Customer Reviews

Walking My Dog, Jane: From Valdez to Prudhoe Bay Along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline (Emerging Writers in Creative Nonfiction)

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I enjoyed this book immensely, in part because Ned Rozell writes about things that I know, places that I've been, and the land that I love. He also strikes a chord in me when he writes about what Alaska means to him and the people that he meets along the way, and how so many of us have families in the States that just don't quite understand what keeps us here. I hope Ned's words help explain. I have lived in Alaska for 13+ years, and still I am reminded of the wonder and magic of the mostly wild land which surrounds us. Ned tells a wonderful story of the land and the history of the places he walks, interspersed with the adventure of crossing the largest state in the nation, and funny dog stories courtesy of his traveling companion, a chocolate Labrador Jane. As they traverse three mountain ranges and over 800 water crossings, Ned learns things about himself and his surroundings that he never expected. If you ever dreamed of traveling to Alaska, or if you have a dog that insists on walking you every day, you'll enjoy this adventure/history/travel story as much as I did.

This book is a good read for all "free spirits" who have thought about going to Alaska and experiencing this new frontier the hard way. No cruise ship or guided tour in a luxury bus. This is stictly about "hoofing" for 800 miles across some magnificant country. It is also about being alone and sometimes being afraid. My immediate reaction was one of envy. Envy for those who have the dream and the TIME to pursue that dream. The reader also develops a great deal of respect for individuals who have the perserverence to follow their dream. Dog lovers will particularly love this book since they understand the special bonding that often takes place between dogs and their owners. Some readers will want to schedule a trip to Alaska after finishing the book and others will be happy to settle for the new knowledge that they have acquired. Clearly, Alaska is not for everone. Read Ned Rozell's book to see if you experience the "call of the wild".

"Walking My Dog, Jane" will take you on an amazing adventure with Ned and his dog Jane, not just into the far reaches of Alaska and into the lives of the unique people who live there, but to a place where you are challenged to begin your own personal adventure. If you check this book out of the library, you'll just decide later that you want to own it, to lend to certain friends, to re-read certain chapters as you suddenly decide to travel to Alaska and to quote some of the finely crafted, simple but meaningful wisdom and information you'll find in this book. And then, you'll want to get a dog if you don't already have one. This is a special book by a gifted, candid, informative and inspiring writer. I honestly and literally couldn't put it down.

If you are a dog lover who enjoys adventure and the outdoors, then "Walking My Dog, Jane: From Valdez to Prudhoe Bay Along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline" is a must read.

This was a book that I could not put down, I was always curious what adventure Ned Rozell and Jane (his chocolate lab) would encounter next. My curiosity was heightened by Rozell's brilliant writing style, in which he makes you feel as though you are hiking along the pipeline with him and Jane. Who would they meet? What act of kindness would the next stranger offer? What would they see? What would be the history of pipeline mile 647?

Finally, this book is about a man who made a dream become reality, and it was this new sense of reality that made his life become a dream!

Walking My Dog, Jane By Ned Rozell

Rozell, an easygoing, thirty-something resident of Fairbanks, Alaska, tried to quit his job in the summer of 1997 to take his dog for a walk. His dream was to walk across Alaska by following the famous pipeline with Jane, the chocolate Labrador who had seen him through "three pick-up trucks and seven girlfriends." His boss at the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute wouldn't let him quit, as it turned out, so he stuck a small tape recorder and a palmtop computer into his backpack and continued to write his column for the "Alaska Science Forum" along the way, sending in reports whenever he found a telephone to transmit through.

The best of Rozell's insights and observations are woven into this work of creative non-fiction, including illuminations on the history of the pipeline; its place in the Alaskan landscape and economy; the mosquitoes, bears, and other companions who join him along the way; and the unusual people who choose to live in the semi-civilized Alaskan outback. Rozell also takes time to muse on being alone, making commitments, managing addictions, and a few other things that affect us all. A gentle, thought-provoking first book with something to interest almost everyone.

I don't know when I have enjoyed a book as much as this one. I think it is extrememy well written as well as interesting. I was so excited by sections of this book, I would wake my husband and read aloud to him. He is an outdoors guy and really understood the feeling experienced by Ned. I intend to buy a few of these books and give them as gifts to special friends. I want everyone to meet Ned Rozell.

I really enjoyed this book and purchased it after reading Ned's online journal of his trek through the Alaskan wilderness. I too could not put it down and have ordered a few copies to give to people as gifts. There really is something in this for everyone, from young to old and not only do you get an honest glimpse into the author's life, but also a look at the lives of the people that he meets along the way.

I grew up in same town as Ned, attended the same high school and recognize a similiar outlook on life as many of my friends from there. I hope someday he considers writing about that part of his own "journey".

I found Ned and Jane's journey fascinating and intriguing. If you've even been to Alaska you can appreciate the hardships, joy and bravery these two pioneers faced while walking the entire length of the Trans Alaska Pipeline. When friends ask me about Alaska I always suggest traveling from the south to the arctic north to experience the full range of beauty Alaska has to offer. Through this book I was able to experience it all over again, Rozell does a wonderful job describing the history and the characters they encountered. I am recommending this book to all my friends that want to know why Alaska is so special.

I enjoyed reading Ned's book. It was nice of him to share his personal journey across the Alaskan pipeline. If you are looking for a book to inspire you of Alaska's beauty, I would actually think this is not the book for you. I felt it was more about the people and the evolution of Alaska than the actual hike. It was however written in a way that I did find it hard to put down. I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed meeting the people. I found Ned's perceptions of the people and areas to be very blunt. He puts it the way he sees it.

It was an enjoyable book to read, and I would reccommend it.

I must admit there have been several ways that this book has landed in my lap, but I'm thankful to all the pointers! I really enjoyed my first reading of it to the point where I loaned a copy to a friend of mine ... who promptly decided she needed her own! This is one of those books that takes you on a very human adventure and you really feel as though you are a part of Ned and Jane's lives. In a long drive this summer, I've brought this friend of a book with me. I recommend it to EVERYONE who is moving along in their lives. Simply AMAZING!