“The lack of power to take joy in outdoor nature is as real a misfortune as the lack of power to take joy in books.”- Theodore Roosevelt. "The River of Doubt" by Candice Millard,  neither exhibits a lack of being in nature nor a dull moment as we fly through the pages with nervous excitement.  Although the book is about the Amazonian river, to me it was a testament of leadership, mutual respect among men, progressive indigenous tribe of women, basic civil decencies driven by a strong determination to conquer the massive unknown. After losing the presidential battle for the third term, Teddy Roosevelt sets off on a journey to explore the mammoth, unchartered river, with an entourage that follows him from America. Upon reaching Brazil, TR is assigned a  Brazilian military officer famous for his telegraph commission and exploration of Mato Grosso and the Western Amazon Basin, as well as his lifelong support for indigenous Brazilians (which is well articulated in the book). T...