Customer Reviews

Lighting Out: A Vision of California and the Mountains

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

 

 

This is by far the best book I have ever read. I keep coming back to it, and reading it again. If you love the mountains, yosemite, climbing, california, or just an entertaining read, this book will supply you with plenty of adventure. It will have you dreaming of warm days in the El Cap valley for months!!!

What's our hesitancy to give in to idealism? Duane's scribblings are exactly what a culture defined by people defining it needs. Soft and gentle California Dreaming with a backdrop of adventure and open, honest living...who doesn't need a dose of Duane's California? I adore Duane and all of his meanderings and observations on his surroundings. Any man that can write about love and the Grateful Dead, El Cap and surf towns, and not sell his soul to the new vision of extreme California is something of a gift. Duane is a deep breath of high Sierra air after a life of choking on the smog...read what you can while you can because the California that Duane writes about won't be here forever.

I found the chit chat with people about moving in with girls or while in the car in lines or over tables with others just plain annoying. Never moved me along to want to read the next page even. I thought perhaps it was just the start that was the problem...checked out by flipping through the rest of the book and every single time I landed on yet another boring moment of chit...let alone chat. I've been a caver and climber and love adventure...but this writing was dull. I only bought the book to ship to friend in Canada who does like this authors writing style...no one would ship her the book from Amazon to Canada...she sent a DVD and I sent her the book in exchange. My husband attempted to read the book and found the same problem I had. It is very rare one of us doesn't like a writers style enough to basically give up on the book. So that's where we are and yet our friend loves this book...so she'd give it 4-5 stars I'm certain. Amazon is good...it lets us say what we really feel and think in our reviews and usually prints them all the good and the bad together. It's wonderful to be treated that way.

Daniel Duane has received a lot of attention for his other books, especially Caught Inside. This book, his first, may also be his best. Especially is you're a climber and can connect with the search for for a fulfulling and sustainable role in life you will find this book engaging. Too bad that it is out of print now.