-Brilliant, clear, and humane- Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love-Miraculous and hopeful- Emma Straub, author of All Adults Here-Quietly profound - belongs on the shelf next to Jon Krakauer-s Into the Wild- New York TimesRiverman: An American Odyssey uncovers the story of an extraordinary man and his puzzling disappearance, and paints a picture of the singular spirit of America-s riverbank towns.-The peace of mind I found, largely alone, on that white-water mecca convinced me that life was capable of exquisite pleasure and undefined meaning deep in the face of failure. The experience itself is the reward.- Dick ConantOn his forty-third birthday, Dick Conant, a golden boy who never quite grew up as those around him expected, stepped into a homemade boat to embark on a journey despite a gathering snowstorm. Among his possessions was a Gideon Bible and biographies of Einstein and Bismark. It was the beginning of an all-consuming odyssey by an unconventional man into the watery a