Review Excerpt:

Malusa took six bicycle trips in the late 1990s and early 2000s whose destinations were the lowest points on every continent. His aim was to experience the journeys getting there, self-propelled at that. Each trip naturally acquired distinctive adventures, but collectively they present frontier worlds. Whether that the cosmic effect of lowest geological depressions, or just a coincidence of their locations in arid environments, Malusa relays many an encounter with characters living on the edges of civilization. His trans-Australian odyssey sets the tone. Setting off from Darwin for Lake Eyre, Malusa itemizes roadside watering holes and their denizens, passing on their stories of ending up in Alice Springs. In the case of the Dead Sea, the frontier mentality proves to be a subset of international affairs as Malusa rides from Egypt to Israel to Jordan. Ditto for the lowdown on Africa, where on his quest for Djibouti’s Lake Assal, Malusa observes much French and American military activity. Including treks to the Caspian Sea and Death Valley, Malusa’s intrepid curiosity enlivens his over-the-road tales. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.