As the adventure travel industry continues to boom so we're seeing a lot of new titles on sports that were once considered extreme but are now happily prospering with regular infusion of new thrill-seekers.Addison's welcome book does two things. Firstly it's a guide for people who've never been near a river, raft or expedition but who, after spending enough time watching the Explorers' channel, would very much like to "do" a river. This, it does well. Addison has had a long involvement with the Southern African Rivers Association, notably as an instructor, and it shows in this book. He has left nothing out, even so far as to give a brief history of rafting. There is a chapter on rivers themselves, which introduces the finer aspects of what rivers are made of and how they work.
It's all there, illustrated with the kind of pictures - eight-person rafts plunging through the turmoil of clear-fast rivers - that will inspire the curious.
But it's not only a beginner's book. Later chapters discuss in detail how to plan and execute river expeditions and how to run commercial rafting trips. Of course commercial rafters should know all this stuff already it won't hurt to read-up on capsize drills or test what you thought you knew about safety and rescue.
The book should have universal appeal. In fact the publishers, New Holland, have aimed it at rafters everywhere, with generic pictures ranging from the Colorado River in the US to the good old Zambezi. Although not dealt with in sufficient detail, there is a small section describing some of the world's finest - or at least better known - whitewater runs.
There's enough meat here for everyone, even the experienced river gods. You never know what new things you might learn.
- Paul Ash, reviewing for AdventureZone magazine, May 2001
