Note: Editor Karen Larson asked Avital Keeley — a junior member of the Good Old Boat crew and an enthusiastic newbie — to review this book. What better opinion than one from a youngster who is very interested in becoming a sailor? Before she asked Avital for her thoughts about this book, Karen also read the book and offers her own review below.
To a beginner sailor, a book titled Learn to Sail Today: From Novice to Sailor in One Week sounds like a dream. And that it is.
Barry Lewis formats his book according to its name: it is split into seven sections with one section per day. He then divides each section into multiple steps, each adding onto the reader’s knowledge of sailing. Sometimes he includes vocabulary without a good explanation or breezes through a subject that might trip people up. It’s definitely not a book to read when you are tired!
Although it’s meant to be read as you spend a week sailing (and I’m sure that would be helpful), that’s not necessary. This book is incredible in the way that it is easy to understand, even when not aboard or near a boat. I read this book on various buses, before bed, and while eating cereal, yet I still learned more than a summer of weekend sailing trips could teach me (excepting a summer of weekend sailing trips with the amazing teachers I know).
Getting back to those vocabulary terms that were left dangling in front of me. At first they are like the words you can’t translate in a foreign language sentence, completely without meaning. But then you see the words elsewhere, in other contexts, and things click. I’ve already used my newfound knowledge, both in sailing conversations and in odd things in my everyday life.
I can’t wait to go sailing again to see how much this book has helped me (In the same way I’d love to go to France after studying French for years.) Learn to Sail Today not only teaches the terms and the science behind sailing, it teaches so much more. Lewis’ writing style is friendly and warm. It feels like he is right there telling you everything, jokes and all. It’s not a formal, informational book, and yet it relays the same amount of information.
Any beginner sailor should read this book, even if he or she has been sailing before. Experienced sailors might want to read this book as a refresher and to open themselves to a new perspective about sailing and learning.
Learn to Sail Today: From Novice to Sailor in One Week by Barry Lewis (International Marine/McGraw Hill, 2016; 195 pages)
