To Shake the Sleeping Self: A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret

Really enjoyed this book, read it fairly quickly. Really well done

I'd surely bet the odds against a novice rider making it from Oregon to Chile. But, Jenkins had me hooked from the first page with his audacity and honest voice (he confesses to falling off his over-loaded bike only minutes after launching). About the only things Jenkins didn’t encounter on this 16-month odyssey through deserts, swamps, and peaks were Jimmy Hoffa, ex-Nazis, or Elvis.He took breathers along the way to sort himself out, considered abandoning his venture, zig-zagged, sometimes jumped on a bus with his bike stowed. Perseverance trumps speed. As he approaches his goal, Jenkins realizes “I had wanted slowness, but I got life.” Life is what we get with the focus mostly on unpredictable people and unscripted situations, rather than on the grueling ride or visuals. Nothing, day after day, is ever the same except for the imperative to react.In such accounts there is always the storyteller and usually another person (or others). Here, it’s Weston who appears uninvited when the trek begins. “Others” also can be those met along the way, the storyteller’s recollections of himself at earlier stages of life, or something emerging within to “Shake the Sleeping Self.” We get all three, learning that Jenkins (if he was never truly a sleeping self) was a mortified self.Drama is about secrets and this story brims with them. I wondered how far Jenkins (or any of us) should go with self-revelations certain to change how our loved ones will see us (forever after) and also see themselves retrospectively (with more pieces of the puzzle available). Why remember who we once were if not to imagine who we might become?Writing about the 16th century European invasion/conquest of the Americas, Carlos Fuentes mused that “He who imagines, remembers.“ Jenkins’ journey through our Americas is a tropos for self-mastery, only possible by reckoning with our grimmest evasions. Drawing on memory but fueled by aspiration, Jenkins is shaping his future. His confessional account urges us to do the same. Apathy (The Sleeping Self) is not an option. In this sense and others, courage/confrontation is on display in this “cycling” story.For those who enjoy the Jenkins book, I’ll mention another I read this year, Jerry Meyer’s A Thousand Flutterings (2020). If you’re a cyclist contemplating a long trek off the grid, both books contain lessons. Possibly you can avoid the mistakes these riders made, such as failing to train before starting or not bringing enough tubes or spokes. Jenkins is the younger, more hopeful, more provisional. Meyer is in some sense his elder brother, with tools more sharpened and attention less forgiving.Jenkins and Meyer were each possessed to undertake their bike treks on different continents along remote corridors in the Americas and Asia. They lacked fluency in indigenous tongues, confronted mortal risks, traveled unarmed, and had no reliable lifelines if stranded or injured. Both pedaled intrepidly where neither belonged, encountering locals who were often curious or helpful but just as easily could have been indifferent, hostile, or predatory.I began reading both with the same question that will likely occur to other readers: Why chance life, health, freedom, and security doing this? These two books grapple with why any one of us ever pivots towards risk. Neither author succeeds in answering why some stop running and confront what’s missing, incomplete, or oppressive in their lives. But, over the course of a lifetime, moments arrive that offer or demand a choice. For some, the answer is play the hand. For others, it’s fold.Neither author avoids hard questions about the costs of such choices: jeopardizing the esteem of others, living with unrepayable debts to those who nurtured us, enduring solitude. Are there compensations: discovering beauty, resisting defeat despite long odds, insisting that some things must always matter? Both authors rattled my complacency. They occupy the camp of The Examined rather than The Anchored Life. Jenkins and Meyer write about striving and growth with sincerity and integrity straight from their hearts.These accounts raise the perennial question of how much truth or opinion we seek or can bear. For some, this will be off-putting. Meyer thinks about ongoing species extinction (a fact) and muses about gun ownership (opinion) when considering whether or not to bring a weapon with him. Jenkins ruminates about Christianity in the Americas (same as Fuentes), weaving between historical accounts of La Conquista and his own spiritual moorings. But, truth can be unsettling and opinions tedious. Although these two authors speak with conviction and authority based on their own experiences, all readers will find contestable judgments and think Jenkins or Meyer sometimes too generous or severe. As you read these books, it’s inevitable you’ll recalibrate your estimations of these writers. For me, the take-away far outweighed my reservations.These are moving, penetrating explorations going far beyond descriptions of the perils these two riders separately overcame. Choosing to ride alone and exposed into the storm rather than hunkering within convention has consequences. Of what should one’s life consist? Suppression and role-playing for the sake of acceptance or de-cloaking as Jenkins and Meyer do? This is why I’d give these books without hesitation to my parents or children to enjoy and ponder. Jenkins and Meyer do more than share their adventures. Their books are encouragements to answer the call of conscience when the crowd mentality displays intolerance or self-interest but the way forward requires justice, respect, compassion, and sacrifice.

I picked up this work to read about the adventure aspects of the author bike touring from the US to Patagonia. I’m always interested in everyone’s take on that kind of trip, as I have bike toured and climbed extensively in the Andean countries strung out along South America’s cordillera.Yes, it is about that, and it is very engaging and well written, and should probably be rated 5-stars from that aspect alone. But it is far more about the author’s inner journey of personal transformation and coming to terms with his belief system. Foreign travel can do that, if one is open and questioning enough!Three things bothered me about this narrative, though (thus 4-stars instead of 5). And I probably shouldn’t have down rated for these, as these are very personal beefs for me alone!First, and I must praise again the author for his authenticity and honesty in his writing, is a level of, well, incompetence is too harsh of a word. Slipshoddiness and lack of preparation circle around my gut response a little closer. Two quick minor examples: How can someone who has bike toured for thousands of miles loose his load when the road gets rough and bumpy? How can someone who has been living outside for months, plan a very long reunion hike with his aging mother to an area of the world notorious for bad weather and difficult conditions without bringing proper essential gear (such as a headlamp in case the return is delayed until after dark and proper rain gear high enough quality to actually keep one dry when the weather turns on one like a rabid dog)?Second, and this is likely more a comment about many of we Americans rather than the author himself: His internal insistence in believing that local inhabitants in remote rural areas constitute some kind of danger or threat when he is spotted camping somewhere and the go out of their way to check him out? My experience over many scores of such encounters in dozens of different countries and cultures, is that people display simple human curiosity about something unusual, After that curiosity is satisfied more often than not will offer food, shelter, or advise about a far better camping spot just around the corner! Jed seemed to have this experience many times, yet also seemed to be gripped by fear by such an encounter even late in his trip.Third, I was unprepared for all of the Christianity that he wrote about. Coming to terms with this aspect of his upbringing is an important part of this book and of Jed’s journey. If I had bothered to read a review, I would likely known of this in advance! Again, it is well and honestly written about. My own minority viewpoint on religion always colors my thinking, as in all of we humans (I believe the sooner we can get beyond the whole organized religion thing, there will be one less blunt bludgeon used to control people politically and divide us all one against the other).All in all, a very excellent read which produced in me at least, some very thoughtful and visceral reactions. Does that not constitute a work worthy of spending one’s time with?

The way this book resonated with me I can not describe, but it did deeply. I enjoyed it from start to finish and didn’t want it to end.

To Shake the Sleeping Self is a masterpiece. It's a road trip narrative, a story about a young man coming terms with his conservative upbringing and sexuality, and a disquieting look at our expectation toward travel.Approaching his 30th birthday with a sense of mounting dread, Jedidiah Jenkins decides to do something crazy and unexpected: Bike from Oregon to Patagonia. In spite of having zero biking experience, Jenkins embarks on his adventure with relish - anticipating a transformative personal and spiritual experience.But this is so much more than a book recounting a crazy adventure. Jenkins is gay, and sections of the book are reflections on his conservative Christian upbringing and its effects on his sexuality. Throughout the trip, Jenkins muses about his faith and the evolution of his spirituality. To be honest, these sections form the heart and soul of To Shake the Sleeping Self. This book asks hard questions about the nature of belief, morality, and family.Additionally, Jenkins does a wonderful job at not presenting his trip as some sort of "millennial spirit quest." He does not shy away from the unromantic and difficult aspects of biking through two continents. And he's honest about not having a dramatic revelation when he reaches his final destination.Also, To Shake the Sleeping Self contains one of the most quietly devastating final chapters I've ever read. This is a beautiful book that should appeal to the widest possible audience. Highly recommended.

I found out about Jed through Adele.I find Jed so interesting! I’ve followed his instagram for a while now and the way he writes his posts up are amazing!! I love his writing!This book is a must read!! Seriously, it is that good! Each chapter you read, has you longing for the next! This book has given me a shake. Buy it and it’ll shake you too!Can’t wait to read his next 2 books!Follow his socials, such an interesting guy!Cheers to a good read fellow book worms!———————Also, this book was here in exceptional time! Ordered it, boom at my doorstep! The amazon gods were quick and excellent!

I loved this book and its physical journey through South America as well as Jedidiah’s gradually revealed accompanying inner journey. A time apart like this brings surprising insights and deepening self-knowledge. I think we can gain a lot from sharing the path. I also came away feeling really heartened by the way things come together when we step out, and also by the unfailing, often unexpected kindness of others. A really lovely read.

Abaixo das expectativas. Monótono.

very interesting book i recommend you to read this book once for those who are stuck in 9to5 jobs

It’s an honest book, filled with funny moments and deep reflections. I loved it and it felt very personal.It arrived on time and in perfect conditions.