For her 50th birthday, Nancy Scheibe paddled the upper Mississippi River. The little trip evolved into a decade-long journey of the entire Mississippi. "Ripples of Wisdom" details the second leg of that trip--a six-week, 634-mile journey from Red Wing, Minnesota, to St. Louis, Missouri. It is a rebuttal to anyone who believes that women over 50 are past their prime and an affirmation for those who know better.