Chasing Thoreau An Adventure in Paddling and Philosophy

An exciting book that takes travel writing to a new frontier ! Kayak voyager Jim Payne copies a rowboat trip that famous naturalist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau took in 1839 on the Concord River? It sounded easy, but once upon the restless waters in a kayak that has a habit of tipping over, Payne has more white-knuckle moments than he bargained for. To this expedition, Payne adds a parallel voyage into history and philosophy. As he connects with Thoreau s place and time, Payne introduces Thoreau s ideas, his thoughts on nature, consumerism, authority and religion. With uncanny coincidence, these themes come to life in Payne s encounters with people and events in voyaging through Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The result is a thought-provoking adventure tale by a master humorist and travel writer.