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A review by amymo73
Pink Boots and a Machete: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer by Mireya Mayor
4.0
Unfamiliar with Mireya Mayor before reading the book the title and a blog review piqued my interest. An interesting and easy read, it has the right amount of personal story and science along with a healthy dose of self-deprecation. Mayor chronicles her story, beginning with her upbringing with three strong Cuban women in 1970s-era Miami, and continues to discuss her foray into NFL cheerleading, the discovery of her passion for studying primates, and her expeditions, both for research and for television assignments.
The one disappointment was the lack of depth at times. I would have loved to read more about her cheerleading days, about how those experiences related to her explorations. I wanted to know a bit more about her attitude, approach and emotions, but in a memoir that spanned numerous accomplishments, dangers and life twists and turns, depth and breadth are often sadly, but necessarily, sacrificed. Still, the reader gets great insight into her life as a cheerleader-turned-explorer, one that ignites passions in the reader, even if they never want to delve into the jungles of Africa.
The one disappointment was the lack of depth at times. I would have loved to read more about her cheerleading days, about how those experiences related to her explorations. I wanted to know a bit more about her attitude, approach and emotions, but in a memoir that spanned numerous accomplishments, dangers and life twists and turns, depth and breadth are often sadly, but necessarily, sacrificed. Still, the reader gets great insight into her life as a cheerleader-turned-explorer, one that ignites passions in the reader, even if they never want to delve into the jungles of Africa.