From Novice to Sailor in One Week

By Barry Lewis (2016; Mcgrawhill Education; $21 paperback, $12.49 e-book)

About a year ago, I was in American Samoa helping kids learn to sail. We’d meet at 8 a.m., and by 11 a.m., the eager sailors were seated in Optimists, hands on sheets and tillers, ready to be pushed off. This is the book I wish I’d had for each one of those young sailors. It ushers the reader onto the water that first day, but then continues the instruction — not limited to dinghy sailing — over six additional “days.” The author believes in a simplified, intuitive approach and, in addition to the excellent layout and illustrations, conveys everything a beginner needs to know in an understanding, reassuring tone. From novice to sailor in one week? Absolutely.