When a global-warming-induced early thaw catches Peter Gregg and Greg Smith off guard, the best friend fifty-somethings scramble to get their thousand-tree farm ready for tapping. As they race up and down the icy mountain, drilling taps into their red and sugar maples and securing the blue plastic tubing to transport the sap back to their sugarhouse, they make a blood pact to pursue the mythical "five pounder" goal -- the lofty syrup production amount that would put them in league with the pros in Vermont. For the next three months, from February to early April, they battle rugged terrains, handle dangerous equipment and outrun predatory wildlife in an Ahab-like pursuit that consumes their energy, time, and the contents of their wallets -- all to make that sweet golden condiment for pancakes and waffles. Out of their struggle (that is a mystery to many), they produce something even more valuable: friendship, a lifeline to a community, and a sense of purpose that remains long after the sugar season is over. Told with humor, gusto, and the salty vernacular common to the hinterlands of upstate New York and Vermont, The Sugar Rush captures the particular angst of reaching middle age with wit and insight and speaks to our desire to set the bar high ... and then having to solve the enormous problems that come with it. The Sugar Rush is a hilarious yet moving account of the crazy things men will do to truly understand what is meant by the "pursuit of happiness."