Customer Reviews

Cork Boat

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In addition to fulfilling his childhood dream of building and launching a boat made of corks, Pollack describes a range of fascinating experiences including working for President Clinton, assisting his geophysicist father in Botswana and other far-flung places, winning an international pun competition, touring the untouched 1912 cabin in Antarctica left behind by Captain Scott's ill-fated expedition, and evacuating Capitol Hill on the morning of 9/11. This book would be the perfect gift for a graduating high school or college senior, and will also appeal to wine lovers, sailors, the unemployed, fans of Portugal, and those with an interest in politics.

Pollack's writing flows. He slips in the occasional gentle pun as he tells his story, and briefly shares historic or literary footnotes to further enrich his tale. His appreciation for people and human nature made this book a standout in the adventure travel genre, in my mind, in contrast to the sneering superiority that has disappointed me in travel books by Paul Theroux or Bill Bryson.

Cork Boat leaves the reader feeling that life is interesting, varied and that anything is possible. Pollack finds this richness and achievement by reaching out to others, and letting them contribute to the fulfillment of his dream. It reminds me of the children's story of Stone Soup: "Never had the peasants tasted such a soup. And fancy, made from stones!" (Imagine: a boat made from corks!)

Self-promoting? Yes. Poorly written? No doubt about it. Filled with annoying, saccharine-sweet vignettes about one man's pseudo-problems and his triumph-of-the-human-spirit approach to overcoming them? Absolutely.

But in spite of all this, I'm almost ashamed to say that it's still a really good book. This story is bound to appeal to everyone. Anyone who still has a childhood dream unfulfilled; anyone who sometimes yearns for a simpler time when life wasn't so complex; anyone who occasionally wishes that the world could be divided into just two groups - those who save corks and those who don't; anyone who thinks it would be fun to sail the Douro River while seemingly an entire European nation rushes to the river banks to cheer you on; anyone with a soft spot in their heart for sappy stories with happy endings is going to find some joy in this little book.

You'll probably also found yourself rolling your eyes at times - like when it suddenly dawns on you that this guy is an awful writer but somehow managed to land a job writing speeches for the most powerful man on the planet. And you'll probably think at least once or twice that this is the guy that you always wanted beat the crap out of in high school because his attitude was way too positive. But that won't stop you from enjoying the magical journey that this book takes you on.

I read about this book when it was Friday "Hot Pick" in the Boston Herald. I ended up picking this up and found it to be an enjoyable read. John Pollack is a former Clinton speech writer who had a dream since childhood to build a cork boat that floats. He does after assembling over 165,000 corks with an architect friend, alot of neighborhood help, and some large cork donations from a cork facility in CA. This is a pretty quick read that tells a good story about a dream, a boat, and bonding with friends and family. Pick this up today.

This is the best book I've read in a long time. It was one that you couldn't put down. I kept picking up the paper, expecting to find updates about the exploits of John Pollack and the Cork Boat. It's well written and a great tale. Read it, enjoy it, recommend it to your friends.

Start your new year off with a heartwarming, inspirational, TRUE story! At turns joyful, soul-searching, and just flat-out entertaining, this book was one I simply could not put down, once I opened it. In my eagerness to keep reading, I had to drag it around town with me, and read during every spare minute (including waiting for children at various activities, while getting a manicure, and even while pumping gas). This one will definitely keep you engaged until the very last page.

John Pollack, your typical guy with atypical dreams, sets out to build a boat made entirely of wine corks. Blows your mind, doesn't it? We all have dreams, but this one is so far out there, you doubt it can be achieved by any mortal man (or woman). Well, the author proves otherwise. It won't spoil the book to tell you that he eventually succeeds, but you'll definitely want to read it for yourself, to see how he does it. And not only does he build the boat, he lets us ride along on his journey through Portugal, as he sails it down the Douro River.

Along the way, he includes humorous stories of his childhood, his adventures as a writer in Washington D.C., and the challenges of even *finding* 165, 321 corks in the first place. I'm sure that every time I open a bottle of wine, I'll be reminded of this book, and all that was accomplished. Even though this book chronicled something that I will never, ever do, I felt like I was part of the experience - and when I finished reading, I was truly inspired to pursue some of my own neglected dreams.

In summary: just a tremendous book, overall - for the captivating and charming story, the excellent writing, and the inspirational tone. Do yourself a favor and read it - and afterwards, you'll feel great!

While this book doesn't rank as great literature in my opinion, it did read well if one is already inclined to enjoy travel articles. Yes, some of the personal material was surprisingly embarassing in it's clumsiness, but the overall storyline made it a pleasant little read. Certainly not Paul Theroux for travel, but that would be a very high mark indeed. But c'mon: a boat made of cork? Quirky enough to like.

The author, a former speechwriter for a Congressman and Clinton, quits his job to build a boat made out of 165,000-plus corks held together by rubberbands, which he then sails with friends down the Douro River in Portugal. It sounds like a fairy tale, and it practically is, a heart-warming true fantasy story of childhood dreams and adult sacrifice and priorities and adventure. Pollack is, of course, a gifted writer, adept at spinning a tale and interweaving personal remenisces, anecdotes and a few strands of history here and there. But it's Pollack's determination and optimism, though, that make this such a sweet story. After the descriptions of camraderie, community, despair and dedication, I felt like cheering along as they pulled into Porto on the final day.

This is a terrific book written by the ultimate story teller. John Pollack draws his readers into his experience and vividly describes the many challenges and adventures he faced to achieve his childhood dream.

I highly recommend this book and couldn't put it down.

I received this book as a gift and it was truly a great read and a very inspiring story. I'm sure many people will be put off by the fact that this guy quit his job to undertake a quixotic dream but the story is told in a very clear manner, warts and all. I especially appreciate how he underscores all the negatives of the experience: breaking up with his girlfriend, contentiousness with his close friend. All of these things are a part of life and the author doesn't cover them up just because this massive project turned out to be a success in the end.

John Pollack's tight and engaging style makes Cork Boat an easy and pleasurable read. His ability to render vivid memories, and to make them accessible to his audience reflect the talent that gained him a job as a Presidential speechwriter. Equal parts real-life character development and international adventure story, Cork Boat is an inspiration!