Although it's not advisable to judge a book by its cover, the photographs gracing the cover of Travels with a Kayak make it hard not to be intrigued, even without reading a word. A cowboy, a Buddhist monk, an English bobby, and an Indian holy man stare out from separate photos, each holding a well-used kayak paddle. Even if you've never remotely considered whitewater kayaking, Whit Deschner sure makes it clear that you are missing an awful lot of fun if you don't give it a try. Travels with a Kayak follows the death-defying author around the world as he drags his kayak from country to country in search of life. Readers won't be disappointed as they join Deschner for a humorous ride through New Zealand, Turkey, Indonesia, Pakistan, the U.S., India, Japan, and all over the rest of the world.


Heather Gunn, Playboating (Great Britain - spring 98
Whit Deschner, possibly canoeings most entertaining writer, has written a book about his `Travels with a Kayak. Its packed full of hiiarious and sometimes horrific paddling stories, many of which seem way too far fetched to be true, even though we have it on good authority that such unbelievable things did really happen. If you think youve got great stories to tell. dont open your mouth until youve read this book. You might well find your little escapades pale into insignificance compared to this mans. There are some great old school photos in the book and plenty of useful information it you fancy doing a bit of travelling yourself. Travels with a Kayak had us laughing out loud all the way through. Its superb.


Jan Nesset, Canoe & Kayak Dec 98
If you think or want to believe that there truly may be something funny about nearly everything, then you must view the world of kayaking through the eyes of Whit Deschner in his new book, Travels With a Kayak. His hilarious stories are actually stories where fiction and fact live recklessly in sin together. Its Whits way, we like it. Even the copyright page is funny.


Bob Gedekoh,American Whitewater Journal May/June 1998
In writing the book, Deschner clearly had one purpose in mind: To make his readers laugh. He succeeds admirably! Travels With a Kayak is one of the funniest adventure travel books I have ever read.


Stuart Fisher - Canoeist, Great Britain, Jan 1998
Travels With a Kayak is in a class of its own humour. Every last word needs to be read. Indeed, every first word, too, for it opens with a copyright which bans memorizing of the book and goes on with a list of exclusions of which a house insurance policy would be proud. The whole book is so full of twisted lateral thinking and word play that it is unwise to read more than a chapter at a time. Look forward to three weeks of zany entertainment.


(Espaces, Quebec - fall 98)
Changez votre sac dos pour un kayak! vous dirait l'auteur de cetouvrage plein dhumour. De la Turquie la Nouvelle-Zelande, en passant parlIndonsie, le Japon, etc., ce livre nous raconte les aventures d'un homme quia fait de son kayak une deuxime peau. Les nombreuses photos qui illustrentcet ouvrage sont autant de tmoignages loquents sur lart de vivre diffrmment, an gr de ses passions, et surtout sans limite.(Espaces (Quebec) fall 98)


From the Inside Flap
As the model for Edvard Munch's famous Scream, Whit Deschner is probably someone you already know and don't realize it. Now join him as he drags his kayak from country to country, through an insane world of whitewater! From sheep-infested New Zealand, to the body-filled waters of Nepal; from Guinness-rich Britain to alcohol-poor Utah and Pakistan; from running amuck on the creeks of Bali to Private Purtz's long-lost diary of the Grand Canyon's first descent; from the biblical Turkish Euphrates to the radiated, mutated wildlife of the Everglades. And that's not all! There's: SEX! The lipstick on the mirror read: John, you were the greatest last night. Love, Bob. VIOLENCE! She was a Jain, a strict vegetarian like me. But she kept putting ketchup on her steaks. I couldn't stand it. I went ga ga. I used an axe. Bullets are so expensive these days. INSIGHT! Inside it was dark. NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES: I know my life passed before my eyes but Ted was blocking my vision. A! ! ND, OF COURSE, KAYAKING! Evidence of hypothermia was easy to ascertain: the blue lips, the glazed eyes, rigor mortis setting in quickly followed by those accompanying the victim going through his wallet and divvying up his boating gear. Tag along with Deschner's zany and devil-may-care escapades of questionable facts and unleashed humor (along with unleashed facts and questionable humor) as he paddles down some of the world's most renowned and obscure rivers (and across a couple of its swamps).