History of backpacking.......2002-06-25

This is the book that got me interested in backpacking. Before I had ever done more than car-camp with my family, this book captured my attention with the whole new concept of carrying your shelter, food, and clothing with you on an extended trip into the backcountry, where no one else could go. It provided tips for walking techniques, nutrition, and camp placement, and did so when such concepts were wholly new to me. Today, however, it is sadly dated.
Unless the content has changed with the price (mine was MUCH cheaper, a decade or more ago), you will not find too much use in it. The info is post-Goretex, but pre-geodesic tent. You will find advice for digging a fire pit (a big no-no these days), and waxing your jeans to fend off rain (jeans?).
The book is interesting, if only for historical value, and I do still use a couple of the walking "techniques" outlined here, but unless you are REALLY into backpacking and its history, there are many better books availabe. I keep it for sentimental value.

2 OZ. BACKPACKER: A PROBLEM SOLVING MANUAL FOR USE IN THE WILDS

Average customer rating:

2 OZ. BACKPACKER: A PROBLEM SOLVING MANUAL FOR USE IN THE WILDS
ROBERT S. WOOD
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UQ3SXK

Book Description

Prague, My Love, is a new genre of travel book in novel form, that takes the reader through a thousand years of Prague's history, including 40 years of Communism. Alice, a young Englishwoman, gets a whirlwind tour of the city by Blazej, a Czech intellectual moonlighting as a guide. Both meet up with the unexpected. A

Customer Reviews:

Reminds me of a children's book for grown-ups!.......2004-07-08

With an English-speaking visitor and a native Czech guide, this takes you, chapter by chapter, chronologically through the eras that have built up and ripped down Prague. It's a bit hard to believe that this book has been co-authored by a native English speaker, as the idioms often smack of ESL: instead of being interrupted, she's always finding that he "cuts across her." I must admit this only adds to the book's appeal. At the time just after the fall of the Wall, the city it describes may not be there just as it's here captured, but this heightens the allure of what's evoked, accounting for the rather "enchanted" air of much of the book. Simple but handsome drawings hint at what you'd see, and a welcome coverage of the area's often neglected ancient sites begin the itinerary promisingly.

Less dauntingly erudite than the study of its occult lore, "Magic Prague," better digested than the history "prague in Black and Gold," yet more detailed and relaxed than the typical guidebook, this combined narrative and handbook is recommended alongside the "PragueWalks" volume! I wish I had read it before my Prague stay, but I'm glad I have read it before my next trip to the Vltava.

Facinating Study of Prague's History and Places.......1999-01-19

A really facinating review of Prague's secrets and secret places. A must for anyone who wants to get beyond the superficial tourist bits of the city.

An intimate book equal to the beauty of Prague........1999-01-17

Prague is a beautiful and complex city. James's book provides insights beyond the traditional tourist guide. Prague is full of spirits, past and present, from Huss to Kafka to Klima. This is the penultimate way to see them. A tour guide without pictures makes perfect sense here for to understand Prague is to see it through words. It takes the reader through maze of history, most of it woven together in a way that gives lasting memory. Having spent much time in Prague over the years I appreciated its careful narrative. I wish I had read it long before my first visit.

Personal, captivating look at a gorgeous, mysterious city........1999-01-13

This is a beautiful book, a real easy way to look into the heart of this mysteriously beautiful city. The characters are human and realistic. I loved it and re-read it twice.

Love and Freedom, My Unexpected Life In Prague

Average customer rating:

Love and Freedom, My Unexpected Life In Prague
Rosemary (Arthur Miller, Foreword) and (Introduction by William Shawcross with (Jan Kavan, Epilogue) Kavan
Manufacturer: Hill and Wang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0F1J6

Average customer rating:

Love and Freedom: My Unexpected Life in Prague
Rosemary Kavan
Manufacturer: Hill & Wang Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Czech Republic | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Central Europe | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0809046806

Average customer rating:

Love and Freedom: My Unexpected Life in Prague.
ROSEMARY KAVAN
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQS2GQ

Customer Reviews:

madness and genius.......2005-02-10

Mark Mirsky's Dante, Eros, Kabbalah is a spinning, lush, analytical look at Dante's relationship to the mysterious Beatrice. He looks at Dante's world through the weave of Jewish mysticism and western philosophy, and this tilts each world enough so that you see everything in a new light as you read. With inspired madness and genius, Mirsky delves deep into the abyss of paradise and love. Highly recommended.

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