Customer Reviews

The Guide's Guide Augmented: Reflections on Guiding Professional River Trips

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As someone in the process of starting a rafting company, RiverIndia.com, I needed a book with thorough, dependable information covering all aspects of whitewater rafting. The Guide's Guide suprised me in its completeness and in-depth treatment of everything from knots, guiding, cooking, forms, games, and more! William McGinnis, one of California's whitewater pioneers, should be commended on this meisterwerk. It is a great help to those of us who hope to follow in his footsteps.

Bill McGinnis has written an excellent reference for anyone involved with
professional river guiding. Every chapter reflects years of experience and conveys information with comprehensive clarity that's easily understood and
transcends the obvious. The heart and soul of the commercial river experience are the people involved, the guests and guides. Everybody wants to be happy and accepted, even uplifted, and Bill's section on the Guests, Guides and Staff relations offers valuable insights are that are real and superb. In addition all the nuts and bolts info including safety talks, raft/paddle instruction, river running etc are offered by an expert who is humble and wise at the same time. There's so much to be learned by anyone interested in making every day on the river the best, and this book is a fine friend in this regard.

As an active professional guide for 25 years and 16 years as an outfitter I'm still learning and Bill's book is a great reference for me and my company. I recommend this book with high regard.

John McDermott Owner/Head Guide
River Dancers Rafting and Kayaking Inc.

This Book is used by Professional rafting companies all over the world as a training manual for their river guides. Everthing you can think of and then some !

The Guide's Guide by William McGinnis is an excellent book containing a lot of detailed and very practical information covering all aspects of rafting useful for managers, leads, guides and even trip guests. The book is written by the person who has the hands-on experience in every level of field guiding as well as in company management. What makes the book really unique is that besides very specific whitewater rafting information it's filled with pearls of practical wisdom and advices. The book is fun to read and could be interesting not only for rafting professionals but for anyone who deals with team building and events management.

This is a great book for all outfitters and guides in the adventure travel industry, not just river guides or outfitters exclusively. Having worked in the guiding industry since 1990 for various outfitters including Mountain Travel Sobek as their Operations Manager for International rafting trips I can say without reserve this is a must read for anyone doing any guiding, period. if you are a 40 year veteran you may think some of the topics are not insightful as you already know the answer, however it is well organized and well thought out so no points or gaps are missed.

I am going to send a copy to each of my guides this winter to read before they show up at the warehouse in June for our first trip of the season.

James Ellsworth
Middle Fork River Expeditions, owner
[...]

William McGinnis has provided a clean, candid, and thorough introduction to the world of whitewater. This book touches on every major aspect of rafting from trip planning to running a company, and all of it is infused with a welcoming, friendly philosophy. This book is a must read for people looking to create, or be a part of, truly wonderful, inclusive river trips.