On a 1-5 scale, it is a six (6*).

Bane's writing is clear and to the point. He sets up a system for logically analyzing your situation _before_ you get into a situation.

His step-by-step process applies to the urban jungle as well as the Amazon or Congo. I'm sure he would rather have you read a different book for the urban jungle, but his rationale applies there as well as the "Outdoors."

His procedure will help you decide what you want to carry, when you want to carry, and how to use it.

If you have already decided that you will never use lethal force, read the book anyway. It will help you be prepared for _any_ level of outdoor misbehavior. With or without a gun.

As a very mildly competitive tactical pistol shooter, I know that I must decide, before I enter the wild, or the urban jungle, whether or not I'm going to carry, and when or not I will shoot, or run, or whatever.

Bane gives his readers the tools to use, and a plan to use, before ultimate danger is encountered.

Don't get me wrong, this is NOT a judo/bali-song/44 magnum how-to fight book, it is a how-to use the weapon between your ears book.

Order the book, lock the door, and read it before you go out.

This is a well written book about being safe while hiking, camping, or backpacking. It wisely provides guidance on how to avoid or retreat from potentially bad situations and likewise has a frank but practical discussion on the merits of self defense on the trail. It does not hype the crime that happens on trails and at campgrounds which is good and bad. Good in that it does not try to present the outdoors as a "war zone" but bad in that more stories about bad situations would provide readers with more guidance on how things go wrong and how to avoid bad situations.

Michael Bane's Trail Safe: Averting Threatening Human Behavior In The Outdoors is the first title specifically designed to prepare the outdoorsman and vacationer to defend themselves against criminal behavior in our nation's public parks as well as other rural and wilderness areas. Trail Safe presents the three-pronged self-defense mechanism centered around intuition, awareness, and fear; the nuts and bolts of risk assessment and planning; and a self-defense decision tree that will enable the reader to determine appropriate reactions to a violent encounter, should one occur. Trail Safe is essential, potentially life-saving reading for anyone spending any time in wilderness areas whether hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, skiing, or any other recreational purpose.

i liked hearing about how Travis Tritt got started and about his life. I laughed and even sometimes cryed. I couldn't put the book down.

If you have even a passing interest in Travis Tritt I recommend this book. There is nothing like first hand accounts of events to shed some light. I found Travis's attitude toward the "business" to be intelligent. I also was glad to see many of his personal attitudes to be grounded and not what many fans of country music have begun to expect from the stars - arrogance. I wish the book would have been a little longer and delved into things with a little more detail. But overall this was worth reading.

I have been looking all over for this book, and I finally found it! I love this book, as it reads just like you were having a conversation with Travis. It's great to read about his beginnings, and his struggle with success. Keep up the great work, Travis! We love you!

His book is great, and I wish him all the luck in world. If you haven't read it. I encourge you to do so. He has a great wife,and a beautiful family.

I have always greatly enjoyed the tragic saga of Elric of Melnibone, the doomed Champion Eternal and, because of this, had no problem picking up this book and devouring it. But, as I read on, I found that it was my interests in Elric as a character and not the actual plot that kept my attention. The plot was rather similar in nature to most of the others and, because of this, quite predictable. It also left little in the way of deep explaination for Elric's actions at the end. (you understood what was happening and why, but you just didn't feel it) This book does little to sour my tastes on the saga as a whole, but it was not my favorite installment of the series.

Michael Moorcock, The Bane of the Black Sword (DAW, 1977)

The fifth of the six classic Elric novels picks up, as is usual with these books, where the fourth leaves off. Moorcock sets the last pieces of the puzzle into place (and here, we get a chance to see how everything that has come before is building to the climactic novel, Stormbringer), introducing us to Zarozinia, the love of Elric's life (and most of his motivation for continuing on the path upon which he was set in The Vanishing Tower). Much of this is setup for Stormbringer, but that's in no way to say this isn't good stuff. Once again, Moorcock takes his already intriguing concepts that he's built up throughout the series (unique hero, solid motivation, the excellent concept of the Eternal Champion, et al) and adds a few more twists and turns, to make them even more intriguing than they already were. Unfortunately, the series' main problem-its penchant for not going into detail on some of the truly fun stuff mentioned (e.g., the Forest of Troos, in the barren land of Org, where Elric and Zarozinia meet, both trying like mad to avoid the denizens of the forest)-is here in spades. But there's enough detail for the reader to get the general gist of what's going on and eventually hope Moorcock will write some stories set in Elric's world that have to do with these ancillary details. This would not be unprecedented; a story with Elric's friend Rackhir as its main character is included as an epilogue to one of the books, for example.

There is one other annoying thing about the series I haven't yet touched on. It's ultimately annoying that Elric, no matter what he's faced with, has some form of supernatural ally who can help him with it. (You're attacked by lizardmen who are unaffected by normal weapons? Call on the god of the insects and get the help of millions of mosquitoes!) Never fails. This particular convention pops up in a number of places in the series, not just here.

Still, overall, the book is good, it's readable, and the payoff, in Stormbringer, is astounding. ****

Interesting monster and magic users. Cool plot. Different from the pompous books of Terry brroks or the rambling of tolkien.
Strikes the perfect balance between fun and serious thought.
Adventure and plot.
Locations and personalities.
No boring social justice themes or about how hard life was etc.
Awesome action.
Monstrous summonings.
Great stuff, stear clear of anything with Von Bek or Erekose and Moorcock will treat you well. M favorite fantasy author bar none.

My husband and I read this book. We felt that Bane had some interesting insights into the mental and psychological problems/solutions of "adventurers". However, this IS NOT the book one needs to find out the best way to enter into any of the 13 sports Bane tried. As wilderness skills instructors (rock climbing, caving, whitewater/flatwater canoeing, mountain biking), we realize that "adventure" sports really are about mitigating risk and still having a thrill. Not everyone can push the same envelopes Bane did and live to write about it. (We would have liked to have read in the book the amount of money Bane spent per sport.)

I started reading "Over the Edge" the Saturday of Labor day weekend thinking that I would read it around the weekend activities and ended up not being able to put it down to the detriment of some activities. Bane draws you in and you become as obsessed with the LIST as he was.

From cave diving to climbing Mt Mckinley Bane weaves an autobiography that only someone that is partly crazy could write. But the more that I read the more I started to reevaluate my life. At 51 I am no longer young enough to punish my body like he did but he has motivated me to make my own list of things that I have wanted to do in the past and always found an excuse not to do.

Banes' book shows you that your only limited by your own limitations and that risk is relative to reward.

"Over the Edge" gives desk jockeys like myself a new insight into the meaning of Risk. After reading Banes' book you will look at risk with a whole new perspective.

A cross between story and philosophy "Over the Edge" should be read by anyone that wants to make a profound change in their life, be it loosing weight or starting the next billion dollar dotcom company.

Being your average, near-40, near-couch potato, I loved this book. I didn't know squat about any of the sports, so I enjoyed his descriptions of what they require and some of the main events.

Best of all, his writing style is seriously funny. I laughed out loud so many times that my wife wanted to read a few chapters just to see what was entertaining me so.

Once I was done reading the book I decided that it really was time for me to run that marathon I'd been talking about for the last 25 years. And you know what? I did it. Thanks Michael Bane.

The information is very basic... too basic. Though the writer's diving experience is pretty useful, I can get these information when I talk to other divers. If you are going to move into advance diving courses, such as Advance Open Water, forget about this book, the information presented in the Advance OW manual is more detailed. If you want to get other divers' dive experience, get onto the Net (e.g. News groups rec.suba) or just talk to other divers/your instructor. Don't waste your money on this book.

As a novice to the sport of Scuba Diving I attempted to purchase every book I could find on the subject. Most of the books I read were very informative, but a little like reading reference manuals. 'Diving on the Edge' is informative and a very good read. 'Diving on the Edge' is not meant to be a 'How to Book', it is meant to bring the mystery of Scuba Diving to the real world through humor and information. "...a prerequisite to becoming truly educated about the sport." I wish I had found this book first! Not many pictures, but loads of honest insight into the world of Scuba Diving. I really enjoyed reading it!

Michael Bane is a gifted writer who presents an informed and informative overview of diving. It's an interesting overview of this great activity. It's directed at new divers, but there are tidbits and insights that experienced divers will appreciate too.