(Read by William Finnegan; Audible Studios on Brilliance Audio; 1 MP-3 disc; $14.99 or as a download from ; $29.95, 18 hours and 8 minutes)
You may think a surfing book is not your thing, but this is remarkably entertaining. Part travelogue, part anthropological study, Finnegan's memoir is rich with vivid and intense descriptions. Surfing shaped his life, but he entwines it with stories of the people who were equally important, and the challenges he met with the same fervor he brought to the beach. Still, this is a bit overly long, and not enhanced by Finnegan's narration, which is flat. Finnegan may be a polished writer, but he sounds uncomfortable as a reader and makes rookie mistakes. A professional narrator would have improved this production and helped to speed listeners past the spots that drag.
Grade: B +
