Customer Reviews

First You Have to Row a Little Boat: Reflections on Life & Living

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

From Joan Mazza, author of DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF, DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE, FROM DREAMS TO DISCOVERY and THINGS THAT TICK ME OFF.

Richard Bode has given us a beautiful book to savor and ponder. I read this straight through in one day-a rare event for me, since I always read several very different books at a time. FIRST YOU HAVE TO ROW A LITTLE BOAT had me totally engaged and I kept marking paragraphs and writing WOW in the margins. On page 145 he says, "If every man and woman were to take the meaning of their life and pursue it passionately, they would alter the social landscape overnight. In fact, that's how lasting revolutions are made-not by the raised arm of the masses, not by the military seizure of power, not by the political coup d'état, but by individuals asserting who they are one at a time." WOW.

His use of sailing as metaphor worked beautifully for me, even though I don't sail. His comments (page 32) about listening to the wind instead of holding tightly to dogma and rigidity were eloquent bordering on poetry. Very inspiring.

This is just a good book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is in love with the water. First you have to Row a Little Boat by Richard Bode is a wonderful book about reflection on life and living. I can truthfully say that this book is the best book I have ever read. R. Bode uses his young life as a sailor to show philosophical views on life, and what views they are! I feel a connection to Mr. Bode's childhood. I too have a little blue boat that I love so much and sail during the summer. In this book I have learned that the fastest way to a certain spot is not a strait line, but a zig zagging one. Just simple sailing lessons like this one can relate to everyday life and help a person through it. If you are a sailor too you will easily relate to this book in that same way as I have. The wonderful way that Richard Bode writes this book is that everyone, who is a sailor, can relate, but in his/her own ways. Everyone draws from his/her own experiences but gets the same result, understanding life. I really enjoyed reading this book. It brought up ideas in my mind that I would have never though of otherwise. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes sailing.

I was a bit skeptical when first starting to read this book, however the author has made many astute observations using sailing metaphors. I have done a fair bit of sailing throughout my life, and I can relate to the observations made. It is a very well written book with quite a bit of substance, and a fast read.

There were sections in the book that made me laugh and then cry as the points made were so on the mark.

I recommend this book.

My best friend recommended this book to me. I picked it up, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a high school teacher, and I distribute this book to each of my seniors when they graduate. (Normally, I don't have a lot of seniors in my classes. :-) ) I found this book very thought-provoking, and it gave me a very unique perspective on life. This book is definitely worth the read - it's short and light, and you'll be reading it more than once.

Bode uses his obvious love for sailing as the basis for lifes' learning experiences, and it works to the point that everyone should be given a boat at birth! If only we could all have lived in his childhood to share those 'building blocks of life' in the first person, but this book is the next best thing. Sailors like myself gain even more from his experiences, because although we might have been there, Bodes grabs us back to that joy and disappointment, the thrill and inspiration that sailing has given us. If you haven't got the idea that I heartily recommend this book, perhaps my writing isn't as elequent as Bodes... buy this book!!

I'm a rower, so this book may have fallen into my hands by mistake. But I enjoy sailing one-man boats, too. There are some sweet stories in this book. I didn't hate it or anything. But the overall emotional effect seemed contrived or prepackaged. I don't object to the hokeyness--I LIKE hokey!--but very chapter is a pat lesson from sailing that maps perfectly to life. Give me a break. The effect is charming at first, but eventually it's cloying and a little silly.

Contra one of the blurbs on the cover, I suspect one's enjoyment of this little book will be inversely related to one's familiarity with sailing. The less you know the more you may like it. (This is not borne out by a quick scan of the reviews, but only a small percentage of readers write reviews. I suspect a microscopic percentage write negative ones.) There's a rowing book that comes to mind here: MIND OVER WATER. It just didn't seem that deep to me. It didn't seem as if the guy really knew that much about rowing.

Books like this create a nice illusion of emotional depth, in my opinion. There's a market for that, which is fine by me. Bad breath is better than no breath at all.

easy read. some excellent life lessons. think message might have been conveyed in half the pages.

I first got this book a couple years ago at Christmas. The title appealed to me as I love the water, but when I began to read it I was not 'hooked.' I set it down and figured I'd read it sometime.

I picked the book up this December to read while waiting in the hospital for my mom who was having surgery. After the first chapter I asked myself why I hadn't read the book before now.

What a book! I love the way he uses sailing a boat as a metaphor for life. Each chapter has meaning and good advice. I cannot tell you what a good book this is to read and learn about life and oneself!!! I learned a lot about me that I already knew, I learned of some things I could do, could do differently, should do, and shouldn't do. It is all good common sense, but you know what they say about common sense and that is that it isn't too common anymore!

I have recommended this book to many friends and some have enjoyed it as well. I wish I'd have read this a couple years ago when I first received it, I might have viewed some things in life a bit differently.

I highly recommend this book for anyone going thru difficulties in life be it a job change, career change, divorce, graduation, etc!!

I will keep this book and read it again, and again. I know there is more in there than what I found. I know as I did re-read a couple chapters and got more out of it the 2nd time around. I read a lot of books, and I rate this one very high!

Loved every minute of it!!!!

I was introduced to this little book by a close friend, who recommended it unreservedly. I read it when I got home and promptly ordered a half a dozen copies for our grown children. Since then I've ordered two or three more for close friends. It's the kind of book I wish I were able to write for our kids and for their kids.

If I weren't a sailor, I'd give the book 3 stars. The writing is straightforward and eloquent, and what it lacks in sophistication it makes up in intimacy to its metaphor. The 'life lessons' are applicable, but sometimes feel too wishy washy and/or forced. All in all, a nostalgic read for us who bleed salt water that may leave land lubbers reaching for their scopolamine.