Anything Worth Doing: A true story of adventure, friendship and tragedy on the last of the West's great rivers

2012 NATIONAL OUTDOOR BOOK AWARD WINNER

Anything Worth Doing tells the unforgettable true story of larger-than-life whitewater raft guides Clancy Reece and Jon Barker, two men who share a love of wild rivers and an unbending will to live life on their terms, no matter the cost.

Clancy’s motto, ‘Anything worth doing is worth overdoing,’ leads them into a decade of beautiful-and beautifully strange-river adventures. Then, on June 8, 1996, in pursuit of a 24-hour speed record they intend to share only with a handful of friends, the men launch Clancy’s handmade dory, his proudest possession, onto Idaho’s renowned Salmon River at peak flood of an extreme high water year. This time the odds catch up with them.

With clarity reminiscent of Krakauer’s Into the Wild, whitewater veteran Jo Deurbrouck carries us down the West’s great rivers and into the hearts, minds and homes of that rare breed for whom security is optional but freedom and passion are not. Anything Worth Doing-taut and efficient, yet rich with insight-is destined to become an adventure classic.