Synopses & Reviews
In IDITAROD ADVENTURES, mushers explain why they have chosen this rugged lifestyle, what has kept them in long-distance mushing, and the experiences they have endured along that unforgiving trail between Anchorage and Nome.
Renowned sports writer Lew Freedman profiles 23 mushers--men, women, Natives, seasoned veterans, and some relatively new to the demanding sport, many of whom are so well-known in Alaska that fans refer to them only by their first names. The book also features interviews with administrators who organize the event and make sure it happens every year, volunteers, and others whose connection to the Iditarod is self-evident even if they don't have an official title.
Review
"All of the stories collected here are personal accounts by participants in the Iditarod dog-sled contest, as reported by Lew Freedman, former reporter for the . There are 28 chapters, each one a kind of summary of a musher's personal experience running the Iditarod. The cross-section includes mostly contest winners and top competitors, but also some of the more colorful characters who participate, such as Hobo Jim, a country singer who wrote a popular song about the Iditarod; Jon Van Zyle, who makes paintings of dogs and mushers; Aaron Burmeister, who grew up in Nome and for whom the Iditarod has been a continual part of life; second generation musher Cim Smyth; Newto Marshall, a competitor from Jamaica; and DeeDee Jonrowe, a woman who has finished second twice." --Eithne O'Leyne, ProtoView
About the Author
Lew Freedman is a veteran newspaper sportswriter and experienced author of more than seventy books. He spent seventeen years at the ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS in Alaska and wrote extensively about the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. He has also written several books about the Iditarod and had stories appear in ALASKA MAGAZINE and Alaska Airlines magazine. Freedman has also worked for the CHICAGO TRIBUNE and PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. A frequent traveler to Alaska, Freedman believes the Iditarod is one of the world's great sporting events and only wishes the dogs could talk so he could better write their story.
Table of Contents
1. Timely release for Iditarod madness (Race starts 3/07/15)
2. Freedman is respected author of over 75 books, 8 about sled dog races: Iditarod Classics 978-0945397120, More Iditarod Classics 78-0972494489, Iditarod Dreams 978-0945397298, Father of the Iditarod 978-0945397755, One Second to Glory 978-0970849342, Spirit of the Wind 978-0945397939, Iditarod Silver 978-0945397564, Yukon Quest 978-1935347057
3. A follow up to his popular Iditarod Classics but more complete to include entire careers.
4. A bible to learn about heroes of the Iditarod. Excellent companion guide for keeping up with who's who in the race and in race history.
5. IDITAROD FACTS:
+"Termed 'The Last Great Race on Earth,' the Iditarod, named for an old gold mining town in the state's Interior, represented the ultimate wilderness challenge. It was man (or woman) against the elements, with only sled dogs for companions, comfort and transportation. The Iditarod is a throwback race, an event with its origins stemming from a bygone era."-Lew Freedman
+The 1,100-mile Iditarod is a race across our nation's most forbidding, demanding, and dangerous territory.
+Iditarod is to Alaska what the Kentucky Derby is to Louisville or the Indianapolis 500 is to Indiana. It is a symbol of the Last Frontier.
+From iditarod.com:
*The first Iditarod race to Nome started March 3, 1973.
*The teams average 16 dogs, which means over 1,000 dogs leave Anchorage for Nome. *There are 26 checkpoints on the northern route, the first in Anchorage and the last in Nome. On the southern route, there are 27 checkpoints.
*Educators in all 50 states, many countries around the world and on most continents, connect the race in curriculum connections. Tens of thousands of students, preschool through university level, complete Iditarod related school projects to practice their skills in math, science, social studies, reading, writing, technology, and other curriculum areas. Preschool teachers use the race to help develop beginning math and reading skills, university professors use the race to inspire students to use real time math data from real events to gain skills in statistics class, and all curriculum areas in between help students build basic skills through the Iditarod activities.
Reading Group Guide
IDITAROD ADVENTURES Discussion Questions:
1. Describe one type of hardship experienced during the Iditarod by the mushers and their teams. Is that hardship somehow unique to this race, to long-distance racing, or to Alaska?
2. In what ways was Martin Buser's journey to become an American citizen influenced by dog racing and the Iditarod?
3. Describe a quality or characteristic that is shared by famous mushers to make them well suited to the challenges of the Iditarod. Give examples from the book.
4. How do dog racers turn mushing into a yearlong business? How could these strategies be applied to other seasonal interests?
5. How did Jeff King change the way he trained his dogs? What benefits did this offer over traditional training methods?
6. The Iditarod is a sporting event that has been won by people of both genders and a range of ages. What are some of the factors that make this event so equalizing where other sports are not?
7. How did women winning the Iditarod change the event or affect how it is followed?
8. How has the Iditarod itself changed over the years? Which mushers do you think are the most responsible for those changes? Why?
9. According to Mitch Seavey, the musher in the front "is never the winner." Why is that? How do the mushers who make the bulk of the trip further back in the pack end up winning the race?
10. Dick Mackey compares competing in the Iditarod with running a marathon or climbing a mountain. How are those experiences similar to running the Iditarod? How are they different?
11. How have modern advancements (cars, Internet, GPS, high-tech fibers, etc.) affected mushers and their dog teams? What examples does the book present of both positive and negative impacts of the modern world on the sport of dog racing?
12. In what ways has Lance Mackey been an inspiration to others in the sport of dog racing and beyond? Which other mushers did you find particularly inspirational? Why?
13. What role does money play in the Iditarod? How do mushers benefit or suffer financially because of the race? Does it make a difference to be well funded? If so, how and why?
14. Joe May describes the Iditarod as a "gentleman's race." Give examples of the type of actions he meant by that.
15. How has Hobo Jim become a fixture in the Iditarod culture? What has he contributed to the state of Alaska and/or the dog racing community?
16. How do volunteers and support personnel help the Iditarod run smoothly? According to the book, how many volunteers are involved in the race effort?
17. Jake Berkowitz has sold his dog team and property, and he's turning away from the mushing life. Do you think that is a mistake for this up-and-coming young competitor? Why or why not? What would draw you to sled-dog racing and the Iditarod? What would make you walk away?
18. Aaron Burmeister reflects, "You're young and obviously you think you know it all. It takes years to realize that you don't." How does this statement relate to something you've learned in your own life? Do you think there's an age when you will "know it all" about an area of special interest to you?
19. The Yukon Quest and the Iditarod are both long-distance dogsled races. What are some differences the mushers see between the two races? Give examples from the book.
20. Pick two mushers and compare their experiences. How were they similar, and how were they different?
21. Many mushers recall their first Iditarod as their favorite race. With all of the pitfalls and hardships that can befall rookies, why do you think that is? What reasons were given by the participants in the book?
22. What is the role of the race marshal in the Iditarod? What qualities make Mark Nordman well suited (or ill suited) for that job?
23. Several of the mushers in Iditarod Adventures have quit racing. What were some reasons given by various mushers for leaving the sport? Which of those racers do you think are most likely to return to the Iditarod, and why?
24. Several times throughout Iditarod Adventures, various people comment that they are not as well known Outside. What do they mean by that, and why has the author chosen to capitalize that word?
25. Sebastian Schnuelle describes losing $40,000 racing despite doing well in both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod. How do mushers balance the extreme financial demands of the sport with real life?
26. What were the biggest obstacles Newton Marshall had to overcome to race in the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod after being born and raised in Jamaica?
27. How have mushers changed the way they feed their dogs during long sled races? How have changes in dog nutrition and health care affected times in the Iditarod?
28. What role does mentoring play in competitive dog racing? Use at least two examples from the book to demonstrate the elder/newcomer relationship seen in the modern Iditarod.
29. How do the challenges of the Iditarod and its training help mushers rise to the other trials in their lives? DeeDee Jonrowe, in particular, has overcome intense obstacles while maintaining an active mushing career. What qualities do you feel contribute to her ability to overcome obstacles that might thwart some other competitors?
30. The author of Iditarod Adventures (Lew Freedman) presents each chapter in a different participant's own words. How does this conversational style of writing affect the messages conveyed by the book?
http://lewfreedmanbooks.com