Cold Hands, Warm Heart: Alaskan Adventures of an Iditarod Champion

This is a very enjoyable book for anyone interested in Jeff King, dogs, sledding, the Iditarod, Alaska, etc. It's easy to read and interesting.

We visited the King's Homestead this summer, saw the dogs and listened to his daughter's presentation. We loved it all and bought his book there. Jeff himself even spoke to us for a while, and we held some puppies too.

The artwork is lovely and the photos at the end of the book are very nice too.

This is a first rate book in a number of ways.

Package - the book itself is bound well and the heavy, glossy pages are coffee table worthy.

Illustratations - the art work by Jeffs wife are wonderful, she is a talented artist and most of the limited edition print illustrations in the book are no lonter avaliable.

Text - Jeff's stories are an easy read and give good insight into 'mushing'. A few parts were a bit repetitive I thought but do not detract from the overall impact of the book. There are stories that focus on the dogs, the trail, wildlife, other mushers and his involvment in make a wish. These stories mix humor, adventure and Jeffs sincere appreciation of Alaska, its terrain, wildlife and people.

For me it was a fairly quick read, about 4-5 hours. I wish there had been more.

If you are planning to visit Denali, Alaska, this book should be one of the top books on your required reading list BEFORE your visit. If your only definition of the Iditarod is that it is an annual dog sled race between two places in Alaska where huskies pull a sled with a driver, this is a "must read" book. If you enjoy reading a book that you cannot put down until you finish the chapter, "Cold Hands, Warm Heart" is for you. Jeff may have cold, frost-bitten hands but his warm heart is full of love for his family, friends, and animals both tame and wild.
I met Jeff and his family on Father's Day this year (2008) at the Husky Homestead in Denali and my one regret was that I did not realize how fortunate my family and I were to be there until AFTER I read his book on my return home. Jeff is not only driven to be an Iditarod winner but more than that, he is driven to make to make this world a better place for other people.

This is an amazing book that grabs your attention right from the beginning and even leaves you wanting more at the end. How does one put into a couple of hundred pages, the experiences of someone, who for over 30 years has srtiven to fulfill his dreams, and in fact, becomes a World Champion at the one thing he loves to do more than anything else.Not only that,he seems to retain his personality and never allows it to go to his head.
Well it is impossible to cover everything ,King invites us into his life and world ,with some extremely personal glimpses. And what stories and experiences he has to tell;and one can only imagine how many others there must be.
Most people know very little about Dogsleding and the Iditarod;but it's hard to imagine anyone who loves life and the joys and struggles that go with becoming the "best of the best";that come out in this book; than would not thoroughly enyoy it.
One thing that I found particularly apparent in this world of competive Dogsled racing ,in a hostile enviroment,was that true sportsmanship is ingrained in it ;where in every sport that I can think of;sportsmanship takes a backseat to winning at all costs. King doesn't even dwell on it;and just mentions it as if to even think otherwise must never even be a consideration to them. I can only imagine the jubliation at the end of one of these races ;and I am sure everyone is full of joy in congratulating the winners;and the moaning and lamenting among losers in other sports;would be so out of place in this "world" Boy;what lessons to be learned from this sport. The rigors and sacrifices are far beyond what we see in other sports and you get the feeling ;that while everyone strives to win;in the end all are winners and none are losers.
The book is very well written and profusely illustrated with great artwiork by King's wife Donna.In addition,the book has nearly 40 pages of photographs which bring everything to life.
No doubt anyone who reads this would enjoy visiting Alaska,and maybe even be there to see these races;to those who are not able;thanks Kings for sharing it all with us and giving us the enjoyment of dreaming about it anyway.

You can't help but want to meet Jeff King after reading this book. I suspect his popularity has as much to do with his personality as his racing success. The book is a simple, fast read giving insights into dog racing and living in Alaska. It's not great literature, but engrossing nonetheless.