5 Motorcycle Books EVERY Rider Should Read (Or Listen To!)

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Motorcycle enthusiast and host, Annick Magac, recommends five motorcycle-themed books and one book of poetry. Magac's choices are eclectic, ranging from a memoir about healing through motorcycle journeys to a classic philosophical novel about motorcycle maintenance. She also includes a practical maintenance manual, and a memoir by a woman who took a cross-country motorcycle trip with her son. Finally, she shares a provocative 1971 poetry collection that reflects the social and political climate of its time. Her selections highlight both personal experience and the diverse ways motorcycling can be explored.

Here are links to the books. If you use the links to purchase, the show may earn affiliate commission. -

1. Ghost Rider : Travels On The Road To Healing by Neil Peart -
https://amzn.to/40yedtr

2. Your Specific Motorcycle Maintenance Manual - It comes with your bike or find it digitally online. 
Clymer Maintenance Manuals - 
https://us.haynes.com/collections/clymer-workshop-repair-manuals?utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=QT_SEARCH_SA_CLYMER-BRAND&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAnKi8BhB0EiwA58DA4XBblIMvwfhr6-7XZHiJwCqf-l9ZnyNJRCdUr4SVEGgBSLV6F_qcNRoChQcQAvD_BwE

3. Zen and The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig -
https://amzn.to/3DWgwxD
Simthsonian Exhibit on Pirsig -
https://americanhistory.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/zen-and-open-road

4. Spirit Traffic: A Mother's Journey Of Self-Discovery and Letting Go by C. Jane Taylor -
https://amzn.to/4g2HZLv

5. The Perfect Vehicle: What Is It About Motorcycles? by Melissa Holbrook Pierson -
https://amzn.to/3WjoxTEhttps://amzn.to/3WjoxTE

BONUS 6. The Motorycle Betrayal Poems by Diane Wakoski -
https://amzn.to/4aqVnb5

Transcript

Motorcycle Books To Read

Annick: Hello, my beautiful motorheads. Welcome to Féroce, where we inspire you to live fiercely. I'm your host, Annick Magac.

It's winter here in the Northeast, and we're spending a lot more time indoors. So it's a good time to catch up on projects, and to also maybe read a book. I know, it's crazy. Probably haven't read a book in a long time. Or, you're a total avid reader. Now, if you don't read, Please continue to watch and listen to this because almost everything that I'm going to recommend is available in audio.

And it's nice to switch things up in the shop. Sometimes you don't want to listen to music. Sometimes you want to listen to a podcast, like Féroce. And sometimes it's just fun to listen to an audiobook. And the great thing about the motorcycle books is that it gets you totally psyched for the riding season that's going to be coming up soon.

So, let's dive in.

 * INTRO *

Annick: I was originally going to shoot this video at the library, and I actually went to the library, and I scoped out the library, and then it dawned on me, Annick, you're not supposed to be loud in the library. And I was like, oh, right. Yeah, probably not a great idea. However, what was really ironic was that the two librarians were talking at full volume about what they were going to be eating for lunch today.

So go figure. Anyway, I thought, well, since I'm going to be in the shop, I might as well do it here. And if any of you are wondering, This is a GSXR 1000 Streetfighter'd out.

It's actually getting a little facelift during the wintertime. So, the tank and the tail are out for a new paint job. Not my bike, but I have to say, I rode this bike and I absolutely love it. And it is the reason that I sold my Ducati 999S. Which is a total bummer. But, That's a story for another day.

Speaking of stories, the first book I'm going to recommend is this.

And it is Neil Peart's Ghost Rider, Travels on the Healing Road. Neil Peart was the drummer and lyricist for Rush, and he had a very tragic, um, that happened to him. His daughter died. He was only 19 and followed very shortly after with his second wife.

Neil Peart passed away in 2022, but he was known as an avid motorcyclist and he would often ride between shows. He actually didn't do the tour bus or fly. He would just get on his bike and ride. So Ghost Rider is a book about his journey to healing. After all these tragedies happened, he just got onto his motorcycle and rode until he felt like he was at peace.

Now, knowing that he was a lyricist for Rush, it makes sense why this book is so well written and it's a great story the book is available in audio, paperback, and hardcover. Oh, the other thing I wanted to say about the library, which is the reason why I went there, was that The library is free.

it's one of the great things in the United States of America that we have that's actually free. Now technically we pay for it with our tax dollars, but it's like one thing that not that many people I would say use enough of. The library by me has not only free books, but it also has free DVDs. It has, free audio books, so you just, you just do everything through the portal and free Kindles.

anything that I'm going to recommend you probably can get through the library. In addition, the other cool thing about my library, which maybe your library also has, is that you can get tickets and passes to local parks, museums, all for free. You just go in and you sign up and you say, like, I'd like to borrow the ticket to this X state park for two days and they loan it to you.

It's crazy. And on top of that, I decided to join my local ukulele club. Now don't worry, I'm going to you guys from playing any ukulele songs for any of you because I'm a brand new ukulele player. But, uh, it ends up that my library has a ukulele play along and I go and what didn't occur to me was that when I went the name of the group is actually called Silver Strings.

And I was like, oh, that's a cute name. And it didn't occur to me until I actually went there that everybody there had silver hair. And So it's basically me and all the elderly folks, the wise elderly folks, playing the ukulele. And I have to say, they totally kick my butt in playing the ukulele because they have had far more years of experience playing and are quite good, and I am not, yet.

The second book I'm going to recommend is actually a book that I don't like and I know you're like that's kind of weird Why would you recommend a book that you don't actually like? Well Because it is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Now, this book has sold over 5 million copies since it was written in the 70s. And there's even at the Smithsonian currently an exhibit, which John Flores in episode 3 told us about. And then I went online and checked it out. And indeed, the Smithsonian actually has his motorcycle, his jacket, and, some of his manuals that he used while he was writing, and riding the motorcycle.

you know, Why don't you like this book? I have tried to like this book. I have really tried to like this book. And if 5 million copies have sold, I think that I'm probably the minority in not liking this book. I tried to read it twice. Not once, but twice. I read it when I first bought it, which was years ago, and then when Mr.

Persig passed away. In 2017. I tried to read it again and I still didn't like it, so go figure.

The back of the book says. When you read it. The most explosive book you will read this year. The extraordinary story of a man's quest for truth. It will change the way you think and feel about your life. Now, Robert Persig basically in this book uses Zen Buddhism ideas to tell a tale, which also happened, but I think that he took probably some liberties like most authors, which is fine.

he makes these parallels between ing doing motorcycle maintenance and trying to figure out like, you know, why are we here? How do we deal with life? So all those theories are great. And, uh, and again, I Just didn't like the book. But a lot of people do. And I think, you know, after contemplating it, and I was like doing a little research on it, and again decided to recommend it because most people love this book, is that I think I can't relate to it because I'm female.

I know, it's kind of a weird thing to say, but I, men seem to really love this book, so I'm just going to put it out there. This is for you guys. And I'm sure there's women that love it as well, and found the ideas in it. Inspiring, but didn't resonate with me. However, it's a classic, and I kind of feel like Moby Dick.

Like, you just need to, at some point, read some of the classics to understand the context and the time that they were written and why they're important. So, you know, as a motorcyclist or enthusiast, you might want to pick up this book. And One great thing that I found was that there's actually a dramatized version of the audio, which was done by the BBC radio, which I'm sure is probably awesome, and actually I would listen to that, which would mean that I would.

technically like read the book a third time. 

all of these books I'm going to link in the description so that you can purchase it. I pretty much am doing everything through Amazon, just so you know, but I found this copy, which was written inside for 1 years ago at a used bookstore. they're around and if 5 million copies were sold, there's definitely many of floating around. 

The third book I'm going to recommend, And it's much more of like a broad category than a specific book and that is the Clymer manuals and your motorcycle's specific maintenance manual. Now, These are not available as audio, so, sorry about that. But, they are usually offered as digital. Now, I love the physical copies of these because it's a very different thing to actually hold the book in your hand.

And a lot of people, it ends up, they never read their motorcycle or car manuals. I don't really understand because then they get into their cars or they're on their motorcycles and they're like, I don't know what this button does or like, how do I change the time or do any of like the basic maintenance in a lot of these maintenance manuals. They're great. There's diagrams in here. There's very specific like, Oh, speaking of the clock. It shows me how to self diagnose my motorcycle and figure out, you know, where the buttons are. And how to adjust the clutch lever. Like some of these things that sometimes you wonder what to do on your very specific bike, and then you just don't do it because you're like, I don't know how.

Or you try to find it by going deep into YouTube and trying to figure out, you Is there a tutorial that shows you how to do that? Which is fantastic. And I've learned a lot from YouTube tutorials. But there's also a lot of videos out there and tutorials that are incorrect. I would say that the practices of the mechanics are very suspect.

So sometimes you need to take things with a grain of salt. However, if you have the factory manual, you know for sure what that company, such as this one is for my Yamaha XT. specifically wants you to do for this motorcycle. Now, the Clymer, which I love, and if anybody owns any vintage motorcycles, the Clymer set of books are invaluable.

And yeah, you can get this as digital. I prefer it as an actual book because there's something about just more slowly Paging through, and the illustrations and photographs are just fantastic. Like, sometimes I just like to look at these. Like this, I don't own any of these triples. I have a Kawasaki triple, but not a Suzuki.

they're just great. Like, sometimes I'll just look through these books. Like, there's a stack of them in the shop here. You just learn something like whether or not it's for your motorcycle specifically, there's always something to learn. I'm like, Oh, how does the thermostat work?

And it just kind of shows you and it'll go through and then that you can match the diagram. It's old school learning, but I'm telling you, it works. And these diagrams are just great. Oh, my God, I just I love these illustrations. They're just so cool. So That is the, the third books that I'm going to recommend.

Look at these. So cool. So cool. And, uh, not only will you learn something, but it's a great time of year right now. Like I said, during the winter time, that like, at night, maybe you spend like 10 minutes like flipping through one of these. You don't even have to read, just flip through and whatever catches your eye, you might learn something about a motorcycle, so.

Education, people. It's great.

The fourth book I'm going to recommend was C. Jane Taylor's Spirit Traffic. A Mother's Journey of Self Discovery and Letting Go. C. Jane was on episode four of Féroce and it was a great interview. CJ and Taylor's story just in general, just like her life story is great. you know, her mom owned a motorcycle dealership growing up, which is crazy. So she was babysat by mechanics. And then she got out of motorcycling for over 40 years and then when she turned 50 and her son was graduating from college she decided to take him as a graduation gift on a cross country trip.

Now I think that's like cool mom award right there while you're like okay maybe I'm not a middle aged woman so maybe I can't relate to this book I have to say that it is so much more than just being a middle aged woman and the woes of that. CJ really talks about family dynamics. She talks about what it's like to be on a motorcycle as an older rider.

She talks about the different places and people that they meet on this journey and not everything's roses and not everything's great as a spoiler alert. She, and maybe I'm not supposed to say this, but I don't think that it ruins the story. So I'm going to say it like in the middle of the journey, Her son decides like he doesn't want to do it anymore.

So he actually leaves her and her husband and they continue on on their trip. And I think that that speaks volumes about what the journey of life is about and also just these like moments in time and it's just a great adventure story. In addition to it, she now is working on her second book, which is going to be called Ride the Line.

she has a Patreon. this book is in audio, and she actually reads it herself, and that's my favorite version of the book because she just really, it's, it's always just fun to hear a book read by the author. It kind of gives you a different nuance to what was the meaning behind the words written.

So Again, audio, Kindle, and paperback.

One thing I realized when I was putting this list together was that it's a very random list. most of the choices that I made were based on my personal experiences. So, some of you might be like, Oh, is this like the top 10 best motorcycle books ever written? No, they're actually just the books that I enjoyed.

You know, all art is up for grabs. Criticism, right? some things that might appeal to me might not appeal to you. while the book exists and is a story, Some of my choices were also just based on my personal attachment to the book or story. this selection is completely based on that. And it is called The Perfect Vehicle, What Is It About Motorcycles? by Melissa Holbrook Pierson. this book love because it came to me at a point in my life where I just started riding.

I was desperate to find other female motorcyclists. You know, this was in the late nineties, early two thousands. the numbers are now 17, 19, maybe even 19 percent of motorcyclists are women. In the early two thousands, it was 10%. So there weren't many of us out there. I just wanted to connect with other women who rode.

it was like the beginning of the internet. So it was just. it was harder to get information. I ended up finding this book at the Strand in New York City, which is a very well known and longtime bookstore that's super fun to look through. And it also was on sale, which I was super psyched about.

So it was like, one of those moments you're like, I've been looking, I really would like to find a book from a woman who rides. And then I ended up at the strand looking through and I found the book and it was on sale. how psyched are you about that kind of stuff? 

There's a few things that I really enjoy about this book. One is that Melissa does a really good job of being able to express what it's like to ride. I wanted to read an excerpt from this. And it's about her going to a track, And just describing what it's like to be on a racetrack and to watch the motorcycles.

And she writes, The bikes scream. A starting grid of 30 bikes makes a hellacious noise when the first flag drops. Initially the field is so dense it seems a miracle that half don't carpet the pavement well before the first turn. A gentle tap from one of these vehicles to another does not produce the effect it does in a car.

sending it off in a new direction, but nonetheless upright. Indeed, it's rather amazing how fast a wobble makes seriously damaged good of a torturously devised race bike. Equally amazing is how many certain disasters are straightened out by professional riders. And that's another part of it for these 10, 000s in the stands who can so easily imagine what heading into a certain disaster might feel like.

What they can't figure out is how the guy in turn six just made that miraculous [00:15:00] save because such a thing is virtually inconceivable. It's just really well written. Like, she really does capture what it's like to watch motorcycles going into turn one. It's, it's very cool. She also, in this book, goes into the history of motorcycling and includes a lot of pictures and, various tidbits about.

The history, specifically, women who rode over the years. the other thing that she highlights very big in this book is Moto She is a huge Moto Guzzi fan. what's really funny is just how, like, life unfolds. So when I read this book, I was like, I'm gonna meet her someday.

I don't know why I thought that. Well, I do. I think that like I just made the assumption that the motorcycle community is rather small. she wrote this book in Philadelphia and I was living in New York city at the time. So it was like, you know, they're not that far away from each other and I know people in Philadelphia.

So someday I'm going to meet her. Well, fast forward years later. She showed up on a group email for going on a, on a ride. I [00:16:00] just happened to be invited as part of this group email on the ride, and I was looking through to see who else had been invited, and there was her email.

And I was like, Oh! I'm going to meet her! I'm going to finally meet her after all these years. So it ends up that she was actually organizing the ride and it was going to be at her house. Well, I was like, ah, it's kind of funny when I got the address of the house. I'm like, God, that, that address seems really familiar.

And when I showed up to the house, I realized that I had actually looked at that house to buy and she had bought it, which I think is very cool. And I'm sure you guys can all guess why both of us might've been interested in this house. And you're right. It's because it had a cool garage. It had a great garage.

So, uh, that was very nice to see that that home went to the right person. she still is a major Moto Guzzi head all these years later. And she has also published many motorcycle related books. So, maybe one day we'll have her on the podcast. We'll see.

this book, also available. Audio. paperback, [00:17:00] hardcover, Kindle, all of it.

 The fifth book is an odd choice and it's the Ewan McGregor, Charlie Borman, Long Way Round. So for each series that they did in riding the world together, there's a book that's been published. I didn't know that. The reason why I included this book is that I was at a book sale for my local library to raise money for them.

The cool books that you can get are amazing, like in addition to, I'm going to go off on a tangent with these books, the local book sale not only has all these nonfiction and fiction books, but my local one has a ton of nonfiction books.

Books on woodworking, on metal, on welding, like I, I, I went nuts and like bought a, bought a bunch of them, especially on woodworking, they're just a treasure trove of books that people don't really want or use anymore. And there's so much good information in books, just saying. So, anyway.

It was funny to see this there, and it's one of those things where, I think I paid like two bucks for it. And. You know, it's a, it's a pretty good book actually. I would say like I didn't have much expectation for it. Obviously the [00:18:00] series is excellent and part of the reason why I wanted to include it is that, you know, these two guys have done a lot for motorcycling worldwide.

I mean, the amount of people who are non riders who watch the series and either decided to go on their own adventure or to get into motorcycling. Has been huge, and it ends up that they are actually going to be doing a new series, coming out in 2025.

So that'll be pretty cool to check that out I'm including again this book more so because I just want to point out that Sometimes you just find these books in your wanderings I wasn't looking for it. I found it. It was again a 2 book. I'm going to read it, which I haven't yet. I've skimmed through it, to be honest, and it's cool.

it's just really well put together as a book. Which was kind of surprising, because sometimes these, TV or movie books can be, cheesy. And it also includes pictures from their trip. It's a cool travelogue, I thought. this is one of those books, like, I'll read it, and I probably won't keep it, and I'll pass it along.

Like, they're either to another motorcycle friend, or, in my [00:19:00] neighborhood, there are these, library boxes. And you can just Put books in there and take books and it's all free and that's fun. that's a great way that I get rid of books that I don't personally love, but I enjoyed reading and maybe somebody else will enjoy it.

Now the last book is my controversial book. And I am going to read you a poem because we're going to get a little cultural here on Féroce.

The poem I'm going to read is not as controversial, I need to do a disclaimer before I share this book with you, because number one in the world of art, we need to remember that art is created in a specific time and place. So what was going on culturally? Could be very different than what is currently going on now, especially in an era where we live in a very PC world and people are quick to censor people for saying the wrong thing.

So now you're really curious, right? I need to set the stage for this book [00:20:00] because . It was written in 1971, so you have to think about it. Post hippie, there's a lot going on in the world at that time. a lot of unrest, not dissimilar to what is currently happening. I find the title to be hysterical, it would totally not fly in this day and age, but I got to share it. It is not my viewpoint. This is a a work of poetry. So here we go. 

The Motorcycle Betrayal Poems. This book is dedicated to all those men who betrayed me at one time or another in hopes that they will fall off their motorcycles and break their necks. By Diane Wakoski 

I'm sorry. I can't even take this title seriously. And again, so I don't get censored or think that like, I don't wish this upon anyone, but. This is funny. And look how groovy. I mean, it was written in 1971. Totally groovy cover that we [00:21:00] got going on, right? So it's gonna put you into the vibe. I thought it would be fun to read a poem.

So there are some really fun risque and highly inappropriate poems in here, but I am going to share one with you today that I think is very applicable to this day and age and just a beautiful moment in time between a woman and a Hell's Angel.

So if you're listening or watching this, settle in, relax. If you're wrenching, continue wrenching. If you're driving, enjoy the road. I just want to say that it would be fun to just share a poem with you. That's motorcycle related, so let me be very specific about that. And it's called, My Hell's Angel.

This will be a straightforward poem. This will have no beautiful side tracking, like flutes on the shell, 

to distract you. 

This will have no digressions, 

like wet fern, 

like kelp dragging your feet down in water, 

like ground glass between your teeth,

like ornamented crosses and velvet coats, 

like rusty pistols 

or crusty bread, 

to disguise my feelings, 

to silhouette and forget me. 

This will be a poem without imaginary characters, 

a point in time, an encounter, an encounter. 

a poetic moment, 

someone else talking, 

without an elegant racehorse 

to distract you. 

I'm writing it 

because I had an experience that was a poem, 

because I am a romantic, 

because my life is unfulfilled and I am looking for 

new experiences, 

because I am open myself to poetry, 

because everyone talks it 

when they see how very well 

I listen.

This year, 

now, 

summer, 

beach, Where I am, a lonely woman, 

ripe, exotic, with a grace 

few women have, 

infectious smile, friendly, open, 

warm if I like you, 

walking on the beach. 

I have heard poetry. I am expecting to see people. 

There are two hours of sunset on the beach, and I go down to walk [00:23:00] on it. To see the tide come up high against the rocks and swirl like my favorite paintings around my feet.

I have forgotten all the men I love. I remember that I am alone, but I have lots of things to do. I'm wearing my purple bikini with a crinkly white shirt over it because it is a cool sunset. Cool sunset. Remember that. I walk down the beach. It is empty. I am thinking of the men I love. I have forgotten the men I love.

They are blonde, they are dark, they have mustaches, ride motorcycles, mainly exist in my head. Against the rocks and the strong rays of sunlight, I see a man in Levi's with his shirt off, a beard, longish hair.

He's relaxed into the rocks, a part of the beach beside him are motorcycle boots, which he is not wearing. I like men who ride motorcycles. I like the way his Levi's fit. I'm an old Californian. The beach turns me on. [00:24:00] I decide he's someone I would like to interest. I walk out into the foam. I play in the water.

I skirt him. I am a skirt. But I am wearing a bikini. My legs are tan. I have long hair. It blows in the sunset, the salty air. My dark glasses give me the look of an ancient scarab. He gets up and walks over to where I am playing in the waves.

He is small, very muscular, the kind of man I like, with a straight nose, scars, many scars on his shirtless torso. I am already participating in a literary event. He is a character in my Sunset on the Beach play. I am curious, what will he say and do?

I like him because I have created him and then by accident found him there. He asked me if I live here. I say, no, I'm here for the summer. I asked him if he lives here and he says, no, his bike is broken and in San Diego and he is staying here until he can get it fixed.

I know then that he doesn't just wear motorcycle boots, he rides motorcycles. [00:25:00] The arm is tattooed. It says Apache. He asks me, referring to the two gold loops in my pierced ears, if I have another earring. Laughing, I say, no, why should I have three earrings? I like to laugh. It is part of the sunset, part of the play, part of the deepness I feel in my body about being alive.

I can always cry or laugh. I can reach down and pull out the creased edges of my body this way. I'm in touch with the water. It laps at my feet. Sun glints off my sunglasses. I'm happy to be alive. Happy to encounter life. He asked me if I will give him one of my earrings.

What would I do with only one? I ask him. Laughing again, happy that there are people like me who ask for what they want and really expect the world to give it to them. He doesn't even reply to such a silly question. Obviously, whatever I do with only one earring is my business, not his.

It is gold. It shines in my ear. It reminds me of the man who pierced my ears. It reminds me of my pierced heart of a car called Pierce Arrow. It reminds me that the sun is glinting off my smile, that the small waves are around my feet. I am talking to a man with one hole in one ear. Wearing Levi's, who rides a broken Harley, On a beach at sunset in California, and that there is nothing in my life but the sun glinting off my earring, and that earring could be given away and nothing would change, and X change, no change. So I take the earring from my left ear, and I laugh, and I hand it to him. He puts it in his ear. Now I tell him I am a poet, and he tells me about his life.

It is a life of challenge. He wants to challenge every man to fight. He wants to prove his body against every man. He rides with the angels, he tells me. He tells me of fishing, of hunting with only a knife, of riding, of the pleasure of being a longshoreman when he has to work, of moving his body in the cold, comparing what he can do with men much taller and bigger than he.

He tells me of loading tuna on the icy boats, of only wearing his t shirt. He tells me of sleeping on the beach at night, of the challenge of riding his bike in winter on the sleety streets of the wind of Chicago. His eye has a scar in it. He fights men who offer to buy him beer and make fun of his beard.

He's blonde. He wants to fight the world off. I do not want to fight the world off, but I love this stranger with my gold earring glinting in his ear wanting to fight off the world, to prove that he is half Apache, born on the reservation in Arizona, riding with a gang of men who talk poetry.

Where are my roots, I ask myself, scarcely getting a word into his monologue. The man who talks like an angel, rise with the angels, and whom I will see this once on a sunset beach in California. I look at the cliffs over the beach. We talk about building houses. He knows how to fight and to construct buildings.

The ice plant is dry, barely holds in the eroding cliffs. California will fall into the ocean soon. He won't be sleeping on a cliff or under it when California does this. He likes the Black Panther, he tells me. I laugh. Ask him which ones. He does not understand me. We talk about the elegance of big cats.

This one is special, he says. He would like to own one. My only monologue is delivered then on the beach in the sunset. The tide is getting higher. One ear empty of its gold. My hands moving like a cat pawing at my long hair which moves in the salty beach air.

Why do you want to own a panther, I say? Aren't you contradicting everything you've told me about being wild and free, loving things for their wildness, wanting everything to be free, wanting to fight for everything, to prove who is freest, who's in control? Why must you own it?

Why must anyone own something to love it? Why can't you let it come and go? I'm so afraid of owning things and I tell him, but he [00:29:00] knows because I've given him my gold earring and someone who cared about his possessions would not give such a thing casually away. I gave it because I know that it was part of the encounter, the exchange, that everything we have is that way. The tide got so high he had to pick up his jacket, his wrist watch, and run. He was waiting to meet his girlfriend. We ran to where he might find his girlfriend.

She came. I walked away. It was nice talking to you, I said, laughing, walking away, exhilarated, knowing there are people who will survive gives them muscles far beyond their size. I will always remember his muscles, his Apache tattoo, words about the joy of fighting and winning, the sadness of his broken bike, his candor in immediately asking for what he wanted, the sun on the beach, my hair blowing, the sun on my face, the tide around my ankles, the sun on his straight nose, the eroding cliffs, his anger at people who wouldn't fight, who had no pride.

The sun glinting on my gold earrings, the sun on the gold hair on my arm, the sun glinting off the waves, the sun which he'd wake up to in the morning on the beach, the sun he'd put in my heart because he was so alive and he shared some of it with me.

Written in 1971. Still kind of applies. it's a rare book. I did find it on Amazon, so I'll put a link to it. But it's hard to find a copy of this. And again, like the other Ewan McGregor book, it's fun when you find these random special books that are out there in the world.

if there are books that you love and think that we should listen to or read, please leave that in the comments. I would love to hear what books have been influential in your life and are just, maybe just a source of joy, like that poem.

 If you like what you heard, please subscribe and like this video and as always, ride smart, ciao. 

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