True Spirit is an excellent book in at least three respects. First, it is an entertaining read, slowly building, and then suddenly carrying the reader along at a page-turning clip as a very young teenage girl sails alone, intent on circumnavigating the world non-stop.

Second, the writing is from the very rare perspective of a teenage girl, in clear and simple prose that often surprises with its poetic imagery.

Third, though by no means a philosophical treatise, it brings to mind Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : “The real cycle you’re working on is a cycle called `yourself.’ ” Watson’s narrative of her pertinacious pursuit is ultimately an inspiration, charming in the telling, and effective in its impact on the reader. For example, when in the Australian Bight, she tells us, “Another forecast came through, predicting yet again a gale with 65 knot winds and 30-foot seas. I wasn’t happy at all! I spent half an hour moping and let loose a few tears… then I got angry at the way I was letting it all get to me. I decided I wasn’t going to finish my trip being miserable and that I had to toughen up some more and deal with it.” Reader beware, that spirit can become infectious.

It is not a spoiler to let the reader know that Jessica Watson sailed into Sydney Harbor to overwhelming adulation. A sixteen year-old slip of girl was the talk of the town, the city, and the nation, and her book is a must-read for every young person and every parent of a young person who wishes to say, “Yes, we can!”