Testimonials: Brothers on the Bashkaus
“A Class-V ride through both big waters and a fast-changing culture.”
—Jon Bowermaster, National Geographic Adventure author/adventurer
“This is a book in which the author is on fire with his subject. Eugene Buchanan studies, chases, and pours down one of the world’s wildest rivers in a journey sometimes terrifying, often chilling, but always mesmeric and drenched with resonance. The story is swiftly moving, yet it superbly delineates the cultural and political context out of which this expedition arose. Buchanan is a gifted narrator, with seeming total recall and a lucid candor and self-awareness, as well as a talent for painting topographical views of gorges and rapids that have an almost surreal power. Brothers on the Bashkaus is, in a fashion, an elegy for a lost moment of cultural and environmental first contact. It is a torrent of a book… Take the plunge!”
—Richard Bangs, founding partner of Mountain Travel/Sobek, author of 11 books, including Mystery of the Nile, Adventures without End, The Lost River, River Gods, and Riding the Dragon’s Back
“Adventure paddling is fun enough, but it becomes epic, zany, and outrageous when it’s set in the manic madness of modern Russia. Imagine Hunter S. Thompson—without the drugs—running Class VI. Can’t conjure up the image? Sit down on a comfortable chair, get some raw pork fat for munchies, and read Eugene Buchanan’s Brothers on the Bashkaus for a wild, hungry ride in improbable boats with a bunch of crazies. The book exposes the unadulterated spirit of whitewater adventure—stripped clean of all the fancy stuff, like paddles and lifejackets.”
—Jon Turk, author of In the Wake of the Jomon and Cold Oceans
“Buchanan’s blood is two parts river. This is a memorable tale of adventure, friendship, and a confluence, or collision, of cultures. Buchanan and his cohorts get tossed almost by happenstance onto the wildest of rivers in a land where the gear is homemade, local horsemen go crazy on strong tea, memorials to dead paddlers perch on the banks, and, as at an execution, nothing can happen until a last cigarette is smoked.”
—Peter Heller, author of Hell or High Water, Outside magazine contributor
“Your fate is tied to strangers in a strange land in—strangest of all—a craft hewn from the forest primeval… a monster Siberian whitewater river before you. A reader could want for no better guide than Eugene Buchanan, an expert storyteller who knows firsthand that if you are good, lucky, and don’t mind daily fat cubes, the best expeditions sometimes emerge out of the worst predicaments. Superb.”
—Todd Balf, author of The Last River and the forthcoming Comet: The Untold Story of Major Taylor and How He Beat the Color Line (Crown Publishing, 2007)
“Eugene Buchanan’s paddling expertise and sharp reportorial eye will sweep you breathlessly down one of the world’s wildest, toughest, and most remote rivers, in company with the knights-errant of Siberian whitewater. A fascinating cultural and adventure read.”
—Peter Stark, author of The Last Breath and At the Mercy of the River
Testimonials: Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids
“An excellent beginner’s guide to help parents instill in their kids a love of outdoor activities – crucial to children’s emotional and physical health
— Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”
“Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids is an important contribution to the work of connecting our children to the outdoors. It’s imperative that we give every American child an outdoor experience so they can explore, enjoy and protect our planet.”
–Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club
“I don’t know which is more challenging—summiting Everest or raising teen-agers! As Eugene Buchanan knows, preparation is the key to both endeavors, and his book will help any parent navigate the rewarding outdoor adventures that can be had with their children. This entertaining and informative book showcases how activities of all shapes and sizes can be as fun, informative, challenging and inspirational as making it to the top of the highest peak.”
–U.S. Senator Mark Udall, Colorado
“Trying to hip your kids to the places and sports you love best can be surprisingly hard, even not-fun. That’s why OUTDOOR PARENTS, OUTDOOR KIDS is so valuable. Packed with practical advice, but also humor — Buchanan isn’t the smug expert who makes you feel like an idiot, but a buddy who’s been there — it flags up the challenges you want to consider before everyone, mom and dad, included, are ready to throw a tantrum, and offers frequent reminders of why it’s absolutely worth the effort.”
— Brad Wieners, Editor, Men’s Journal
“‘Go to the mountains and get their blessings,’ John Muir once said. Nowadays, however, too many of us, especially our children, suffer from a Nature deficit. This wonderful book will go a long way toward remedying that.”
–Ken Burns, Filmmaker
“If you’re hoping to pass on the thrill of outdoor fun to your kids, read this book. Buchanan’s rich–and frequently hilarious–experiences offer essential advice to any adventure-loving parent.”
–Christopher Keyes, Editor, Outside magazine
“Our responsibility as parents is to open our kids’ eyes to the world around us and beyond. Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids nails it perfectly on how to enable us to just that. Buchanan is a master.”
–Bill Gamber, President, Big Agnes
“A fun and informative guide that will help families experience a lifetime of wonder in the great outdoors.”
–Frank Hugelmeyer, President/CEO, Outdoor Industry Association
“A hilarious and highly informative resource that makes life easier for all parents as Buchanan shares the lessons he’s learned the hard way…”
–Climbing legend Royal Robbins (founder of Royal Robbins Outdoor Clothing, author of To Be Brave)
“The importance of getting more kids outside has been a driving force for Kelty KIDS for two decades. For those looking to take the first steps toward a fit outdoor lifestyle, or to nurture a child’s respect for the earth, Eugene Buchanan’s “Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids” puts all the essentials in a refreshing new light.”
–Kenny Ballard, President, Kelty/Kelty KIDS
“Wish I’d had this book when my kids were snuggly sized. We muddled through okay but Buchanan gives young parents what they really need: good info, superb tips, and the inspiration to head out.”
–Todd Balf, author of The Last River: The Tragic Race for Shangri-la and Major: A Black Athlete, A White Era, and the Fight to Be the World’s Fastest Human Being
“Eugene Buchanan is the real deal. He’s a gifted outdoor athlete, loving father, and decorated journalist. And Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids combines all he knows.”
–Philip Armour, former editor of ForbesLife Mountain Time
“In a book loaded with practical advice and hilarious anecdotes, Buchanan never loses track of the best reason for kids and parents to play together outside: Because it is fun.”
– Jeff Moag, Editor-in-Chief, Canoe and Kayak magazine
“A great read that leads the way to healthier kids and a healthier planet, written by one of my favorite writers. Fun, health, and a really cool perspective on the best ways to interact with our world. A must-read for anyone who wants healthier, happier kids right now.”
–Peter Kray, Editor, Ski Press World; Founder, Shred White and Blue
“Those many of us who are rightly concerned about the “nature deficit disorder” afflicting a high percentage of America’s increasingly out-of-shape and overweight youth these days can breathe a huge sigh of relief with Eugene Buchanan’s Outdoor Parents, Outdoor Kids. This is an excellent primer for encouraging parents to get their kids away from the Xbox and out into the woods, where young people belong.”
–M. John Fayhee, Editor, Mountain Gazette
“This book is the ultimate support group for outdoor parenting. If you want to know how to get your kids involved in the sports you love (or even if you want to try them yourself), Eugene Buchanan has been there and can give you his personal take on what works.
—Doug Schnitzspahn, editor-in-chief Elevation Outdoors
“A great guide for active outdoor parenting — full of helpful information on products and strategies for sharing your love of an active outdoors lifestyle with your kids from very early ages on! Eugene helps make it clear that you don’t have to — and shouldn’t — stop pursuing your fun in the outdoors when you become a mom or dad. But planning and knowledge about how to carve out time for adventures with and sans kids is critical — and this book really helps.”
–Derrick A. Crandall, President, American Recreation Coalition