To Shake the Sleeping Self

By Jedidiah Jenkins

To Shake the Sleeping Self - Jedidiah Jenkins
  • Release Date: 2018-10-02
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 294 Ratings

Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “With winning candor, Jedidiah Jenkins takes us with him as he bicycles across two continents and delves deeply into his own beautiful heart.”Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild and Tiny Beautiful Things
 
On the eve of turning thirty, terrified of being funneled into a life he didn’t choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent sixteen months cycling from Oregon to Patagonia. He chronicled the trip on Instagram, where his photos and reflections drew hundreds of thousands of followers, all gathered around the question: What makes a life worth living? 

In this unflinchingly honest memoir, Jed narrates his adventure—the people and places he encountered on his way to the bottom of the world—as well as the internal journey that started it all. As he traverses cities, mountains, and inner boundaries, Jenkins grapples with the question of what it means to be an adult, his struggle to reconcile his sexual identity with his conservative Christian upbringing, and his belief in travel as a way to wake us up to life back home.

A soul-stirring read for the wanderer in each of us, To Shake the Sleeping Self is an unforgettable reflection on adventure, identity, and a life lived without regret.
 
Praise for To Shake the Sleeping Self

“[Jenkins is] a guy deeply connected to his personal truth and just so refreshingly present.”Rich Roll, author of Finding Ultra
 
“This is much more than a book about a bike ride. This is a deep soul deepening us. Jedidiah Jenkins is a mystic disguised as a millennial.”—Tom Shadyac, author of Life’s Operating Manual

“Thought-provoking and inspirational . . . This uplifting memoir and travelogue will remind readers of the power of movement for the body and the soul.”—Publishers Weekly

Reviews

  • Love

    5
    By Davidt1990x
    Loved this book and found it so ironic that I found it right as I was turning 30. Highly recommend❤️
  • Coming of age...

    4
    By dognbutterfly
    Wonderfully full of humanness...coming of age story that reminds us that each decade is a new coming of age beginning...
  • Great book for anyone who lusts for the open road

    5
    By Michael Mast
    Really enjoyed this!
  • Painful to read

    1
    By DemianCosta
    Just painful
  • The title is ok

    1
    By J.R.V.
    Pedantic and redundant. I wanted so much more.
  • Great book.

    5
    By barrett.davis
    Just finished this book 12/21/2018. Interesting and inspiring. Jedidiah Jenkins tells great stories and is very honest and open throughout. One of my favorite books of 2018.
  • Disappointed. It felt like a Judy Bloom book for young boys.

    1
    By Vagabonding Pictures
    I felt like this book was an exercise in missed opportunities. I wanted to meet the local people, hear the foreign dialects, and taste the delicious chicken soup with the chicken feet hanging out. I felt this was a first trip abroad with a very entitled monolingual boy who was struggling with his faith and sexuality. His lack of discipline in learning the language cut him off from so much adventure,knowledge, excitement and love. So many unanswered questions. Did he feel secret attraction to Crosby? Was he tempted ? Had they had a drunken romp in the tent? Was that the real source of tension? Did his travel partner resent being depicted as a grifter and shallow drug addict? Is Jedidiah really that cheap and obsessed with money? I wanted to hear details about the quaint towns and the generous hosts. I felt like the book was the constant whining of a comfort deprived narcissistic rich kid. I wanted to witness the grandeur and beauty of The Motorcycle Diaries. None of that. This book was disappointing at best.
  • To Shake The Sleeping Self

    5
    By kidzbopkidd!
    Really enjoyed this book. Well written, inspiring, and makes you reflect and think about what is really important in life. Highly recommend.
  • This book is truly a gift

    5
    By Cait H..
    Jed has a way with words and is able to provide a perspective that makes you feel like you are really on the journey with him. He understands what a gift traveling, meeting people, and seeing the good in the world really is. He forces you to think deeper, want to do better, and explore what the world has to offer.