Allan C. Weisbecker (1948–2023)

A daft romp around Columbia, California and other places in clapped out vehicles in a permanently drugged out and drunk state, guns and grenades, with implausible outcomes. A senseless tale of a man obsessed with the nature of quantum physics. Very reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson's books. Funny but pointless. The Foreword, footnotes, and Epilogue all provide additional fun to the book.

Easily the best novel that I have read in a long time. The cover is deceiving. When I saw it in the bookstore "Book Miser" (a stupid name for a bookstore) I at first thought it might be a book intended for pre-teens (because of the cartoon-like cover). But scanning through it, seeing the profanity and mention of drugs, physics, machine guns, and sex, I knew that it was indeed not intended for pre-teens. It is very Hunter S. Thompson-ish, with all of the drugs and guns and drinking, but it is show more even funnier that Thompson (and better, in my opinion). His relationships with his dog High Pockets (family) and Jose (best friend) are charming and well written. The physics and philosophy make the book though. Lots of talk of quarks, atoms, subatomic particles, existence, and the meaning of life. Great book! I am surprised that I had never heard of it before. I am also surprised it isn't a cult classic. It would also make a great movie. show less

This is a book that I've had on my bookshelf forever, which I picked up because I have a fascination with surfing. I love the idea of it, of standing up on a board and letting a wave carry you. I can imagine the joy of it, can imagine finding what Weisbecker describes as The Glide. (I've only tried it once on a water logged board and it was miserable just trying to just keep the nose of the board above water.)

This book begins with Weisbecker dropping everything and abandoning his home and show more possessions, except for his surfboards, truck, and dog, and heading south into Mexico. The journey is in part to return to the true surfing life, and in part to find his old friend Christopher, a.k.a. Captain Zero.

Weisbecker is a good writer and he describes wave riding and his travels in Mexico and Central America well enough to make them easy to visualize. His past adventures, including marijuana running, with Christopher are also entertaining and sometimes hilarious.

But as much as I love the idea of the surf experience on the water, I hate the posturing machismo that comes with it, the tendency toward a feeling of ownership over waves (perhaps understandable on crowded waters) and occasional assholery of some dudes. There's also a general attitude toward women of them not being real surfers and only being as something to F*ck that I hate. All of that comes out at points in Weisbecker's interaction with other surfers, as well as his own attitude of elitism. Not to mention, his occasional tendency to be patronizing (or "how cute") in tone when describing the cultures and people he meets down south (not always, but enough for me to notice).

It was a good read and I wasn't bored, but it's not a book I'm enamored with. show less

One of those rare books where I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. I have never surfed and as I approach 50 in three months I probably never will, but to enjoy this book you don't have to have surfed. The writing is poetic without being wordy, and the experiences that the author has had prior to embarking on the travel/life experience this book describes, is amazing.