Book Alert / No-Man's Lands

No-Man's Lands -- One Man's Odyssey Through The Odyssey by Scott Huler, Crown '08, $24.95, 286 pages, ISBN #140008282X. Translation and bibliography, unillustrated.

Armed with the commitment to become a better husband, father and person, American males choose a variety of different courses -- pursuing a fitness regimen, losing weight, setting aside more time for family, or getting a second job to boost family income.

Not Scott Huler -- he set out on a mission to retrace the steps of Odysseus, as recounted in Homer's iconic work, The Odyssey. To add to the challenge, Huler set aside only six months to cover the path Odysseus trod in 20 years after he learned just before he left that his wife was pregnant.

Sounds like the makings of a Keystone Cops fiasco, doesn't it? And while Huler brings well-placed humor to his work, he actually drew some serious lessons from his journey as well, as he learns "why Odysseus was a bad manager, how Odysseus learned to delegate authority, why it's important not to be too aroogant (from the Cyclops), how to know when more information is dangerous (from the Sirens), and most important, that home and family are the most valuable things in life (from Circe, Achilles, and a cast of Underworld thousands)."

Scott Huler is the author of On Being Brown; A Little Bit Sideways: One Week Inside a NASCAR Winston Cup Race Team; and Defining the Wind. The regular NPR contributor lives in Raleigh, N.C., with his wife and son.