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laurla's review against another edition
"in the mountains atticus became more of what he'd always been, and i became less - less frantic, less stressed, less worried, and less harried."
"by refusing to subject atticus to less-than-favorable conditions, i kept myself safe."
"i thought about how such weather can strip a man of hope and his good sense and make him feel lonely and empty. i thought about how easy it would be to just sit down and stop moving through the wind and gloom."
"limitations are something we put on ourselves" this quote made me mad. it belittles the work i've had to do in ACCEPTING and respecting my damn limitations instead of constantly railing and fighting against them. because all the fighting did was exhaust me more. pushing made me crash, it didnt make me succeed in passing by my limitations. and crashing put MORE limits on me. so no. limitations are NOT something *I* chose to put upon myself. they are not something i accepted blindly, and they could not be overcome by sheer willpower. yes. pissed me off.
"walt whitman wrote: 'after you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, love, and so on - have found that none of them finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? nature remains'. as is usually the case, my heart knew it before my head figured it out."
"the branches became clutching hands and swiping claws. it felt like we were walking through a sea of the dead and they were reaching out to make us one of them. it had been a long day, an din my weariness my imagination took over. no matter how much i tried to think of something to take my mind off the night and those clutching hungry hands, i failed. they were everywhere. i picked up the pace, but the faster i walked, the quicker those hands came at me: shadows darting, flailing, grasping, and closing in."
"courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear."
"so what religion are you?"
-"i dont have one."
"you have to have a religion if you believe in god. if you had to choose a religion, which one would it be?"
-"i wouldnt choose. who needs the middleman? i believe in god. isnt that enough?"
"but say god came to you and said, 'you have to choose a religion' which one would you choose?"
-"i dont think god would do that."
"but just say he did."
-"ok, if i had to classify myself as one thing, i'd say i was a pantheist."
the woman gave me a disgusted look and stalked away. a couple days later i ran into her boyfriend. he wanted to know why i'd been so rude to her.
-"hua?"
"when susan asked what religion you'd choose, you said you'd worship panties."
i had to explain that pantheism was a belief that god was in nature.
thats what the mountains were to me. they were my religion - the only one i wanted - and i found it in my struggles when i weas literally forced by my exhaustion to stop moving and look at my surroundings. you feel part of everything.
"'i didnt think you could do it.' he'd said. the words were not tinged with emotion; they were flat and matter-of-fact. but some arrows dont need to be dipped in poison to kill."
"he had faith when i didnt. faith had never been my strong point, but he was determined to help me with that."
"we sit together, the mountain and me, until only the mountain remains."- Li Po.
"god tells us we are supposed to have love in our life. he doesnt say it has to be between a man and a woman. seems to me atticus gave you the family you always wanted."
"he had accomplished what most people fail to do - change."
i'd always been curious about her first piece of advice on raising atticus: 'carry him everywhere you go, and dont let anyone else hold him that first month.' "that worked so well. i tell everyone who gets a puppy that they should do it. where does it come from paige?"
there was a pause on the other end of th ephone, as if she were wondering whether she really wanted to tell me, and then in a soft, vulnerable voice, she said, "thats the way i always wanted to be loved, tom."
"by refusing to subject atticus to less-than-favorable conditions, i kept myself safe."
"i thought about how such weather can strip a man of hope and his good sense and make him feel lonely and empty. i thought about how easy it would be to just sit down and stop moving through the wind and gloom."
"limitations are something we put on ourselves" this quote made me mad. it belittles the work i've had to do in ACCEPTING and respecting my damn limitations instead of constantly railing and fighting against them. because all the fighting did was exhaust me more. pushing made me crash, it didnt make me succeed in passing by my limitations. and crashing put MORE limits on me. so no. limitations are NOT something *I* chose to put upon myself. they are not something i accepted blindly, and they could not be overcome by sheer willpower. yes. pissed me off.
"walt whitman wrote: 'after you have exhausted what there is in business, politics, conviviality, love, and so on - have found that none of them finally satisfy, or permanently wear - what remains? nature remains'. as is usually the case, my heart knew it before my head figured it out."
"the branches became clutching hands and swiping claws. it felt like we were walking through a sea of the dead and they were reaching out to make us one of them. it had been a long day, an din my weariness my imagination took over. no matter how much i tried to think of something to take my mind off the night and those clutching hungry hands, i failed. they were everywhere. i picked up the pace, but the faster i walked, the quicker those hands came at me: shadows darting, flailing, grasping, and closing in."
"courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not the absence of fear."
"so what religion are you?"
-"i dont have one."
"you have to have a religion if you believe in god. if you had to choose a religion, which one would it be?"
-"i wouldnt choose. who needs the middleman? i believe in god. isnt that enough?"
"but say god came to you and said, 'you have to choose a religion' which one would you choose?"
-"i dont think god would do that."
"but just say he did."
-"ok, if i had to classify myself as one thing, i'd say i was a pantheist."
the woman gave me a disgusted look and stalked away. a couple days later i ran into her boyfriend. he wanted to know why i'd been so rude to her.
-"hua?"
"when susan asked what religion you'd choose, you said you'd worship panties."
i had to explain that pantheism was a belief that god was in nature.
thats what the mountains were to me. they were my religion - the only one i wanted - and i found it in my struggles when i weas literally forced by my exhaustion to stop moving and look at my surroundings. you feel part of everything.
"'i didnt think you could do it.' he'd said. the words were not tinged with emotion; they were flat and matter-of-fact. but some arrows dont need to be dipped in poison to kill."
"he had faith when i didnt. faith had never been my strong point, but he was determined to help me with that."
"we sit together, the mountain and me, until only the mountain remains."- Li Po.
"god tells us we are supposed to have love in our life. he doesnt say it has to be between a man and a woman. seems to me atticus gave you the family you always wanted."
"he had accomplished what most people fail to do - change."
i'd always been curious about her first piece of advice on raising atticus: 'carry him everywhere you go, and dont let anyone else hold him that first month.' "that worked so well. i tell everyone who gets a puppy that they should do it. where does it come from paige?"
there was a pause on the other end of th ephone, as if she were wondering whether she really wanted to tell me, and then in a soft, vulnerable voice, she said, "thats the way i always wanted to be loved, tom."
snkoest's review against another edition
4.0
I started this book three times. it was really hard to get into at first. I'm glad I finally have it a chance. in the end, it ended up being a great book about the love and friendship between a man and his dog.
doctorwoofwoof's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
I really need to write reviews for many, er, most of the books I have on my "Read" shelf. Ah well, with the likely possibility of my wife and I relocating to NC (goodbye, antisocial, overtaxed NJ!) by summer's end, I will have more time to update the other reviews in the coming years. Yay! Okay, onto my review..
I feel I should preface my review, letting all know I am slightly biased in my overall loving of the book, as Atticus, the star of the book, is a mini schnauzer, one of my favorite dog breeds, as well as my wife's.
The book succeeds on several levels. One way, it was a moving tale of one man's bonding with a dog that he really was not ever looking to bring into his life. The relationship that develops between the author, Tom Ryan, and Atticus was interesting to witness, as it appears almost as if Atticus and Tom were destined to be together. The two seem to be good for each other, allowing each of them to grow in ways, both emotionally and spiritually, that neither may have grown without having me the the other.
Another way it succeeded was in that there was good advice for the soul and the spirit. It was almost like a roadmap of what your life could be like without clutter of internet drama, iPhones, etc. It truly showed what absolute bliss it is to have a dog in one's life and all that comes out of the relationship that develops between man and dog.
If you love dogs and have not read this book, you are doing yourself a great disservice. If you don't love dogs, you could still read this and walk a totally different person! Either way, you need to read this book - your life will be so much better for it!
In closing, I just want to thank Tom Ryan, and Atticus, for an amazing story, and that I can not wait for the follow-up, which deals with the life of Will, the other mini schnauzer that found his way into both Tom's and Atticus' lives!
I feel I should preface my review, letting all know I am slightly biased in my overall loving of the book, as Atticus, the star of the book, is a mini schnauzer, one of my favorite dog breeds, as well as my wife's.
The book succeeds on several levels. One way, it was a moving tale of one man's bonding with a dog that he really was not ever looking to bring into his life. The relationship that develops between the author, Tom Ryan, and Atticus was interesting to witness, as it appears almost as if Atticus and Tom were destined to be together. The two seem to be good for each other, allowing each of them to grow in ways, both emotionally and spiritually, that neither may have grown without having me the the other.
Another way it succeeded was in that there was good advice for the soul and the spirit. It was almost like a roadmap of what your life could be like without clutter of internet drama, iPhones, etc. It truly showed what absolute bliss it is to have a dog in one's life and all that comes out of the relationship that develops between man and dog.
If you love dogs and have not read this book, you are doing yourself a great disservice. If you don't love dogs, you could still read this and walk a totally different person! Either way, you need to read this book - your life will be so much better for it!
In closing, I just want to thank Tom Ryan, and Atticus, for an amazing story, and that I can not wait for the follow-up, which deals with the life of Will, the other mini schnauzer that found his way into both Tom's and Atticus' lives!
fiona_leonard's review against another edition
4.0
Maybe I was just feeling a bit teary, but I ended up having a good cry through Following Atticus. This is the true story of an overweight, disenchanted journalist who decides to climb all 48 of New Hampshires 4,000 foot peaks in winter...twice. It's a great story that doesn't unfold exactly as you would expect it to. It's a very enjoyable easy read, although perhaps one better left for reading in private...
meesespieces's review against another edition
5.0
My all time favorite author! This story was written about a little schnauzer who hiked with Tom Ryan up all the mountain peaks in Hew Hampshire. It was an adventure and I felt like I was hiking the mountains with Tom Ryan and his dog Atticus.
dollycas's review against another edition
5.0
Tom Ryan describes himself as middle-aged, overweight and an acrophobic newspaperman. He and his canine companion, miniature schnauzer, Atticus M. Finch, are an unlikely pair of mountaineers. Tom was drawn to the New Hampshire peaks by some childhood memories. When a close friend dies of cancer he decides to climb all 48 four thousand foot peaks twice in one winter as a tribute to her and to raise money for charity. It is an adventure of a lifetime and will test both the man and the dog's endurance. They trek miles on the dangerous trails covered in snow and ice. The weather becomes an enemy as snow and cold can keep them off the trails as they try to complete this difficult challenge.
Dollycas's Thoughts
What an inspiring story!!! An incredible journey, just a man and his dog. Perseverance, determination, strength of mind and body. This 5 pound little puppy worked its way into Tom Ryan's heart and they will both work their way into yours.
I found several interesting things in the book. The first was the breeder's advice to Tom to carry the pup wherever he went for the first month to bond with the pup. I had never heard that before but Tom and Atticus's relationship proves how well it works.
The second was the education of The White Mountains. Living in Wisconsin I didn't know much about them at all except that they were there :) After reading the book I checked out some sources online and there is a lot of information about hiking and the The Appalachian Mountain Club. After reading this book I wish I was able to hike the mountains myself.
Tom Ryan changed his life and his story could change yours. Whether it be climbing actual mountains or the mountains we all face in every day life. Attitcus was like "The Little Engine That Could", he didn't know he was so small and he led Tom up those mountains like an animal 100 times his size.
This is not a story you will soon forget. You will want to share the wonder of it with your friends and family. It receives my highest recommendation!
Dollycas's Thoughts
What an inspiring story!!! An incredible journey, just a man and his dog. Perseverance, determination, strength of mind and body. This 5 pound little puppy worked its way into Tom Ryan's heart and they will both work their way into yours.
I found several interesting things in the book. The first was the breeder's advice to Tom to carry the pup wherever he went for the first month to bond with the pup. I had never heard that before but Tom and Atticus's relationship proves how well it works.
The second was the education of The White Mountains. Living in Wisconsin I didn't know much about them at all except that they were there :) After reading the book I checked out some sources online and there is a lot of information about hiking and the The Appalachian Mountain Club. After reading this book I wish I was able to hike the mountains myself.
Tom Ryan changed his life and his story could change yours. Whether it be climbing actual mountains or the mountains we all face in every day life. Attitcus was like "The Little Engine That Could", he didn't know he was so small and he led Tom up those mountains like an animal 100 times his size.
This is not a story you will soon forget. You will want to share the wonder of it with your friends and family. It receives my highest recommendation!
kendranicole28's review against another edition
4.0
Television personality and wildlife lover Roger Caras once said, “Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole.” Anyone who has ever owned a dog would probably agree with this statement, and nobody more than Tom Ryan, whose little dog Atticus not only completed his life, but transformed him from the inside out. Ryan chronicles his adventures with Atticus on his blog and in his heartwarming memoir, Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship.
In his pre-Atticus life, Tom Ryan is a middle-aged, overweight journalist who owns a muckraking newspaper in his scandal-ridden town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. He’s lived a somewhat hard and lonely life, and though he finds his work fulfilling, he feels as though something in his life is missing. That changes when he begrudgingly agrees to adopt an elderly miniature schnauzer named Max. Tom and Max quickly grow inseparable, and Tom feels that his life has been infused with love and purposefulness. But less than one year after they are brought together, Max grows ill and has to be put down. Devastated by the loss, Tom sets out to find a new companion, and he is soon the proud owner of a miniature schnauzer puppy he names Atticus Maxwell Finch.
From the very beginning, Tom knows that Atticus is a unique dog, and the two immediately form a deep, special bond. And something begins to happen when Atticus enters Tom’s life: as Tom works to create a home for Atticus, he feels inspired to take better care of himself as well. The two take up walking together, and they discover a joint passion for hiking.
When a close friend dies of cancer, Tom and Atticus decide to pay tribute to her - and raise money for charity - by attempting to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peeks in one winter. The two make an unlikely pair of mountaineers: one very small dog, and one very large man; but they are determined to set out on this adventure that will test their endurance and, more importantly, their commitment to each other.
When I picked up Following Atticus, I assumed I was in for a touching animal tale, but at its core this book is so much more: this is a story of transformation, of perseverance, and of pure, sacrificial love. Ryan is a remarkable writer, conveying the facts while simultaneously drawing the reader into the deeper story and exposing us to the nuances of his personal journey. I was touched by his love for his dog, but also by the compassion he extends to other people; the transformation that occurs in the relationship between Tom and his father is particularly heartwarming. I was also inspired by Tom’s willingness to seek truth and make life adjustments based on his findings. In a way, this book is very similar to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, but instead of coming across as narcissistic and superior, Ryan’s portrayal of his own journey is humble, relatable, and inspiring.
Too many animal stories end sadly with the death of a beloved pet. After finishing Following Atticus, I was happy to discover Ryan’s blog and to find that Atticus is still alive and well! Tom and Atticus are still hiking, still finding life and joy in the mountains they love, and still navigating life’s adventures as the best of friends.
In his pre-Atticus life, Tom Ryan is a middle-aged, overweight journalist who owns a muckraking newspaper in his scandal-ridden town of Newburyport, Massachusetts. He’s lived a somewhat hard and lonely life, and though he finds his work fulfilling, he feels as though something in his life is missing. That changes when he begrudgingly agrees to adopt an elderly miniature schnauzer named Max. Tom and Max quickly grow inseparable, and Tom feels that his life has been infused with love and purposefulness. But less than one year after they are brought together, Max grows ill and has to be put down. Devastated by the loss, Tom sets out to find a new companion, and he is soon the proud owner of a miniature schnauzer puppy he names Atticus Maxwell Finch.
From the very beginning, Tom knows that Atticus is a unique dog, and the two immediately form a deep, special bond. And something begins to happen when Atticus enters Tom’s life: as Tom works to create a home for Atticus, he feels inspired to take better care of himself as well. The two take up walking together, and they discover a joint passion for hiking.
When a close friend dies of cancer, Tom and Atticus decide to pay tribute to her - and raise money for charity - by attempting to climb all forty-eight of New Hampshire’s 4,000-foot peeks in one winter. The two make an unlikely pair of mountaineers: one very small dog, and one very large man; but they are determined to set out on this adventure that will test their endurance and, more importantly, their commitment to each other.
When I picked up Following Atticus, I assumed I was in for a touching animal tale, but at its core this book is so much more: this is a story of transformation, of perseverance, and of pure, sacrificial love. Ryan is a remarkable writer, conveying the facts while simultaneously drawing the reader into the deeper story and exposing us to the nuances of his personal journey. I was touched by his love for his dog, but also by the compassion he extends to other people; the transformation that occurs in the relationship between Tom and his father is particularly heartwarming. I was also inspired by Tom’s willingness to seek truth and make life adjustments based on his findings. In a way, this book is very similar to Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, but instead of coming across as narcissistic and superior, Ryan’s portrayal of his own journey is humble, relatable, and inspiring.
Too many animal stories end sadly with the death of a beloved pet. After finishing Following Atticus, I was happy to discover Ryan’s blog and to find that Atticus is still alive and well! Tom and Atticus are still hiking, still finding life and joy in the mountains they love, and still navigating life’s adventures as the best of friends.