Biking through Africa

For a guy who spent four years on a bicycle saddle, Alastair Humphreys sure has balls.

I mentioned his book and his round-the-world-by-bike quest in October, back when AH's book "Moods of Future Joys" came out.

I bought his book—which is about the Africa part of his journey—then promptly packed it into a box, left the box in my garage, and moved to Cairo. I totally forgot about his unread book.

Unpacking brought the book back to my attention, and since I have a day job, I get about a half-hour a day to read on the train back and forth to work. I picked up this book to read first as it's a lightweight paperback.

Here are a few of the reasons Alastair Humphreys has cojones:

1) He didn't mess around for years like I did, trying to get published while wishing I'd thought to take a fridge along on my trip round the world. He just went for it, publishing himself, publicizing himself, and saying "To hell with the approval of The Man."

2) He freely admits his fears and inadequacies without trying to portray himself as a larger-than-life hero.

3) He doesn't hold back on his opinions for fear of alienating a publisher, an editor, or the public. There is sincerity and a lack of pretentiousness throughout the book.

4) He doesn't take shortcuts, make things up, or gloss over the parts where he isn't proud of his actions.

5) He doesn't exaggerate, doesn't claim to have answers, and doesn't pretend to have a comprehensive insight into people's lifestyles simply from having visited them briefly. He admits to having more questions than answers.

Oh, and last, he rode a bicycle around the entire world. With almost no money in his pocket. That's cool too.