To Shake the Sleeping Self

A Journey from Oregon to Patagonia, and a Quest for a Life with No Regret

By: Jedidiah Jenkins

Narrated by: Jedidiah Jenkins

Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER

“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 30, terrified of being funneled into a life he didn’t choose, Jedidiah Jenkins quit his dream job and spent 16 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 upto 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)

©2018 Jedidiah Jenkins (P)2018 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Jenkins’ words are brutally honest and leave me thinking a little deeper about my own observations when I pass a stranger on a street or see a flower blooming on a rocky trail." (Outside Magazine)

“Jedidiah Jenkins is a storyteller. He’s also an adventurer, a connoisseur of good pourovers, an avid Instagram user, a startup co-founder, and one of those humans that makes everything about them seem inviting.” (USA Today)

“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)

Different that I expected

I love traveling and outdoor sports so I thought this would be a fun and interesting listen. It was, to an extent, but if I’m being honest, it was way more religious than I expected. I expected a little bit from the description, but almost the entirety of his introspection is about his relationship to God. Probably half the book is about it. I thought it’d be a bit more... varied in its deep thoughts, or perhaps focus more on the travel experiences themselves, but everything had that underlying theme of Jesus.
The book is refreshingly honest about the realities of long term travel and getting older and life in general, but I was expecting more of that and less Jesus. So if that’s your thing, go for it, you’ll love this book. But just be prepared for that cause I certainly didn’t expect it.

He just can't stop whining...

Admittingly, Jenkins can write pretty good. But if you're looking for an adventure, journey, quest or whatever you might want to skip this one. Every chapter is for most part how he is both gay and Christian, he doesn't stop whining about it. Can you imagine a trip where your travel mate just asks about Jesus at every mile? Now imagine that trip being 14.000 miles long. If I had to ride with this guy from Oregon to Patagonia I probably have pushed him of a cliff after a few miles. If that doesn't work I would ride my own bike into an incoming truck. Everything to stop the whining.

So much for adventure

I had high hopes for this book, but I'm only six chapters in and that's enough for me. Jenkins seems like a kid who is more concerned with upping his instagram following than with any shred of self discovery. Starting off a bike journey without even the most basic essentials like extra tubes and a patch kit and staying at friends houses binge watching episodes of Breaking Bad along the way is not my idea of adventure or shaking the sleeping self. This book leaves much to be desired.

Only a Travelogue, and not that extraordinary.

I found the story to be honestly quite a bore. While I admire Jedidiah for taking this adventure, his reporting is really just that, a reporting of his journey. While there is some introspection into his sexuality and Christianity, that really is it for introspection. Nothing extraordinary happens on his trip and he glosses over places and events to give you just the basics. It is ultimately a very superficial accounting of this journey and lacks much sophistication, humor or profound insight. Found it to be pretty uninteresting in the end.

This Is a Big Walk in a Circle.

I really regret getting this book. The narration is awful and the story drags. I don't understand how someone can bike such a distance and go absolutely nowhere in personal development. Listening to this was such a drag. And to get through hours and hours of it, to have the most abrupt ending, where nothing with his mother or himself is really resolved.... And nothing about getting back into life in the U.S., off the bike? I read about this book on Instagram and will never pick an audiobook based on social media ever again. There are dozens of hiking and biking memoirs that are better than this. Don't waste your credits.

adolescent coming of age religious book

if you are looking for a book about adventure you'll be very disappointed. a book about a spoiled kid who thinks he can find all the answers from Jesus

Couldn't stop listening

Loved this book. I had followed Jed on IG during trip and fell in love with how he wrote and the stories he told. This is so much a about the human condition, this world we all struggle and wrestle with. This story made me want to travel and also find parts of my own self I have smooshed down for one reason or another. It also made my heart break a few times for the idea of how we treat eachother in this world. Listen to book!

Best book I’ve read since Wild!

I loosely followed this journey on instagram and the book did not disappoint. An amazing story of adventure and self discovery. Thanks for sharing your journey with us!

Jesus Jesus Jesus... and more Jesus

The sample was the best part, and not the focus of the story. This was a whiny drama in adventurers clothing.
*Mild Spoilers Ahead*
I wish Weston had written this book, his perspective would've been much more interesting. When he finally went on to Hawaii, I was envious. That's when I realized how I felt about the author. He's a coward, a hypocrite, and a fake. I hope he does eventually shake the sleeping self, but as long as he clings to his awful mother, who views his homosexuality as disgusting, he will never wake from his slumber and grow as a person. I really don't care about any of that, but that turned out to be a huge part of the story. I thought I purchased an adventure, not a drama about a homosexual with a judgemental bible toting mother, who is struggling with coming out..
It became undeniably clear he was trying to smear the character of his traveling partner when he droned on about what a druggie he was for buying weed instead of paying for hotels. Apparently Weston was lead to believe this was to be a cycling, camping adventure, as was I, but no. This was a pity party for Jedidiah to ruminate on his conflict between his reality and his religion, when not criticizing his one friend that actually tried (and failed) to draw him out of his mental prison, thinking of ways to impress his horrible mother, complaining about lack of amenities, and thinking of excuses to go home. He actually did after only three months. I can't bring myself to hold it against him, seeing how much he lies to himself.
The one who truly deserves credit is his friend Weston, he had to fight every step of the way to talk Jed into doing anything fun or adventurous, only to be shamed for smoking weed and not being an uptight, spoiled, snob. Without Weston there would be no book at all.

Decent, but way too much religious rambling

Not a bad adventure book. Probably 40% of it turned into ramblings on whether or not his strict christian upbringing was all true or not and how it meshed with his sexuality, which really got tiresome and took away from the books ultimate potential. Finished it, but had to bounce back and forth to some other books in between listening sessions because of that.

Uninspiring and disappointing

Had high hopes but was disappointed by the uninspiring narration and story. Such a journey, especially one of self discovery, is expected to be packed full of interesting encounters or revelations but all seemed to fall flat. Seems like another American millennial trying to be a writer. His narcissistic nature was almost unbearable at times : one quote which stuck in my head 'For the most part, my brain automatically discards the vast majority of people as ubforgdttable' captures his nature and narration perfectly. Particularly, his attempt to find North America (coffee and craft beer) in Central and South America with little attempt at trying out local foods or customs was particularly grating. His earnest to address his religion and sexuality was the only grabbing feature of this book, and his conclusions (or lack thereof) are honest. One might come to the conclusion that the lack of any inspiring or entertaining parts of his journey are also honest - I just found it a waste of 12 hours of my life. I could have read A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush if I wanted to read about unprepared and failed adventurers - and be spared any shallow attempts at making the book 'deep'. Would rather read about his parents journey across America. Better books include Tracks, Wild and other autobiographies which include in depth explorations of self and past, entertaining encounters and actual descriptions of landscapes.

Absorbing

Bought the book after hearing him talk with Rich Roll on his podcast, otherwise it would not have been the sort of thing I'd hear about or be interested in. It turned out to be a gentle but absorbing book and I really wanted to know how it ended . There were no earth shattering conclusions to be drawn but I think that was partly the point and I enjoyed the journey.

love it. amazing.

loved it. stared from the beginning again as soon as I finished it. excellent stuff.

travel does broaden the mind

if you like this, try zen & the art of motorcycle maintenance.which this reminds me of

Heartwarming

This books is excellent for fans of biographical journeys of self-discovery. Had this been clearly described more as the journal of such a journey, I would have found myself much more enraptured. Jed’s a great host, his voice had a great melody to it but he left me wanting to know more. I needed the conclusion but he clearly is still on his journey.

Pleasant but unfulfilling, unremarkable and shallow

If you are looking for a tale with depth and discovery, this is not it. The author is shallow and dripping with privilege. There are certainly moments of hardship on the trail, but he seems to learn nothing from them, except that he really wants his rich, white, American home comforts back. I was waiting and waiting for the moment of revelation, the lifting of the veil to some striking level of self awareness. It never happens. He waxes lyrical about the times he gets to stay in nice hotel rooms, eat good meals and be taken care of by friends and family. The parts of the trip that are closest to home are his favourite ones. That’s fine, everyone has their own experience, it’s just not worthy of a book.

One quote almost made me ditch the book completely. When referring to a night spent wild camping, with apparently plenty of supplies to last them to the next day, he says breathlessly: "We survived on bread, and salami and cheese." I nearly burst out laughing! As a seasoned traveller myself, this sounded like a pretty standard and more than adequate dinner on the road. He also often spends his time listening to current podcasts or watching a movie on his laptop, in his tent or hostel. He seems for the most part immature, self absorbed and unable to really connect with the journey he is on.

It appears to me less an epic quest of self discovery and more an extended holiday where he can’t stop thinking about his family and friends back home, (even though he goes home for Christmas, and seems to have a steady stream of friends to either stay with along the way, or who come to visit and join him for parts of the trip), and is never able to let go of his insatiable need for the things his privilege affords him, with some cycling and wild camping in between.

The book is pleasant enough if you’re looking for a way to pass the time, it has nice descriptions of the route from Oregon to Patagonia, and a couple of moments of almost introspection around the author's faith and sexuality, (that seem to lead nowhere), but that’s about it. Don’t believe the hype, this is not one of the great travelogues and in my opinion, as a fan of the genre, should not have gotten past the editing phase. Unfortunately his Instagram fame has made him an NY Times bestseller, with access to all the wealth, validation and privilege he craved along the road.

Incredibly honest

Jedidiah is one incredibly honest author, he holds no punches on himself and his attitude and his thoughts. At times you love him, fee sorry for him, annoyed by him. It’s a lot more about a persons faith and faith label than I thought, I’d only recommended to certain people who enjoy those questions.

Didn’t want it to end

...and now that it has ended I’m about to go start it again from the top. I think that says it all.

An inspiring odyssey

I stumbled across this book without knowing about the instagram hype. I enjoyed listening to every second. He writes his journey well and has a voice that was made for narrating an adventure. The story explores and ambles well. It got me thinking about different lives, opportunities and struggles to my own and made me want to expand out of my comfort zone. The fact his adventure didn't come from a hardened explorer, equipment heavy or high budget made it easier to feel inspired. I would listen again and probably just pick up at different points to enjoy the travel descriptions.