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pages_n_puzzles's review against another edition
3.0
Loved learning about surfing and hearing the stories about the Sunset District surf community. Annoyed a little bit by the white male gaze, and the freedom that gave in the 60s/70s when touring around the world. Enjoyed the narration very much.
emckeon1002's review against another edition
4.0
I arrived at this book not because it won the Pulitzer, and was heaped with praise (though I remembered reading the praise), but because surfing plays such a large part in a few of the detective novels written by Don Winslow (a current obsession). Finnegan is, by every measure, a very fine writer. His work in the New Yorker has always been worthwhile reading. Practically the very same age as me, I marveled at the choices he has made in his life, which were very different than my own, and where the waves have carried him. With the flavor of a picaresque novel, we follow Finnegan from wave to wave, and through his life. While his descriptions of the sea, and waves are poetic and sensual, I found myself on youtube looking for videos of those waves he described (and by the end of the book, was a bit weary of the wave descriptors). A very good book, by a very good writer who, despite his doubts, has lived a thoroughly examined, thoroughly realized, life.
willschmitz's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
cmcarr's review against another edition
3.0
When the writing is good, I can really enjoy reading a memoir about someone who I know nothing about. It spurs my own self-reflection to read about how others process their lives, and draw meaningful threads. This book was a perfect summer read--particularly a summer that involved surfing in California and Indonesia. I'm not sure whether non-surfers would enjoy this. There is a lot of detail about the intricacies of surfing that I think would be hard to make sense of without the context. But with a little experience, even a mediocre surfer like myself could get caught up in the thrill of his surfing adventures. I also appreciated his explanation of the scientific approach to surfing--the careful study to master each wave, to unlock the secrets of each surf break. Finnegan has lived quite a life, and it's fun to follow his path for a bit.
peter_stanton's review against another edition
5.0
One of the greatest adventure sports books written to date. No other book captures the soul of those bound to seek out waves or powder
arielamandah's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure when exactly I started reading this book, but suffice to say it's one I've dipped in and out of several times before I finished (maybe reading chapters in wave-like sets, if you want to make that leap?). Yes, it's dense and very focused on surfing, but Finnegan is a good writer and captures the various phases and stages of his life (and his surfing) well. I'm not a surfer, nor do I know much about it, but I do appreciate people writing about their passions, nature, travel, and memoirs. This hits all those buttons. There's not a driving plot, no page-turning action, but it's a great reflection on coming of age, what drives us, and ultimately aging - both within a sport/hobby/passion and in a community.
bechols's review against another edition
5.0
Creates an amazing sense of time and place across many of each.