Book Review - River Boots by Robert Lynn Steiner

River Boots chronicles the life and adventures of its author, Bob Steiner, as he navigates the sometimes crazy, sometimes boring, but mostly hilarious challenges of being a Pennsylvania State Waterways Conservation Officer. Taking place over nearly three decades, this collection of anecdotes covers everything from high-speed car chases to finding dead bodies.  Bob recounts several stories about the insanity of the PA trout opener, pollution investigations, and even penned an R rated chapter.

I do have to admit that I had a little bit of trouble getting this book started. The information that is covered in the first dozen or so pages is a bit dry, but I feel that the author made a good choice to include it and provide some necessary back story.  After that, I had a hard time putting this book down. River Boots is written very much the way you would tell stories to your buddies down at the pub. It is written in common language for the common man (or woman). This makes it super easy to read.  A bathroom reader by design, the book is a collection of short stories that can be read in any order you would like. I started reading it at the beginning, however, and struggled to put it down until I had read it straight through. There were some stories that elicited an emotional reaction, many that made me think I was going to bust a gut laughing, and more than one that made me realize how scary good the fish commission is at hiding in the shadows.   More than anything it is simply interesting to see the outdoors from the perspective of the lawmen that so many of us hunters and anglers try to avoid.

Read it straight through or stick it in the bathroom at camp for your buddies to enjoy, either way it is a must read for any avid outdoors person. Especially anyone who has experienced a Pennsylvania trout opener. If this review has piqued your interested at all, the book is available in store for $14.99.