Out Your Backdoor Bookstore
“Been there done that” books are hard to find…here’s some!
In each book subject area, I find that if one has standards you end up
avoiding 90% of titles. Each subject has only a few stand-outs good enough
to please someone looking for depth and helpful originality. I’ve been doing
this sorting for years now. Maybe my legwork can put you ahead of the line!
If you like OYB, if you like the ‘do it yourself’ spirit, you’ll like these
books. I pick books that show exceptional initiative. I pick books that
are cross-training for the brain—that are, say, poetic if the usual books
in that field are how-to. I tend toward books which are multi-genre—they
include memoir, history, helpful detail, inside info, recipes, sketches,
photos, beautiful design and layout and quality physical presence—all
in one. Lastly, these books are superior in general, but are surely among
the best in their categories.
My credentials are: I’ve been thru lots—lots of books, bookstores, libraries
and ‘situations’—maybe you can benefit from my winnowing.
While my bookstore is tiny, it’s also the biggest in the world. –Coz it’s
an *Amazon.com Associate Bookstore*. Their motto is “leveling
the playing field for the independent press.” And they’re cheap. You
often get BIG discounts. You just click the link here, it hops over to the
book at their site and they do the rest.
Note that OYB gets a bit of the proceeds of anything you buy at Amazon
after hopping over there from here. It doesn’t cost you anything extra,
but it sure helps defray some OYB website costs. Thanks!
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Victor Vincente of America
“A Dirt Road Rider’s Trek Epic”, by VVA. This is an OYBP title
best ordered direct from me, see the OYBP link at the homepage.
DESCRIPTION:If you’re a bike buff, you know how rare bike literature is.
Here’s a bit of pure bike ride story-telling for inspiration: the classic
‘world’s longest prose poem’–‘A Dirt Road Rider’s Trek Epic’–by Victor
Vincente of America, a bike cult guru hero.
VVA is a founding father of mt-biking, as well as the revival of road racing
in America. He has hosted legendary offroad events.
His notorious newsletter was the first home of this prose-poem about days
and nights in the natural and cultural outback.
The DRRTE–plus new episodes–is showcased along with media-reprints of
VVA’s heyday. Illustrated, with artful glimpses of his other projects, including
coin art, t-shirts, posters, and stamps.
Richards’
Ultimate Bicycle Book Richard Ballantine, et al / Hardcover / Published
1992 . —Great writing, photos and topics chosen. Lots of personal vim
and vigor. Coverage of bike creativity, ingenuity and alternatives unlike
any other (especially folders, city bikes, recumbents, trikes and fairings).
I never saw a big spread on roadside repairs from found objects before,
but this book includes a great big photo of a bike with over a dozen ‘DIY’
roadside repairs explained. Creative and effective! Like most other DK books,
this is a coffee table book with ATTITUDE, panache, style–unlike almost
all other similar books. Read
more about this title…
Richard’s
New Bicycle Book Richard Ballantine, et al / Published 1987. The
RUBB pre-empted this book. But didn’t replace it. If you can get a copy,
do. Literary general cycling writing at its U.S. best, with great HPV trendsetting,
too. Great line art illustrations throughout. Personality plus.
Bicycles–le
biciclette–Bella Cosa library. A cheap, elegant ‘objet d’art’ volume
of stories and photos of gorgeous bikes.
Bobke:
A ride on the wild side of cycling, by Bob Roll. The king madman of US bike
racing, and a writer to boot! He’s been everywhere in global bike racing.
Railbike:
Cycling on abondoned railroads, by Rob Mellin. —On the rails! Outrigger
style! Smooth, quiet, free…no cars!
Half-Wheel
Hell and Other cycling Stories, by Maynard Hershon. Friendly ‘inside’
stories about the eternal truths of life in a social sport. If you’re getting
into cycling it’s probably because you’re looking for a home, a family,
something with roots. You might also notice how it’s hard to find those
roots. You know they’re there, but where? Americans tend to forcefully forget
their roots. But we need them anyway. Hershon hooks you back up to them.
Still, it’s always best if you ride with those who ride from the heart.
And it can also be darn nice if you ride with those who know the lore, you
connect cycling back to where it came from, which mostly means Europe. But
you always need more where that came from, so here’s Maynard.
Hearts
of Lions: the History of American Bicycle Racing, by Peter Nye
Pedaling
for Glory: Victory and Drama in Pro Bike Racing, by Sam Abt
Bike
Cult, by David Perry. Big book about everything bike.
Off
the Map : Bicycling Across Siberia by Mark D. Jenkins / Published
1993. —One of the most recent books about worldclass unprecedented exploration.
It’s almost all been done; but Siberia hadn’t. Finally some American’s and
Soviet teammates give it a whirl. I especially like the coarse unedited
tone of this book. MJ lets you see the sordid behind the scenes of sponsored
world-hero behavior and motives. They’re as shallow as any other egomaniacal
jocks! Sometimes the author’s cynical a–holery makes a reader wonder. With
the right connections and experiences, maybe you’re allowed to just sit
and type whatever you like! Sounds good to me! (In the right hands…) Maybe
it took nerve to write like this; I’m not sure it’s all intentional though.
Still, it’s fresh. Anyway, MJ paints a fine picture of hard work and vast
distance. You can feel the mud. The writing puts you into the hypnotic/hallucinating
state of risk and effort. Candid insights into everyday Siberia and history
(…kill a nation to pave a road around a lake). The ity of bureacracy
further unveiled, in its commie form this time, but it’s the same everywhere.
Read
more about this title…
