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Summary: Looking For Peter Jenkins in Alaska, by Peter Jenkins
Review: As in previous books written by Peter Jenkins, the author continues to examine himself and how he relates to both family responsibilities, (now including 6 children, 2 wives) and his desire to be a free spirit. His supportive wife accompanies him to Alaska and establishes a home base in Seward, Alaska for a year and a half. Various family members visit them, go on side trips, and their youngest daughter attends school there. He ventures out to watch the fisherman catch salmon, camps near a glacier with a daughter, takes a long ride with a conflicted woman, and acquaints himself with the Alaskan government, and other things.The book is interesting but far too lengthy. There are repetitions. One nice touch is the inclusion of journal entries by daughter Rebekah as she enjoys excursions both with her Dad and alone. She will be a marvelous writer in the future. Most of us here in the lower 48 are familiar with Alaska - the beauty, the cold, the wildlife, the oil pipeline, the salmon fishing, glaciers, and so many things unique to this state. Peter Jenkins leads the reader to believe he enjoys personal risk as he makes friendly with strangers and writes down their life stories for us. Many are worth reading but could be condensed. He doesn't seem to mind risking the lives of his family either. It's all part of the Alaska experience to him, loneliness, darkness, attacks from the wildlife, pot smoking hippie groups, bar scenes, as well as magnificent scenery and flying with the bush pilots across the endless white terrain. Included in his travelogue is a trip into the bush with his father in law, an avid hunter whose idea of a thrill of a lifetime is killing an Alaskan moose. He does and he receives his thrill. This reader was not thrilled. Along with stories of people living in Alaska trying to find themselves and enjoying their own pity parties, there were two memorable accounts of folks moving to this challenging state to give something of themselves to help others - the school teachers who moved to Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city, to teach the native children and the veterinarian who lives deep in the bush but near a beautiful lake. He journeys far and wide in the area to tend to the animals and help others.Satellite telephones and access to the internet make living in Alaska far easier than ever before. The author did not include any stories of the polar bear or cruise ship adventures. The account of the dog mushers was, in my opinion, the best one in the book. Salmon fishing was well described. There is a map of Alaska in the beginning of the book for reference. The long book is worth reading if one is thinking about spending a year in the state, tho it does not cover the state in entirety. I, for one, will continue watching the Discovery Channel for Alaskan stories and reading more true adventures, eating salmon caught in Alaskan waters and keeping warm in New Jersey. I hope Peter Jenkins finds what he is searching for someday. This book is about him.
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Summary: Alaska Found
Review: More than 20 years ago, Peter Jenkins took a walk across America. He took me along, as he did many other people. I read both installments in National Geographic, then went out and bought his story in paperback (remember those small paperback books?). I must admit, I have not read Peter's other books. However, after returning from a one week bicycle ride through Alaska, and while searching the internet to feed my hunger on Alaska, there was Peter's newest book, not yet out, but "coming soon."
Peter Jenkins and his family spent 18-months taking us to parts of Alaska we will never have the opportunity to see, other than through their eyes. I found myself in awe of them, and the Jayne family, when they traveled to the Jayne homestead in the bush. Another time it was thrilling to sit on the edge of the Arctic Ocean waiting for whales to bring food, warmth and clothing to the people who live in this forbidding part of the world. The day to day living of Peter and his family at their home south of Anchorage was filled with fun and excitement. Hobo Jim entertained, if only via Peter's written word.
The photos were beautiful; although no photo truly captures Alaska. The blue of her sky is the most beautiful in the world. My only complaint about Looking For Alaska was that it ended. Make this book a part of your personal library. It is a must for anybody who has even one drop of adventure coursing through his or her veins.
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Summary: "Looking For Alaska" just makes you want to go there!
Review: While half-way through reading "Looking for Alaska", I was on my way there in the summer of 2003. This superbly written story made a major difference in how how I viewed everything about this fantastic place and the wonderful diversity of Alaska's people. Peter Jenkins masterfully weaves a very personal story of his travels and adventures throughout the vast reaches of the state. He shares the remarkable encounters with nature as well as many heartwarming stories of people from all walks of Alaskan life; from Hydaburg to Barrow and all across the trace of the fabled Iditarod. He brings it all to life in a compelling read that is informative to would be travelers coupled with some hair razing stories and spiced with humor in just the right spots. Jenkins continually highlights the unmatched beauty and spirit of our 50th State. As a Marine Officer I had the good fortune of seeing some amazing regions of this planet, but nothing has struck me like my brief experience in Alaska. Peter Jenkins captures it all in "Looking for Alaska". Throughout, he shares many encouraging lessons about following one's heart and not giving up on our dreams. Included are some wonderful passages regarding his family relatinships laced with heartwarming experiences with his daughter Rebeka during their travels. So taken by this book, I am now listening to the Audio version. An unforgetable read for old and young alike. Don't miss it.
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Summary: The Last Frontier Revealed
Review: Having read his "Walk Across America" and being one month away from a 12 day trip to this magnificent place I bought Peter Jenkins' "Looking For Alaska". It put me in Alaska before I got there. The descriptive language he uses along with his uncanny ability to meet people and have them open up to him makes this book a MUST read for anyone planning to go to Alaska, anyone interested in Alaska or anyone who lives in the last frontier. Later, as my vacation took me to places so beautiful they were far beyond my expectations and as I got to meet some of Alaska's inhabitants, some of Jenkins' writings came to mind. He came as close to capturing the essence of this land as is possible. It's people, landscapes and wildlife are beyond description, but Jenkins' gets and A+ grade for his work. A great book about a majestic land and its inhabitants.
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Summary: Peter Jenkins has done it again!
Review: If you've never read any of Peter Jenkins' books before, this would be a great place to start. Looking for Alaska is filled with the types of things you would expect from a book about Alaska--the bears, moose, glaciers, mountains, sled dogs, salmon, majestic scenery, whales--but this book is so much more than that. Like his previous books, this one is populated with remarkable stories of decent, hard-working people. Mr Jenkins has an extraordinary talent for revealing the heroic nature of ordinary people. These characters are familiar to most of us. We recognize our friends, our families, ourselves in them, and because they are cast in the positive light they deserve, we come away with a warm feeling. When so much of what we read and hear is focused on what's wrong with America (and with you and me by extension), it's nice to occassionally see someone concentrate on the positive. In keeping with his tradition, Mr Jenkins has illustrated Looking for Alaska with excellent color and black and white photographs, a practice that has become increasingly rare. Mr Jenkins' daughter, Rebekah, contributed a couple of segments that are downright poetic. I can't say enough about Looking for Alaska. I highly recommend it.
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Summary: "Looking For Alaska" just makes you want to go there!
Review: While half-way through reading "Looking for Alaska", I was on my way there in the summer of 2003. This superbly written story made a major difference in how how I viewed everything about this fantastic place and the wonderful diversity of Alaska's people. Peter Jenkins masterfully weaves a very personal story of his travels and adventures throughout the vast reaches of the state. He shares the remarkable encounters with nature as well as many heartwarming stories of people from all walks of Alaskan life; from Hydaburg to Barrow and all across the trace of the fabled Iditarod. He brings it all to life in a compelling read that is informative to would be travelers coupled with some hair razing stories and spiced with humor in just the right spots. Jenkins continually highlights the unmatched beauty and spirit of our 50th State. As a Marine Officer I had the good fortune of seeing some amazing regions of this planet, but nothing has struck me like my brief experience in Alaska. Peter Jenkins captures it all in "Looking for Alaska". Throughout, he shares many encouraging lessons about following one's heart and not giving up on our dreams. Included are some wonderful passages regarding his family relatinships laced with heartwarming experiences with his daughter Rebeka during their travels. So taken by this book, I am now listening to the Audio version. An unforgetable read for old and young alike. Don't miss it.
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Summary: Looking for Alaska
Review: Being close to Peter's age, I read his first two books soon after they were written and loved them. When I saw that he had written a book about Alaska, one of my dream destinations, I had to buy it. I decided that I would read this book before making any concrete Alaska travel plans. I've almost completed the book and have had a hard time putting it down. It truly fuels my desire to see the REAL Alaska. In fact, I just told my husband yesterday that we need to not only visit Alaska in the summer, as most everyone does, but in the winter also. Being the Florida sun-lover that he is, of course he thought I was crazy. But I would love to have taken the 1 1/2 year adventure that Peter took. He has a way of drawing you into his stories so that you feel you've been there, too. I was totally amazed and inspired by the grueling and dangerous lifestyle choices made by many of the individuals and families that Peter met. I recommend this book to anyone with a sense of adventure and desire to learn about life in wild places.
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Summary: Myths of Alaska
Review: Once again someone from outside the state spends more than the summer in Alaska and they think they know it, or in this case "found" it. It is sad that Jenkins visited numerous areas in Alaska that have been seriously impacted by a host of tragedies like the Exxon Valdez spill and over-logging, yet he chooses to perpetuate a myth. He visits Cordova and Seward, but says not a word about the loss of ways of life and the impact the 1989 oil spill had on these communities and the lands. He visits Denali yet his lips are sealed as to the unmitigated and overzealous hunting (including aerial) of grizzly and wolf. Obviously the myth will sell more books. I am not suggesting that he swamp his text with the sadness and loss that truly makes up Alaska's reality right now, but at least be honest. The Alaska he speaks so fondly is on its way to becoming history. This is also Alaska, but not so glamorous. People have the right to know of the national loss that is currently taking place in this once pristine state. Or perhaps we should gain from Jenkins that he, like so many others, were there just to exploit the state - her future of little concern to him, ie. "now on to the next book....
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Summary: Another great book from Peter Jenkins
Review: This is another great book by the author of Walk Across America Peter Jenkins. This time he visits the great state of Alaska. The people he meets, the places he visits, I want to go tomorrow. Peter does a great job in both words and pictures describing Alaska and it's people. As soon as you fall in love with one of the people he write's about, there's another waiting in the next chapter. The people of Alaska seemed to open up to Peter and his family and it shows in this wonderful book. Some of the pictures, both color and black in white in the book are as well amazing. They give you a true taste of what Alaska looks like. All were taken by Peter, or his daughter Rebekah, who joins him along with the rest of the family in many parts of his journey. This is another book from Peter Jenkins I couldn't seem to put down. I great read, a great place, I want to go now, not tomorrow.
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Summary: Should be required listening for anyone going to Alaska
Review: My mother and I are going to Alaska for a month, her treat for me getting my MBA. I got her this book on tape, her favorite way of experiencing books and she absolutely loved this one. She said it was like being there, with voice excerpts of several of the main characters like they did in `Band of Brothers'. Get it, listen, she was there for over twelve hours, you will be too. She tells me this is the best way to prepare for our adventure there she could imagine.
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