Words to live by

This is a great book following the Iditarod race of 2010.  There is a map showing the trail and the stops along the way.  The author took a unique approach in following those at the tail end of the race and describes their trials along the way.  Many dreams were broken and tears were shed but there were also tales of amazing strength and courage to continue on.  I also enjoyed reading about the connection between the mushers and their dogs. They are not just slave drivers and one person dropped out of the race because his dogs were unhappy.  Throughout the book, there are chapter heads with a map outlining a section of the trail and you can read about what happened there and the mushers who ended up scratching or being withdrawn there.  The end of the trail and the book has a history lesson about the original serum run and how it happened along with the story of the red lantern winner who was so happy to make it to Nome despite being last.