Cultured Travel Guide Books - Journey Of A Hope Merchant: From Apartheid To The Elite World Of Solo Yacht Racing |
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List Price: $24.95
Our Price: $13.00
Your Save: $ 11.95 ( 48% )
Availability: Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 797.124092
EAN: 9781570035647
ISBN: 1570035644
Label: University of South Carolina Press
Manufacturer: University of South Carolina Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 201
Publication Date: 2004-10-31
Publisher: University of South Carolina Press
Studio: University of South Carolina Press |
| Spotlight Customer Reviews: |
Customer Rating: 
Summary: An Awesome story of courage and inspiration
Comment: I heard Neal Petersen speak and by the time I got to the table to by his book, he was sold out. I finally orderd on line and it is every bit at moving as his presentation. It truly made me realize that if he can overcome all of the obsticules placed before him, than I don't have any excuses to not overcome my own.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: "In life there are no barriers - only solutions"
Comment: "In life there are no barriers - only solutions." Call this positive statement a credo, a code, a slogan or a mantra. It is the one rule that dominates the life of its author, Neal Petersen.
I had the pleasure of being in an audience where Mr. Petersen happened to be the keynote speaker. An author and motivational presenter, he held the attention of all attendees, especially me.
Neal Petersen was born with a physical disability in South Africa during its apartheid years. As a child he was determined to overcome all adversities, a trait that not only guided him through life but also helped him stake his claim as the first black man to race a homemade boat single-handedly around the world.
In his book, "Journey of a Hope Merchant" and recipient of the 2005 National Outdoor Book Award, Mr. Petersen has the reader join him on his journey through life and particularly on this solo journey in the 1998-99 "Around Alone" yacht race. Throughout the book, the reader is gripped with the determination of Mr. Petersen as well as his endurance, ingenuity and particularly his sense of survival.
Right from the book's prologue by his wife, Darlene Kristi-Petersen, one becomes immediately tuned into the reality that Mr. Petersen is a man driven by his dreams. From an impoverished youth to achieving world recognition, two university degrees and author and coauthor of ten books, one can only picture Mr. Petersen as a consummate achiever.
As I write this review, I refrain from telling the story of Mr. Petersen's challenges at sea. That I'll save for the reader, as I will the many other chapters in his life where he continues to tell us the importance of dreaming. The importance he teaches us is that dreams are not simply for dreamers but are the roadmaps to be followed, challenged and achieved.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting Story of a Man Who Would Not Quit
Comment: I would not call this a sailing book. Rather it is a story of a crippled boy from Capetown, who found freedom in swimming, diving, and sailing, and had a dream to sail around the world alone in the greatest of all races, inspired by these yachts and racing sailors who visited this port. The Author, who grew up in a middle class neighborhood in South Africa had to endure racism in his struggle to achieve his dream. Along the way, he found many sailors willing to help, and many other people who contributed to his life journey. It will melt you heart to read about the many wonderful people who helped Neal Accomplish this seemingly impoosible goal. It renewed my faith in the best of human nature.
This is the sort of book I'd give a young child for inspiration. It is proof that man can overcome most obstacles with only the most basic of tools--literacy. This is a lesson that should be taught to all children.
Neal makes his living as a motivational speaker. I finished the book, wanting to hear him speak. And I'd like to sail with him.
The book is an easy read. I found myself reading until 3 am and finished it the next day. I give this book 4 stars because it is not the sort of book I would re-read. It is not the sort of book I need to inspire myself. However, a good book to read once and then pass on to your friends.
The was one point in the book where I found myself gravely disappointed. I was saddened to read in Neals account that Brad Van Liew, one of this competitors, accused him of cheating by using his engine. Any competitor has a right to face fair competition and ask for an inquiry. If he proved it false then he should let the matter drop instead of whining about it. He also complained that Van Liew stole his sponsors. Should American sponsors support a non-American? Sounds like sour grapes too me.
The bottom line is Neal's story is inspirational. I hope he continues his public speaking and his sailing. I'd like to meet him and sail with him.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A life motivating story
Comment: This book is an easy, fun, adventurous read that will shift your attitude and belief in the most positive way. Neal has accomplished more most people would dream possible. Yet in reading his story you will start to believe that anything is possible. It has rejuvenated and refocused me. I'm sure it will do the same for you.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Story!
Comment: I read this book non-stop and I had to write a review. By way of full disclosure, I met Neal Petersen on November 3, 2005 and spent five days sailing with him on a passage from Connecticut to Bermuda. That time with him prompted the purchase and reading of this book. He is a fantastic guy with a truly inspiring story. The book recounts Neal's life story and struggle against the odds to reach his dream of racing a sail boat alone around the world. At every turn there are choices. Listen to the naysayers or pursue what appears to be an impossible dream. Throughout the story there are detractors and supporters. This book has drama, adventure, romance, and inspiration. This is a story not only about Neal's adventures sailing, but about how to live life to the fullest. I can't recommend this book highly enough!
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| Editorial Reviews: |
Seemingly the most unlikely of men to compete in the elite sport of world-class yachting, Neal Petersen has lived a modern-day adventure that affirms one can overcome adversity with determination and hard work. Of mixed race, Petersen was born physically disabled and impoverished in apartheid-era South Africa, where he found healing and equality in the turbulent waters surrounding Cape Town. Petersen dreamed of building his own boat and of sailing in the great solo races of the world. Journey of a Hope Merchant recounts the epic journey that took him from a racially segregated neighborhood to the prestigious BOC Challenge and ultimately to a place in history as the first black man to race solo around the globe. Petersen's thrilling narrative places him among the ranks of such famous sailors as Joshua Slocum and Sir Francis Chichester. Petersen describes mining for diamonds underwater; rounding Cape Horn; surviving near-fatal accidents, killer storms, and a mid-Atlantic collision; capsizing in the Roaring Forties; and overcoming heartbreak, loneliness, continual financial difficulties, and adversity at every turn. His heroic experiences illustrate the incredible resourcefulness required of a sailor, especially one alone at the helm of a homemade boat. His gripping account of the 1998-99 Around Alone race, made famous by the mid-ocean rescue of the French sailor Isabelle Autissier, will become a classic of nautical writing. While Petersen sailed his boat alone, his story extends beyond himself. He describes the unforgettable individuals who have sustained him - an activist mother, a generous community of Irish citizens, a cadre of eminent sailors including his mentor Harry Mitchell, and the woman who ultimately ended their relationship because Petersen chose to follow his dreams of sailing. Written with a freshness and style that reflect his unstoppable optimism, the story of Petersen's compelling journey is a testament to endurance, survival, perseverance, and ingenuity. His autobiography vividly portrays both the sacrifice and joy entangled in this love affair with the sea. Journey of a Hope Merchant is proof that the harshest lessons learned at sea apply to all aspects of life and that even the wildest dreams are attainable.
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