some useful information
Rating: 
Jardine has hiked a couple of orders of magnitude more miles than I expect to log in my lifetime, so what he says is worth listening to. Quite a bit of what he says seems like commonsense once you read it, but most backpackers wouldn't have thought of it. For instance, once you realize how much lighter a soda bottle is than the thick plastic water bottles sold at REI, it seems like a no-brainer to switch. It took me years to realize how much unnecessary weight, space, and expense I was devoting to stove, fuel, and freeze-dried packaged food, when in fact I could enjoy non-cooked alternatives just as much. On the other hand, a lot of the advice in this book is only relevant if you're planning on doing very long hikes. He states a lot of opinions as facts, or calls them "discoveries." Some of these opinions just seem goofy to me. No way am I going to use a drafty quilt instead of a mummy bag. His statements about the amount of water people need to drink are part of an urban folktale that's grown in the telling over the last few decades, and many of his statements about hydration have been scientifically disproved, e.g., it's not true that coffee is dehydrating. The section on food is a longwinded, pseudoscientific screed on health food and whole grains, full of anecdotal evidence about how he personally felt bad when he ate pasta, and good when he ate whole grains.
Innovative, informative and encouraging
Rating: 
Ray Jardine has written my favorite book on backpacking. I was expecting a nutty, opinionated rant. What I found instead was an incredibly positive, articulate and informative book. I've been backpacking regularly for years but I can honestly say that this book taught me a lot and opened my eyes more than once. It's not critical of other backpacking styles and it doesn't create fears- it dispels them. After reading this book, I was so hyped up by his positive attitude and deep love for the outdoors that it made me want to get out even more. He points out that we've been taught to fear the outdoors by equipment manufacturers who want us to buy all their bombproof, leadweight gear to deal with improbable situations on the trail. Much of this gear is not optimally functional and comes between us and the outdoor experience. He liberates us by teaching us to make our own gear and modify what we've bought.
He deals with many aspects of backpacking not even touched upon by larger books like "Complete Walker IV". "Beyond backpacking" is largely dedicated to backpacking practice, rather than just a long gear list. That's exactly why I learned so much even after having read two books by Chris Townsend and one by Colin Fletcher.
If you go into this book having decided that lightweight backpacking is a fad, you're not going to like it. This book is not a fad, however, and Jardine doesn't even use the trendy word "ultralight". After reading this book, my pack went from 25 pounds to 10 and my daily mileage has doubled with no extra effort. The numbers are just numbers to me though, the important thing is that I feel my new backpacking style has brought me closer to what I go outdoors to enjoy.
He does have some 'mystical' moments that might not appeal to some, but I just see it as him expressing his great love of the outdoors. If it bothers you, just ignore those passages. He also comes to a few conclusions I disagree with, but these were minor. The book might be a bit too advanced for someone just getting started.
Overall, an extremely liberating and encouraging book! I highly recommend it!
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