Wayfinding Part 1: Rats and Rafts

By: Hugh Howey

Narrated by: Graham Vick

Length: 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Wayfinding is the ancient seafaring art of navigating according to the natural signs. As a self-help philosophy, Wayfinding means being aware of our environment and our responses to outside stimuli. It also means learning about the environment for which we evolved, and how it differs from the environment in which we live. Wayfinding is not a destination. It is a neverending journey. It doesn't have to be yours; it is simply a description of the path that I am on, with all my bumbling and lack of expertise on full display.

©2015 Hugh Howey (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Some Fun Howey Non Fiction

Hugh Howey, the author of the most excellent Wool series and a number of other science fiction books, put together an eight part Wayfinding series in which he talks about interesting life experiences with a bit of amateur psychology throw in for good measure. I recall following his blog and social media accounts during his circumnavigation of the world in his custom builtWayfinder sailing vessel. It was really interesting.

This series, available on Kindle and inexpensively on Audible is off to a strong start in this first installment with some anecdotes and some anecdotes related to his early maritime experiences. Looking forward to taking this all over the next several months. He is quite the interesting fellow

A great start on the Wayfinding series

Where does Wayfinding Part 1: Rats and Rafts rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Having listened up to Part 6, I have rated this one 5 stars because it sold me on the rest of the series.

What did you like best about this story?

I knew Hugh Howey from his other works, and was a little bit skeptical on this one. Was it going to be some self-help mumbo jumbo? I'm not a fan of those, so I was wary. It's a short listen - about 40 minutes - so it was perfect for my morning commute. I decided to give it a try and don't regret one bit.

The way it moved from a narrative to Howey presenting his theories was really well done; it kept the experience engaging and made me curious about what topic would come up next.

What does Graham Vick bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Graham Vic, the narrator, has a very pleasant voice and fits this book so well I felt both as if a friend was talking to me, and as if Howey himself had narrated this book!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I caught myself having to pause and rewind at times because something or other he said got me thinking about how my own life fit into what he was describing, and what I could do to maintain/change it.

Any additional comments?

Rats and Rafts is interesting enough to make a person want to get the rest of the series, and at the same time short enough that you don't feel like you've wasted your time in case it turns out not to be your cup of tea.