I have been pretty fortunate to have had amazing recommendations throughout this Book Aesthetic journey, and although this latest addition to my new adventure library moved me from the mountains to the sea, it fits right in.
Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan is an absolutely fantastic book. It is really strange to read a book written by a person who you know has survived an unimaginable journey, and still be on the edge of your seat with anticipation.
Callahan was a one-man crew of a small sailboat when it capsized six days out into the ocean. He managed to survive, grabbing minimal gear from his sinking sloop, and inflating his life raft all in a nick of time. From there he spent seventy-six days adrift, floating 1,800 nautical miles across half the Atlantic Ocean.
The ups and downs of this voyage are absolute insanity. Sharks, limited food and water, crashing waves and storms, the elements, and the uncertainty of it all. I wouldn’t have lasted a day. How Callahan lasted nearly two and a half months is one of the greatest stories of survival I’ve ever heard.
In addition to the story, Callahan offers great introspection and lessons of growth along the way. Everything he owned was in his sunken boat, but at the end of his voyage Callahan offered some beautiful insight. After losing everything, and nearly losing his life, Callahan notes that “my plight has given me a strange kind of wealth, the most important kind”.
Of course a bunch of photos on a social media platform cannot do this story justice. I feel guilty putting it together from the safety of dry land, but on the other-hand, it was kind of fun. This process is much more enjoyable when the outcome is a positive one!
This was another book that I couldn’t put down, if you enjoy adventure/survival stories, or are a person who has spent time out on the water then consider grabbing a copy of this NYT bestseller!
Coming up for July we are shifting gear into a political adventure. July’s book will be Hunter S. Thompson’s book Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. If you want to read along, HERE is a link to the book!
thedihedral.com 
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Ah, yes, “Fear & Loathing…” Back when politics somehow made sense with just a little LSD, a whiff of ether, and a long drive across the desert… 😵 Looking forward to your take on that book. 😁
LikeLiked by 4 people
Haha, you have made me look forward to it even more, haha! Thank you!
LikeLike
Getting my Kindle now… thanks for the recommendation.
LikeLiked by 4 people
I think you’ll love it, please let me know if you get a chance to squeeze this one in, I’ll be excited to know what you think!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Wow. That is an extraordinary adventure — more than an adventure. I think the fundamental understanding of life (vs) death is — well, for me, beyond words.
Go Gonzo.
LikeLiked by 4 people
So pumped for that one!!! I think Thompson’s life was some kind of adventure, and I know nothing about the campaign trail of 1972, so it should be a pretty educational experience!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nixon… 😜
LikeLiked by 2 people
That comment scares me!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nixon did one thing that was good for me — opened the door to China. People were happy when he pulled us out of Vietnam. And my mom said, “I don’t trust him” (Tricky Dick) then Watergate. I haven’t read Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail in about a million years. I’m looking forward to your take both because you are you and because you’re in a different — more distant — generation.
LikeLiked by 2 people
1972 boasted the one presidential candidate I was enthused about at the time (George McGovern). Of course he lost in a landslide to probably the second worst President in my lifetime (and the competition has been fierce!). Evil trumps incompetence. Evil and competent may be the worst combination.
LikeLiked by 3 people
That is such a great couple of lines, I don’t think it’s a stretch to guess who the worst president was!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seems like a really interesting book, I’ll definitely follow your suggestion and read it thanks.
LikeLiked by 4 people
That is great, let me know if you like it or hate it. It’s always interesting to know where others interests lie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will definitely be checking this one out! Thanks.
LikeLiked by 3 people
You sold me. My library had an e-copy available and I just started it (in Missoula MT) and hope to continue tomorrow in Lincoln (near the former home of the Unabomber).
LikeLiked by 4 people
Way to hit all the hot spots. I don’t know much about Lincoln, but Missoula seems like a great town, I’ve wanted to go there for a long time!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the recommendation! Can’t wait to get on with it!
LikeLiked by 4 people
That is great Raina, I hope you enjoy it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a journey must change you profoundly. It seems like an amazing tale. I’ll sure want to read it.
LikeLiked by 4 people
That has to be true, not sure how one could come out of the other end as the same person they were when they began?
LikeLike
That is an insane tale of survival. He must have been written off by friends and family. I often wonder how many people are lost for long periods, and survive for an unfathomable amount of time. If it’s your loved one – keep searching!
LikeLiked by 3 people
That is the lesson here for sure. It really is an insane story!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just finished the book in Townsend, MT after a violent storm. One advantage to being too sick to ride is I had time to read a book. I could collect days of water for him from my rainfly each morning just from the dew. Add yesterday’s hail…Thanks for the recommendation!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’m kind of relieved that you liked it, it is always such a let down when you read a recommendation and it sucks. I hope you are feeling better, and that the rain lets up, much more of that and you’ll be writing your own book of survival.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Along the theme of survival and enthralling adventure, Working on the Edge by Spike Walker is a must-read. He spent his 20’s and 30’s working on crab boats in the Alaskan Sea. I met him in person, and got the story directly from the source prior to reading his book, yet while turning the pages, I kept creeping closer to the edge of my seat. A real page turner even knowing the outcome of success. I’d highly recommend.
LikeLiked by 4 people
That is such a great recommendation, thank you! I’ll add it to the list right now!
LikeLiked by 1 person