Book Review - Dazed but Not Confused: Tales of a Wilderness Wanderer
Kevin Callan's latest book Dazed but Not Confused: Tales of a Wilderness Wanderer, was the first book I ever purchased digitally. I still love my bookcase full of books, but the sheer convenience of being able to pull up a book while waiting at the doctor's office, or waiting in a lineup is such a great way to add a bit of reading to your life (something I'm guilty of not doing enough of, as I marvel at my book shelf). To top it off, thanks to technology, the page I was last reading is synced between my phone and iPad so that I'm always right where I left off. The only issue is... if you drop a book, you might bend the cover. Drop an iPad, and you could shatter the screen.... which is exactly what had happened to the iPad I was reading Kevin's latest book on.
It was very fitting however. Kevin claims that he has the "Worst luck in the world" and that "He wished he lived a normal life" due to his "misadventures". The entire first section of the book is made up of short stories involving filming missteps, being caught naked in the wilderness, a moose mishap, and camping blunders (not all of them were Kevin's fault). Throughout each of these tales, Kevin makes it to the other side in one piece, ready to take on the next adventure, much like this poor iPad.
Even if you have heard Kevin tell a tale or two on the radio or at a trade show, you will still marvel at Kevin's bad luck throughout these stories and enjoy his written wit. Some stories even include historic looks at the parks he visits, giving you a greater appreciation for the effort gone into making this book.
The other sections of the book cover his trips all over Ontario ranging from Parliament Hill in Ottawa to the recesses of Quetico or Penokean Hills. If you frequent a single area for camping, you will sure appreciate just how many options we have in Ontario for camping and canoeing. Kevin uses quotes from books and newspapers to add depth to his stories and there is a very nice intro to the book from James Raffan from the Canadian Canoe Museum.
Dazed but Not Confused: Tales of a Wilderness Wanderer is a great read and is 224 pages. It retails for $24.99.
