On a rainy miserable morning in Paris a twenty-something bureaucrat decides there must be more to life than dull office work. Stevie Smith tries to figure out what he could do of great significance and hit upon the notion of a trip around the world using only human power—no motors no sails no balloons—maybe the last great first. With no experience no particular expedition skills and no money the adventure begins. A pedal-powered boat a bike in-line skates and a lot of non-heroics take Stevie and his buddy Jason where no one has gone before. No travel writing has more accurately captured the old adage "it's the journey that matters not the destination." Therein lies the simple beauty of this entertaining travel tale—a search for simplicity integrity and freedom.
