George Dyson, the son of distinguished physicist Freeman Dyson, grew up immersed in the world of groundbreaking science. His previous books include the acclaimed "Darwin Among the Machines," He and his father are also the subjects of Kenneth Brower's dual biography, "The Starship and the Canoe," Dyson lives in Washington State.

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews

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4.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Paddling through time ..., Jun 30 2002

By	baidarkas "Chris" (Washington, USA) - See all my reviews

George Dyson has written such diverse books as Baidarka, Darwin among the Machines and Project Orion. "Baidarka" with its wonderful photographs lets us look over George Dyson's shoulder.

Into history: Old sketches and lithographs show the "white man's" perception of the aleut kayak and kayaking life. Well chosen excerpts take you back in time.

At the "Dyson Baidarka": Information on materials and tantalizing scattered bits on how to build an ancient style kayak with space age materials. The Aleuts used the best possible materials, didn't they? A "how to" manual it is not, but it is essential if you want to build one. And if you build one you are rewarded with a sturdy, elegant boat.

At his own life: The he spent living in a tree house high up in a douglas fir :-) And of course ... he was building baidarkas. I love the images of the aluminum skin on frame boat in the tree house. By the way, many believe that George Dyson single-handedly revived the home-built kayak. "He who has a baidarka is rich" (Gavriil Davydov, 1804) - Thank you George, for making our lives so much richer.

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5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, interesting book, April 22 2000

By	Nicholas F Schade (Connecticut, USA) - See all my reviews

This book looks like a coffee table book, but it is a lot more. It covers history of the Aleut kayak builders, documents the experiences of a free spirit, and demonstrates an innovative method for building a beautiful kayak. The pictures are interesting, beautiful and inspiring. I don't know how this book got published, it does not fit well into any one catagory.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Recommended. If you like time travel. I do., Feb 16 1998

By A Customer

Well, this book is the one I set aside when my brother gave me a pack of books to read. I didn't get the idea of aluminum baidarkas; so I read all that other stuff until there was nothing left but this book. Until then, Sea Kayaking still was no option for me. George Dyson got it started, as for so many others. I'm glad I got across his book, for all the good time I spent with his ideas. If you like living your dream, this book is for You.

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Most recent customer reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars A somewhat scattered but appealing book
This is an interesting book. It covers a lot of territory concerning Baidarkas, and is full of very nice photographs. Read more

Published on Jan 12 1998

4.0 out of 5 stars A great follow-up to Starship and the Canoe
It was so great to read the author's words directly after reading The Starship and the Canoe. Dyson has helped keep alive one of humankind's greatest vehicles in in its purest... Read more

Published on Nov 6 1997

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful, informative and fascinating book
Many of us first became aware of George Dyson and his infatuation with the Baidarka on reading Kenneth Brower's "The Starship and the Canoe", published in the mid-1970s... Read more

Published on Jul 14 1997