BOOK REVIEWS
Scraping The Pegs Michael Stewart 2021 ISBN 978-1-7774-4-3
Zen And The Art Of … forgetting it , that ’ s if you listen to Michael Stewart and his Scraping The Pegs : The Truth About Motorcycles .
Stewart comes across as anti-Zen , in some ways it ’ s understandable however , the irony is that Scraping The Pegs is written in almost the same vain ; a philosophical look at motorcycling and what comes with it … the joys , the dangers .
It a humorous and selfdeprecating look at bike riding with an almost constant view that riding will bring some sort of injury and almost certain death . There ’ s banter within Scraping The Pegs that provides both sides of the discussion , it works well , although at times it does ramble and seems to cover former discussion . It matters little , this , just like Zen , is a philosophical view … oh , there ’ s the irony again .
Scraping The Pegs does , at times , focus a little too much on the ‘ bad ’ side of motorcycling , the risks , and the consequences , and it becomes a little wearing however , by books end you will realise why Stewart has gone down that path . It does make perfect sense .
Whether you ' re a motorcyclist isn ’ t important as a reader of Scraping The Pegs , it ’ s a look at why activities , such as motorcycling , captivate the participants . It will make you laugh ; it will make you think , most of all it will make you consider … try Scraping The Pegs ...
The Unseen Walls Christian Brix 2018 ISBN 978-1-7314376-9-3
If it ’ s adventure with a positive spin that outlines all that is good in the world then The Unseen Walls isn ’ t for you .
Christian Brix ’ s 29,000-kilometre ride through the west , south and east of Africa is a slog , for the reader and more so for Brix . This is hard work that will leave the reader exhausted , demoralised and even bitter by the experience … and that ’ s the beauty of The Unseen Walls . This is the truth as seen by the rider and the author .
The Unseen Walls doesn ’ t hold back in its assessment of the experience , its an assessment of what is wrong with Africa , more importantly what is wrong with how the West views Africa , how we interact , and our severe lack of understanding and reluctance to do so . Brix ’ s assessment of himself and where he was placed within Africa is refreshing , the truth is welcomed , the negativity is his problem , something that he openly admits has caused issues and is an area he must work through .
The Unseen Walls explores just that , the unseen walls , walls that we all have , barriers that we must all skirt or clamber over . Brix takes that step , tackling his own mental illness and how that can affect how one sees the world .
You won ’ t find encouragement in The Unseen Walls , but you will find a truth from the point of view of a talented writer , a traveller who ‘ failed ’ in his mission and by doing so succeeded in seeing his ‘ own ’ world and created a travel biography that could be considered one of the best .
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