Cycling into Your Soul
Author: M. Archibald, Marg Archibald
List Price: $18.95
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ISBN: 096821004X
Publisher: Monday Communications Group Ltd (March, 1999)
Sales Rank: 99,506
Average Customer Rating: 4.4 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
An Inspiration!
"Cycling Into Your Soul" is a very special book that not only inspires the reader to dream about a journey of his or her own, but which also stirs the reader to action. The book traces the experiences of Marg Archibald as she sets out on her bike with the desire to circumnavigate the world in celebration of her fiftieth birthday. She knows that she will begin in St. Petersburg, Russia, but the details of where she will cycle are unplanned, and instead unfold according to inner need. The liberation from the constraints of time and imposed structure are relected in both the text and in the style of writing itself. The book is written as a series of vignettes and insights that vary in length from just a few lines to several pages. This allows the writer the freedom to share a wide variety of sometimes unrelated, but interesting and meaningful experiences and thoughts with the reader. It also serves to make the vastness of the journey across land and into self less daunting and more easily imaginable. The reader is left thinking, "I could do this too!" and is continually reassured that "obstacles" can be overcome if they are not viewed as such. As we follow Marg Archibald on her journey, she shows us that factors such as age, athleticism, work, money, language, culture, health, and dealing with the negativity of others need not inhibit us from pursuing our dreams. This is the perfect book to pack away in your panniers as you "cycle into your soul!"
Rating: 5 out of 5
Cycles into my soul, too
I have a close friend who reminds me of Marg Archibald -- her husband left her, she had to spend much time and energy wondering about her own self-worth and identity in a world that saw her single and (in her mind) dismissed her. This journey that started out as one possibility for celebrating a 50th birthday is one of discovered self-reliance and strengthened identity. Most of Marg's epiphanies elicited a "Way to go!" from me ... and I found myself angry at some of the infantile men she had the misfortune to meet along the way. This book develops a world-view both encouraging and challenging; the reader will want to do almost anything but sit at a table and eat cake for her/his next birthday!
Rating: 1 out of 5
A disappointment
I was disappointed at the outset with the quality of the writing. But I pushed forward hoping that the story itself would be redeeming. I did find her occasional discussions of her philosophical approach to travel to be of interest. But overall, this book did not flow, and did not hold my interest. After about 35 pages, I decided that I did not want to spend my time pushing through this book. I agree with another reviewer who commented that this book needed an editor. That was apparent after reading only a couple of pages. If I could do it over, I wouldn't buy this book. It does have a nice title and cover though. Marg Archibald probably has a great story to tell, but this book was not an effective vehicle in my opinion.
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