If you dream of adventure in frozen landscapes, this book may be for you. However, this coffee table book is not for everyone. It is written in French, German, and English, but not in the usual manner of books in 3 languages. There is parallel text in only a few places. Those who don't read all 3 languages will have to content themselves with looking at the photos in many of the chapters. The entire book is well-illustrated, although most of the images are of horizontal white landscapes with and without camps or warmly clad people. There are also some photos of polar bears, gear, and settlements.

The first section: “Annäherung an die Polargebiete” (Approach to Polar Regions) is written mostly by invited authors. This section is divided into 4 parts. The first part, “Ice,” includes chapters on “The Arctic and the International Polar Year” and “Inuit Sculpture” (in French), as well as “Polar Bears Don't Eat Penguins … Geographical Notes about the Arctic” (in German), and “Dog Sledging in Greenland” (in English). The other 3 parts are comprised of a short philosophical section, with the title “Flow,” and 2 practical parts of one chapter each. The first covers the use of large kites for propulsion (in German); the second gives advice for traveling in polar bear country (in English).

The second and third sections of the book recount 2 expeditions by the author, Patrick Peters, a polar explorer from Luxembourg. The first trip was to the North Pole in 2003, the other across Greenland in 2008. Each section contains some assorted information, some tips for polar travel, and an account of the expedition. The expedition sections also contain detailed gear lists.

Ice-Flow is not so much a unified book as a compilation of random information about the Arctic and polar travel in large format with photographs. The chapters on kites and polar bears might be useful for anyone planning a polar trip. Those who must have everything published about Arctic exploration or who want to impress their friends with their erudition will want to buy this book.