Are you a dog lover? Then this is the book for you. Gary Paulsen tells his riveting story on running the Iditarod race and all the grueling hours of training fifteen dogs at a time. This biography will bring you closer to nature and make you think about the way you love your pet(s).

It amazes me how he can have such a loving relationship with these dogs. Even though he has been attacked by them multiple times, he loves them no matter what and will do anything to protect them. This book also explains how hard it is to train for a race that is over 1150 miles. He tells about training in ice cold weather, being dragged by dogs that just want to keep running forever, going through mountain ranges, running over frozen rivers (that may break), going through many dense forests, and having cuts on your face from the coldness.

The work and dedication that had to go into training for this race is absolutely amazing and makes you wonder why people do such an insane thing. The thing is that Gary just did it because he just felt like he wanted to! Even though he has run this race three times and never won it, he just keeps training and pushing himself to become better. I can relate to this, by being and athlete and dog lover. I would do anything to protect my dog and make sure he is happy (even though I can’t really tell if he is). You are probably wondering why a person who loves dogs would put himself and his dogs in this kind of danger. By danger, I mean, nearly getting killed by moose, frostbite, and can even be abandoned by his dogs or falls off his sled. He does it because he knows his dogs love it and that he loves it too. It’s also because he believes he has the skill and that his dogs are strong enough for this race.

The thing that I love about this book is that he shows the kind of relationship and connection you can have with animals. This book makes me wish I had this kind of relationship with my own dog, even though I do love my dog dearly. My dog is the world to me and I love him more than anything. I also like the images and feelings the author conveys, how aggressive he is in running this race and how well he takes care of his dogs. There are a few parts in this book that had me crying, but in the end, the story and excitement it brings was well worth the read.