Editorial Review

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls "Anne Lamott’s hip, yoga-practicing, footloose younger sister") is poised to garner yet more adoring fans. ... Read more

Reviews

Great, for what it is., March 31, 2008
I find it so surprising--reading the angry, negative reviews--that the people who hated the book hated it for exactly the reasons why some steer clear away from the the spiritual-journey-memoir genre. Yes, the author is self-absorbed, yes, she seems to think of only trite stuff, yes, she seems self-indulgent with her problems. And yes, she's allowed. It is after all a book that is positioned to address these things in the author's self; who otherwise would not be searching for something more: more meaning and more appreciation in/of her life.
Here is a woman who shows all the possibly-perceived-as-lacking-substance thoughts of hers and we are throwing tomatoes at her. One thing, she obviously wasn't afraid of that. She wasn't aiming to be coming off as some deeply wise woman but a fumbling girl-woman trying to break out of what she felt was imminent disaster (had she had the baby and delayed her need to find out what she truly wants from her life she might have left not only her husband, but their child, or most probably ending up not leaving out of guilt and becoming crazy instead: exposing her family to that for years; not an uncommon reality). She is not one for anti-depressants, remember.
This memoir falls in the same category as the TV show Sex and the City (of which it was compared to in a review here). Both get trampled for being supposedly superficial, covering the silly plights of city girls who don't know what they want and yet have everything. But this book--as the TV show--actually are part of a wider story that is illiciting reactions from the public because it reflects the transition in which women in the modern world are experiencing: now that we have equality with men professionally, now that we are liberated from all the limitations being a woman dictated two generations ago, how does that affect us? From a distance, in a glance, it seems that women have all the cards to play with now. But this book and many other works by women and/or about women of this generation show that having all those cards does not mean Happiness.
There are still things in society--in regards to a woman's role--that grates. And then there are things within our Modernised, Westernized, Individualized, Ambitious selves, that are lacking.
This is what Miss Gilbert's search is about, and what she represents.
On a collective level, much of the modern world is in search of God, Spirituality (one just needs to walk through bookstores in the US and see the plethora of soul searching self help books on the shelves). This is what needs to be observed and understood as a phenomena in the West; the small voices, small cries, here and there by those who come up with the balls to share their journeys and thoughts with us--no matter how trite-sounding, how shallow-seeming--are part of a collective howl for the meaning of life.
Elizabeth Gilbert's voice is just one of many that calls for recognition as part of a chorus for something that firstly, many women are hollering about, and secondly, humanity in general--humanity in the first world--are crying for: some kind of guidance, indication, that the collective paths we fought for and chose (the best education, career ambitions realised, a certain amount of money needed to live that certain kind of magazine-lifestyle life--which is what Liz Gilbert's life is a reflection of, remember--love in the form of marriage and what society dictates) are truly the things that give us peace and happiness in the infinite sense.
Eat, Pray, Love might not be that deep, wise voice representing the deep, wise journey into the deep, wise self. But this book's packaging and tone, hell, its WORDS, never did say it was. It is a fumbling--almost child-like in its guilelessness--show of the ego's awareness and needs, and its attempt at searching for what many people from all walks of life only wish they could go out and find: THEMSELVES. SELF, being the keyword here. And in this memoir, ultimately, God, being in each of our selves.
To the people who were disappointed that the author didn't seem to give a hoot about India's poverty, they must have not read the book through: Miss Gilbert never ventured out of her ashram and the little village it is located in, after making a decision to further develop her meditation skills and thus skipping the rest of India. She also ignored Italy's corruption with her indulging in good food and focus on learning and enjoying the Italian language. Again, the critics missed the point of this memoir. It's a book about a writer, a New Yorker, a recently-divorced-woman-in-her-early-thirties' journey to heal and find spiritual strength through various means: pleasure first to recover (Italy), spiritual examination and purging (India), combining the two for balance (Bali), which would result hopefully in the kind of substance and depth and balance that so many critics mentioned she lacks.
One doesn't pick this book up to: 1. Be exposed to India's poverty and expect the author to discuss that in depth. 2. Be exposed to Italy's corruption and expect the author to discuss that in depth. 3. Be exposed to Balinese wiles and expect the author to discuss that in depth. (which she actually did in the account of the Balinese woman she raised money for to buy the land the woman needed to build a home).

Next time you pick a book up at the bookstore, call up your powers of perception before purchasing it. A book IS pretty much its cover. Did everyone really expect a book titled "Eat, Pray, Love" A Woman's Search for Everything, to be an experience of religious fervor, one that would reveal the secrets of the universe? It's a story about a girl who thought everything she thought she wanted, would bring her happiness. It didn't. It didn't for her, and possibly not for many other women. If it took this one woman to go to Italy, India, and Indonesia, to get away after a difficult and painful divorce to heal and get perspective--instead of festering and turning into a pile of flesh in depression--then by all means. Yes, she financed her travels through her book advance--after giving away the suburban home and NYC apartment to her ex-husband. And if she wrote this book for us, it's really for us to appreciate and enjoy the ride with her. Anybody else who got so upset needed only to put the book down and pick another one to their taste. If anything, that's this book's lesson: Do what makes you smile and thankful for life.

A ME-moir, not a memoir, April 25, 2009
I'm a big fan of Gilbert's earlier work (specifically 2003's The Last American Man) and I was deeply disappointed by this book. In fact, I sent it sailing across the room twice within the first hour. Gilbert's a fine writer, let there be no doubt. Her structure is great. She writes scrumptious sentences. She's an eminently likable narrator. But my complaint is more psychological rather than literary. As we learn over the course of the book, Ms. Gilbert is an enormously privileged woman, lives the glamorous writing life in NYC, owns two homes and yet is so sad and depressed about life. Get over yourself, lady! This book is the literary equivalent of like How Stella Got Her Grove Back. Only with yoga and white people.

Gilbert claims to be quite the globe-trotter but seems to have never learned the basic tenet of travel: learning about the larger world. Confronted with the rich, confounding, complicated world, she turns away and gets lost in her own navel.

What I hate even more about this book is what its incredible popularity says about us as Americans: just like Gilbert, we are giant narcissists and we never, ever stop thinking about ourselves and our own needs and cannot, even for a second, think about the lives of the less fortunate around the world. Gilbert thus becomes the American Every-Woman: 9-11 happens in her own backyard and she's so distraught over her failed marriage that it barely registers. If you think I'm being too hard on us Americans, think of it this way: her previous book The Last American Man was much, much better than Eat, Pray, Love but since it evinced none of the yoga-loving-upper-middle-class-woman-who-spouts-cheap-wisdom-like-Oprah-on-a-global-quest-for-self-actualization story elements, it barely sold 1% of what Eat, Pray, Love did. This is a sadly-revealing book about the state of our culture. And it's not just about Elizabeth Gilbert. It's all about us.

And, of course, don't miss the upcoming film adaptation, starring-you guessed it- Julia Roberts. If I have one other person recommend this book to me I'm going to to kill them.

Eat Pray Shove (It), February 16, 2008
Here is a book that either changed people's lives or irritated the bejesus out of them. Count me among the latter.

Eat Pray Love - One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia by Elizabeth Gilbert was supposed to enlighten me. It didn't.

OK -- First the positive: Overall, it is a well-written book. The author takes many complicated metaphysical concepts and makes them readable. The book is divided into sections: Eat, which is the author's journey to Italy; Pray, her pilgrimage to India and Love, where she takes a lover in Bali.

This is about a thirty-something woman looking for spirituality and happiness. She is married, but desperately unhappy for no single reason that she cannot or will not divulge. So, she leaves her husband (and, by the way, gives him all marital property out of supposed "guilt" for leaving him, making me wonder what exactly she did to warrant this)and falls right into another relationship (a-ha! adultery, perhaps?). When the rebound relationship that broke up her marriage falls apart, she now wants to find God. Of course. She claims God spoke to her on the bathroom floor, thus beginning her journey.

But not before she goes to her publisher and secures a $200,000 advance for this book. Makes you wonder, as one reviewer on Amazon pointed out, was the journey retrofitted to the book proposal?

What better way to go find God than in Italy. For four months she eats gelato, practices her Italian with a young man named Luca Spaghetti (If you are going to make up names of allegedly real people, could you find a more sterotypical name? Why not Carmine OrganGrinder?) and gains 23 pounds -- quick to point out to the readers that she was way underweight to beign with.

She learns to enjoy life and be selfish from the Italians - who by the way still find her immensely attractive, although they don't hoot and holler at her like they did 10 years previously. But she is still so damned cute. Just ask her.

On to India. At the Ashram, she learns to meditate and still broods over her lost marriage and subsequent realtionship. Probably the most boring part of the book, except for her conversations with "Richard from Texas" -- a down home, larger than life character who speaks in folksy platitudes that would make Andy Griffith proud. He also bestows our author with her nickname "Groceries" because she was emaciated from grief from crying for the millionth time over her beloved David. As one reviewer from Amazon said, "What kind of nickname is Groceries?"

I honestly believe she made these people up. Reminds me of "Go Ask Alice" -- supposedly the real story of the drug-addicted Anonymous -- until it was revealed that the protagonist was a fictitious composite of the author's psychiatric patients. Boo.

Then Bali. She ends her self-imposed celibacy with an older Brazilian man. High on orgasmic ecstasy, out of the supposed goodness of her heart, she asks her friends to send $18K in donations to help a single mother, an alleged friend of Ms. Gilbert's, who is portrayed as a con artist because she didn't buy a house in the timeframe coinciding with the termination of Ms. Gilbert's visa. I always thought that a gift should be a gift without strings attached -- especially coming from someone who supposedly found God. I wanted to ask Ms. Gilbert "What Would Jesus Do?"

My biggest problem with this tome is that this 30-something woman basically is looking for applause for running off for a year, obstensibly supported by a $200K book advance, to "find God." I'm sure millions of women would love to leave their everyday lives and travel the world to do nothing but self analyze. If she had done volunteer work, I may have felt differently. If she went through some real hardship, I could sympathize. But she was in an incompatible marriage, then dumped by the guy she left her husband for. She should perhaps speak to those battling life-threatening diseases, or raising children alone, or taking care of an elderly parent, or worried about where their next meal is coming from.

And for all of her self-realization and navel-gazing to end her dependence on men, Ms Gilbert has, as pointed out by anotherAmazon reviewer, married her Brazilian and moved to new Jersey. She could have saved Penguin Books a whole lot of money by getting in her car and going through the Lincoln Tunnel. I wonder how long before she ends up back on the bathroom floor.

Blah, blah, blah, blah...., October 24, 2007
I could not finish this book. When the author burst into sobs yet again in the middle of prayer, or a conversation, or walking down the street, or (more likely) on the floor of yet another bathroom, I gave up. This is the type of person you meet at a cocktail party and RUN in the other direction after a few minutes when she starts spewing out all her problems at you with no end in sight. Note to the author: I am your reader, not your psychotherapist. I really tried to enjoy the book and even like the author, but after slogging through a couple hundred pages of endlessly self-absorbed chatter, I was worn out and put the book in the Goodwill pile. When she writes, "I discovered my mind was not a very interesting place to be," I have to say, "Amen, sister!"

dishonest and poorly written, April 14, 2007
I've read several of the reviews posted here and though I couldn't finish this book, it seems to me that what's wrong with it is not so much the author's hollow-souled narcissism but her lack of intellectual seriousness. Someone gave me this book as a birthday present. That it has received a lot of attention is no surprise. Look at the drivel America reads. Light, shallow laughs, sex, food, not much real thought. That's the sum of this book. Feel-good rubbish that inspires not one iota of serious thought. Gilbert's slapphappy universe is one in which everything can be solved with pizza and fresh mozarella. Every paragraph contains at least one stock one-liner. This isn't literature. It's stand-up comedy of the worst kind. We've read it all before. She claims she can make friends with anyone. It's precisely that lack of discernment and depth that makes this story forgettable. The prose is laced with one cliche, one trite and cutesy obvservation after another. Some reviewer here said this book is not a book but a magazine article. Exactly right. I finally closed the book when I read that while in India she wanted to "valet park" a destitue family into a new life. It isn't just that the phrase is a silly toss-off modernism but that there's no true emotion in it. You'll never know how this woman really feels. Don't waste your money on it.

Expected more. MUCH more., March 19, 2007
This book reminded me of a quote that's served me well in life: "It's a sign of maturity when you begin to fall out of love with your own drama." The author clearly hasn't reached this stage on her path to "enlightenment"!

don't waste your time on this one, July 12, 2007
Not one interesting character. Not even the author. A horrible divorce... big deal. A love of food ... not really worth 116 pages. I had to get to page 156 to finally understand. She is in an Ashram in India having trouble silencing her mind and meditating.

"What I am alarmed to find in meditation is that my mind is actually not that interesting a place after all."

That sentence sums up the book

Glib, narcissistic and lightweight, May 14, 2007
I picked up this book on the strength of good reviews and found myself wanting to throw it at the wall. The author is a fine writer with a good sense of humor who seemed to want to write about her journey to self fullfilment, spiritual awakening and happiness. Instead she came off as a priviledged, slightly spoiled writer who needed an excuse for a writers advance so she could travel for free. She reveals herself to be a spiritual narcissist who obsessively navel gazes. While many passages are light hearted and funny and she is oh, so very clever and witty!! there was no real depth, no real meaningful questions asked or answered except for how she could get more breaks and be FULFILLED. It seemed like an extended article for SELF magazine. Instead order books by Kathleen Norris or even Anne LaMott for God's sake!

Symptomatic Of The Downfall Of Western Civilization..., October 28, 2009
Elizabeth Gilbert was a self-absorbed, married, thirty-something living the privileged existence of an affluent writer in the most powerful nation on Earth, when, suddenly - shock-horror - she realized that she wasn't happy. As a consequence, she cast aside her husband, took up with another man - with whom she still wasn't happy - and, after this relationship fell into inevitable dissolution, decided to run off around the world in order to "find herself" (one must assume that she'd already looked down the back of the sofa) after receiving a handsome advance from a publishing company to chronicle her subsequent exploits.

"Eat, Pray, Love" is pseudo-intellectual, altruistic, mother-my-dog pap of the worst kind masquerading as spiritual insight. Read between the lines and it expounds selfishness as a virtue and mindless hedonism as both philosophy and legitimate path to spiritual insight. Unsurprisingly, that great doyen of the gullible, Oprah Winfrey, loved it and made it one of her book club choices, thus unleashing it to a wider audience than Gilbert's talents as a writer would normally have ever allowed. Apparently, God help us, a big-screen version with Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts is currently in the offing.

As a literary construct, Gilbert herself seems to be the contemporary living embodiment of Tom and Daisy Buchanan from "The Great Gatsby", of whom F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "They were careless people...they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness...and let other people clean up the mess they had made."

"Self-absorbed" does not begin to cover it; "self-centred" is not nearly an adequate description. One hopes that she can't really have been so completely inured to the poverty of India and Indonesia by her solipsism. If so, then she seems to be genuinely emblematic of a subset of the "sex and the city" generation of women who put their own self-gratification above all other things. Worryingly, this attitude seems to be becoming increasingly more prevalent in western society.

I will be honest, I first happened upon this book after briefly seeing some of Winfrey's interview with Gilbert on television and consequently read three quarters of the book in my local library - and was so completely incensed that I felt it my civic duty to warn you off of this book.

If you want a genuinely enjoyable book to provoke introspection, this isn't it, but may I politely suggest Tom Hodgkinson's How to Be Idle: A Loafer's Manifesto and The Freedom Manifesto: How to Free Yourself from Anxiety, Fear, Mortgages, Money, Guilt, Debt, Government, Boredom, Supermarkets, Bills, Melancholy, Pain, Depression, Work, and Waste or Lin Yutang's The Importance Of Living in it's stead; If you want a decent travelogue, may I politely suggest any Bruce Chatwin's books, and if you really want to read a writer with talent give the exponents of the Gilbertian philosophy of self-aggrandisement both barrels, then I strongly recommend Michael Bywater's Big Babies: or: Why Can't We Just Grow Up?

She teaches you how to discipline yourself not to judge someone, November 20, 2007
I hated this book but I forced myself to finish it. Putting the authors irritating voice aside, it epitomizes everything wrong with American culture today: worship of the mediocre, travel without seeing anything, polarizing of the Other and fake spirituality. That said, I learned something important about spirituality as well but I'll get to that in a minute. It has to do with learning not to judge (see above, I've become quite judgmental).

When I was dragging myself through this book, I experienced strong waves of hatred for this woman. She missed all of the poverty in those places and all complexities of the cultures she "learned about". She acted like hers was the only travel experience any of her readers have ever had with her "Let me explain what being Balinese means..." demeanor. She couldn't even accurately transcribe the Italian words in the passage of curses ("Molto migliore"???). She spoke about Italy like an annoying travel companion who has been there for five minutes, has read two things about the place and knows five words and acts like the expert and when you visit her there and after 2 days there yourself you can see that she still hasn't seen or learned a thing. She takes what she wants to see from the world and tells readers what she thinks they want to hear about it. She doesn't even give an original spin to these common travel destinations, or even any insight into the expats she does meet. Did she ever mention not liking someone? Did she ever mention any negative emotions about anyone other than "David" or her ex-husband? Did she ever mention any locals being any less than thrilled that she graced them with her presence? Did any other readers feel her jealousy seething when the sexy Brazilian Armenia walked in Wayan's shop? Of course we all did but the author, miss Spiritually Enlightened at Greeting Her Emotions must still not be able to face that one. Or maybe she can't dare mention it because that might make her readers not like her and this woman spends all her energy spinning a version of herself that everyone can like. I guess her spiritual enlightenment only works for exploring and sharing insights about her weight. Or making money off the bored, privileged American public.

Now, how about how offensive she is? Besides her condescending assumption that we are all married 35 year olds stuck in our houses who have never traveled and are relying on her to tell us how it is, she made two references where she tried to make the suffering of her love life out to be comparable that of a refugee ("we had the eyes of refugees" and counseling with the boat people revealed that their suffering too "was all" love story sagas (personally offensive to anyone touched by the world's refugee story).

Okay, I said that I learned something. Yes, I learned something. Important. I looked deeply into my hatred I felt towards this woman throughout the book. I learned that the reason I hated her so much was because I was expecting her to have something insightful to say and I was expecting to learn about the people from an anthropological, non-biased, realistic perspective. Each faux pas she made infuriated me. I wasn't seeing her for her. I was trying to project what I thought was her view of herself onto her. Basically, I was expecting her to live up to how great she tells us she is and when she didn't deliver, time after time, sentence after sentence, I felt some justified sense of triumph and anger at "catching" her, and then feeling immense frustration at not being able to expose her to the world so everyone else would see through her too. Instead, I should learn to accept the book for what it is (horrible) and accept the author as she is (whoever that is) and accept that to her it was suffering, to her it was enlightenment and it does no good to judge her for it (even though I am not spiritually enlightened enough to stop myself). Instead of hating her, I should have shut the book, written this review, and laughed about it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

National Bestseller 

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walkedalone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher JohnsonMcCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and mostof his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life forhimself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter....

Reviews

Brilliant and Unforgettable
There is little suspense (in the traditional sense of the word) in Krakauer's Into the Wild, as anyone who reads the synopsis or picks up the book instantly learns that it is the story of a young man, Chris McCandless, who ventures into the Alaskan Wilderness and who never gets out. Chris' body is found in an abandoned bus used by moose hunters as a makeshift lodge, and Krakauer skillfully attempts to retrace his steps in an effort both to understand what went wrong, and to figure out what made McCandless give away his money, his car, and head off into Denali National Forest in the first place.

His book was one of the most haunting, unforgettable reads in recent years for me. I was mezmerized by passages in the author's other best-selling masterpiece Into Thin Air, such as the passage involving stranded and doomed guide Rob Hall, near the Everest summit, talking to his pregnant wife via satellite phone to discuss names for their unborn child. However, I was unprepared for the depths of emotion felt in reading Into the Wild - it literally kept me up at nights, not just reading but thinking about the book in the dark.

Some reviewers criticized the book because they thought McCandless demonstrated a naive and unhealthy lack of respect for the Alaskan wilderness. This is no hike on the Appalachian Trail - Chris was literally dropped off by a trucker into the middle of nowhere, with no provision stores, guides, or means of assistance nearby at his disposal. He had a big bag of rice and a book about native plants, designed to tell him which plants and berries he could eat. "How could he have been so stupid?", they ask.

Well, I certainly didn't feel compelled to give away my belongings, pack some rice and a Tolstoy novel and walk into the woods after reading the book, but the author does a remarkable job of exploring McCandless the person, including passages derived from interviews with the many poeple whose lives he touched in his odyssey as he drove and then hitch-hiked cross country from his well-to-do suburban home. Some of the more touching parts of the book involved tearful reminisces by some of these old aquaintances when they learned he had perished.

Krakauer also throws in for good measure an illuminating passage about a similar death-defying climb that he foolishly attempted at about the same age as McCandless, with little training and preparation, providing insight into what makes a person attempt a dangerous climb or hike. He even tells several fascinating tales, all of them true, of other recreational hikers who were stranded in the wilderness.

By the end of the book, I thought I understood McCandless' character, and I thought Krakauer was probably right in putting his finger on exactly what caused his death. I was moved by his plight regardless of his possible foolishness in venturing into Denali, and the final scenes involving Chris' family were emotionally devastating. You need not be an outdoorsman to appreciate it, and in fact unlike Into Thin Air the book is completely accessible to those who know nothing about the subject. I think this book is destined to become a classic.

INTO THE WILD...INTO YOUR HEART
This is a poignant, compelling narrative about Chris McCandless, an intelligent, intense, and idealistic young man, who cut off all ties to his upper middle class family. He then reinvented himself as Alexander Supertramp, a drifter living out of a backpack, eking out a marginal existence as he wandered throughout the United States. A modern day King of the Road, McCandless ended his journey in 1992 in Alaska, when he walked alone into the wilderness north of Denali. He never returned.

Krakauer investigates this young man's short life in an attempt to explain why someone who has everything going for him would have chosen this lifestyle, only to end up dead in one of the most remote, rugged areas of the Alaskan wilderness. Whether one views McCandless as a fool or as a modern day Thoreau is a question ripe for discussion. It is clear, however, from Krakauer's writing that his investigation led him to feel a strong, spiritual kinship with McCandless. It is this kindred spirit approach to his understanding of this young man that makes Krakauer's writing so absorbing and moving.

Krakauer retraced McCandless' journey, interviewing many of those with whom he came into contact. What metamorphosed is a haunting, riveting account of McCandless' travels and travails, and the impact he had on those with whom he came into contact. Krakauer followed McCandless' last steps into the Alaskan wilderness, so that he could see for himself how McCandless had lived, and how he had died. This book is his epitaph.

A wonderful, utterly unique book
I loved this book. It's one of the most original and satisfying works of non-fiction I've read in a long time. Mr. Krakauer writes beautifully, and he did an amazing amount of on-the-ground research to unravel the mystery of Chris McCandless, a very remarkable, if difficult, young man.

Having just read the 1-star review below by the anonymous person from Freeport Maine, I can't let his/her negative observations pass without comment. First of all, Mr./Ms. Freeport accuses Mr. Krakauer of writing "Into the Wild" in order to cash in on the success of his bestseller "Into Thin Air." This is somewhat unlikely, because "Into the Wild" was published more than a year BEFORE Mr. Krakauer wrote "Into Thin Air"!

Also, Mr./Ms. Freeport opines that McCandless's "story and his family should be left alone. Shame on Mr. Krakauer for attempting to profit from their intense loss." The only problem with this opinion is that the McCandless family has stated publicly that they are extremely glad Mr. Krakauer wrote "Into the Wild."

In early 1996, a month or two before Mr. Krakauer went to Mt. Everest, I saw him give a lecture/slide show about "Into the Wild" at a Borders bookstore outside of Baltimore. At the beginning of the lecture Mr. Krakauer introduced Walt and Billie McCandless, Chris's parents, who were in the audience that night. After the slide show I approached them and told them how much I admired their son. Then I asked them what they thought of Mr. Krakauer's book. They said they were extremely grateful that Mr. Krakauer had written it, because "Into the Wild" had answered many riddles about their son that had been troubling them--riddles that would have otherwise gone unanswered. Mr. McCandless even admitted that in some ways Mr. Krakauer had probably come to know Chris better than they knew him during the last years of his life. Both Mr. and Mrs. McCandless spoke quite highly of Mr. Krakauer's integrity and his skill as a journalist.

Facinating! (Sorry it's so long, but read on...)
I'm afraid to sound overly enthusiastic about this book for fear that those so "annoyed" by it will take their anger in spending [money] on Jon Krakauer. Krakauer is a great journalistic writer and his work and research far exceeds any ficticious adventure flick.

I can understand how one can get confused with the shifts in location and time during McCandless's two year journey, but retracing the man's steps should not be the focus. Krakauer enlightens the reader and unfolds the mystery of McCandless's death as interviews, childhood experiences and stories of similar adventurers give greater insight to the man's psyche. I was continuously facinated as I read highlighted passages from McCandless's books, grafitto, et al which Krakauer includes at the beginning of each chapter. All the research he has done is not just laid out flat, but revealed in a dialogue between him and the reader.

Others I've read remark McCandless as stupid, selfish, uninteresting, and a waste of a human life, suggesting stories by Jack London as a superior examination of human condition.

"McCandless [and other readers obviously] conveniently overlooked the fact that London himself had spent just a single winter in the North and that he'd died by his own hand on his California estate at the age of forty, a fatuous drunk, obese and pathetic, maintaining a sedentary existence that bore scant resemblance to the ideals he espoused in print" (44).

It is sad to know that such a life holds more respect than one man's passion to actually live out his beliefs as did McCandless.

As far as calling this man stupid and selfish, some readers happen to skim over the parts about his college education and donating [money] to OXFAM America, a charity dedicated to fighting hunger. I don't know where you live, but how many teenagers do you know who read War and Peace and spend the last of their money to buy hamburgers to give to the homeless while their peers are out partying?

McCandless may have been overly confident and stubborn to make his way on his own, but weren't his ideals real? Those who knew him speak of his true love of nature and high spirits. How anyone can claim he was wasting his life instead of living for the gain of material possesions is beyond me. McCandless reached his dream of living off the land and he did it for over 100 days, while others work their whole lives and feel empty, never knowing the real beauty of the world.

Krakauer tells of experiences with Alaskan hunters who claim that McCandless was wrong in thinking the animal he killed was a moose after examining the bones. "It was definitely a caribou...you'd have to be pretty stupid not to tell them apart" (177). Krakauer later found out that the animal was in fact a moose. Seems as though the natives are overly confident of themselves as well.

And had it not been for a bit of information left out in a refernce book of edible plants, McCandless may have survived.

The main thing that saddens me when I read reviews with low ratings is the hypocritical way the reader will toss off a man's life as not worth the pages in this book while complaining about McCandless wasting his own life. No one is trying to make this man out as a saint and judging his actions on your own ideas of success does not give your life more reason.

I'll end with a few quotes of the book that some may need to read over:

"McCandless wasn't some reckless slacker, adrift and confused, racked by existential despair. To the contrary: His life hummed with meaning and purpose. But the meaning he wrested from existence lay beyond the comfortable path: McCandless distrusted the value of things that came easily. He demanded much of himself-more, in the end, than he could deliver" (184).

"'Sure he screwed up' Roman answers, `but I admire what he was trying to do. Living completely off the land like that, month after month, is incredibly difficult. I've never done it. And I'd bet you that very few, if any, of the people who call McCandless incompetent have ever done it either, not for more than a week or two. Living in the interior bush for an extended period, subsisting on nothing but what you hunt and gather-most people have no idea how hard that actually is. And McCandless almost pulled it off'" (185).

Brilliant, subtle, and unforgettable
"Into the Wild" is one of the most unusual and powerful books I have ever read. Krakauer tells the story of Chris McCandless very skillfully, in haunting, mesmerizing prose. Krakauer's themes are grand, but he makes his points with great subtlety and understatement. Some readers have failed to understand what he is up to, but those who are perceptive will get it.

Some readers, for instance, apparently didn't understand why Krakauer included two chapters about his own solo Alaskan adventure, which he undertook when he was the same age as McCandless. But Krakauer's inclusion of these chapters is absolutely essential to the book's success. Far from being "filler," these chapters explain (albeit between the lines) why Krakauer was so obsessed with the tragedy of ChrisMcCandless, and shed a great amount of (indirect)light on McCandless's motivations.

The writing techniques and structural strategies Krakauer employs in this book are quite sophisticated and somewhat risky, and will no doubt pass over the heads of some readers, but I think the risks Krakauer took are worth it, and the book succeeds brilliantly when all is said and done. "Into the Wild" will one day be recognized as one of the classics of twentieth century American literature. If you read it, I guarantee it will get under your skin. You will not be able to stop thinking about Chris McCandless.

Freedom and Wilderness
This is the tragic stroy of Christopher McCandless, a man who was willing to sacrafice everything for a chance at experiencing life as few people ever do. One day Chris, or Alexander Supertramp as he preferred to be called, decided to cut all ties with the modern world and live in absolute freedom. Jon Krakauer beautifully narrates the reader through Alexander's ill-fated adventure that finally ended in an abandoned bus in the wilds of Alaska. Along the way, the reader is introduced to a collection of colorful people who have also sought escape from the trials of daily life. These glimpses help to put Alexander's uncommon desire to break from modern society into its proper perspective. Into the Wild is also a story about one family's love for their son, and the search for understanding and closure concerning his eventual death. In the process the reader is given great insight into the mind, and possible motives for his desire to escape. But, as we find out this is not just the story of one family, but, the story of many people and families that Alexander touched in his odyessy across America. Despite the fact that Alexander's quest cost him his life, I would dare to say that during those four brief months he felt more alive and experienced more than most people do in a entire lifetime. His warm smile on the opening page is a testament to the happiness, and contentment that he experienced in his self-imposed solitude. Finally, this is not merely a book about the tragedy of death, it is instead a celebration of nature and one mans quest to experience it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The New York Times bestselling memoir of pilgrimage and metamorphosis by the author of The Secret Life of Bees and her daughter.

Sue Monk Kidd has touched the hearts of millions of readers with her beloved novels and acclaimed nonfiction. Now, in this wise and engrossing dual memoir, she and her daughter, Ann, chronicle their travels together through Greece and France at a time when each was on a quest to redefine herself and rediscover each other.

As Sue struggles to enlarge a vision of swarming bees into a novel, and Ann ponders the classic question of what to do with her life, this modern-day Demeter and Persephone explore an array of inspiring figures and sacred sites. They also give voice to that most protean of human connections: the bond of mothers and daughters. ... Read more

Reviews

Loved "Secret Life of Bees" but couldn't plow through this, November 11, 2009
While I loved "The Secret Life of Bees" first as a novel and then even as a movie, and liked the Mermaid story that followed, this work of non-fiction combining a mother/daughter view is a major disappointment. Normally I like the "different chapter, different speaker" method of writing. Not so, here. The reason that I actually finished "Pomegranates" is that I did enjoy being filled in on some of the background of "Bees." Admittedly, some of the rest of the novel (Black Mary) is interesting from an historical perspective and the relationship of mother/daughter mildly interesting, I found that the two perspectives were self serving. As a woman about to turn 50 in a few months, I thought I would better relate to Sue and learn something meaningful of the changes brought about by menopause. Instead, I found myself bored by what seemed like an endless repetition of complaining and regret. And I have two almost 20 daughters... certainly there's something here that will give me some new insight...And then it dawned on me that Sue was actually helping daughter, Ann, to launch her career through this book! Ann's contribution was a travel dialogue that made me think, "You're kidding! You're that depressed right out of college,and you don't know you're divine purpose in life? How many of us realize that in our early 20's (or ever?) And then, "Eureka!" she wants to be a writer! And write about her travels to Greece? And do we need to know the details of planning a wedding? I was consumed by these details at Ann's age, too, but certainly don't want to read about anyone else's decisions.
I felt ripped off. An earlier opinion said this would be better as a blog. I agree totally. I'm just glad that I was able to get this from my local library and didn't buy it.

Traveling with white gloves, November 15, 2009
This book provides some valuable information about Demeter, Persephone, and the Madonna (including fascinating information about the Black Madonna. ) I had hoped for an equally fascinating dialogue between mother and daughter, but instead I found it a little cloying and self-absorbed. These are women to the manor born, who seem to be able to spend big chunks of their lives traveling, being depressed, crying, lighting candles, writing, and seeing a therapist. To cap it off, the daughter decides to get married under an oak tree on a famous plantation in South Carolina. The gardens, she admits, were built by "100 slaves in 7 days." That's about as political as the book gets. I sense that these two southern women are searching for a black woman (or Madonna) as a rescue figure. This is a tale as old as our country...(See Gone with the Wind etc). Toward the end of the book, Sue (the mother) touches lightly on the world situation. She wants to give back, help out - but all she gives, in the end, is honey on the roots of a tree in Crete...The book is wrapped up in symbolism that seems superficial and dainty... like wearing white gloves to go feed the poor.

A wonderful memoir on turningpoints and midlife, October 1, 2009
Like Sue Monk Kidd, I found myself at a crossroad when I turned 50 and my only child left home for college. Suddenly, I questioned my career direction and wondered where to turn next. But this isn't just a book for blocked writers. Kidd's new memoir speaks to the yearning in every woman who is entering menopause and struggling to redefine her motherhood, or searching for new projects to "birth." Having read all of Kidd's books, including her novels, I am grateful for this deeply personal glimpse into her creative doubts -- and her process.

Additionally, I traveled to the same places in Greece and Turkey, so the book also works as a compelling travel memoir. (In particular, I enjoyed the descriptions of Mary's last home in Turkey.) There's a lot more to this book -- just as there's a lot that goes on during menopause. While it's not a difficult read, this memoir is not exactly "light reading," and will hold most appeal to readers interested in feminist spirituality. I plan to read it again to appreciate its full depth. I'll read anything Sue Monk Kidd writes -- and was delighted to be introduced to the writing of her daughter as well. Highly recommended.

Important, Timely and Wise, September 19, 2009
I came upon this novel while browsing in a local bookstore...I was not looking for this book - IT found me.
First, I would like to thank Sue and Ann for coming to the realization that this was a journey novel requiring two voices - the voice of a young woman (Maiden/Mother) and the voice of an older woman(Crone/Wisewoman). That they are also mother and daughter amplifies their story, their journey, their transition from one way of being into another.
The Demeter & Persephone theme was a natural development that occurred early in their travels, but became a mystical theme moving forward. As Ann and Sue's actual journey's unfold, so do the answers to the deep questions and fears that they harbor - each on the cusp of their own personal, cyclical transition.
This is an important, timely and wise book that a mother can gift her daughter with, or that a daughter might gift her mother with. I cannot recommend this novel strongly enough.
Thank you, Sue and Ann!

self-indulgent drivel, January 1, 2010
My 27 year old daughter brought this book to my attention after hearing about it. Even though we are both avid readers, she rarely brings a book to my attention, and I was touched by her enthusiasm about a mother-daughter story. I loved The Secret LIfe of Bees. Sure, I was disappointed in The Mermaid Chair, but I was willing to give Kidd another chance. Boy, was I disappointed. I tried to find some redeeming qualities, but the more I read, the angrier I got. The thought that kept going through my mind was, what incredibly self-absorbed and self-indulgent people these women are. Get over yourselves, ladies! I made it to page 272 and had to stop. I am mad I wasted so much time on this self-promoting and self-absorbed drivel. I will never read another SMK or AKT book.

Shameful and transparent advertising for first time novelist., January 1, 2010
This book was nothing more than brash advertising and assistance from a successful novelist in an attempt to launch her daughter's first published work.It brought forth both feelings of anger and irritation with a Mother who views her life as ending at the age of 50 and a daughter who wallows in self pity and depression because she got rejected by ONE graduate school where she had hoped to hide away in a land of self indulgent academia. These two have too much time and money on their hands. Most of us cannot relate to repeated vacations to Greece to "find ourselves" and the author's obsessive attempts to "re-create" Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to fit her own emotional needs is unsettling at best.

I suppose the recession/depression we are currently experiencing colored my attitude while reading this book.It was hard to feel sorry for two women indulging themselves while three of my neighbors suffered foreclosure (all well over the age of 50.)

I did enjoy The Secret Life of Bees immensely but was not particularly interested in reading about how the book became reality.

This Book Was EXHAUSTING, November 24, 2009

I had the misfortune of trying to listen to this book on CD. Sue Monk Kidd seems to think her every thought and action has such import that she must relate it to the meaning of life (slowly and more slowly). For someone so acutely aware of the passage of time, you'd think she would have stepped up the pace of her writing a bit

I wasn't quite sure whether it was her sniveling daughter or Eeyore who was writing, as she complained her way through an entitled trip through Greece and France. This was one of the most painful listening experiences I have ever had. I finally had to stop listening-all I could think of was how happy their husband and boyfriend must have been to get a break from these two intensely self-absorbed women who really need to learn how to LIGHTEN up. I went to Greece and France while I was in menopause and I must say that though the trips were, indeed, life changing experiences I had a lot more fun during my period of self-discovery. Get a clue girls, if you can't have a little more fun on what most people consider trips of a lifetime, stay home and donate the time and money to a shelter for abused women and children. You might get a better perspective on your perceived "angst" and see what some women endure with grace and dignity and strength of character. ...Now there might be a worthwhile book!

I would have to agree with the reviewer who felt this book was a dishonest way for Sue Monk Kidd to get her daughter published as a first time author. It seemed like a shameful ploy for both of them. With this bad taste in my mouth, I probably won't ever read another book by Sue Monk Kidd again.

Better as a blog, October 16, 2009
This short book will apeal to readers of Sue M Kidd's "Dance of the Disodent Daughter". Fiction fans will likely be disapointed.

The short two voiced memoir about growing old and getting on with life had its bright moments. I was quite moved by the experiences at the home of Mary in Ephesus as well as the Black Madonna in the tree, however there where some rumination that I didn't think added to the 'story' for instance the wedding or the angst of the Greek friend. You do have to wade through some things to get to the gems of insight.

Honestly it felt very much like a number of blog entries that were rewritten for a book. I gave it three stars because I did enjoy the book and have recommended it to a select few women I know who would like it, but it is not for everyone. And it's not a can't-put-it-down read.

beautiful and emotional travelogue, but not for everyone, July 29, 2010
I've read most of Sue Monk Kidd's work and I enjoy both her fiction ("Secret Life of Bees" and "Mermaid Chair") and non-fiction (especially "Dance of the Dissident Daughter") equally.

That being said, this book definitely veers more towards the "non-fiction spiritual memoir" side of things. And I LOVE spiritual memoirs, especially those that bring into focus untraditional ways of approaching of worship and faith.

The book is centered around a series of trips that Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter (Ann Kidd Taylor, co-author) took to Europe in the last fifteen years. While traveling, both women were facing their own individual emotional challenges- Taylor, freshly gradated from college, was struggling with not only the aspect of being an "adult" but also trying to come to terms with a shattering rejection (no, *not* of the relationship variety, which I appreciated), and Kidd was facing the reality of menopause and her unrealized dream of becoming a novelist (the first trip was taken before "Secret Life of Bees" was even a concrete idea) plus her struggle with faith.

As the two women travel together, and visit sites of both mythical and religious importance, they begin to discover very startling truths about themselves. Each take turns writing about different aspects of their travels, and the significance each location and experience had for them.

While this book is not really religious it is *very* spiritual and personal. There are very complex issues that come up, and for someone like myself who is constantly questioning her own faith and "place" in the world, both Kidd and Taylor's issues resonated deeply. There is much talk about menopause, the female "side" of God, depression, and the relationship between the two women. I'm in my mid-30's and I was able to relate to both women's stories simply because I'm facing the physical realities of growing older AND still trying to figure out what my life's purpose is. So I was able to easily slip in and out of each women's narrative and emotional struggles with ease. It almost felt like I was among good friends. I felt very comfortable within the pages of the book.

However, I can see how many would feel it is a self-indulgent book, because it *really* is. I think I feel so strongly positive about it because I could identify with SO much of it, so reading it was a tremendously rewarding experience for me. Half of my copy of the book is dog-eared and underlined because of all the passages that I could identify with so strongly. I appreciated the fact that both women were willing to be so honest and so open with their experiences.

I got a tremendous amount from this book. It opened my mind up to new ideas, soothed me, and I read it whenever I had a spare minute. I'm still going through passages and thinking about the various issues brought up and it's helped me clarify and acknowledge some thing that are going on with my own life.

But the bottom line is that if you are not concerned with the issues facing Kidd and Taylor (menopause, "what do I really want to spend my life doing?", female iconography of God, mythology) you won't enjoy this book. It would be like reading a highly technical book about baseball if you're not remotely interested in the sport. The travel bits alone will not keep you interested if you the women's stories don't captivate you. However, if you enjoy spiritual-based travel memoirs, or stories about mothers and daughters, I would recommend it.

From a Daughter, September 16, 2009
...I could not wait to share this book with my own mother, which I think may be the highest compliment I can pay any book. The conversational tone of the authors belie the depth of the matters discussed, and makes this one of those 'start it only when you have time to keep reading it' kind of books. ... Read more

Editorial Review

After living in Britain for two decades, Bill Bryson recently moved back to the United States with his English wife and four children (he had read somewhere that nearly 3 million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens--as he later put it, "it was clear my people needed me").They were greeted by a new and improved America that boasts microwave pancakes, twenty-four-hour dental-floss hotlines, and the staunch conviction that ice is not a luxury item.

Delivering the brilliant comic musings that are a Bryson hallmark, I'm a Stranger Here Myself recounts his sometimes disconcerting reunion with the land of his birth.The result is a book filled with hysterical scenes of one man's attempt to reacquaint himself with his own country, but it is also an extended if at times bemused love letter to the homeland he has returned to after twenty years away.


... Read more

Reviews

BILL BRYSON AND HIS SATIRICAL HUMOUR AT ITS BEST, July 20, 2000
So what's this then? A collection of columns written by Bill Bryson for the British Night & Day magazine, assembled into a book? I was sceptical when I first picked it due to the unfamiliarity here; I thought he was a travel writer. But then I started reading through the first few pages and am delighted to report that they were so entertaining and accessible that I ended up finishing the book very satified.

This book is about America, about consumerism, hypocracy, politics, culture and everything else in between, such as motels and boring interstate highways and the condition of AT&T service these days. Why should all this be so interesting? Because Bill Bryson's voice shines throughout, dissecting normally more complex subjects into bite-sized articles which are eminently readable to the extent that it is at times impossible to stop. Of course, his trademark humour is present too. If you read this in public, there is the risk of embarrassment by your involuntary snorts of laughter.

However, 'I'm a Stranger here Myself' isn't perfect. Much of the book is predictable, and 85% of the time, Bill appears to be complaining. Someone as talented as Bill Bryson should know not to engage in such indulgence because the end result is that the reader occassionally feels frustrated over the ostensible monotony. You also can't help but feel that an assemblage of brief columns is not enough to make a book.

Although this book is not standard Bill Bryson fare, it still manages to excel. It really is exceptionally enlightening, to read what he has to say subsequent to spending 20 years in England. He compares the contrasts between the two nations and questioning so many aspects of life that Americans take for granted, such as driving from shop to shop when they are merely footsteps apart, or the blatant excesses of junk food. Each article (in my edition, Black Swan) covers only five pages so they are very easy to get into.

If you are an American, perhaps you will enjoy this book more than anyone else as you will undoubtedly find it compelling to look into the views of an outsider in the process of 'assimilation'.

'I'm a Strange here Myself' doesn't feel like a book, more like a colelction of columns binded together. If you are willing to accept this, it is an extremely rewarding, insightful and refreshingly diverting read. This is enough to gain a hearty recommendation.

This Book is a Great Comfort to Foreigners, April 29, 2005
About two years ago when my husband and I made up our minds to study abroad in the U.S., one of my friends, who have lived in Boston for many years recommended Bill Bryson's I am a Stranger Here Myself to me. She told me this book reflects American life and will help me learn American ways of living. I kept her words in mind, but didn't read this book until it was chosen as our assigned material in a reading class in the U.S. After reading through this book, I realized why my friend suggested me read it. This book is really a great comfort to foreigners, because what Bill Bryson told the readers mostly resonates with what we've encountered in our daily lives in the U.S.

As foreigners, we usually assume that lack of proficiency in the language is the cause of ineffective communication and it puts us in a very awkward situation. However, in the chapter, "What's Cooking," we know that though a native speaker, Bryson is also bewildered by the complicated terminology the server uses to introduce the special dishes in a fancy restaurant. And in "How to Rent a Car," Bryson has a difficult time figuring out the complexly tiered options in the contract just as I did when I rented a car in the U.S. for the first time. Sometime it makes foreigners feel secure and relieved when realizing that a native speaker is in the same boat.

I am so glad that I got the chance to read this book. Not only did I understand more about American customs and culture, but I also benefited greatly from the author's funny expression and vivid description in English. For foreigners, making ourselves acquainted with American ways of thinking and speaking is crucial to dealing with daily events in a foreign country. In my opinion, Bill Bryson plays the role of a spokesperson for Americans as well as foreigners. In his sarcastic but intriguing tone, Bryson candidly points out some ridiculous phenomena in American society. Some may regard him as a grumpy man complaining a lot in his book, but I was fascinated by his unique humor. I sincerely suggest anyone who would like to travel to the U.S. read this book beforehand. This book is of great help to getting a broad outline of the life style in America.

Some parts of this book are classic Bryson, others not!, January 17, 2000
This book, which consists of columns Bryson wrote for an English paper after moving to the US, is a mixed success, in my eyes. Bryson is one of my favorite authors, and some pieces were classic, classic Bryson---so funny you really do laugh out loud for a good long while! I liked best the pieces on pop culture---diners, motels, TV, dieting, etc. However, a few pieces were about subjects you can read about in almost any newspaper editorial any day of the week---government waste and stupidity, how hard tax returns are to prepare, and the overactive legal system, to name some. I found those pieces were not really done as well---they could have been written by any skilled writer and did not have the distinctive Bryson voice. Maybe this is because they were not written for an American audience originally, and maybe those topics are not as overdone in England. Overall I still did like this book a lot, although I think I would have liked better something that was less a collection of thoughts and more a real tale of coming back to America, from a more personal viewpoint.

Life in America, Compared to Life in Great Britain, August 2, 2000
This is unfamiliar territory for me--a collection of articles written for a British public. I was drawn into the book mainly because of Bill's sarcastic wit, and was held there by a humorous look at life in America, written by an ex-expatriot.

The book is really well done. The chapters are short, originally written as newspaper articles. Several of his chapters bordered on boring--taxes, how to assemble a computer, etc. Mostly however, they were charming, well-written, and surprisingly personal. Bryson is at his best when tackling travel, and perhaps this is no surprise as he has written several well-received travel books.

Originally I bought this book for someone else, but as I was traveling myself I began to read it, and found I could not put it down. The format lends itself very well to readers like me, who can often only read in short bursts. Finally, while Bryson's readers in Great Britain may have learned something of life in America, I also learned about life in Great Britain--what an experience at the post office is like, what renting a flat is like, and the great furniture debacle.

Honestly I very often laughed out loud, drawing curious looks from others in airports and train stations. Highly recommended.

No Stranger to Laughter, January 8, 2002
"Oh, what the heck? I liked 'A Walk in the Woods,' so let's see if this is any good."

That was my line of thinking as I checked out this book from my local library. On the way home, I opened the cover (akin to opening a bag of my favorite chips) and sampled a bite. And another. Soon, I was eight chapters into the thing, wiping tears from my eyes to the amusement of my wife and children. Then, the ultimate test: I read a page out loud to my wife. Now I'm not intimating that she has any laughter inhibitions--she'll laugh up a storm within the first minutes of a good comedy flick--but to subject her to oral readings is to watch her mood take a serious downswing. Must be the expectation levels I project. ("Come on, honey, don't you get it? Are you listening?")

Test results: A+

Next thing I knew, I was fighting my wife for moments to gobble down another chapter or two. No kidding. Bill Bryson, in his inimitable manner, adds punch and humor to subjects normally as tastless as...well, as week-old chips. He pinpoints the lunacies in our daily routine, the frustrations of red-tape, and the nostalgia of yesteryear. He makes me wonder why we Americans behave in such ways, then leaves me shaking my head at the idea of living anywhere else.

We're all strangers, in one way or another, in this diverse land of ours. And that's just it...it's our crazy kaleidoscope of ideas and customs that make us the colorful nation we are. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Thanks, Bill, for helping me let off some steam so that I can fall in love with this place all over again.

Affectionate- he criticises because he cares!, December 24, 1999
I am a Bill Bryson reader in England and I would like to say I have read the UK edition of this book and several other Bill Bryson titles, and I think Bill Bryson has done a lot to enhance the image of the USA in Britain, not harm it, and has increased understanding between British and American people. I think Bryson is so popular in America because British people like America so much and so are interested in his commentary of it. I am glad to see most reviews by Americans here are positive, but I think the ones which aren't are missing the real point of what Bryson is trying to do. To begin with I feel that the criticism offered of the USA can constructive, rather than just complaining for the sake of it. Bryson obviously loves America but is saddened by some aspects of it and wants to offer an alternative view of how, in his opinion, the USA could be improved even further. I find that people rarely bother to suggest improvements for countries they don't like because they don't care about them. It's only because Bryson obviously loves America that he cares enough to try and suggest ideas to improve the areas in which he feels the country has lost its way. Also a lot of the criticism is not actually comparing America unfavourably to other countries, but to America as it was before he left it- he's suggesting that some things have improved but others used to be better in the past-there's nothing anti-American about suggesting that some older American ideas and values should have been preserved. I think criticising Bryson for a "phoney accent" is a little unfair- he did live in England for almost two decades and it is well-known that people tend to pick up the speech patterns of those around them, which explains why Bryson may have a sort of American/English hybrid accent. Bryson certainly can be said to love England and be an Anglophile, but that doesn't mean he can't love America too- being patriotic does not mean you have to love your own country so much that you can't be allowed to see anything good or even better in another country, or enjoy living in another country- and remember that much as Bryson loved England, he still moved back to America to live- not something he would have done if he disliked America. This book contains much praise for America as well as criticism and I think it is balanced and fair. Bryson certainly exaggerates some of his experiences but it is obvious when he is doing it and it is just for comic effect, not to be misleading. This book has made me want to visit the USA more, not less. I would suggest US readers try and obtain copies of his excellent book "Notes from a Small Island" about Britain- they will find Bryson offers exactly the same blend of praise- AND CRITICISM!- of Britain as he does of the USA. I found his book on my country to be inspiring- certainly it was nice to read the praise but instead of feeling upset by the criticism I found myself agreeing with most of it and thinking about how Britain might change for the better. It's only through balanced criticsm a country can keep constantly re-evaluating itself and so keep cutting-edge through constant improvements. Bill Bryson is offering the USA his own opinions on how America might be improved because he genuinely loves the country- whether you agree with him or not, I think that's a statement of his confidence in the USA, not his dislike of it! Whether you come from the USA, Britain or elsewhere, buy this book- and enjoy!

Actually, I give this book six stars, May 15, 1999
I am English and have to say that the highlight of Sunday mornings was reading Bill's Column in the Night and Day magazine of the Mail on Sunday. To say that I was devastated when he announced in there that he was finishing these columns and doesn't plan to write anymore was an understatement.

However, now I have this book, a collection of all of the columns and I have to say that it just goes to show why the English love Bill so much. He is funny, insightful, clever, self-deprecating, ironic. Did I mention funny??

I love the way he makes the most ordinary of everyday activities seem completely different. He talks a lot in the book (and even in the book's title) about how everyone around him seems to think of him as English and that gives him his distinctive edge. Sometimes its for comic effect - like going into a hardware store and announcing "I need some stuff to fill in holes in the wall with. My wife's people call it Polyfilla" (we do)and other times it gives him the opportunity to observe America and American attitudes from the perspective of an outsider.

The Brits love Bill and his wicked sense of humour, and also his ability to laugh at himself. They also understand when he is being ironic, and when he is truly despairing of his fellow Americans, whether it be setting up a hot-line for dental floss questions or the litigation culture that has sprung up in America and other such examples.

So, Bill Bryson, long may you continue. I look forward to your book on Australia.

Laugh Out Loud, September 10, 2005
I loved this book and told all of my friends about it. In addition to being funny, it was well-researched, interesting, and informative. The author is humble and gracious and is able to laugh at himself, a quality I find admirable and refreshing. He is honest in his opinions without being self-righteous; and even in his criticism of the country, he expresses a hopefulness that it is possible to correct social injustice if we work together as a nation.

However, none of that is the main point of the book. It is simply a collection of his columns written for a British audience in which he makes observations about Americana that are hilarious most of the time. I found myself laughing out loud in a waiting room full of people and then explaining to others what I was reading. If you're looking for a book that will make you smile on an otherwise dreary day, this is the book for you.

Divided into short chapters, it's a book that's easy to read in short bursts--a great book for someone who has difficulty commiting to a lengthy novel.

An excallent piece of non-fiction!, February 20, 2000
Bill Bryson did a fantastic job on this book. It tells a accurate (and hilarious) view on American and English culture. He brings up intresting points, that you'd never think about. Like his other books, he sees things in a thoughtful yet funny way. He is not your typical travel writer. While some of his writing get's repetitive, most of it remains fresh and humors. Anyone who enjoys a funny look at culture, travel, and people's behavior will enjoy "I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away".

A FUN READ, A GOOD READ., July 8, 2008
After quite a number of years living and writing in England, Bill Bryson returned to his native land, the United States, with his family and apparently continued his writing career. Mr. Bryson wrote a series of weekly articles, a column, for a British newspaper, recording his experiences, thoughts and observations on his native land and his return after a long absence. This book, I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a collection of these articles which were printed in that British paper.

I like Bryson. I enjoy reading his books. This one was no exception. I suppose the first thing I like about this author, is that we both have the same attitude toward life. We are both rather inept in many ways. We neither of us seem to take ourselves very seriously. I can relate to that. One of the big differences between is though, is that he has the ability to articulate his thoughts, attitude and experiences, in a way I never will be able to. They guy can write and he can write well.

When I first picked up this book, I did with a bit of a sense of dread. I did not want another "lets get together and bash American" book. I need not have worried. Yes, he does point out some funny, amusing, odd and silly things about our culture, but he is just a quick to point out that these different little oddities can be found around the world, only in different forms and customs. Let's face it, there is a lot a bout this country that is absolutely great, in fact, most things are. The author is quick point this out. On the other hand, there is much about our culture, our people, our government and our lives in general that is, if viewed from a certain angle, absolute hilarious. Bryson is quick to point this out too.

Everything is free game in this little work. Everything from the postal service, cars, diet, computers, holidays, work, play, language, government, family relationships, and so much more, are free game to his pen. Through all of his work though, he is constantly laughing at himself more than anyone else. Most of the articles are funny, many of them absolutely hilarious, and some of them are quite serious, simply due the subject matter. Each article the author has written (he even rather humorously refers to making money on his recycled work), makes up one chapter in this book. It is well written, easy to read, and, if you are like me, addresses subjects we all feel the same about, but just cannot say them in the way Bryson can.

Enjoyed this one and it was a well written, relaxing read.
... Read more

Editorial Review

In less than a year, Neil Peart lost both his 19-year-old daughter, Selena, and his wife, Jackie. Faced with overwhelming sadness and isolated from the world in his home on the lake, Peart was left without direction. This memoir tells of the sense of loss and directionlessness that led him on a 55,000-mile journey by motorcycle across much of North America, down through Mexico to Belize, and back again. He had needed to get away, but had not really needed a destination. His travel adventures chronicle his personal odyssey and include stories of reuniting with friends and family, grieving, thinking, and reminiscing as he rode until he encountered the miracle that allowed him to find peace. ... Read more

Reviews

A meaningful step in my own recovery, January 22, 2003
I find it interesting and sad how many people read this book looking for a story and insight about RUSH. I personally was deeply saddened after the Test for Echo tour to have heard about Neil's tragic losses, then just recently in December of 2002, a week before Christmas, I lost my 32 year old wife to cancer, and immediately have been thrust into a fraternity that nobody should have to join.

A friend was kind enough to give me the book as a gift, and what a profound gift it was. As a lifelong fan of RUSH, Neil, and being a drummer myself, I took that book everywhere with me...it almost became my security. On planes, in my car, etc...until I finally forced myself to read the book closely.

I feel much closer to Neil and certainly identify with his emotions, his feelings of anger, frustration, self-loathing, his "little baby soul" and everything else. Sure, the book delves too deep into certain things that may come across as "WHO CARES" to the reader, but that's the way grief is. You try to fill as much time with WHO CARES so you don't just sit around and cry and be miserable. I know, because I'm there RIGHT NOW.

At this point, I'm almost feeling an additional loss from having finished the book. I agree that there was unfinished business in this book, but I can't help but feel happy for the guy for getting to the point of moving on. That was bittersweet reading for me and quite hard.

Thanks Neil, for sharing your moving story, and making this reader feel and understand your pain, and through that process, anticipate and justify the feelings that I currently am going through. Well done.

The story of a man determined to save his own life., August 4, 2002
In the interest of full disclosure, I admit to being a long-time Rush fan, which by extension makes me a long-time fan of Neil Peart, the author of this work and drummer and lyricist for Rush. I had been aware of the tragedies that he and his family had experienced, and knew that it was the reason behind the several-year gap between albums (Test for Echo released in 1996. Rush's next album, Vapor Trails, would not release until 2002.). However, I didn't know the story of what brought Neil back to Rush, and thus Rush back to the world until I picked up this book at a concert in July of 2002.

When Neil Peart lost his daughter to a traffic accident in the fall of 1997, and his wife to cancer (though, really, he knew it was a broken heart that took his wife), he was an empty man, a man with no reason to live, and little desire to do so. To save himself from the loneliness and the emptiness of a life alone, Peart took to the roads on his motorcycle on a journey that would cover Canada, much of the western United States, and parts of Central America. As he wrote:

"My little baby soul was not a happy infant, of course, with much to complain about, but as every parent learns, a restless baby often calms down if you take it for a ride. I had learned my squalling spirit could be soothed the same way, by motion, and so I had decided to set off on this journey into the unknown. Take my little baby soul for a ride."

This book is a compelling combination of travelogue, literary journal, sarcastic wit, and honest soul- searching. It provides a number of insights to a complex and intriguing man, one who would be interesting even without his fame. His humor, his pain, his reflections, his irritation, his impatience, his fear... All of it presented for the world to see, and to learn from.

I recommend this book not only to Rush fans, but to anyone interested in seeing how someone survives the losses Peart experienced and emerges a whole person on the other side.

A decent but unfinished book, October 1, 2002
I recently picked up a copy of this book at a Rush concert. Partly, I was curious to see how well Neil could do as an author. Partly there was a karma connection: I lost my brother to cancer about ten years ago, and had gotten through it with the help of Rush's music, so I wanted to know how such a painful loss affected the man who wrote the lyrics to "Bravado".

Not surprisingly, Peart's writing on the page-to-page level is witty, literate, and frank. As a travelogue, Ghost Rider is fairly interesting, peppered with details about the various locales he visits and the people who put them on the map, and pithy observations about the local culture. I'm sure he'd do well as a writer at a travel magazine (but being in a successful rock band probably pays better).

As an account of an emotional journey, though, Ghost Rider feels like a journal that was transfered into book form without benefit of a good editing job. It seems like I spent as much time reading about what Neil ate for dinner, what repairs he made to his bike, what (briefly described) old friend he met, etc., than about the process of coming to grips with grief. Understandable that he preferred dealing with day-to-day details to take his mind off the hurt while on the road, but as a final narrative, it gets a bit tedious to the reader who doesn't have much emotional connection to these things, at least not as they're told. Though he clearly misses his wife and daughter, he doesn't say much about them, which makes it hard to empathize with his breakdowns along the way. Flashes into the struggle of the soul are there, but they often get deflected into self-conscious banter which likewise gets a little old. For example, reading about a middle-aged rock drummer chasing after squirrels with a water gun has potential to be comical in an existential way, but Neil manages to deflate the moment by trying to make it sound WITTY. Also, his occasional jabs at fat people, trailer trash, and oblivious Americans left a bad taste -- taking cheap shots at easy targets is not moving writing. He was mostly above that in song lyrics. All of us get lost in the darkness, he said at one point, so he should know better than to write as if he were the only one ever so badly hurt.

Rush fans looking for a more personal connection to their favorite band will probably be disappointed (for one thing, Rush is mentioned mainly only incidentally). You certainly get some insight into the workings of the man's mind and the origins of various song lyrics (which preface each chapter), but the delivery of the book is so workmanlike, it's hard to feel a lot of emotional weight from his experience (though it's obviously there). Ghost Rider really could have a been a fascinating, instead of merely interesting read, if only Neil had taken the time to trim down the breadth and expand on the depth. I'd imagine he wrapped up the book in a hurry to work on the latest Rush CD, Vapor Trails, which, on the whole, is a lot more moving (listen to the SONG Ghost Rider).

Overall, I admire that Mr. Peart drove himself to write this, and I think he's got a good book or two in him (or a slew of articles), if he focuses better on reaching out to the reader, but for now he shouldn't quit the day job! (Please, no!) So, anyone thinking about buying Ghost Rider should carefully read the reviews here and make up his or her own mind.

What an odd book., January 12, 2004
While I feel badly for Neil's tragic losses, the `woe is me' tone of this book gets weary quick. This is compounded by Neil's diffident and disdainful attitude toward just about everything and everybody he encounters. I had to keep reminding myself that the author had lost his daughter and common-law wife within months of each other otherwise I couldn't feel much empathy for him.

The writing style reminds of someone who loves the mechanics of writing but has difficulty with the soul of writing. Reading this book was an empty experience. I didn't feel like I shared or learned much of anything when I finished. When Neil does touch on an emotional issue, he tends to sum it up with "then I cried" and leave the reader to figure out the rest.

Curiously, Neil claims "you give good, you get good" yet he spends much of his time fraternizing with his pen pal drug-dealer, regarding most people he meets with disgust and generally acting like a self-indulgent jerk. Maybe his karma isn't as pure as he imagines.

Still, it could have been a decent read with some editorial help. A better introduction to Jackie and Selena, less love letters to Brutus and for god's sake, knock down the emotional walls before you sit down to write. Otherwise, why bother?

Decent travelogue, yet tedious and lacking in empathy, January 18, 2003
GHOST RIDER is written by Neil Peart, drummer and lyricist for the legendary hard rock music trio Rush. In 1997-98, Peart suffered a double tragedy when his daughter and wife died within ten months of each other. Left suddenly alone, Peart hit the road for fourteen months to escape his grief, and his travels are chronicled here.

Anyone wishing for profound emotional empathy for Peart will not find many nuggets here. The majority of this book is just a travelogue by a man who is seeking to put his tragedies on the road behind him ... and nothing more.

I was very disappointed in the first half of the book, initially because it took less than ten pages for Peart to reduce the lives of his wife and daughter to what is essentially a prologue. Then, when Peart hits the road, his thoughts and efforts are enveloped by his travels, which he shares in prodigious detail. He documents page after page of flora and fauna, road and riding conditions, sights and situations, meals, books and accommodations, only to include perhaps a single, glib sentence on his mental state, such as, "...suddenly I was in tears. One step forward, one step back." I became increasingly frustrated and annoyed because he cared more about describing his travels than communicating his grief, and I felt he never justified this discrepancy.

If this had been written purely as a travelogue, I may have rated this higher, and it might be enjoyable to follow along his path with a road atlas and be satisfied with the journey. Peart puts in a lot of miles and goes to interesting places that typical travel books never go. But even this work is harmed by his wide antisocial streak, his ungracious celebrity, and a tangible disdain for Americans.

By the halfway point, I had already had enough of Peart's weighty travel journal and the dearth of emotional honesty, and I had to force myself to finish the book. I had reached a much greater understanding of Peart's affection for his jailed friend Brutus than for his own family, and I found that to be the book's saddest reality of all. I really wanted to care about his plight, but he wasn't giving me an excuse to. He was coming across quite unsympathetically, and that's an enormous feat considering the gravity of the subject matter.

Fortunately, the book's second half was an improvement, but by then I just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible. Ironically, his journey and healing improve noticeably whenever he's NOT on the road. In the cabin by the lake, he must confront the memories of his wife and daughter honestly and directly, and he is actually more willing to share these situations with the reader. It is in these moments that Neil Peart finally comes across with humanity, and we see him surrounded by his former life, as the widower, and as the father who had to bury his child.

But these moments are all too fleeting. His insecurities put him on the road twice more in the second half, mostly shared through his neverending letters to Brutus. I skimmed paragraphs, places became indistinct, and I just grew weary of traveling with him. I was tired of his letter writing style, his forced levity, and the callousness with which he regards Gabrielle (whom he dated briefly) as "that woman," without rhyme or reason. GHOST RIDER is three quarters travel journal and maybe one quarter emotional insight, but it fails to find a synergy of the physical (the journey) and the spiritual (the healing).

In the end, Peart's travels come to a screeching halt with his hastily-written equivalent of "...and I lived happily ever after." As he completed his journey, any happiness I might have had for him was tempered by the relief I felt, knowing that my reading journey was finally at an end.

GHOST RIDER was my first exposure to Mr. Peart's books, but unless he writes a Rush biography, it will also be my last. Two and a half stars.

How a narcissist millionaire deals with loss, November 10, 2002
Neil Peart suffered a tremendous loss, a double-whammy of daughter (car accident) and wife (cancer) in the space of a year. Being an amazingly fortunate, well-to-do fellow, he retreated to his house by the lake for a bit before deciding, in the depths of his despair, to climb aboard his... BMW motorcycle and spend handsome sums of time and money tooling around Canada, the United States and Mexico trying to let time do its healing. Mr. Peart doesn't seem to grasp at any point that his resources allow him many more options than almost anyone alive, although a friend points out in a letter to him that suffering that kind of loss and being poor would be a real bummer. Instead of being a nomadic self-therapist, he would take a week's unpaid bereavement leave and then trudge back to work on Monday morning. That's how the fat, uncultured Americans Neil despises have to deal with their own personal losses. Or maybe how they're going to buy a one hundred dollar Rush ticket to see their favorite band in concert when they can't pay the rent, car payment and power bill all in the same month.

I also am surprised at Mr. Peart's mental relationship with his fans. At one point in the book, he sits at a bar, drinking a scotch that the money of his fans put into his hand, hoping not to be recognized by one of them. No mention at all is made of the outpouring of sympathy that Rush fans expressed for Neil's twin losses. If he heard about it at all, he must have felt that it was insignificant, dismissing the voluminous, one-sided correspondence from them with barely a thought. There seems to be no glimmer in him of the changes wrought in the world due to the career he has abandoned during the time period covered by this book. Mr Peart has changed lives for the better and had a profound influence on the toughts and lives of many a person, but instead of pride, he only wishes to hide from it. This cannot be chalked up to his grief, as it seems to be an attitude carried over from his happier days. Puzzling.

While I enjoyed reading about the travels themselves, often referring to an atlas to trace the route of the self-proclaimed Ghost Rider, I found myself unable to empathize continuously with the man doing the riding. On one page I would identify with his observations or dry humor utterly, then on the next be baffled by this headstrong, self-absorbed fellow.

Rush, while an outstanding band, have never been the type to "give back" to their fans, and after reading this book, one can gain insight into at least 1/3 of that attitude. Yet, why was this book written in the first place, if not for anonymous people to share in the experience? Is the author interested only in sending out a message in a bottle? A baffling conundrum that ultimately is more interesting than the book itself.

Having said all that, I was unprepared for the emotional reaction I had to the last few pages. I cried tears of joy that this bitter, fragile creature had allowed himself to rejoin the mainstream of human experience as symbolized by his relationship with his new wife, Carrie. I wish this complex, frustrating man the best, although he wouldn't care even if he knew I said that.

Hopefully, You'll Never Meet Your Heroes, March 2, 2007
For years I had been wanting to read 'Ghost Rider', I recalled from the news reports back in '98 how Neil suffered the worst in human tragedies and I was curious to see how he dealt with them. When he decided to share his thoughts I was very intrigued. Certainly there are tragedies everyday, some worse than his, but this was Neil Peart, one of the greatest drummers of all time. I had to know how he felt.
Well after 400+ pages I am sure of one thing: Neil is the quintissential oxymoron. First off, he seems to really not like you or me, despite the fact that our purchases of his records, cassettes, CD's, videos and concert tickets over a 30-year period has bought his BMW RS1100GS and allowed him the 'freedom' to deal with his crisis in a manner of his choosing. Yet he wants to share his thoughts with us almost as if he is so insecure he needs our approval. He claims to disdain anyone overweight or sloven but tells us of his joy in not shaving or cutting his hair occasionally in his transgressions.
Undoubtedly, by way of his passion for Art and Literature, he comes across as being smarter than you and me but the way he says it implies that he is really not sure..."See I'm really smart don't you think?" He wants to be a private person yet he writes a book that peers deep into his soul and then shares it with the rest of us 'common men.' He preaches about all the faults of man yet he conveys these mostly through his letters to his drug smuggling riding buddy who sits in jail for several years.
Basically, I'll bet that he was definitely this screwed up before these terrible tragedies befell him. It just goes to show you that it is best to never your meet your heroes because the reality will always disappoint the fantasy. Now having said that I would definitely recommend this book because I think the travelling and soul searching are of incredible interest to just about everyone.
However, as I continue to enjoy Rush as they complete their fourth decade of existence I hope Neil's path and my path never intersect. The disappontment would be too great for both of us.

Only for the dedicated, July 3, 2004
As a fan of Rush and Neil Peart for 20+ years, I was hoping this book would reveal more about Neil's human side and the tragedies he faced and overcame. It did, but not the way I expected. I was about 100 pages in when I realized the book is written for Neil himself, not for the reader. The author often seems not to know or care that a reader exists and wants to understand and empathize with his journey. He logs hundreds of pages of detail of his aimless wanderings, often interspersed with his own feelings of grief, but the few real insights are fragmented without any real coherence. In fact, some of them are probably unintentional; he seems as unaware of his own disdain towards most other people he meets, as he is of the reader himself. This becomes painfully obvious in the "Letters to Brutus" section, pages upon pages of correspondence that, while surely significant to Neil and his close friends, are mostly fragmented and irrelevant to anyone else. After 450 pages of material, through which we desperately want Neil to overcome his pain, the story of his recovery is tacked on in literally a single sentence, followed by 6 pages of epilogue.

My sense is that this book was written not for the reader, but for Neil to bring closure to his own grieving process, which is understandable given the terrible tragedies that the author experienced. The reader should approach it in that context, understanding that the process of grief necessarily makes a person very focused on the self to the exclusion of almost all else.

I'd recommend the book only to dedicated fans of Neil's work, with the caveat that this particular work is really written for Neil himself. All the band members have consistently said they feel they owe their followers their best possible performance in exchange for the CD price or ticket charge; for the $20 price of this book, this is the first work I've seen by any of them that falls far short of that standard.

I must have had the wrong expectations, December 27, 2003
Knowing that Neil Peart is insightful and so good with the written word, I was expecting a lot of tidbits and profound insights into life and how he was dealing with the tragic deaths of his daughter and wife.

For many parts of this book, I did get that but quite frankly, the letters to Brutus and others - I could have done without. They were just babbling about what he did today and didn't bring much insight. Having been out of North America for ten years, I did appreciate the description of what it's like to live and travel in Canada again -

I felt that the ending was a little abrupt - while he had alluded to getting back to himself, he didn't really go into that process. His introduction to Carrie was only in the last few pages from "hey I'm dating this woman" to "hey we're getting married in California" - wot?!

I guess I may have had the wrong expectations for this book which is of no fault of the author. I was expecting to learn more about the thinking of an obviously brilliant lyricist and drummer...what I got was more random thoughts and a stream of consciousness

IF YOU LOVE RUSH DON'T READ THIS BOOK, March 20, 2004
Neil does such a good job of insulting anyone and everyone who grew up loving Rush that it makes you wonder if he should have just stayed in the tractor repair business. I still love rush, Neil is still my biggest drum influence, and I'll go see 'em every chance I get. However, I really would have been better off not reading this book. If your like me though, you'll read it anyway. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Bill Bryson travels to Kenya in support of CARE International. All royalties and profits go to CARE International.

Bryson visits Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to eradicating poverty. Kenya is a land of contrasts, with famous game reserves and a vibrant culture. It also provides plenty to worry a traveller like Bill Bryson, fixated as he is on the dangers posed by snakes, insects and large predators. It is also a country with many serious problems: refugees, AIDS, drought, and grinding poverty. The resultant diary, though short in length, contains the trademark Bryson stamp of wry observation and curious insight. ... Read more

Reviews

too short but fun bit of travel writing for a good cause, May 28, 2003
Bill Bryson is a fantastic travel writer, and made this very very short book (only 49 pages!) still fun to read. I definitely wish it had been longer, but as all of the book's proceeds go to charity (specifically CARE, a wonderful organization that spends its money wisely and helps those in impoverished countries help themselves), I don't really mind.

The book recounts his all too brief time in Africa (eight days), where he tours the east African nation of Kenya. He visits some of the areas in Kenya in the most need of CARE's help, such as the Nairobi slum of Kibera and the eastern refugee camp of Dadaab, filled with Somali exiles. It is quite sad to read about the horrible conditions many of these people face (wait till you read about what a flying toilet is), but heart warming to see that many are still hopeful and that all is not lost. It would seem that many of these people are good people; all they need is a chance.

...it was still fun to read and parts were hilarious. I enjoyed his early thoughts on Africa, such as the initial conversations with those who convinced him to go to Africa that except for the "diseases and the bandits and the railway from Nairobi to Mombasa, there's absolutely nothing to worry about"! I enjoyed reading about that railroad, which Bryson writes has a tradition of killing passengers and has even been named the Lunatic Express, though Bryson rode it without any serious mishap. Also lots of fun to read was his arrival in Nairobi; expecting the sunny little country town in "Out of Africa," Bryson was amazed to instead find traffic, high rise buildings, bill boards - as he puts it, Omaha! His description of a harrowing single-engine plane ride was very funny as well.

A fun little book, one in you can read in an hour or two.

Lacks the Usual "Bill-iance", June 9, 2003
Despite the book's trim offerings, I sat in a lawn chair and decided to give Bill Bryson and CARE (a humanitarian organization) the benefit of the doubt. How can you fault a writer or publisher who decides to give up time, comfort, and potentional profit for the sake of a charitable organization?

In his vintage manner, Bryson had me laughing in the opening chapter. He pulled me into his excursion to the Dark Continent with promises of adventure. This, I thought, is pure Bill-iance--using warmth and disarming revelation to ambush me with cold, hard facts.

Quickly, the thought faded. This African diary is mild on adventure, lightly flavored with humor, and boasts only a few chunks of worthy information. It's truly the sparsest of diaries.

I applaud this book and its goals. If, however, you are looking for thirty minutes of Brysonian entertainment, this hardcover carries a hefty price for its content. Buy it, instead, as a relatively small donation to good work being done halfway around the globe.

3 stars for the writing, 5 for the cause., December 7, 2002
Bryson answered the call to help out the international relief organization CARE by accompanying them to Kenya and writing this brief diary. The heart he showed by volunteering (along with the publisher Broadway Books) to donate 100% of the proceeds is impressive, however, the heart he put into the writing is not so much. As always he shares his fears and shortcomings in a humorous way, but the gravity of his surroundings seemed to have moistened his wit more so than usual. He too briefly writes about a number of potentially interesting characters who would have been better served with a more thorough (and undoubtedly Bryson-esquely funny) description. This brevity neglects the human face of the very people CARE is trying to help. Nonetheless, Bryson still captivates, and though not up to par for him, this book would make a great stocking-stuffer for your favorite do-gooder and at the same time help those who need it most.

The Loin King, January 9, 2003
I promised myself I wouldn't write a review because I work for CARE and went on the trip to Kenya with Bill Bryson. However - His undertaking was phenomenal. Breaking off from his current writing project to travel to an unknown continent for 8 days, make sense of it, write up 10,000 words ( that's how many we felt we could ask him to undertake, he actually wrote 12,000)in two weeks, and turn it round in time for a Christmas book. Admire that, but also admire the motives and the results of this short but sweet volume. There are classic Bryson moments, humour and a well structured view of a country on the verge of great change. Believe me, your ($$) is making a huge difference to people's lives. And the book on your shelf can be a gentle reminder of your generosity and compassion. Thank you Amazon and all purchasers!

Hope, Despair and a Little Humor, December 16, 2002
I enjoyed reading this "slender volume," that merely scratches the surface of life in Kenya. Through his CARE escorts, Bryson sees and describes a country that most tourists either never see and (even after visits to East Africa) do not know exists. I have seen the slum Kibera from a passing train and the smell and noise perforated the train walls as we rumbled by. That Byrson walked the streets of this enormous conglomeration of tin roofs and dung and garbage-filled alleys is amazing. Peppering in his fears and a little humor, he captures the despair and ultimately, the hopelessness. While Kenyan residents like to say there's always hope, anyone who has worked for CARE or is familiar with its tasks, realizes that there isn't much hope in changing the lives of those in Third World slums and refugee camps. I'm happy to know my purchase of this book made a contribution to CARE, because all we can really do is keep funding the attempt to improve these lives just a little bit. Mr. Bryson, I'm glad you made it through all those light aircraft adventures and look forward to reading more of your future work.

Michele Cozzens, Author of A Line Between Friends and The Things I Wish I'd Said.

His heart is in the right place, September 4, 2003
It's short. It's a pleasant read. It's honest, both about Kenya itself and the author's general ignorance of Africa. A good effort, and the profits go to support a supposedly good cause (that's another subject) . . . overall, "Bill Bryson's African Diary" doesn't add up to much, but it's better than nothing, which is what he could have done when CARE asked him to take a trip and produce a manuscript. "A" for effort. Bill Bryson fans may want to read it. If you want to learn about Africa or the aid biz, better to look elsewhere.

Light on Bryson-ian humor, July 7, 2005
I enjoyed this book, despite its short length. I have to give kudos to any author who writes a book with the sole intent of helping others. (The proceeds from this book go to CARE). That said, it was not filled with Bill Bryson's usual make-me-snort-milk-out-my-nose humor. I suspect that perhaps there is not very much to laugh about on a continent that is experiencing the worst AIDS epidemic in the world along with droughts, famine, and civil war in various places. Despite all its heaviness, there is an occasional ray of sunshine peeking through in the form of the lovely photos of the people and places Bill Bryson saw while he was there.

Bill Rocks, June 26, 2006
The only thing truly wrong with this book is it is too short. As usual Bill Bryson vividly depicts the region he visits making you feel almost as if you were there. Infusing just the right amount of humor into his account of the poverty and plight of the people he visits, Bryson helps you devour this book in no time - flat.

Bryson Helps Out CARE, June 28, 2005
This small book tells the story of Bill Bryson's journey to Africa on behalf of CARE. All proceeds from the book are donated to CARE. Bryson tells how his childhood images of Africa derived primarily from television and movies fit with reality. He witnesses the extreme poverty but warm openness of the African people. This is a very brief book with both funny and touching scenese. And it's for a good cause.

Bill Bryson's African Diary, July 19, 2007
This book did not have any of the comic timing I have come to expect with Bryson. It read more like a promotional pamphlet for Care Inc. I would not recommend. ... Read more

Editorial Review

For 6,557 miles, Chuck Klosterman thought about dying. He drove a rental car from New York to Rhode Island to Georgia to Mississippi to Iowa to Minneapolis to Fargo to Seattle, and he chased death and rock 'n' roll all the way. Within the span of twenty-one days, Chuck had three relationships end -- one by choice, one by chance, and one by exhaustion. He snorted cocaine in a graveyard. He walked a half-mile through a bean field. A man in Dickinson, North Dakota, explained to him why we have fewer windmills than we used to. He listened to the KISS solo albums and the Rod Stewart box set. At one point, poisonous snakes became involved. The road is hard. From the Chelsea Hotel to the swampland where Lynyrd Skynyrd's plane went down to the site where Kurt Cobain blew his head off, Chuck explored every brand of rock star demise. He wanted to know why the greatest career move any musician can make is to stop breathing...and what this means for the rest of us. ... Read more

Reviews

Lack of Focus Leads to Excessive Navel Gazing, September 15, 2005
Chuck Klosterman's first two books were highly entertaining if sometimes exasperating melanges of pop culture and memoir. In this third book his writing is just a snappy and sharp, but there's a lack of focus that makes it several notches weaker than those. When his pop-culture addled wit and insight are aimed directly at something like '80s metal, or contemporary film, or breakfast cereals, the results can be amazing. However, he can also descend into weak or muddled rants, and when he becomes the main subject, it's just not that interesting. Unfortunately, the main subject of this third book is largely himself and his tortured love life.

The premise that Chuck's going to go an Epic road trip (on Spin magazine's dime) to tour famous American rock and roll death sites proves to be mere pretense for an extended trip into Chuck's head as he drives cross-country. Sure, he visits a lot of places where people died, like Skynyrd, VanZant, Buckley, Holly, Cobain, et al, but he rarely has anything interesting to say. Very occasionally he does, such as pointing out that Sid Vicious' inability to play the bass was what made him the perfect punk icon. The best part is probably near the beginning, when he visits the Rhode Island site of a club fire during a Great White show which killed almost a hundred people. He discovers a site of pilgrimage and reflection (and coke snorting), and embarks on an excellent diatribe against the prevalence of ironic distance in modern music fans and how the people at the Great White show were the most authentic music fans around.

However, despite nice bits like these, the focus is on Chuck's current and ex-girlfriends -- which gets annoying for a number of reasons. Probably the foremost of these is how in all his writing he self-deprecatingly paints himself as an awkward music geek, and yet here he is describing these multiple smart, sexy, rockin' women he has to chose between. Poor baby. Of course he describes the rise and fall of his various relationships in relatively humorous fashion, but it still comes across like so much self-indulgent navel gazing. There are some nice parts, like an imagined fourway conversation with the women in question, and a bit where he compares each to a member of KISS that is probably pretty funny if you know anything about KISS (I don't). He's a pining romantic at heart, and as one with a somewhat similar composition, I could identify with bits and pieces, but it all gets tiresome by the end.

Stylistically, the writing is what one expects. Sharp, crackling stuff, with loads of digressions, asides, tangents, obscure references, and laugh out loud parts. Music fans will have plenty of little tidbits to keep them going, such as an interpretation of Radiohead's "Kid A" as unintended soundtrack for 9/11 (rather forced in my mind), the relative popularity of Pearl Jam to Nirvana when Cobain died (misguided analysis in my mind), the "truth" of Rod Stewart's voice (somewhat better: "Stewart may be a blond clown with bad judgment, but everything he says is true"), and the universal popularity of Led Zeppelin (ridiculous: "they are the only group in the history of rock n' roll that every male rock fan seems to experience in exactly the same way") , and best of all, a moving explanation of why The Replacements make him cry.

Overall, if you like his writing, you might as well read this: it's quick and there are enough good tidbits to keep you going. However, lets hope that his future books will find more focus. The only other thing I'd add is that for someone who spends a page explaining the difference between "pot people" and "coke people" (in a very funny way) and why he's a pot person, he recounts enough coke anecdotes to make you wonder about his self-classification.

The Bearable Lightness of Chuck, August 30, 2005
"Killing Yourself to Live" is Chuck Klosterman's latest motormouth rant on popular culture and it's an entertaining, fun read. Chuck sets out in a rental car across America to visit the death sites of some famous rock stars, and to ponder why for so many of them their demise was a good career move. Chuck also tells the stories of three of his girlfriends (these may be in part or in whole fictional; at the beginning of the book Chuck warns us that "romance is 85% illusion and 15% real".)

Chuck is a clever fellow so he anticipates most of the criticism that will be leveled at this book ("Why are you writing what people will call a non-fiction "High Fidelity"?) Much of the fun comes from following Chuck's invariably self-questioning interior monologue. He captures very well how a lot of people talk to themselves, with self-doubt and self-deprecating comedy.

The appeal of this book for me is how Chuck approaches heavy subjects like Death and The Meaning Of Life with just the right lightness of touch. Comedy helps you bear the unbearble, and Klosterman shouldn't be dismissed because he tells good jokes along the way. His lightness conceals some pretty profound musings, like on page 218 where he explains how his love of KISS helps him make sense of his life: "Art and love are the same thing: it's the process of seeing yourself in things that are not you. It's understanding the unreasonable." Unlike a lot of critics, Klosterman comes from the heartland and doesn't look back with disgust; the folkways of the middle of the country are bred in his bones, so he has a lot of skepticism for the enthusiasms of the elites. On page 92 he shows how a lot of intellectuals have to talk themselves into liking something like the Allman Brothers that most people who are non-rock critics simply enjoy as "just real music." Common sense is paradoxically a rare thing and I detect it in Chuck.

Good, but misleading, May 4, 2006
I've been a fan of Chuck's work for awhile and love his other books. This was my least favorite, mostly because it wasn't what I expected. From the press the book received, I expected it to be more about his visits to the death scenes, a la Sarah Vowell's "Assassination Vacation". My disappointment wasn't a product of bad writing; it was a product of bad marketing. I might reread it in a few months to see how it fares with more realistic expectations.

That said, the writing could have been much better. I felt like Chuck couldn't decide if he wanted the book to be cohesive, or an essay collection. While he always has interesting observations, I felt like he phoned it in a bit with this one. It felt rough, fast, and disjointed.

What was good about it? The premise, and ultimately making the point that life is a progression of change and small deaths, were both worthwhile. Chuck's writing style makes for a fun, engrossing read. Narcissistic navel-gazing? Sure. That's a given with this genre.

Klosterman=Hipster Jerk, September 17, 2007
I picked up this book after reading "Fargo Rock City", and I was still undecided about Klosterman as an author. This book cemented my opinion that Chuck Klosterman is an idiot. This book has nothing to do with the title, or even the supposed subject of the book.

This is supposedly about Klosterman's journey to places where famous rock stars died. He goes to these places, but his reaction everytime is the same. He doesn't care, he's unimpressed, he'd rather think, talk, and write about himself.

What this book shoud really be called is "I'm a Hipster Jerk Who Sucks With Women", because that is what you get. 275 pages of Klosterman explaining how he has three women, but can't decide between them, all the while talking about how he hates his life, and ripping on any band that has ever had anything good said about them (and proclaiming that Motley Crue is the best band ever). Don't waste your time unless you like guys who sound like eighth graders who think they know everything about everything.

Great new volume from Chuck Klosterman, July 3, 2005
As a rule, I don't buy hardcover books. They're too expensive, and kind of a pain in the butt, since I do most of my reading on the El train. There's never anything I absolutely NEED to read right away where I can't wait for the paperback edition. That rule has been broken twice, both times with Chuck Klosterman books.

"Killing Yourself to Live" is Klosterman's most personal and introspective work, which in this day and age, means it's his most depressing book. Following the loose outline of a travel across the country to visit the sites where famous musicians have died for a purpose that can only be determined after the journey is complete, Chuck's travels really serve as a time for him to leave the trappings of his life - his work (more or less), his friends, his usual bars - and figure out what's important to him. There's no time like coming face-to-face with death to think about this, even though Chuck is not (physically) on the verge of death (though he does eat a lot of gravy).

Klosterman's personal life is on display, though this is doled out to the reader with a heavy helping of the culture commentary Klosterman is known for from previous books "Fargo Rock City" and "Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs." In fact, there's one passage late in the book where Chuck equates the women that he has had relationships with to the personnel of KISS, his favorite band. These two pages provide a clear display of what makes Chuck such an interesting writer, but (one could imagine) a complete a**hole in real life (especially if you're one of the foxy ladies he has pursued).

If you're looking for a book that details the role death plays in the celebrity of rock stars, this book really only touches on that topic. If you're a fan of the author's previous works, though, this book is completely recommended.

Too self-involved, August 1, 2005
Having read Klosterman's other two books and loving them, I was excited to hear his take on the phenomenon of rock stars finding fame through premature death. Instead, I got a book that devotes roughly 20% of its pages to this topic and leaves the rest for Chuck to fill with self-pity and neurotic tales of heartbreak.

It's impossible not to compare this book with Hornby's High Fidelity in its discussion of music as a vehicle to examine past relationships. However, where Hornby succeeded in creating a lighthearted, funny novel filled with introspection that rings true and original, Klosterman's attempt comes across as a desperate and unsuccessful attempt to exorcise his demons at the expense of this reader's patience.

Love life = boring., August 11, 2005
I was fascinated when I saw the synopsis for this book, and I generally enjoyed it. However, I agree with many of the previous posters in that I don't care about Chuck Klosterman's love life. I found myself bored and annoyed with these passages and wondered why he spent so much time obsessing about women who didn't return the favor.

The books is like peanut butter, November 4, 2005
It sort of sticks to everything. I'm not sure if this even makes sense, but then again I am not sure if this book is even good. I read the book summary and the scanned pages online and I thought it would be a cool book revisiting the life and deaths of various rock stars. I imagined that Chuck would delve into the history of these stories as only he could - then summarize with some grandiose statement about how it is better to die as a rock star because you can't put out any bad albums when you are dead.

I couldn't be more wrong. Sure Chuck takes a road trip to different places where rock stars have died and yes there are some funny anecdotes along the way, but mostly this book is about Chuck and his inability to maintain a good relationship with a woman. I didn't buy `this' book. I wanted to read how Layne Staley's death impacted people. I wanted to read about how / why he died. I wanted Chuck to elaborate on the cultural significance of Alice in Chains. I wanted to know why people think Kurt Cobain was murdered. I wanted some expose and insight into these various lives and deaths. I wanted all these things and more.

SO I feel cheated. If the book was marketed as a self-reflection of lost and missing love then I would not have read it. No matter that I enjoy Chucks wit, and his unique cultural slants - I still would not have read a book centered on love.

This book does have thoughts on rock stars and death but instead of elaborating on these people and the places he travels, Chuck becomes introspective and self-analytical. So in other words, Chuck could have wrote this book about his normal 14 days living in New York and marketed it to suggest he knows something about women. Instead, Chuck takes a road trip and uses that as a false pretense to sell a story.

On the plus side - I laughed out loud a bunch of times because only Chuck can make such unique cultural observations.

So is this book good? I don't know - just as Chuck claims he isn't qualified to live in New York - I don't think I am qualified to judge this book as good or bad. I do know that it wasn't the book I intended to read so to that end I was disappointed.

Don't Judge a Book by its cover, April 3, 2007
You could easily be tricked by the cover of this book, but you really should read the back of the book and maybe I don't know flip through some pages before buying any book.

If you have never read Klosterman before he's a funny writer who is scattered everywhere with his thoughts. Kind of like...I don't know...a REGULAR person.

The book mainly is about Chuck's relationships with women from his point of view. This book is about a man being alone with his thoughts for an extended amount of time while 'working' for Spin Magazine.

There are tons of great pop-references and things that will jog your memory. If you like books that are tying to get a deep meaning out of a single life then you'll like this book. It's all about one man's experience.
A thinker for those who want to think about trivial things in life that actually matter.

Laughable, March 14, 2007
I finished reading this book by Chuck Klosterman called Killing Yourself to Live: 85% of a True Story. I enjoyed it. I laughed out loud a lot and that's important sometimes when you are reading a book that supposed to be about this guy visiting cities and cites where rock stars have died, and the cultural significance of these artists, their lives, and deaths. But it actually just ended up being this guy, driving across the country, going to these places, and inevitably beginning to think about all of the women he's been involved with over the course of his life. It touches on his friends and childhood as well, but only in how they may have affected all of his relationships in one way or another. This is an author I can relate to. An entertaining read. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Thank you 100xs-over to Mr. Kang, November 23, 2002
I'm surprised to read some of these critiques and find that individuals feel the need to discount this book for literary shortcomings and typos. The story itself is a strong one and I was more than willing to forgive this man for misspelling "kidnapings" in exchange for his horrific tale of the years lost in a North Korean concentration camp. It amazes me that some disregard these pages as "really nothing new" -- a very inhumane response to a very vivid and compelling account of abominable human rights injustices. This isn't fiction here; this REALLY happened and deserves the understanding that this man is sharing HIS story and not trying to write the next "War and Peace."

Kang Chol-Hwan has shared his amazing journey from one world to another. In order to share the reality of life under a loathsome, hateful regime that does nothing but systematically starve and kill its people, he risks the well-being of himself and loved ones. I read his story and was deeply moved. Being half a world away, it's difficult to fathom that such horrid injustices occur in our modern society.

I am a Korean-American and live a much more sheltered and protected life than many on this earth. I am deeply appreciative to my parent's for coming to the U.S. in order to give their children a better life. They were only children during the Korean War and had their fair share of hunger and hardships. They walked the long, death-ridden highway with the masses towards hopefully a better life in the South. They were among the fortunate. Many saw their families torn apart and kidnapped back to the North.

Reunification is inevitable. This seems to be the sentiments of many. It's only a matter of time before the North just can't hang on any longer without the help of its affluent sister in the south.

A great many thank you's to Mr. Kang for sharing his life.

aquariums of pyongyang, November 12, 2001
"Aquariums in Pyongyang" is an incredible story of survival and triumph over evil and hardship. Kang chol-Hawn was an upper middle class child of idealistic Koreans living in Japan when his parents returned to the North Korean "Workers Paradise" that was in the making of North Korea of the early 1960's. The reality of course, they soon discovered, was far from the communist propaganda that his mother was so taking in by. By the age of nine Kang was sent to a gulag and in it he endured all that one would expext from a communist gulag, beatings, starvation, hard labor, communist propaganda and brain washing. Not many people survived ten years in a North Korean gulag fewer still managed to later escape to the west or in Kang's case South Korea. None before have written a book about such experiences and that makes "Aquariums in Pyongyang" a unique book. One of the amazing things about this book aside from the story it's self is that Kang manages to not only detail the horror but also display quite a bit of humor albeit largely sacastic humor such as a chapter titled "ten years in the camp: thank you, Kim Il Sung" Another chapter entitled Biweekly Criticism and self-criticism is filled with sacastic humor that can make you laugh out loud even if you feel a little guilty doing so knowing the suffering of the gulags prisonors. Aquariums is a excellent book that will challage your views of North Korea no matter what your political views are. an excellent read definitly reccomended

a must-read for an understanding of north korea, June 11, 2003
Other reviewers have already noted the importance of this book in documenting the pervasive pattern and Kafkaesque quality of human rights violations in North Korea, so I shall concentrate instead on what other help this book offers for penetrating the veil of secrecy in which P'yongyang wraps itself.

In the past decade or so, there has been an explosion of Western interest in North Korea that has contributed substantially to a better understanding of P'yongyang's policy priorities and problems. Of particular note in this regard are two publications: "North Korea: Through the Looking Glass," an elegant and balanced study published by the Brookings Institute, and "Kim Il-song's North Korea," which presents the meticulously- detailed research undertaken by Helen Louise Hunter while she was still with the CIA. Both of these publications benefitted from the exploitation of defector information, but their homogenized findings still lack a sense of ground truth, and it is in this regards that Kang Chol-hwan's account of his life in North Korea is so valuable apart from its obvious importance on the human rights front.

"Aquariums of Pyongyang" provides a considerable body of anecdotal information that documents several trends which, North Korean government pronouncements make clear, are of increasing concern to the central government. These trends are rising hooliganism, especially on the part of youth gangs; rampant corruption and bribery in nearly all sectors of society; and a surprising underground use of currency (not always North Korean) in an economy that has traditionally been described as non-monetarized. Neither collectively nor individually are these trends underwriting an organized opposition, but they have substantially eroded both government control of the citizenry and public faith in the regime's relevancy and attractiveness. Also answered by "Aquariums of Pyongyang" are such questions as what happens to the goods and cash that the Japanese send to relatives in North Korea; how North Koreans manage escapes to China; and how the lives of the privileged few differ from those of the multitudes. "Aquariums" is especially well-paired with Hunter's book, which defines the vocabulary of everyday life in North Korea.

Cultural Insights into North Korea, March 23, 2002
Back in graduate school now, my professor, a world-renowned international developmentalist, asked me to write a paper discussing how economic development changed the culture of Korea. My search for books that may give me "clues" to what current culture is like in North Korea led me to this book. North Korea is where my grand parents are from and where both my parents were born. My parents are both 61 years old. My grand parents left North Korea in 1953 and my parents left Korea in the in the early 1970s. If it weren't for my ancestors, I may have lived my life in Pyongyang instead of the previledged life I lead in the West.

I am no culturalist but North Korea, as a corrupted Stalinist cum cultist state is now very much different from South Korea. In South Korea, previledged rich kids drive their own automobiles whereas in North Korea, the fields are tilled by ox-drawn carts. In South Korea, bottles of Western scotch is drunk in night clubs where tabs come up to hundreds of dollars a pop and designer wears are de rigour with young college kids who indulge in decadences such as elective plastic surgery. In North Korea, hundreds of thousands of kids are stunted from malnourishment. I can't think of two more diametric cultures that could have emerged amongest one group of people: abject poverty and outrageous decandence. I am not judging South Korea nor am sympathetic to the North, I am just pointing out the stark differences. Anyway, if you want to know more about North Korea, this is a first-person account of someone who lived in a Korean gulag from the 1980s to the 1990s. The person who lived this life, Kang Chol-Hwan, is only about 34 years old in 2002.

To recap: In 2002, there are two Koreas, one the 7th largest economy in the world, the other where 2 to 3 million people are reported to have died of famine during 1995 to 1999: that's 10 percent of the population of North Korea. To wit, now there are two Koreas with two cultures. 50 years of separation and experiements in autarky vs. free-market economics (albeit, an Asian version) is the cause.

This book gave me a first-hand account of what life is like in North Korea. It is reader friendly and informative. Along with USAID (US International Agency for Development) Director Andrew S. Natsios book called "The Great North Korean Famine," I got a some ideas about what is happening in North Korea in the late 1990s to the present.

A good read if you are interested in what life is like for some North Koreans.

Required Reading, April 10, 2004
In my opinion this book is on par with Alan Patton's "Cry the Beloved Country." It powerfully conveys the plight of foreign oppression with both empathy and clarity.

Every US military officer, all federal politicians, diplomats, bureaucrats and personnel stationed in South Korea NEED TO READ THIS BOOK.

The author's family willingly emigrated to North Korea. They had been quite wealthy, but felt ideologically drawn to seek North Korean citizenship. Ultimately they were imprisoned.

Their experiences as related make it clear that the government of North Korea is by no means a true Marxist state, but has devolved into a cult of personality revolving around the ruling Kim family. No imperial government in history has been more repressive, exploitative or murderous of its people. North Korea's leader is truly evil. Its brainwashed citizens are at once victims and enablers that evil. Their plight is tragic.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough!

from the belly of the beast, March 26, 2002
This isn't literature on the scale of "The Gulag Archipelago," and there are some misspellings, but so what? It's a highly accessible and moving account of one person's experiences in the North Korean prison camp system and his escape. It is hard for me to imagine a reader who reading this book would not learn something about North Korea or the human spirit. Bravo to the authors for putting out this memoir.

A disturbing look into the world's last Stalinist country........, July 5, 2006
Aquariums of Pyongyang is the story of one man's life through ten years of captivity in a North Korean gulag....an incredible story of struggle against man's inhumanity to man. Many who read this book will probably view his family as highly naive for leaving Japan for North Korea and in believing North Korean propaganda over what they heard firsthand from people who had been there. On the docks before leaving, they were warned about going back and about the conditions to be found in North Korea. But, the elder family members were ardent supporters of Kim Il-Sung, and believed the propaganda put out on a daily basis. Little did they know they were putting their kids into a deathtrap from which they would have to endure many years of beatings and privation at the hands of the guards. The reeducation lessons are particularly noteworthy, as readers can gain valuable insight into how this regime works. Even dead people were not immune from being used to inculcate hate.....the picture of the prisoners being forced to throw rocks at the people hanging on the gallows (because they were enemies of the state no less!) until they were unrecognizable is one of the most chilling things I have ever read. All in the name of propping up one of the worst ideologies the world has ever known.

It should be noted that while Yodok was (and is) a terribly inhumane place, it is by the author's account, one of the lesser concentration camps in terms of harsh brutality. This being the case, I could not imagine even a short life in one of the more harsh gulags.

This is a book of required reading for anyone who thinks gulags and concentration camps went away with the demise of Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.

Excellent expose of this Orwellian nightmare society., September 17, 2003
As a recent amateur student of North Korea, I have read several of the popular autobiographies by people who have escaped this ultra-restrictive nation. "Aquariums" is an EXCELLENT book, reads easily and quickly, and conveys a considerable amount of background/history of the North Korean society. The parallels between this bizarre society and that portrayed in Orwell's "1984" are SOOOO pronounced as to be almost scary; it's almost as if Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il used it as a roadmap.

This book should be required reading for every high school student. In our modern American culture where our freedoms are not only taken for granted but not even recognized for their uniqueness in the world, I suspect most readers would think "Aquariums" to be a work of fiction rather than chilling modern day experience.

I encourage everyone to read this fine narrative.

You will thank God you live where you live (anywhere but NK), October 24, 2003
This book will stun you. A previous reviewer made mention of the Wild Boar and he's right some of the tales about the Wild Boar will make you laugh. But this book is not a comedy. This book is a story of a family who viewed North Korea as the paradise destination. Ethnic Koreans who lived and prospered in Japan they were inticed back to Pyongyang, to return 'home'.

The wild boar is not a animal with four legs. He is an human animal,the nickname prison guard in the hell that the family found themselves. His particular cruelty to the family and anyone else is rooted in a love of the (now deceased) Great Leader.

To hear people so desperate to escape the country that they would leave their own families behind to face the consequences. Cannibalism, the death, the dulling of human senses. Its an amazing story.

This book is not horror show. Its not a gory death book with minutia details of pain. Rather it tells an awful story but it is in fact a story of how the human being can overcome. incredible adversity. You will admire this man and his story. You will also appreciate where you live. This book is well worth the money.

A good primer for life in a N. Korean gulag and those interested in a N. Korean life experience, June 27, 2005
This book is a first-person account of Kang Chol-Hwan's experience of life in DPRK, 10 yearsof horrific existence in a prison camp, his subsequent adjustment to post-release, and lastly his escape from DPRK. The book is a simple, easy to read narrative (I read it on a lazy Sunday afternoon).

I had high expectations of this book because of a number of Discovery Channel-related documentaries on the subject of the "Hermit Kingdom" with detailed interviews, images, accounts, drawings, and secret cameras, focused mostly on the every-day (yet repressive) life. I suppose that I was expecting the same but this time from the POV of the gulag experience.

I said initially that this is a good, quick, easy read... a large part of that is because of how it was written. It felt like a very abridged (possibly rushed) narrative that would provide very interesting facts and experiences at one moment, and then jump to a different topic. I felt that there were certain sections that left me wanting more, such as detailed experiences on the process of indoctrination into the Kim Il-Sung cult of personality, through education, social activities, etc, but perhaps that was not the purpose of this particular book. In addition, I could understand how some emotion or feeling may be "lost in translation" (this book was originally transcribed from Kang's Korean interviews to French, and now the English version which I read).

A pet peeve of mine that I found throughout the book is the difficulty in establishing a sense of timeframes/timelines. The author uses time references inconsistently (lots of reminiscing and jumping back and forth with vague time references), but even in retrospect, I couldn't tell you the date that he and his family were actually imprisoned! Some of this information is inferred by doing your own math and noting dates used here and there throughout the book. Though, to his credit, I could imagine that keeping track of time may be difficult to do in a North Korean Gulag.

All that being said, the book is an excellent easy primer for life in a North Korean gulag and insight into life under the Kim Il-Sung regime. I think that Kang conveys as much as he can, but may leave the reader wanting more detail. For further insight, I highly recommend keeping an eye on any Discovery documentaries re. the Hermit Kingdowm. One new revelation that I did walk away with was tht not all North Koreans are brainwashed stooges (contrary to popular thought). ... Read more

Editorial Review

In this book, the author of Seven Gothic Tales gives a true account of her life on her plantation in Kenya. She tells with classic simplicity of the ways of the country and the natives: of the beauty of the Ngong Hills and coffee trees in blossom: of her guests, from the Prince of Wales to Knudsen, the old charcoal burner, who visited her: of primitive festivals: of big game that were her near neighbors--lions, rhinos, elephants, zebras, buffaloes--and of Lulu, the little gazelle who came to live with her, unbelievably ladylike and beautiful.

The Random House colophon made its debut in February 1927 on the cover of a little pamphlet called "Announcement Number One." Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer, the company's founders, had acquired the Modern Library from publishers Boni and Liveright two years earlier. One day, their friend the illustrator Rockwell Kent stopped by their office. Cerf later recalled, "Rockwell was sitting at my desk facing Donald, and we were talking about doing a few books on the side, when suddenly I got an inspiration and said, 'I've got the name for our publishing house. We just said we were go-ing to publish a few books on the side at random. Let's call it Random House.' Donald liked the idea, and Rockwell Kent said, 'That's a great name. I'll draw your trademark.' So, sitting at my desk, he took a piece of paper and in five minutes drew Random House, which has been our colophon ever since." Throughout the years, the mission of Random House has remained consistent: to publish books of the highest quality, at random. We are proud to continue this tradition today.

This edition is set from the first Americanedition of 1937 and commemorates the seventy-fifth anniversary of Random House. ... Read more

Reviews

A beautifully written love affair of Africa, February 3, 2001
Isak Dinesen, nee Karen Blixen, lived in East Africa for almost twenty years making a living as the proprietor of a coffee plantation. Out of Africa is a memoir of her experiences there. But the book is so much more.

The stories are interesting to be sure. They relate to the plantation or the people and events that one way or another impacted her life there. But it is Blixen's writing that I found so sublime. I have never read anything like it. The way Blixen turns a phrase is both lyrical and enchanting all at once - you become literally swept up in the words and imagery. It is obvilious that Blixen loved Africa - something about the continent got under her skin. In a similar fashion her words have gotten under mine. I have read Out of Africa several times; each time I marvel at the beautiful language she uses. Read this book and I am sure you will feel the same way.

luminous and magical as the African moon over her farm, August 8, 2002
Isak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) has been elevated to star status by the feminists for her independent stance and courage, but don't read this book because of that. Don't look for the tragic story of her misguided marriage and the heartbreak and barrenness it brought her, or for descriptions of her love affair with adventurer Denys Finch-Hatton. None of that appears here.

Instead, "Out of Africa" is a storytelling book woven in the imaginative Danish style. Dinesen's finely tuned sensitivity is revealed here, as well as her (again typically Danish) well-developed gift for friendship with many kinds of people. In her case this gift extends to African animals as well, like Lulu, the beautiful gazelle who graced her plantation for years.

Her descriptions of the Kenya of her day are exquisitely written, factual and magical at the same time. Africa is the star of the book, not Dinesen herself, not the tribespeople or the colonials, not her struggles with raising coffee in land "a little too high", nor her political dealings with the government officials. Her writing evokes the Africa she knew well and loved deeply.

FORGET THE MOVIE, March 7, 2000
Forget the movie and read the book instead. Isak Dinesen's love for Africa and her adopted homeland shines through every page as she helps us to vicariously experience like on a Kenyan farm. The book is loosely plotted and Dinesen is not shy about expressing her personal views, so expect some opinionated writing from this lady. She doesn't romanticize Africa, as many writers do. She tells it like it is, which is great, as far as I'm concerned. If you're looking for King Solomon's Mines, foget it, but if you have any interest in Africa, past or present, you're sure to like this book.

A Work of Art, August 1, 2001
Out of Africa is an literary accomplishment that will remain in history as portraying Africa as it really was in that era. Karen Blixen was so in touch with the native tribes of Kenya. Her deep respect for their customs and lives is obvious in this book, which wasn't common then among the new European settlers. The way that her fascinating stories unfold is remarkable, making long hours of the night spent trying to put the book down without success.

I saw Out of Africa as a child, and read the book in college, which inspired me to go to Kenya when I graduated. I visited the land that Karen Blixen donated upon her departure from Kenya, which was turned into a town named "Karen", and her home and everything in it have been preserved, down to the lantern she would leave on for Finch-Hatton. Still today the town's people speak of Karen Blixen in great admiration, perhaps giving back what she unconditionally gave to them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who knows how to read!

Wonderful, May 6, 2000
This is one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. The writing is beautiful and delicate and brilliant. One of the miracles of the book (and I hope I don't scare anyone off by saying this) is that there are many incidents where not a lot is happening, but the writing is so fantastic, it keeps you reading. (There is plenty of drama in the book, too.) And Karen Blixen/Isak Dinesen paints the characters wonderfully. As Truman Capote said of this book, "Every page trembles like a leaf in a storm." I lived in Kenya for a year when I was a boy, which increased my interest in the book. But even without that experience, I know I still would have loved it.

Haunting and endearing tales about life in Africa, March 7, 2006
Karen Blixen, the author, managed a six thousand acre farm in Kenya, of which some six hundred acres were used for growing coffee, apparently for all intents and purposes all by herself from 1914 to 1931. The movie depicts her moving there from her native Denmark rather haphazardly with an accidental husband, who leaves for his own escapades soon after they arrive, only occasionally returning for a visit. The book hardly ever mentions her husband, and does not run in a chronological sequence like the movie, but consists of a series of mostly time-unrelated stories.

The most beautiful and touching section to me is the opening one entitled "Kamanate and Lulu". The author has been criticized to some degree for assimilating the racism of the day and for her priviledged position as a Baronness in a time of European Colonialism. She writes that in her very young days, "I could not live till I had killed every specimen of African game". A curious attitude for a young woman - perhaps reflective of the coming World War when armies lined up and executed each other for no memorable reason; and perhaps reflective of what was happening in Africa and Asia where Native people were forced off their land, leaving them no choice but to be utterly dependent on menial work for a pittance. But in these opening stories of this young native boy whom she helps to cure of a debilitating illness that nobody seems to pay attention to, and adopts an orphan bushbuck fawn, it becomes clear from the start that she had a real heartfelt love for the Native people and a strong and abiding connection to the harsh beauty of the land and its unbelievable variety and the wonder of its wildlife. She became dependent on the Native people in many ways, and recognized their dependency on her. There is a sense of humility, learned no doubt from the difficulties of being alone in a dangerous and risky place. She knew that she could never know these people for certain, that they would always be somewhat unfathomable, but she cared enough to find out quite a number of things about them and to admire them as well as sometimes being amused by their ways. That the name of the native boy and the bushbuck are juxtaposed lends credence to a criticism that the author does not distinguish between the humanness of the Natives from the animal, or at the very least cannot view them as more than children. But I do not think that criticism is valid here. Her point was that to understand the Native people of Africa one must first understand the land.

A Breathtaking View of a Vanished World, July 25, 2006
I've long been fascinated by Isak Dinesen's life and with this book she lovingly describes the very heart of it, her sixteen years running a coffee plantation in the African highlands. She tells the reader almost nothing personal; but her descriptions of this vanished place and time are nothing short of magic. By "erasing" herself from the landscape, you are really and truly experiencing her life there. It was a mesmerizing experience and I hated to finish the book. Fortunately, it's now mine and I can re-read it any time I want to!

A Love Poem to East Africa, November 11, 2000
A quintessential, lyrical love poem to East Africa. Karen Blixen's years of joy, discovery and struggle unfold beautifully in "Out of Africa"...which she wrote years later (under the pseudonym Isak Denesen) after returning to her native Denmark. What is absent from the book which one finds in the Oscar-winning film are the relationship struggles with her long-time companion Dennys Finch Hatton. Here she keeps her focus on the many friends, employees and characters she met along the way in the operation of her coffee plantation during the early 1900s...and avoids writing romantically about Finch Hatton. Her love affair with Africa though is beautifully and eloquently expressed throughout "Out Of Africa." Those readers who may be interested in reading more about her and Finch Hatton might be interested in reading her "Letters From Africa."

"Out Of Africa" is essential reading for those contemplating a journey to Kenya or Tanzania. It reads like a very colorful and sometimes haunting work of fiction, and is all the more fascinating because this remarkable woman and writer actually experienced it all.

Great book about real Africa, August 21, 2000
It's maybe one of the best books I've ever read, and I think it is because it's so human. It's not only that the small things that happen became important throughout its pages, but because the atmosphere that reflects the book transports you to a very real place where life is as crude and simple as everywhere else in the world.

I really had a great time reading it, and I will do it again without any doubt.

Out of Africa, January 1, 2006
I decided to read this book because in the book "Catcher in the Rye," Holden says that he "wouldn't mind calling this Isak Dinesen up." So anyway, I agree with him for the most part, and there's no doubt that Baroness Blixen would have some interesting stories to tell over the dinner table. However, the book Out of Africa is a bit less enjoyable than a one on one chat, and her descriptions in general are pretty objective. There were two main things that bothered me:
-Much of the beginning of the book is a sort of 'how Europeans are different than Africans.' I understand that her second class treatment of the natives was an accepted attitude of the time, but it seems that her observations about race take up a goodly chunk of her book.
-Another thing that irked me was that she quotes many secondary sources in the book, and many of them she doesn't translate into English. I unfortunately don't speak either French or German, and so I wasn't able to interpret much of the poetry and references she included.
Aside from those two things, the book is still an interesting, albeit occasionally slow, read. It was hard to really connect with her at the beginning, because she seems to view herself as some kind of high and mighty princess, and I just wasn't that insterested in her point of view. However, I think as the book progresses she opens up more about her own life, and you really start to understand how much she truly loves Africa, her workers, and the farm that she poured her heart into. She tells about the people she befriends and their adventures and quirks. She also does an amazing job describing the African scenery. I'd reccommend it, but keep in mind that it starts off slow. ... Read more

Editorial Review

“I move throughout the world without a plan, guided by instinct, connecting through trust, and constantly watching for serendipitous opportunities.” —From the Preface

Tales of a Female Nomad is the story of Rita Golden Gelman, an ordinary woman who is living an extraordinary existence. At the age of forty-eight, on the verge of a divorce, Rita left an elegant life in L.A. to follow her dream of connecting with people in cultures all over the world. In 1986 she sold her possessions and became a nomad, living in a Zapotec village in Mexico, sleeping with sea lions on the Galapagos Islands, and residing everywhere from thatched huts to regal palaces. She has observed orangutans in the rain forest of Borneo, visited trance healers and dens of black magic, and cooked with women on fires all over the world. Rita’s example encourages us all to dust off our dreams and rediscover the joy, the exuberance, and the hidden spirit that so many of us bury when we become adults. ... Read more

Reviews

A Tribute to Wanderlust and Humanity, December 28, 2002
Gelman's book, "Tales of a Female Nomad," is a testament to the human spirit, courage, and to our basic need to connect with others. It is a very personal account of her life as she goes through a divorce and discovers her individual self, without her husband, and through her numerous adventures. She goes to many places: Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Israel, Galapagos Islands, Indonesia, New Zealand, Canada, and Thailand. What surprises me about Gelman's style is her very personal approach. She reveals intimate details, especially about fears and insecurities, which made me I more and more drawn to her story. It is though she is inviting the reader to be a friend and to share her experiences. She travels unconventionally - without much of a plan and not just to capital cities. Her stories of the people she has met warms the heart and reveals a beautiful humanity that is shared among all cultures.

This book is wonderful for anyone, but I strongly recommend it to women all ages and walks of life. Shows how one can live their dream and take the road not taken.

This is a must read for summer and a must to pass on to all!, July 15, 2001
I absolutely loved this book and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who has an appreciation for travelling and the lessons one can learn about themselves from such experiences. Rita's travels and lifestyle change left me in complete awe and filled me with absolute admiration for the guts, courage, and trust that were required of her. This book will not only inspire the reader to embark on travels of his/her own, but will cause some much needed introspection into the routines that so many of us lead in our daily lives. This book serves as a shot in the arm to get out and experience life, others, and other places.

In the book, Rita allows the reader to vicariously experience her life with her. The reader cannot help but feel as if Rita Gelman is a good friend by the last page. And once the book is over it is hard to stop thinking about the incredible adventures and gutsy lady that comprise Rita Gelman.

Definitely read this book and check out some of her great children's books while you're at it. Rita is a true jewel and anyone who loves to read should be reading her books.

I look forward to future books and the book tour!

Theory on ratings, May 28, 2002
I bought this book on a Friday evening, gobbled it up except for two chapters, finished it first thing in the morning, and lent it out by that afternoon. I was very interested in the reading the reviews that gave lesser ratings to this book. There were comments on poor or simplistic writing style and insufficient narrative or description of people and places... how utterly fascinating.

We all look at the world through different filters; thus the details Rita chose to share were those that were meaningful to her. She spends quite a few pages describing the long endearing antics she went through to avoid eating alone in a restaurant when she first arrived in Mexico... while she compresses 8 or so years in Bali into a chapter or so. This is the journey of a woman who reinvents herself at 48--it is the story of courage, of connection in far away places, of incredible growth, of living "successfully" as a single person. It is about Nicaragua, Bali, the Galapagos etc only as it relates to her story, and since *her* story is the one I needed to hear (as a 31 year old single female), I was very satisfied, inspired and grateful for the sharing.

5 for content, but a 2 in organization and sentence fluency, October 13, 2004
I (finally) finished this book, it dragged its little textual feet for me there at the end. I adore the idea of this book, this is a perfect example of the I-find-no-satisfaction-with-the-material-world scenario, and a brilliant execution of a solution. Though this sort of lifestyle certainly wouldn't work for many people, (reaching out of comfort zones, being open minded to both other cultures, along with "playing along" as it were: using your outsider status appropriately, not letting your will get in the way of people's set lives), I can certainly identify with the urge to have such freedom, live so humbly, learn so much.

That said, I was disappointed with the quality of the writing in this book. There were a few sentences here and there that made me happy, but often they would be used repetitively soon after; in general the style seemed tired and sloppy. I excepted better writing from a WRITER. (Be fair, she mainly does children's books, but still.) I found myself unable to come along with her when she went on her quasi-mystical moments, because they just weren't presented very effectively.

I wanted to like this book so badly. In the end I treat it as technical writing: a step by step account of glorious people and lives, the scents and colors, and let the intended format slip away as it does by itself anyway.

AMAZING WOMAN, FANTASTIC JOURNEY!, June 1, 2001
I cannot say enough good things about this book. Rita Golden Gelman is one of the most amazing women one could ever hope to encounter. In a search for self and adventure, little does this gutsy housewife realize that what began as a two month separation from her husband would lead to a fifteen year journey in exotic places around the world. From a Zapotec village in Mexico to Guatemala, Nicaragua, Isreal, Galapagos Islands and eight years in Indonesia, Gelman does what most woman only dream of doing. What may seem to some like a betrayal to family and an escape from reality is, in essence, a story of unbelieveable determination, strength and pursuit of self.

Gelman possesses extraordinary interpersonal skills and others, even total strangers, are drawn to her like a magnet. She has an enormous passion for people, life and the unknown, and I found Gelman and her story to be one of the most inspiring, exhilarating and refreshing ones ever written. There are always sacrifices to be made in life. The universe has a way of balancing the give and take. For every door or chapter in life that we close, another opens; Gelman's life is no exception. Her journey and her life are a shining validation that nothing is beyond our dreams if we are prepared to make sacrifices, believe in our goals and in ourself, and have the commitment and courage to make our dreams a reality.

I highly recommend this powerful and captivating book, particularly to women since they will probably have a deeper understanding of where the author is truly coming from. It is what is commonly known as "the freedom to do your own thing, in your own time, in your own place." While being a wife/partner and/or mother are significant and fulfilling, I can tell you from my experience as a counsellor that many women, married and single, tend to lose their identity of self, or become an extension of someone's else's identity, if they limit themselves solely to those roles. Hopefully, the reader will find much enjoyment and inspiration in "The Tales of a Female Nomad." Good luck in your search for self, fulfillment and happiness!

Armchair Traveler's Review, July 30, 2001
As I read the book I felt like I had known Rita all of my life. While I couldn't wait to get to the next locale so I could learn about the culture and customs she was experiencing, I didn't want the book to end.

Rita Golden Gelman knows how to tell a story - to tell a story so that the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next page and the next chapter, are eagerly awaited. Her simple, friendly style is a breath of fresh air - I found the book to be a real treat and was sorry that it had to end. But I was immensely pleased to find her email address on the last page of the book so that I can actually tell her how great her travels sound!

If you're looking for a great way to experience some exotic locations in the world, from the eyes of a seasoned traveler, this is a great book. Rita's spirit, her optimism and her love of people really come through.

An ordinary woman, an extraordinary tale, August 4, 2001
Three weeks after reading Female Nomad, Rita Golden Gelman won't let go of my hand. She grabbed it on the first page when she said that fifteen years ago she was looking for a new way to live. Her old way had been the standard American dream: a happy marriage, motherhood, a career as a best-selling author of children's books. But when her kids went off to college and the marriage began to disintegrate, she didn't take the usual route of trying to replace what she had lost. Instead, this middle-aged veteran of The Good Life sold everything she owned, packed her essentials in a backpack, and set off for places unknown. In the years since, her physical journey has taken her to developing countries from Guatamala to Bali, where she lives in the homes of natives. Like other vivid travelogues, the author focuses mainly upon interactions with people, not scenery. But her real forte is the ability to speak warmly and directly to the reader about her inner journey. She has traveled from a place in her soul where it was all but impossible to eat dinner alone in a restaurant to a place where she's completely at home at an elaborate Balinese cremation ceremony. She's the most vulnerable Odysseus you've ever met, but she's nobody's fool. She doesn't preen, and she doesn't preach. It's reassuring that she still can't stick to a diet or workout schedule, because that means the rest of us have no excuses. If Rita Golden Gelman can go out there and find a new way of being and living in middle age, so can we all.

Good adventures, annoying writer, March 2, 2006
Although it's commendable that the author took off in search of spiritual growth after living it up in LA, her bragging got on my nerves. The book started off well, but quickly bored me. I find it amusing that this woman who went out in search of better understanding of world cultures and to better herself, really didn't change as much as she thinks. She speaks of getting away from materialism and fakeness, but brags about her daughter working with celebrities. I didn't like her assumptions that all women are looking at her with envy, when she meets them and tells them what she is doing (college reunion). She is quick to judge, self-absorbed, and not as open-minded as she thinks.Her experiences could've been a lot deeper, but yet it really all just seems superficial and she takes more than she gives.

Fascinating stories, lacking in some parts, January 13, 2003
Rita Golden Gelman decides at age 48 to live her life in a completely different manner. She splits up with her husband, sells her house and possessions, and goes on the road - for 15 years. She lives up to her promise to herself to try life another way - by traveling to exotic places, and taking up residence in other people's homes, learning their languages and their customs, their recipes and their spiritual practices. She goes to Mexico, where she lives in a Zapotec village, then to Guatamala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Israel, the Galagapos Islands, Indonesia (Yogyaharta, Borneo, Bali, and Irian Jaya), Canada, New Zealand, and Thailand. Her most detailed accout is in Indonesia, as she spent most of her time there (specifically, Bali), and it was obviously the most meaningful and life-changing experience of all of them.

Rita's experiences are amazing - unlike most travelers, she really succeeds in adapting to her new environments, making friends easily and finding worthwhile projects where both she and the people she meet can benefit. She not only learns from the people she meets, but often embraces their beliefs and culture as if it were her own - thus, throughout her journey she undergoes a major character transformation.

Though I was entertained while reading her stories and could not help but admire her courage and devotion to her new way of life, I could not help but feel there was something lacking in her story. There were large and noticeable gaps, which interrupted the flow of the story - it was obvious that she had gone back and tried to recreate moments that she didn't entirely remember. Thus, some of the stories were not as fresh as they could have been. (She even acknowledges gaps at the end of the book). Unfortunately, at times it gives the book the feel of a summary more than the real thing. Also, I think her style of writing (lots of short sentences, over-explanation and repetition in areas, stating the obvious), might be the style of a writer who is stuck in between the role of children's author and adult author. Because of that, at times it was hard for me to get into the book.

However, if you can get past that and focus on the stories and countries themselves, this book is immensely educational. It is also worth mentioning that she lives in Nicaragua and visits El Salvador at a volatile time for both countries, so she gives a very unique perspective to the countries themselves and what the people there were experiencing. I think this book is also successful in that it will encourage other women to explore their own travel dreams that may have been buried away because of their lives at home they think they can't give up.

Another thing that gave this book more intrigue than other travel books of its kind is that Rita visits and lives in places that very few travelers go. A lot of these places are far off the tourist track - particularly third world countries where she really sees incredible poverty and malnutrition, political upheaval, displaced indigents, and spiritual myths and ceremonies. She sees it all. And Rita is not a tourist - she's a traveler.

I hope she continues to write about her experiences as they occur, so her next written account(s) will avoid the gaps.

It's definitely worth checking out!

A Mid-life Inspiration, June 3, 2005
This is the first time I have been moved to write an Amazon review and I'm doing it because I found some of the other reviews a little strange. I loved this book! Everyone in my book group loved this book too, and that rarely happens. I borrowed this book from a library, but I'm going to buy my own copy, as well as one for my sister.

On the surface, Tales of a Female Nomad is about the travel adventures of a middle-aged woman. But more importantly, she explores issues that many of us grapple with in our forties and fifties: coping with a life that didn't work out quite the way one planned, remembering the youthful dreams that were put on hold during the years devoted to raising children, looking for new spiritual meaning in the world. Rita Golden Gelman plunges into a life of travel, friends, and freedom with guts and good cheer.

Younger readers might lose patience with her musings, but my over-40 friends found her delightful. ... Read more

Editorial Review

He saw her across the Piazza San Marco and fell in love from afar. When he sees her again in a Venice café a year later, he knows it is fate. He knows little English; and she, a divorced American chef, speaks only food-based Italian. Marlena thinks she is incapable of intimacy, that her heart has lost its capacity for romantic love. But within months of their first meeting, she has packed up her house in St. Louis to marry Fernando—“the stranger,” as she calls him—and live in that achingly lovely city in which they met.

Vibrant but vaguely baffled by this bold move, Marlena is overwhelmed by the sheer foreignness of her new home, its rituals and customs. But there are delicious moments when Venice opens up its arms to Marlena. She cooks an American feast of Mississippi caviar, cornbread, and fried onions for the locals . . . and takes the tango she learned in the Poughkeepsie middle school gym to a candlelit trattorĂ­a near the Rialto Bridge. All the while, she and Fernando, two disparate souls, build an extraordinary life of passion and possibility.

Featuring Marlena’s own incredible recipes, A Thousand Days in Venice is the enchanting true story of a woman who opens her heart—and falls in love with both a man and a city.


... Read more

Reviews

More than a fairy tale; maybe it's also a parable, June 2, 2004
Details, the essence of domesticity, shine in this story. There are the travelogue-esque descriptions of Venice: Napoleon's observation about Piazza San Marco and viewing works of art sequestered in ancient churches. There's a discussion of making house, once in the Midwest in a little house I would love to see and again in the grotty chaos of a bachelor's digs. And throughout are delicious descriptions of food and drink and the ways and places to enjoy them.

Like youth, this book may be somewhat wasted on the young. The small ruminations, the reflections on how we find a place and make a place in life may seem over-wrought. Until the onset of my own middle-age, I felt the same way about such memoirs. Now, I greet writings like this with a mixture of recognition and enthusiasm: recognition of the silly ways we fumble along and enthusiasm for another's discovery that it is not too late to savour what is delicious about life. In that, I find a parable of encouragement.

Such a charming book!, May 30, 2002
I have spent the last two nights in Venice... not really, but I feel as though I have, lying in bed amidst fluffy pillows, with a glass of red wine and my hot-off-the-presses copy of A Thousand Nights in Venice. What delightful book it is, Marlena takes us all on a romantic journey into the unknown. What happens when you meet the love of your life in, um, for lack of a better term -- middle age? How do you pick up and move across the world to an unknown place and cast your lot with a charming stranger? So many of us have had this fantasy while traveling, Marlena had the courage to act on the opportunity when it appeared. She has a lovely way with words, her descriptions of people, places, and best of all -- food, will sweep readers into an exotic world. Enjoy!

A dissenting opinion, August 8, 2002
I hate to be a dissenting opinion, but the other side of the coin ought to be revealed. I was puzzled with this story because it seemed to me that the author up and moved to Venice to marry a man she knew (barely) peripherally. It wasn't like they'd had a long distance romance for years...and then decided to marry. They met, visited each other a couple times. Then once she's living with him, she is frustrated with the adjustment and his foreign (to her) ways and continues to call him "the stranger" even after they are married! It seemed too whimsical and I couldn't really feel bad for her frustrations given that she went into this pretty blindly. What did interest me was her in depth knowledge of Venice itself, which I'm sure she could've delved deeper into and provided us with more tidbits the average tourist wouldn't uncover. I also appreciated her detail of the Italian culture (ie: wedding plans, renovating the house, the moving process). I won't say I wouldn't recommend the book because I do feel there's an audience for it, I just won't be giving my copy out freely and endorsing it as the read of the summer.

A Sumptuous Book, August 4, 2002
I have read many books set in Venice, but this is by far the best of any, whether fiction or non-fiction. The author really captures Venice and the Venetian people perfectly, sparing no-one, not even her husband, when she points out their quirks and idiosyncracies. The story is touching, funny, and true, and as soon as I finished I started reading it again. I will never forget about the Southern American dinner the author cooks for a big party of Venetians or the tango she does with the tax-man, I felt like I was there eating fudge pudding with a bunch of old Venetian guys. I feel I know Marlena and Fernando and having lived in Venice for a while myself, I could totally relate to the ups and downs of Marlena's life there with her Venetian.

A Beautiful City, A Very Human Story, May 29, 2003
I've read the on-line debate about this book with pleasure. I understand the conflict, but I come down on the side that says this book is a great read.

I readily agree with those who say the descriptions can be too long and too colorful, and, especially those who say that they could not imagine moving to Venice to marry a "stranger." But, when I finished this book I felt I had spent the last few evenings with a highly entertaining, charming, and impulsive friend. That we had spent the visit talking about life, love, food, and Venice. And, that I wished she could have stayed longer. Not that I wanted to live like her, or agreed with all her decisions, but that listening to her talk was simply fascinating.

I loved the description of small things about Venice, her admission that all in love is not perfect, and her determined, wily temperment.

Take this book to the beach. Use it to spice up a dull week. Read about this woman's flight of fancy. Don't judge her life choices based on practicality or her word choices based on Hemingway. Just relax and enjoy.

Book Club selection, September 26, 2005
This book was our August Book club selection. The club was split on liking it and hating it, it certainly gave a good discussion. Personally I liked it. Though I was just in venice a week before reading it, so perhaps I was biased. Marlena did acurately portray Venice as to the locations and sights in the book matching real life, but she left a lot of questions in peoples minds, such as she answered What and where a lot, but never a why, as in Why did she fall for peter sellers fernando? why did she move why were they leaving why why why.. though she is a cook, we did like her descriptions of things using food ajectives, but it needed to be mixed up a bit, we all got really tired of the term Blueberry eyes.. the recipes in the end are amazing.

So I guess in summary, I'd reccomend A Thousand Days in Venice, if you have been, or ever plan to go there. otherwise, you might want to make a different selection.

Eric

An Enchanted Romance with a Man and a Place, July 6, 2002
A Thousand Days in Venice is proof that it's never too late to live a dream. The story has a fairy tale quality, yet it really happened: Marlena de Blasi, a chef who is at a bit of a loose end in her life meets a Venetian bank clerk who had observed her before on one of her previous trips to Venice and fallen in love. Throwing caution to the winds, (as she says, "There hasn't been a prudent decision in this story."), de Blasi gives in to her love-at-first-sight response to the "blueberry-eyed stranger" and follows her heart where it leads her. Dispersing her home and possessions in the States, she packs up and moves to Venice to be with Fernando. Their romance and courtship against the backdrop of one of the most romantic places on earth is enchantingly and sensuously told. De Blasi is a master at evoking in word pictures the sights, and scents, textures, and sounds of La Sererenissima.
The adustments, compromises, and mutual discoveries that romance and a new marriage bring into the lives of Marlena and Fernando are related with humor and a sense of wonder at the changes brought about by this unexpected later life event. True to her her passion for cooking, foods and recipes play a part in de Blasi's story. Best of all, she ends her book with a selection of recipes that play a role in her romance so that the reader may extend the enchantment into the kitchen.

Men Are From Venice, Women Are From Mars, October 7, 2005
In A Thousand Days in Venice, author Marlena de Blasi portrays herself as the woman that Italian banker Fernando falls passionately in love with at first sight, the woman that everyone in Venice seems to be enchanted with, the American that complete strangers all over Italy are charmed by. De Blasi takes risks as a writer and as a woman. The story is not quite believable, but somehow she pulls it off.

By concentrating on the attractions and food of Venice, and by sticking to the unfolding of an unlikely love affair, de Blasi makes A Thousand Days in Venice an enjoyable story. It isn't very long before you stop thinking about how eccentric de Blasi must be in real life and just lose yourself in the romance of Venice.

There was just enough conflict here to keep A Thousand Days from being a soppy travelog. All of de Blasi's friends are convinced that she is making a dreadful mistake by giving up her house and job in Saint Louis (as she insists on spelling it) and moving to Venice to marry a man she had met only months before. Then as she gets to know Fernando better, she finds he has certain ideas about how she should dress, conduct herself, and speak. Will the romance survive the doubts and the clash of cultures?

Of course it does, and after the couple exhausts Venice with their exuberance, they move on to Tuscany to start a new life, and a new book.

A book that is like a mini-holiday, October 7, 2002
but that is also about Love! I hate traditional romances with beautiful and perfect main characters. Marlena's book is different. She follows a skinny-legged man who falls in love with her at first sight. She falls in love with him, but she also falls in love with Venice. She transports the reader into another world, made of water, colour, light, and... food. It's an unusual book full of humour and wisdom about relationships, as well as a celebration of the senses. I would recommend it to anyone who likes food, wine, love, Italy and Venice.

Romantic, sensual tale........., August 16, 2003
Venice immediately conjures up visions of romance and beauty, so with a wonderful backdrop this love story has a sensual headstart. This is the story of two unlikely people that fall in love in Venice and then through a series of events that are both funny and endearing, decide to spend their lives together. It is the tale of them learning about each other and in this process, they also learn about themselves. Venice is so delicately and intimately described that the author's love for this city is clear. The discussions of the meals and wines and the strolls through the shops paint a warm and vivid picture. When the author learns to adjust to the cultural differences of her new life in Venice and her life in the United States she learns much about herself, her lover and the people in general. This is a romantic adventure that is a delight to read. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Twenty-five years ago, a disillusioned young man set out on a walk across America. This is the book he wrote about that journey -- a classic account of the reawakening of his faith in himself and his country.

"I started out searching for myself and my country," Peter Jenkins writes, "and found both." In this timeless classic, Jenkins describes how disillusionment with society in the 1970s drove him out onto the road on a walk across America. His experiences remain as sharp and telling today as they were twenty-five years ago -- from the timeless secrets of life, learned from a mountain-dwelling hermit, to the stir he caused by staying with a black family in North Carolina, to his hours of intense labor in Southern mills. Many, many miles later, he learned lessons about his country and himself that resonate to this day -- and will inspire a new generation to get out, hit the road and explore.

Reviews

One of my Top 5 Favorite Books of All Time!, June 23, 2000
Peter Jenkins story of his 1973-1975 walk from New York to New Orleans is one of those books that you just can not put done once you have started. You will find yourself thinking about the book when you should be doing other things and you can't wait to pick it up again. When I finished reading the book I wanted more. I even purchased the old April 1977 National Geographic Magazine to read his article that he wrote for them and see even more of the pictures of his journey. Luckly, Jenkins journey does not stop in New Orleans, his walk continues and so do his books: The Walk West, The Road Unseen, Close Friends, and Across China.

Peter Jenkins says, "I started out searching for myself and my country and found both." The story would have been good enough just hearing about the trip, the things that he saw, how he survived, and the companionship of his faithful dog; but what make the book great is the people. The people that he meets, how they accept him, and in some cases don't. It is the sociology as well as the adventure that make this one of the best books I ever read for pleasure.

Exciting story with interesting ideas, June 25, 2006
Even before I had ever heard of this book, I wanted to do what Peter Jenkins did and just hit the road. So my judgement might be more than a little biased.

Nevertheless, I thought this was a very good read. There's at least two levels to the book. The first of course is the journey. Some guy walks from Upstate New York to New Orleans. How could that be boring? It's a really good story with adventure, freindship (I felt like I knew his dog), thrills, big thoughts, a little bit of romance at the end, and most impoartant of all, great characters.

That brings me to the second level of this book. The characters Jenkins meets make you stop and think. From the poor black family that invited him into their meager home for several months, to the lonesome mountain hermit, and the Guv'nah of Alabamy. I don't want to sound like an after-school special, but Jenkins's experiences make you rethink your assumptions and sterotypes. Take the hippie commune farm, for example. I won't reveal the biggest plot point that occurred there, but one thing that really struck me was their pushiness. Even though hippies are "supposed to be" accepting, peaceful, and have a kind of "do whatever you want, man" attitude, they were relentless on pushing their ideas onto Jenkins, insisting that he join them and that their way of life was the best.

So in short, I say read this book. EVen if you don't want to get into the sociology of it, it can stand up as a fantastic adventure story. Heck, if I had a couple million dollars and could cram the whole thing into two hours (and still do it justice), I'd make it a movie, just so even more people could know about it.

Instructional Tool, November 15, 2001
I have been using A Walk Across America, by Peter Jenkins as a required reading for over ten years, in The Lifestyle Enhancement class I instruct at Southeast Missouri State University. I also require: Tuesday's With Maurie. These two exemplary accounts of life and its meaning and purpose, serve as a primary source of motivation for the seventy five behavior change projects each student must engage in each semester.
At the conclusion of each semester I ask the over 100 students enrolled in all three sections, if I should reduce the required readings, by eliminating either book? The answer is an emphatic, no! I have included some comments from students presently enrolled in the class.
"This book definitely affected me in a positive way. I believe that I always look for the deeper meaning in things, and this book had a pretty obvious one. In a time period where everything is getting ready to change for me (I am graduating in May, moving, and starting a career), it made me realize that other people are scared too, and that you can be successful even if you are afraid and unsure now".
"Reading this book has made me think more about the decisions I've made in the past and now. I believe that my life is somewhat like Peter's life was before he decided to "walk". I have done, and still do a lot of things that other people expect of me. Don't get me wrong they are all beneficial things, but they are done for the wrong reasons. Things I do, choices I make should be for me, not for one that wishes they could've live their own life in a different way. I admire the fact that peter just decided that he was going to "walk" his life out. He now could have some control over the problems he faced and how he would, himself, solve them".
The words and tales Peter Jenkins described helped move my students out of their comfort zone, and created an amenability and impetus for change. A Walk Across America is an outstanding tool to create insight and pride in our country and most importantly the book serves as the motivation for students to walk out of the ordinary and into an extraordinary lifestyle.
Additionally, students are assigned a take home midterm and are asked to answer four questions about the book and must summarize each in two pages. I have included some student responses, which document the progress students have made in both intra and interpersonal growth. I am aware of no better way to get students to examine their lifestyle.
"I think that I will grow from this book, because it has showed me that I can do anything that I put my mind to. There is nothing that is impossible it is just a matter of me getting out there and doing it. This man trained himself, put his body through hell, and still was victorious in what he wanted to do. This also showed me that there is a great world out there and many great people. Sometimes it seems that when things are not going so well in my life that I want to blame it on other people. I now realize that I am the only person that can make myself happy. I am in charge of my own fate, and no one can take that away from me. The main thing that I learned from this book is that anything is possible once you put your mind to it. I want to leave this paper with one of my favorite quotes that I feel is most fitting for Peter Jenkin's story. "A Journey of a Thousand Miles begins with one step".
"I think I will grow by letting myself "walk" after graduation. I am not going to walk across the country, but I think I will explore my options a little more. Maybe it isn't so important that I get a job in my field immediately. There are some things I would love to do first and maybe this is the perfect time to try them."
I am certain, that without this classic book, A Walk Across America, I would not be able to move my students from where they begin to where they need to be.

A PLEASING READ, August 18, 2006
Read this one severl years ago, when it was first published, and it has stuck with me since that time. As other reviewers have pointed out, yes, the author can be a bit naive at times and no, he is not Heminway. This is the story of a young man on a personal journey. We do not even have to question his motives as they are his own. We do not have to agree with his conclusions, they they too are his own. The nice thing is, this young man took a journey, had an adventure and had the nerve to write about it. This book, and it's follow up "The Walk West," have been out for a number of years now and have been extremely successful. A lot of people have truely enjoyed them (myself included). This sort of work tends to draw out the rock throwers after a few years. Would strongly suggest you read this one yourself. It does not take that long and you will may quite well like what you find. As a added note: I note that several reviews have taken almost a venomous view as to the author's relationship to his traveling companion, a dog. While I agree, a dog is not a person, I do understand how the author could and apparently did become so attached to his pet. I travel with a dog, have for years, as my only companion, and you do tend to attribute qualities to your four legged fuzzy friend that many cannot see. All in all, recommend this one highly.

Where do these ... reviewers come from, July 5, 2002
...I am a professor at a well known, highly ranked college and before that for ten years a high school teacher.

For all the years I have been using A WALK ACROSS AMERICA in my classes, no book I have ever used has been so beloved and accessable and taught so much in Peter Jenkins' ever so subtle way to my students. That means, no book, including several classics. Of course, Jenkins book having been a best seller since 1979 and having had over 100 printings is no considered a classic...There is no travel book, and for that matter almost no other book, published in the last twenty years that can match the sales and reaction performance of A WALK ACROSS AMERICA.

Obviously no book appeals to everyone but A WALK ACROSS AMERICA comes close based on reactions over my fifteen years of teaching thousands of very opinionated students...

The story that continually inspires me, February 16, 2000
When I was 18 and my great-grandmother was 78, she gave me this paperback, saying, "I loved this book! Full of laughter -- and tears." Almost twenty years later, I still consider it to be the best story I have ever read. It has inspired me to read more, write more, and especially, love my country and the people in it more. Peter Jenkins' printed words are so richly descriptive and heartfelt, the reader will know each character as a close friend and each location as if the Keds were his/her own! This is a timeless classic.

Getting past stereotypes, March 8, 2006
I read this many years ago and am writing it from memory of that time. One thing that really impressed me about the book was that he got out of his comfort zone. He was challenged on his anti-Vietnam war and even somewhat anti-American views and challenged to get to know America. And so he did.

It was refreshing as he told of some of his stereotypes of say Southern rednecks and others and yet as he travels he gets to meet some of these people as people and realizes they were different than he had thought.

And then there was the Black family he ended up staying with. He tells of his fears and misgivings when he first encounters the young men but he gets past that and ends up living with them and getting to know them. We can see how his views are changed as he gets to know the different people.

With all the polarization these days as different people attack and talk about others of different ethnic, racial, political, religious or regional views without getting to know them, I remember how he got past that and actually got to know people who were different than he was. It blew some of his stereotypes and he was willing to get past that.

When the subject of race or different political groups has come up, I have recommended this book as it shows how he took the challenge and got to know people. More of us would benefit in getting to know people who are different than we are. We, like he did, will often find out that they are people just like us in a lot of ways.

A Brave Journey That Changed One Man's Soul, September 12, 2005
Peter Jenkins describes his life in the months leading up to his early 1970's odyssey in a way I can probably best sum up as "lost". Coming of age amid the political maelstrom of the late 1960's, the idealistic Jenkins had felt his faith in America's future slip away, he had a crisis of personal direction, and he was a man who had somewhere in his twenty-odd years fallen away from the hopeful dreams that had once shaped him as who he was. One day while talking with a friend about all the things wrong with the world, the nation, himself, Jenkins was half-seriously told that he should try to seek out the real America and see how much good there was in it. For a man who had become convinced his nation was mired in hopelessness, this challenge to find what was right in the US inspired him to begin a walk--yes a walk on foot-- that began along the Atlantic coast and would eventually end (in his second book) 4,000 miles away in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Setting off with a backpack, his dog and a lot of courageous ambition, Peter Jenkins, who received backing in his mission from the National Geographic Society, began a meandering trek that took him through the rural countryside of a dozen states and finally, after being adopted by a devout black family in North Carolina, surviving a tornado, the loss of his best friend, walking pneumonia, intimidations by bullying thugs, and attempts to dissuade him from finishing his planned march to the ocean, Jenkins stops for a breather in New Orleans and there meets a woman who becomes the love of his life, and in short order, his bride. This book pauses here but the story of the Jenkins' (yes, his wife begins the walk west with him) hike across the Heartland to the Oregon coast is concluded in this book's sequel. Not only is this an interesting travelogue, and not only is it also the story of America at a particular time in its history, it is the memoir of a man's transformation from cynic back to glorious idealist, and from a spiritual doubter to a spiritually living human being.

The best Book I ever Read, April 20, 2006
I think Walk across America Was a grab you by the Brain and pull you in. The way he wrote the book you were there walking with him.I read this book 10 years ago and still tell people about it.
The people he meets on the way are true Americans. The one part I will never forget is the part about Church. This is something else. I could not put this book down. I think everyone would love this book. It has a little of all of us in it

A Life Altering Book, January 26, 2000
I received a copy of A Walk Across America as a Christmas gift. Now exactly one month later I have finished not only that book but the sequel, A Walk West. Being a college student I do not have much time to read outside of my assigned readings. However with both of these books I set aside time to read them and most importantly contemplate what Mr. Jenkins was saying. I am 19 and Mr. Jenkins wrote this book over twenty years ago expressing thoughts and concerns that most teen-agers share today. I applaud Mr. Jenkins and thank him for sharing his story. Every child who is unsure about there path in life or is sure needs to read this book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am.

When Michael Crichton -- a Harvard-trained physician, bestselling novelist, and successful movie director -- began to feel isolated in his own life, he decided to widen his horizons. He tracked wild animals in the jungles of Rwanda. He climbed Kilimanjaro and Mayan pyramids. He trekked across a landslide in Pakistan. He swam amid sharks in Tahiti.

Fueled by a powerful curiosity and the need to see, feel, and hear firsthand and close-up, Michael Crichton has experienced adventures as compelling as those he created in his books and films. These adventures -- both physical and spiritual -- are recorded here in Travels, Crichton's most astonishing and personal work.

Reviews

A book that changed me., April 17, 2000
I admit I did not buy this book. I found it in the lost-and-found bin at work; thumbed through some passages during lunch breaks; waited 30 days until no one claimed it, and took it.

Only when I read it through did I realize this is one of the most important books I own.

I am not well-traveled, but enjoy Crichton's fictional work, from "Andromeda Strain" to "Jurassic Park." He is obviously intelligent, imaginative, and writes well. His adventures abroad are fascinating. But what changed my life and the lives of several people I know are the recountings of inner experiences: the things no rational person acknowledges day-to-day.

In this book, Michael Crichton- a medical student- admits to finding Ram Dass's New Age viewpoint puzzling and strange at first. In subsequent chapters, he quits his promising medical career to pursue writing. From there his exploits become stuff of fantasy; shooting a film with Sean Connery, traveling to countries he had previously never heard of, becoming rationally convinced that auras are real and can be seen.

This is a book I read that transformed me from a skeptic to an open-minded pragmatist. That may seem like schlock at first, but think about it. Do you have the opportunity and means to travel to Thailand, or Hunza? Have you consulted intuitive psychics from around the world, or sliced open a cadaver?

Buy this book. It may inspire you to explore inner realities like me, or reassure your agnostic point of view. In any case, you will read wondrous descriptions of Crichton's personal journeys. You will be compelled.

An exploration of "direct experience"..., May 15, 2005
In the Preface of this highly informative and entertaining collection of musings, experiences and travels of the body, mind and spirit, Crichton explains the reasons that prompted him to write this book:

"If you are a writer, the assimilation of important experiences almost obliges you to write about them. Writing is how you make the experience your own, how you explore what it means to you, how you come to possess it, and ultimately release it."

Crichton explores our need for direct experience. His premise is that modern man has lost his innate sense of himself and existence, relying on opinions, concepts and information structures, second hand knowledge, in order to make sense of the world, which, in the end, is a false perception. He proposes that the modern city-dweller, for example, cannot even see the stars at night due to the false light around him, causing a serious alienation from himself and reality. We've become so reliant on the media, hyper -realty, that simulation has become the real, thus we have generally lost our bearings, we have lost track of ourselves in relation to the greater scheme of things. Travel for Crichton, then, helped him to have "direct experience", thus achieving a greater sense of himself and his place on the planet. This book is about these direct experiences.

In Travels there are twenty- eight essays covering the author's early life in medical school and his bout with psychiatry, moving on to his first years in Hollywood as an aspiring writer and filmmaker, to his experiences in exotic lands and his musings on his experiences with the esoteric and the unexplained. These last essays are extremely interesting because Crichton attempts to rationally explain those phenomenon that dwell in the irrational - entities, other dimensional realms and the underrated "sixth" sense, that we've come to know as intuition. His proposition is that, fundamentally, just because certain phenomena cannot be explained "rationally", doesn't mean it doesn't exist. And to dismiss such phenomenon because it cannot hold up under the rigors of scientific analysis, is a mistake.

Crichton's Travels is a writer's exploration of himself and the world. It is an entertaining chronicle, at times hilarious and sad, and ultimately a strong argument for the need for all of us to have "direct experience", reinforcing his view that we also need greater insight into the mystical as well as the scientific, in order to truly understand ourselves and existence.

As usual, similar to all his books, Crichton has given us something informative, as well as tremendously entertaining.

More Fascinating than His Characters, November 16, 2005
Not many people can take an outrageous idea and run with it, so convincingly that there are people walking around in the world right now that actually believe dinosaurs have been brought back from extinction to act in big-budget movies! But Crichton is THAT good. In this non-fiction "Travels" you actually get the chance to ride around on Michael Crichton's 6-foot-above-the-ground shoulders (and STILL not see over his gigantic head!), peer out the windows of his eyes, and along the journey(s) discover the author to be a very authentic, introspective, one-part cowardly and six parts courageous, confused, flawed, highly intelligent, sometimes silly, sometimes blundering and yet always a tragically deep HUMAN every bit as fascinating as his best characters, kind of a Quantum Theory mentality in tour de force action. His early days as a doctor supporting himself as a fiction writer (fainting at the sight of his own blood) are just as engrossing as his soul-seeking travels about the globe, whether he's being swept unstoppably through a cloud of sharks, dealing with the frustrating anger of his father's untimely death, nearly fainting at a 300-pound gorilla's charge, or riding on the top of a train with Sean Connery, it's very difficult to put this book down. I strongly like most of Crichton's novels, but I strongly loved this non-fiction memoir.

Well! This is a new side to Michael Crichton!, June 26, 2003
Cleverly named book... It doesn't just cover Crichton's geographical journeys, it covers his internal journeys as well... The book starts off with Crichton in university and describes not only his experience as a medical student, but also how he blossumed into the successful author that he is! It was fate (and a bit of heritage...).

But apart from his travels all over the world, it is fascinating to start reading about his experimentation with the pychic world and all. True, there is a bit of a "I tried and tried and nothing seemed to happen, then suddenly it did" air about his experiences, a vague cynical suspicion (on my behalf) that is sounded terribly like a 'growing up in California' experience, and one had to wonder, would Crichton have done what he did if he hadn't been so successful so young in life... But, the fact is he did, and as long as you are an open minded individual this book will be a very interesting read!

If on the other hand, you are looking for a straightforward autobiographical account of rags to riches and writers angst of an amazingly successful and thoroughly readable author, you will be disappointed. This book REALLY gives an insight into the Michael Crichton one wouldn't suspect from his fantastic and diverse novels and its actually, quite interesting...

The wonders of Travels, January 19, 2000
Thirty-seven stories of one writers accounts. Be it somewhere without or somewhere within, this book is the best auto-biographical adventure I have ever read. Crichton narrates his stories with comical candor and psychological accuity. He blends the exotic and phenomenal into a perfect creation until it transcends the wonderous and becomes human. Not a single story is without it's own life lesson for the author. His ability to relate each episode to the reader and make the reader understand the lesson's he learned is unmistakable. His interactions with women, (there are a quite a few) animals and spirits are humorously expelled as he entwines the audience with his wit and candor. Crichton's massive accomplishments are towered only by his impressive feats of earth and soul. All in all this book will be one your favorites, for every reason I can think of.

Hey, I don't like him either., September 26, 2001
Usually I adopt a rather snobbish tone when discussing books by Michael Crichton. "He is a great author," I say with disdain, "When he isn't writing Hollywood scripts and passing them off as novels." I tell you this so you can somehow transcend your own Crichtophobia. Because this, ladies and gentlemen, is something different. This isn't Crichton's genre fiction. This non-fiction account of his travels, both geographic and metaphysical, will change the way you view the world. Absolutely a gem of a novel, full of a truly candid tone and eye-opening revelations. It makes you wonder what he's doing writing The Lost World. My well-thumbed copy has certainly gone above and beyond the call of duty, having been loaned out to great acclaim from everyone from my stage manager to my socialite sister to my staunchly skeptical neighbor. Incidentally, an earlier Crichton novel called Case of Need (originally published under a pseudonym, which is how I read it...didn't know it was actually Crichton until I read Travels)is worth the time, too.

A must-read "Disclosure" into Crichton himself, December 28, 1996
This was a truly fascinating text -- Crichton has led a life as rich and diverse as anyone could hope for -- travelling to Nepal, attending psychic parties in California -- he's done it all. Seeing what he's done and where he's gone really gave me a new "confidence" in reading his ficiton novels -- this man is basically an authority on anything and everything. The most interesting part of this book wasn't his travelogues (although they were quite interesting in their own right), but rather his discussions of person-to-person relationships. The discussions of his relationships with women were particularly enlightening -- he's really had some unpleasant experiences with members of the opposite sex, and after reading them, you'll understand the real-life roots of some of the female characters in his fiction works (read Disclosure again after reading Travels...) After reading his personal philosophy on what men and women are both REALLY after in a relationship, I had to put the book down and think for a while -- he, more so than any self-help book I've ever seen, hits the nail right on the head in just a ten-page vignette. Another striking thing about this book is that (unlike some of his later works -- Lost World, for example...) Crichtion seems to be writing for himself, without any thought toward any movies that might be made from this book, and he reveals some VERY personal things in this book, much more personal that what might be revealed in some 20/20 interview (it is one of his earlier works, and he may not have beem so audience-conscious when he wrote it). Overall, this is a fascinating book -- it's really compelling to see Crichton turn his analytic mind away from current events and focus it on himself instead.

Compelling Evolution, January 5, 2000
This book is engrossing because Crichton seems to make a 180 degree turn in the way he sees the world throughout the course of the narrative. His personal evolution involves many interesting, sometimes bizarre adventures that made me look at the practice of medicine and new age philosophies in a very different light.

MC the man is even more interesting than MC the imagineer., March 20, 1997
This was only the second Michael Crichton book I've read, after Disclosure (which I read without knowing anything about Crichton, and because somebody left it on an airplane). Since reading Disclosure I had taken much more note of him, seemingly seeing his name on every third movie or TV show I watched - and gradually associating that name with a high level of interest and quality. Even Crichton's "pop culture" creations had more depth to them than I first thought. I picked up Travels at a used book store (I wasn't looking for it, but it sounded interesting from the blurb) and found the book fascinating, consistently entertaining, and enriching. It raises my spirits to discover that someone so influential in creating the entertainment content by which I, my children, and the culture I live in are nourished is really extraordinarily talented, curious, intrepid, soul-searching, and -- likeable. Crichton's outlook and his life are an inspiration. He has lived richly and courageously, with a world-class hunger for the outer and inner frontiers of experience. Make no mistake, Travels catalogs Crichton's travels in the inner world as much as in the outer world. (Be prepared for first-hand accounts of spoon-bending and aura fluffing!) As long as you're going to be exposed to a lot of Michael Crichton regardless, you might as well get to know the guy

I would love to have lunch with this guy!, February 8, 2002
I enjoy Crichton's fiction and this example
of his non-fiction is not a disappointment.

I have always found his books and movies to be based
on fascinating ideas. Jurassic Park- Dinosaur DNA from mosquitos trapped in amber?? What a concept! Now reading about his personal experiences and travels I get a glimpse at the man behind
his books.

This book is wonderful: it's honest, rude, interesting, self-depreciating. And the range of topics is vast: spoon bending, seeing auras, swimming with sharks, to climbing Kilimanjaro.

At times I caught myself laughing out loud. When he talks
to his cactus you almost can't believe that he shares this with you.

I am a big Paul Theroux fan, but I find Michael's insights on travelling a bit more interesting. Crichton has a gift for storytelling and it
certainly shows here. I would love to go to lunch with him
to hear the tales he can tell.

Don't miss this book, it's not as flashy as his others, but
I think that is what makes it the most interesting. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Making the time, to find ourselves..., June 13, 2010
I have read all three of Schooler's books. And, of the three, this one is my favorite. Schooler has already proven to be a descriptive and effective storyteller, yet in this book, he shows the reader more of himself, his motivations, and his human side. His story is one of how a man can cope with loss and transition. And, Schooler is a man's man who has depth, insight and humility.

I recommend "Walking Home" to any man who is in transition; who is moving into that real or metaphorical wilderness of the soul. Who becomes aware of the unknown parts of the world, and of himself. I recommend Schooler's book to any woman who wants to better understand a man's journey of moving "into" a heavy heart, walking "through" the heaviness, and, ultimately, getting "beyond" the old story and accepting "the next" one.

Insightful and moving, August 21, 2010
The sales clerk who sold me the book said she read it in one sitting. A wonderful blend of personal exploration, Alaska natural history, and odysseys in the Alaska wilderness. A captivating read.

How did he carry his backpack...???, October 17, 2010
...while carrying all of us readers along with him?

An excellent read that filled me, at first, with a sense that I was a spirit moving along the trail with Schooler. I was there with the boulders, the weather, the bear. I even kept a watchful eye on his boat he left anchored in the bay.

When I finished the book, a part of its spirit has remained with me, and I find myself re-living parts of that important walk home.

Lynn Schooler Takes Me There, October 4, 2010
I have just finished reading Walking Home. Not unlike his book, The Blue Bear, he has the magical ability to take me right to where the events which he desribes have happened and I often find myself holding my breath, chuckling, weeping, etc... He is among if not my favorite author and storyteller. I recommend this book to every and anyone who has an ounce of booksense!

Walking Home - an excellent read, August 30, 2010
I read "Walking Home" last weekend - I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the description of the Alaskan wilderness and the mix of history, adventure and personal introspection. The bear added an element of suspense. I watched for it around every bend in the trail.

Different world, December 12, 2010
This author can write! Having spent the better part of his life living and working in Alaska, he is no stranger to the area. A few years back, dealing with physical and emotional stress in his life, he decides to take off on a solo adventure along the coast of that State. In his book, along with describing his journey, he shares some of the region's fascinating history. Earthquakes, tsunamis, hermits, Indians, explorers, shipwrecks. In addition, the author has a keen eye for nature and wildlife. He has a way of writing that transports you into the moment. After reading this, you will be left considering how terribly small and insignificant man really is, and how ancient and "alive" the mountains, glaciers and rivers are.

I couldn't put this book down. Really good read.

Totally Riveting!!, October 25, 2010
This book held me captive the entire time, from the amazing description of the earthquake in 1958, to the historical information about the Lituya Bay area and the Tlingit traditions and the excruciating detail of being stalked by a grizzly, I was loath to put it down. Anyone from Southeast Alaska will enjoy this book but it's great for any adventurous spirit. I am amazed at the lifestyle Lynn enjoys and the talents this man has in so many fields, fantastic storyteller and his research for information to complete the story is exceptional. I hope there is another book in the works!!

A True Alaskan Tale, October 24, 2010
Ever since I read The Blue Bear I've been a fan of Lynn Schooler. He lives such an incredible life and I love the history and background he shared in this book. As many other people describe, he tells his story in such a way that you feel you are sharing in the experience. He really is able to capture his readers in a very personal way. I have shared this book with several friends and it is slated to be a Christmas gift for a few more. I look forward to the next one!

Brings the wild coast of Alaska to life and as the title impies, touches the heart., October 19, 2010
As Author Lynn Schooler walks alone along one of the most inaccessible stretches of Alaska's coast, he skillfully weaves together captivating information about the area's natural history, intriguing stories about historic events, descriptions of building his dream home while his dream marriage was falling down around him, and his perceptions on aging and mortality in a way that fascinates and touches the heart.

Having grown up in Lynn's adopted home town of Juneau, I have heard stories for years about the legendary area where he walked, but his writing brought it to life like never before and introduced me to characters and events I had never heard of.

I had just read WALKING HOME when some friends and I were deciding on a route to take during a two-hour flight seeing trip. We chose Lituya Bay, the starting point for the author's walk and the site of the largest recorded wave in history as the pivot point for our flight. You can see photos on my Facebook page at:

[...]

I have read all three of Lynn's books and loved them all.

Must Read, October 15, 2010
This is a great book on at least three levels. Lynn's in depth research makes this a valuable resource for anyone interested in Alaska, past or present. His word pictures make the book a delight to read. This also happens bo be a great story. ... Read more

Editorial Review

With our world so storm-tossed and rudderless, this might just be the book for our times.Sun-drenched Tuscany is synonymous with the ideal life. But it didn't happen by chance. Since the Etruscans, the Tuscans have treated their breathtaking countryside with sagacious respect and, in hamlets and hill towns, have built a culture of simplicity, beauty, neighborliness, good food, and a love of daily life.

Ferenc Máté, a Tuscan resident for twenty years, explores this idyllic existence. He finds Tuscans brimming with creative practicality, down-home humor, and relentless optimism. Blended with their passion for work and independence, they have achieved a haven of economic stability, physical and emotional security, and a fortifying sense of belonging.

From their organic gardens to their mouthwatering cuisine, from high-quality, craftsmen-made products and family-run businesses to the joys centered in human contact, Tuscans live a healthy, emotionally rich life. Máté—engaging, funny, and insightful—shows us how to live like Tuscans. ... Read more

Reviews

A Reasonable Life revisited, October 31, 2009
Ferenc Mate is no armchair dilettante tossing pearls of wisdom from the comfy fireside of his Tuscan Villa. This guy has walked the talk. He's lived in at least 6 countries, built houseboats, cabins and knocked around 40 countries before settling in Tuscany twenty years ago where he restored a 13th century friary and built a world class winery. No trust fund baby, he started life as a war refugee and made his way with wit and hard work.
A few years back he wrote an excellent book called A Reasonable Life which was a call to action for a return to a more human existence.
This isn't so much another dreamy Tuscan memoir as it is a call for a revolution. Not a rebellion in the political sense but a call for a change in the way we live which is killing us and robbing us of the simple joy of living.
Rampant consumerism, bad food, over amped lifestyle, driving to the poorhouse in our new cars, all stuff we've heard before but never has it had such relevancy as we deal with our current econmic crisis. Like swallowing a bitter pill with a spoonful of honey, The Wisdom of Tuscany is a window on a dream which isn't so much about place as it is about how we go about the business of living. Ferenc Mate points the way.

An Old World prospective, January 6, 2010
Once my wife gifted me this book on Christmas Eve, I couldn't put it down. Ferenc spoke volumes of my inner Italian dream of living life simpler and with more purpose. Our innate human drive is to make the most with less and Ferenc has reiterated this concept numerously in various forms of Old World traditions, most nobly through the culinary richness of Tuscany. Who knew? We all do but just need reminded on a regular basis. Ference is a messenger with la storia. I plan to pass this book on to old friends and new acquaintances. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Very Disappointing, December 12, 2009
I've read several of Ferenc Mate's books & have greatly enjoyed them This one however is very disappointing. Besides the misspellings & grammatical errors, Mr. Mate paints a superficial portrait of life in Tuscany as well as in the USA. I thought it started off fine but went downhill rapidly repeating the theme of everyone should life in a small "hamlet" & be self-sufficient. Can't help but think this was a rush job to get it out in time for Christmas. Mr Mate is capable of so much better than this. Save your money.

Bait and switch, November 1, 2010
I bought this book as a result of reading his two earlier books about his life in Tuscany, restoring a home for him and his family and starting a winery. I was expecting to read more of the same, but instead this book seems to be his way of telling us all that if we do not live in a small town or village and you happen to live in, God forbid, a city you are stupid and living a lie. His rants get tiresome after a few pages. He does not leave even a hint that his views just might be slanted due to his mistakes in life and unhappy experiences. This book is a mistake! He comes off as pompous and arrogant. I guess if you put "Tuscany" in the title of a book you can put crap in the pages. I want my money back.

Unexpectedly deep, April 11, 2010
I have long enjoyed Ferenc Mate's writings, and this one certainly did not disappoint. A wise and considered look at the world we live in, and the suggestion that we have lost much community spirit and pleasure. He points out that many of us have become isolated in our home lives, our work, our communities and cities, and that this could be changed by choosing a simpler life. I highly recommend this book.

Disappointment, March 11, 2010
When I began to read I expected to experience the same joy manifest in Matte's previous two books on Tuscany. Instead I found preaching about inferior life outside Tuscany. Certainly that life is ideal, but can not be achieved with conditions in which many of us find ourselves.

Slow Down and Read This Book!, April 7, 2010
Although Ferenc will suggest repeatedly that you close this book if you disagree with the content -- i.e. concern with decent human values -- I implore you to open your mind and set yourself free. From the land of Slow Food, Ferenc shares the possibility of living simply and depending on your own wits and instinct, as well as sharing life's burdens and pleasures with friends and neighbors. Thoughts about using your hands, being crafty and creative, being a part of nature's rhythms, are some of the ruminations within, as are passionate criticisms of SUVs, pesticides, labor and industrial blight.

He speaks of how Tuscans tackle a mechanical problem, like when his new VW needed repair "...he tightened the last screw and shut the hood. I was speechless; not because of his speed, but because three pieces were still lying in my hands." There is a freedom of thought, to rely on ones senses and to not take things so literally. To be able to move laterally, "The best description of Tuscans -- besides spontaneous -- may well be independent" (from the chapter titled Build Your Own Life).

From the struggle against the military industrial complex by way of Molotov cocktails to the hopeful return of handmade goods and their availability by way of the web site Etsy, Ferenc packs a lot into the 272 pages. I found myself nodding in approval and solidarity with each page and having the reflex to pick up the phone and give him a call to let him know, "I hear you!" He has that conversational way of writing so that you feel as if you are there, having a glass of wine with a friend. A comrade.

My husband Richard proclaims, "He's such a soul brother!" And my ten year-old gardening son Marcel was tickled pink by his tale of planting garlic by moonlight.

"Making the Tuscan Life your Own" is not just a good suggestion, but vital and necessary medicine. Piano, piano!

The Wisdom of Tuscany: Simplicity, Security & the Good Life, November 19, 2009
Mate has an easy style that makes prose wax poetic. But, woven through the pages in his this latest addition of life in bucolic Tuscany, Mate gives us a hard look at life in the new millennium--post economic crash. He looks at the ugly reality of how we got our selves into this predicament and, with all the refreshing relief of an Italian postprandial nap, convincing you that rural Tuscany has a realistic grasp on things--a two millennium one. The Bohemian Tuscan `writes' again, and the world is rewarded.
Mate includes a beautiful section on Tuscan cooking and recipes sure to wet anyone's appetite. Salute!

Mate disappoints with this book, November 23, 2009
I loved M�t�'s "A Reasonable Life" but was very disappointed in this book. It is filled with typographical and grammatical errors that should have been caught by an editor. In addition, he takes a particularly condescending view towards North America. You can read my entire review at [...] ... Read more

Editorial Review

This is the story of a couple's travels on a forty-foot trawler cruising 6300 miles and 145 locks around the eastern part of North America known as America's Great Loop or the Great Circle Cruise. Their nautical ineptitude is evident from the beginning, but pulling from their personal and collective strengths, the authors overcome doubt, a lack of experience, and real and imagined horrors. The odyssey is told the way life hands out its adventures -- sometimes humorously, sometimes tragically, but always memorably. The writing is light and appealing, but there is a serious strain running through the book for those who relish history and descriptions of the landscape. Astute and attentive to detail, they chronicled events and kept an account of expenses, equipment and charting. As a result, the appendix/guidebook is worth the price of the book for anyone interested in planning their cruise. Topics include necessary charts and guidebooks, information on locks, setting an itinerary, resource addresses and websites, details on equipment and the best place to be educated about boating. The book has full-color inserts with black and white photographs interspersed throughout. ... Read more

Reviews

If you enjoy boats, this book is a MUST buy!, February 21, 2001
There is not a day that goes by when I don't eat, sleep, and dream about boats. Whether you're an avid fan of boating or just enjoy a day on the water, "Honey, Let's Get A Boat" is a must read.The Stob's have the uncanney ability to describe every detail in such a way, it makes you feel as though you are on board with them. From one who reads as many boating books as I can lay my hands on, none are written better than "Honey, Let's Get a Boat!"Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. There's only one problem with it though - By the time you're finished reading this book, you'll want to cruise America's Great Loop. Buy the book and you won't stop talking about it!

GREAT BOOK, April 11, 2003
I have a nautical library of over 450 books dealing with all aspects of boating. This is one of my favorites. If you want technical, try Chapman's, If you want to capture the "why" we go boating, get this book.

I have been a sailor all my life, well, except for the Navy, which was powerboating, so to speak. Anyway, I had not heard of the "Great Loop" until I read this book. Now my wife and I will be buying a power catamaran in January of 2004 and starting our own great loop trip. Thank you Ron and Eva Stob. How many books have you read that spur you to spend a small fortune, risk becoming a boat bum, just so you can enjoy the experiences of the author? A precious few I suspect.

It's nice to see so many other people have read and enjoyed this book and I hope you'll be the next one because that way, I'll see you out on the loop along with us.

"Honey, Let's Get A Boat" is fun, it's practical, and it's humorous: what more could you want? A great read!

Honey Let's Get A Boat, January 21, 2000
A fine informative book. An easy read that is also entertaining as well as a reference book for many locations along the way. Spelling out restaurants, marinas, anchorages,costs for the trip ,etc.Any boatman or would-be boatman will enjoy this book.

Terrific Read...Even If You Don't Own a Boat, January 8, 2005
Honey, Let's Get a Boat"
by Ron and Eva Stob

Here is a must read for not only boating enthusiasts but all those who ever imagined themselves pulling up stakes and setting out on a year or more adventure of travel. Ron and Eva Stob do a wonderful job of recounting their year-long journey on a forty-foot trawler, which began in Florida and circled up along the intercoastal waterway to New York and then up the Hudson River to Lakes George and Champlain to the Saint Lawrence River in Canada and on to the Great Lakes and Chicago and then down the river systems to the Gulf of Mexico and back to Florida. This route, known as "America's Great Loop," took them through waterways, locks, scenery, history, and cultures as varied as one could find anywhere.

Even though the book is written in the first person by Ron as the narrator, I can assure you, on the basis of having had the good fortune of meeting this delightful couple, Eva had a big part in helping relate the experiences encountered throughout their year of traveling these waterways. The book is a great read from start to finish and includes an appendix, which is a guidebook to anyone contemplating a similar venture. From the interesting and humorous aspects of just how this couple took the leap of quitting their jobs and finding and purchasing the trawler to their final encounter with the tropical storm Gordon,( becoming Hurricane Gordon,) as they returned to Florida after their year of cruising, the reader will be fascinated by vivid descriptions of places and cultures, as well as the difficulties and near disasters. Ron's "tongue in cheek" satire and humor and his honest self-criticism enhance the imagery of the book and bring alive the characters and places.

The book relates as much about the history and culture of the places visited along the way as it does the process of navigating the waterways. Even though I had been to a number of places mentioned, I was not aware of all the history and cultural aspects the narrator reveals.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in travel, by whatever means, as it is just the thing for the intellectually curious.

This book is published by Raven Cove Publishing of Greenback, Tennessee, and can be ordered at Raven Cove Publishing; P.O. Box 168, Greenback, TN 37742-0168 or phone 865/856-7888. The book is also available through Amazon Books on the Internet. And the authors are available for speaking engagements.

We bought the boat to follow the Stobs, February 13, 2001
How many books could send you out the door to spend your life savings. The only one I know of is "Honey Lets get a Boat." We first found the Stobs at a boat show in Florida, we heard of their book and bought a copy, we read through it in one night and we were hooked. We bought a boat of our own, a 46 footer and we started in Florida last summer (2000), we left it in New York on the Erie Canal for the winter. I should say here that we only can travel in the summer during school break, we're on the move with 4 kids ages 9 to 13. And this is not a race, it is an adventure of a lifetime. We bought 6 more books from the Stobs, their book explains better than we could what we are doing. One of the people we sent it to took one month to read it, he would read a few pages each night, just to make it last. James Clausen, Motor Vessel "Summer School".

A delightful read, April 17, 2003
There are lots of technical boating books out there and they are easy to find. This book chronicles one couple's own adventure on the "Great Loop" in their first cruiser, a 40' (wow) trawler. I loved the writing style--great humor and sometimes romantic descriptions of the goings on (Mr.'s descriptions of Mrs., their married kids' near "marital conflagration" on deck, the story of the chocolates, cruising with the senior ladies. The descriptions of the travel are very well written. The experiences aboard will be appreciated by addicted boaters and non-boaters alike. This is an adventure story. When I finally retire and head for the Great Loop in my cruiser, I will think often and fondly of the Stob's and this delightful book.

Great Book, Fun & Informative!, June 30, 1999
Honey, Let's Get a Boat is a must read for any boater or "Armchair Sailor" who longs for that "Great Adventure". Ron and Eva have beautifully captured all the fun, laughter, trials & tribulations of leaving home and hearth for a year and following a dream. This book combines the best of cruise guide and travelogue with a little comic relief thrown in for good measure.

Delightful and Informative Reading, February 7, 2001
Live the great cruising adventure vicariously through Ron and Eva. This book is fun and funny! I lived each moment with Ron and Eva as they picked up their new treasure and attempted one of the great American dreams--going crusing. Ron is a delightful and descriptive writer. A good read for anyone but particularly for anyone thinking about a change of lifestyle. Cruising is not for everyone and as Ron points out different ages need different comforts. Read this book if you are THINKING about cruising and give it to anyone who might possibly be entertaining the thought. The spouses will thank you!!

An engaging narrative even for non-boaters like myself., May 6, 1999
Excellent little narrative!

Even for people (like myself) with no desire ever to own a boat, the picturesque descriptions of the locales and stops along the way make the book more than worthwhile (though I do wish they could have spent more coverage on each spot). Further, I found the tale of the couple on their newly-acquired boat to be both eventful and engaging.

For those thinking of getting a boat the book really shines. The information appendix in the back includes things such as alternative routes and places to stop, how to get into boating, the budgeted and actual expenses, miles, etc. of the authors. Mildly interesting to me, but probably extremely useful for anyone thinking of either starting boating or taking a long trip like the Great Loop.

A crackling good read, clever and exciting!, April 10, 1999
Even a non-boater like me can enjoy this adventure in madness. Ron Stob can really put the words and the action together. Russ Connors ... Read more

Editorial Review

In 1996, Allan Weisbecker sold his home and his possessions, loaded his dog and surfboards into his truck, and set off in search of his long-time surfing companion, Patrick, who had vanished into the depths of Central America. In this rollicking memoir of his quest from Mexico to Costa Rica to unravel the circumstances of Patrick's disappearance, Weisbecker intimately describes the people he befriended, the bandits he evaded, the waves he caught and lost en route to finding his friend.

In Search of Captain Zero is, according to Outside magazine, "A subtly affecting tale of friendship and duty. [It] deserves a spot on the microbus dashboard as a hell of a cautionary tale about finding paradise and smoking it away." ... Read more

Reviews

soft cover in print, February 16, 2008
As the author of this book i can tell you it's available in soft cover: amazon has its head up its arse in not listing it. i've tried contacting them but i only get a boilerplate replies that make no sense. as far as i can tell, there are no human beings involved with amazon.

buy from your local bookstore anyway.

allan weisbecker

hey amazon, in the unlikely event that an actual human reads this:how about listing the softcover, which IS IN PRINT from Penguin. then you can cancel this cranky review.

More than the sum of its parts, July 3, 2004
First let me say that I have never surfed, and other than watching Point Break, am ignorant of surfing culture. Likewise, I have never journeyed south of the border, and I certainly never was an international drug smuggler (though I have been known to inhale). That said, Mr. Weisbecker's writing put me right there, and made me feel that I was participating in these adventures. He vividly and viscerally described surfing to the point that I felt the rush, and almost tasted salt water. His recreation of a sense of place when describing Mexico and Central America reminded me of Mark Twain's best travel writing. And his recollections of his outrageous adventures in his youthful bandito smuggling days made me cry from laughing.(Even if these tales are exaggerated, as well they may be, only someone who knows what he is talking about could exaggerate so effectively.)
Beyond all the surfing, adventuring on the edge, and bandito hilarity, this book has a strong undercurrent of melancholy, a deep sadness that adds depth and realism to this rollicking adventure. Someone has complained that this book is just about a self-indulgent mid-life crisis. The author himself has admitted as much in his book. Yet the emotions and circumstances that bring a man to what we have chosen to call "mid-life crisis" are real, and nearly universal. Weibecker's genius is in the brutal honesty in which he communicates his own ambiguous emotional turmoil. Past a certain age, we all must find a way to live with the choices that we have made, and the bridges that we have burned, and that, at its core, is the heart of this book.
In Search of Captain Zero is engrossing, invigorating, hilarious, and sad. It is a swift read, and I was sorry when it was over. All in all, it is more than the sum of its parts, and I highly recommend it.

Theo Logos

Fantastic book even (especially) for non-surfers, June 22, 2001
I bought this book on an impulse after reading some of the reviews on this site and it thoroughly surpassed my expectations. Weisbecker strikes the perfect note between the description of his adventure, reflections on his life and some absolutely hilarious and jaw dropping stories about his past endeavours in drug trafficking. I found myself getting lulled into his reflections in a very peaceful way then suddenly breaking out in laughter at his past adventures. At one point, I shook my head at how much this guy has actually lived. I've never surfed in my life and wouldn't be inclined to buy a "surfing" book however I found this part of his story to be really entertaining and completely in line with the rest of the story. In fact, it makes you want to get out a surfboard and give it a try.

If you're looking for both a hilarious and thoughtful read I highly recommend this book.

Also, as someone who currently lives in Mexico and who has lived in Latin America for 6 years I found his take on the people/country to be thankfully devoid of the typical generalizations and stereotypes associated with the area.

Don't Read The Back Cover, January 13, 2008
Here's a little hint for publishers. If you have a non-fiction book that's all about the search for a long lost friend, don't reveal the ending in a critic's blurb on the back cover. At least on the softcover edition I just got, I learned all about what happened to Christopher when I was on about, oh, page 15.

Other than that, this was a great read. Whether you're into surfing or travel books, In Search of Captain Zero will hold you from start to finish.

Travels with Shiner, February 8, 2002
Imagine John Steinbeck 'Travels With Charlie'. Now imagine if Steinbeck was a surfer and made the wrong turn at Boise and ended up in Mexico. Captain Zero is one of these book you won't put down and then be pissed when your finished because you want to read more. Maybe the story is true, maybe not. Perhaps life is not about getting to the end of the road, but the journey it takes to get there.I have this stinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that we're all looking for our own personal Captain Zero, and for some of us, it isn't going to be pretty.

in search of captain zero, March 29, 2008
A very different kind of surfing story. For those that that are into surfing and travel it's pretty cool. It's a good adventure surfing story. I started reading it on an island in Panama durring a surf trip which gives me a different perspective. It definetly made me want to keep traveling/surfing. For the non surfing types, I have no idea how it would be recieved....

Inspiring Journey, February 13, 2008
This is a fantastic, inspiring story, not to mention a cautionary tale, in the true spirit of the soul surfer adventurer. Warning: Weisbecker's previous book, Cosmic Bandits (I think) is horrible. But this one is great.

Read this book and give it fo your friends, January 7, 2008
Having read all three of Weisbecker's books, getting a copy of Zen and Zero, and telling as many people as I can about his work through emails, myspace, and facebook, In Search of Captain Zero is probably one of my favorite books. Its a great one to jump into, especially if you are into Hunter S. Thompson, truth, humor, and can handle a couple of downer moments they pleae read this book. I first ready Cosmic Bandidos in the course of three hours, drove the book back to a friend and quickly stole Captain Zero, finished it two days later, then waited patiently for CYGAWA. Read all of the books, but go with Zero first.

This is a journey worth taking, November 9, 2006
I stumbled onto this book and author by chance and months now after reading this book I feel like I am still on a journey that started the day I flipped opened the cover and started reading. This past spring I gave my second shot at surfing and this time it really stuck! That passion and stoke led me to find surf related books and I quickly found In Search of Captain Zero, Allan Weisbecker's website and other books. "Zero" is a surfer's journey and if you are looking for that kind of narrative-its certainly there amidst these pages. If you surf or even just love the ocean, his descriptions of surf sessions are amazing. However, much more is weaved into this journey as Weisbecker opens himself for all to see- the good, the bad and the ugly. Imagine Steinbeck's - Travels with Charley taking place in central america with a surfer's bent, substitute in some tequilla, and give it a whole lot more edge to the story. I found myself haunted by some of what this book said about myself, about friendships, and my ever present feelings of wanderlust. This is much different from Cosmic Banditos, but if you want something that sort of blends that pace with In Search of Captain Zero you really need to find his latest book "Can't You Get Along With Anyone?" published by Humdrumming in the UK. I give this 5 stars. It will always be one of my favorites.....

Not just for surfers, May 6, 2001
In Search of Captain Zero is not just a book about surfing and searching. It's a well-written odessey of a man who is following his passion and looking for a friend. The two are inter-woven as Allan Weisbecker packs up his travel trailer and heads to Central America. What he finds is that friends can be anywhere, but that memories of the way things were don't guarantee that they will stay the same. One of the best reads I've had in years. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Eighteen countries. Five shock absorbers.
Two bikers. One amazing adventure...

After their fantastic trip round the world in 2004, fellow actors and bike fanatics Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman couldn't shake the travel bug. Inspired by their UNICEF visits to Africa, they knew they had to go back and experience this extraordinary continent in more depth.

And so they set off on their 15,000-mile journey with two new BMWs loaded up for the trip. Their route took them from John O'Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland to Cape Agulhas on the southernmost tip of South Africa.

Along the way they rode some of the toughest terrain in the world -- and met some of the friendliest people. They rode their bikes right up to the pyramids in Egypt and visited Luke Skywalker's house in Tunisia. They met people who had triumphed over terrifying experiences -- former childhood soldiers in Uganda and children living amidst the minefields of Ethiopia. They had a close encounter with a family of gorillas in Rwanda and were nearly trampled by a herd of elephants in Botswana.

Riding through spectacular scenery, often in extreme temperatures, Ewan and Charley faced their hardest challenges yet. With their trademark humor and honesty they tell their story -- the drama, the dangers and sheer exhilaration of riding together again, through a continent filled with magic and wonder. ... Read more

Reviews

Even Better the Second Time Around--Down?, August 12, 2008
By Norma Beishir
author, Chasing the Wind

I really enjoyed their first book, but this one's much, much better. I have to admit that I like memoirs and travel journals better when they're not ghostwritten. I like to hear the voice of the person whose story I'm reading. In other words, I like it to be genuine.

Ewan and Charley's enthusiasm for their travels comes through in every page. The ups and downs they experience are there, with no sugar-coating. The photographs are better this time around as well, and some of the captions are quite amusing. There's one humorous photo of the two that looks as if they're about to rob a liquor store. Another, in which the guys are down to their shorts, makes me think of a line from "Smokey and the Bandit": "The last time I saw a leg that looked like that, it had a message tied to it."

My only disappointment with this book is that I would have liked to see some input from Ewan's wife, Eve, on her leg of the trip. As a woman, I'd enjoy getting her perspective. After all, she held her own after only six months of riding, while these two men had been riding for years before attempting a long trip. I laughed at her response to his objections when she wanted to join them.

She really should have put together her own trip with a group of women. I know a lot of female bikers who would have been willing to join her for a good cause. Isn't kicking the guys' butts always a good cause? Oh, yeah, and it could have been good for UNICEF, too.

Another great journey., May 22, 2009
Due to scheduling complications with the ferry for the first 1/3rd of the trip, Long Way Down (LWD) had a rushed and more stressful feel to it in comparison to Long Way Round. This led to a slightly less enjoyable experience for the reader/viewer in my opinion.

Nevertheless, this voyage is still Ewan and Charley at their best. These guys enjoy motorcycling and traveling on them so much that they make the best out of any situation.

The way they document the trip is so honest, and really opens you up to their personalities - something you rarely get to see with famous people. It's so honest and humble, yet funny and appropriately opinionated at the same time. The quality of the book - the editing, the photos and the writing are superb in their natural style.

The fact that they take time to do charity work as well as show the world things that most choose to ignore is wonderful. Plus, like the LWR trip - it's an incredible way to show the beauty of our world and politeness of so many of the people in it.

The books and movies are true magic on film - whether or not you like motorcycles or not (i am obsessed), it is nearly impossible to not fall in love with these two guys and their journey of a lifetime.

A travel story, September 7, 2008
A travel story. Short on drama and suspense but a lot of description of lands and peoples. Little talk about motorcycles even though they had some difficulties that could have added some interest. I enjoyed it for what it is. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.

Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. He soon learned that many were dead or dying—among them his own mother and sister. Those who remained were stranded on a lifeless glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, with no supplies and no means of summoning help. They struggled to endure freezing temperatures, deadly avalanches, and then the devastating news that the search for them had been called off.

As time passed and Nando’s thoughts turned increasingly to his father, who he knew must be consumed with grief, Nando resolved that he must get home or die trying. He would challenge the Andes, even though he was certain the effort would kill him, telling himself that even if he failed he would die that much closer to his father. It was a desperate decision, but it was also his only chance. So Nando, an ordinary young man with no disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snow-capped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to find help.

Thirty years after the disaster Nando tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes—a first person account of the crash and its aftermath—is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure: it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Reviews

Great Story, Great Insight, April 12, 2006
Piers Paul Read wrote the great book Alive and after an excellent movie it could be thought there was little more left to the actual story. Wrong. Nando Parrado adds much much more to this survival story and doesn't re-tell like Read but lets you know what happened to him and his emotions on the mountain. This is a great companion to the classic book. Most (myself included) wanted to be Nando - he was strong, and saved his friends through unreal internal fortitude - he's a genuine hero. His is one of the most compelling survival stories in recorded history and this is a worthy memoir.

Where Read lets you know what happened Parrado lets you know the why's and how's they survived - the real heart of this story. He let's the reader know in more detail the miserable existence on the mountain. When you read his thought "tears waste salt" it might sound cold hearted but it was the RIGHT thought and you begin to understand his inner strength. His thoughts about his family are touching, his feelings about his great father are insightful - what a fortunate son, what a fortunate father. Without his father the disappearance of the plane would remain a mystery.

In an interview Roberto Canessa once said the survivors know each other better than anyone. I really didn't understand that until reading this book. Parrado also sheds light on some negative depictions of survivors in Read's book and it helps the reader understand their actions. I also enjoyed reading what happened to Parrado after the incident and how the words and behavior of his friends who died on the mountain has influenced him. It took Parrado a long time to realize how inspirational his story is and it's great he's written his story. Make no mistake; this story is not about cannibalism, it is about love, survival and determination. I'm a better person for having read this book.

A Masterpiece!, May 15, 2006
This is one of the most remarkable books I've ever read - just an incredible story and told with perfect pacing. I started reading the book on a plane of all places and then finished it the first night at 4:00 in the morning. You won't be able to put it down - even though you'll know the ending.

The story truly puts our small problems in perspective and gives the reader an apprecition for the human spirit at it's most tested.

Now I just want to find someway to hear Nando Parrado speak in person.

Soul-Searching Horror, July 11, 2006
As a youngster, I heard bits and pieces of this story--an Andes plane crash; a rugby team; cannibalism; heroism and terror. When I saw that a new, more personal account was being released, I knew I would have to read it, to experience the horror and amazement that my own father felt in the generation before me.

"Miracle in the Andes" is a superbly written book. A prologue hints at much greater trouble to come with a brief description of the plane crash's aftermath. Then, with building, unrelenting drama, the story follows the chronological path of the ordeal. As a reader, I was awed by the grandeur and beauty of the Andes, then frightened by their rapid weather changes and malevolent moods. I related to different individuals' reactions--and lack thereof--to the trials they endured. At certain points, I laughed. Or shook my head. Or took a deep breath and moved on. By the end, I was moved to tears by Nando's final poignancies and his reunion with his father.

Like "Into Thin Air" and "Endurance," this book has all the qualities of fantastic non-fiction, mixing detail and human drama without melodrama. It provides tasteful photos and clear maps for clarity. Going beyond even the soul-searching of "Touching the Void," "Miracle in the Andes" moves forward with unflinching honesty and believable introspection. It's an account of challenge and encouragement to each of us as we go through trials that life throws our way. With his talented co-writer, Nando peels back the layers of his memory and emotion to glean from his experience and then to pass on that learning to others. The passage of time not only lends weight to his words, it lends a humility and grace.

30 Years On, Another Telling of a Great Story, May 15, 2006
I read the book "Alive" years ago and also saw the movie. In all the years hence, though I have read many books on survival and inspiration, nothing resonates like this story. For me, it is the most incredible tale of a terrifying journey through the worst human misery, death and despair to the ultimate in courage, friendship and sheer determination to reclaim life. And Mr. Parrado has to me always been at the center of the story; to my family he is so inspiring that "NANDO" is our code word for never giving up and having courage when faced with the worst you can imagine.
I was delighted to see that Nando Parrado wrote this book and reading it only confirmed to me how extraordinary a spirit he is - and how heartrending the ordeal all the souls on that plane endured. This book offers a deeper picture of the tragedy, giving an unvarnished look at the suffering and emotions of the people involved in the crash, as well as a firsthand account of the "miracle" of how they rescued themselves.
You can view this book as an incredible story of survival, a true guide for facing adversity with bravery and will, or an inspiring revelation on living life to the fullest - it is all of these. Nando Parrado says he is not a hero, but his spirit and story are transcendant, compelling, wonderful. Don't miss it.

Sad, thought-provoking, couldn't put it down, June 16, 2006
Although the stories of the rugby players who crash landed in the Andes and survived there for months is well known, especially as told by Alive. In this book, a survivor tells the story from his perspective. This book makes you really believe the saying that truth is stranger than fiction. I would find it hard to believe that a charter plain could crash land in the Andes (after coming apart in mid-air), have over half those on board survive (but not the plane's crew), that these remaining mostly young men could survive for 72 days in the freezing temperatures with just snow to drink and flesh to eat, and that two men could attempt a ten-day journey through the Andes. But it happened, and this is the story as told by one of the two men who went in search of rescue.

Quote: "Nando, I want you to remember, even in this place, our lives have meaning. Our suffering is not for nothing. Even if we are trapped here forever, we can love our families, and God, and each other as long as we live. Even in this place, our lives are worth living."

I thought this book was amazing- sad, though-provoking, suspenseful, I couldn't put it down. The author makes it clear that he is telling his own story, not just the facts of what happened, but also his feelings and internal conflict during that time. He does not sensationalize the story (which he felt the media did)- instead of dwelling on grisly facts for shock value, he mentions them, that the survivors did what they had to do, and moves on. what the media considers most important in the story and what he believes people should take from it are very different things.

The greatest survival story ever told, July 19, 2006
This is without a doubt one of the greatest survival stories ever told. If you have an interest in truly inspirational stories of survival, such as Joe Simpson (Touching the Void), Aaron Ralston (Rock and a Hard Place), then this is a story that you MUST read. This is a first hand account of the survival of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains in South America in 1972. Though the book 'Alive! was written in 1974 by Piers Paul Read and documented the story from extensive interviews, this book is an autobiographical account written by Nando Parrado (one of the men who managed to climb out to get help), and not only describes the unbelievable hardship the survivors of the plane crash had to endure for 72 days, but also gives an amazing insight into the faith and courage that human beings can find in adversity. Most people are familiar with the story, which is notorious for the consumption of their dead counterparts bodies, however Parrado's account is so much more than just this aspect of the survival. He takes the reader inside a situation that is so disastrous it defies belief, but by a combination of incredible camaraderie and faith in each other, and the way they adapt to their desolate surroundings, a small number hang on despite the horrendous adversity. Parrado also describes in detail the aftermath of the survival and how he coped with getting back to reality and getting on with his life - which is a story in itself - as well as describing the unshakeable bond between the survivors and how they meet up each year on the the rescue anniversary.
There are too many awe inspiring moments to champion this novel, the survivors cheated death every day for 72 days, but Nando's descriptions of how he maintained the will to live are the recurring theme. I read this book in one sitting as have waited a long time to get a first hand account of the saga and was not disappointed. You cannot help but want to tell everyone you know about the story like me. This book can change your life as you realise how fragile human existence is and what the human spirit is capable of. Live every moment, don't waste a breath.

Maybe The Best True Story Ever Told, June 9, 2006
This story, already known by many readers, will never get old because the type of heroism depicted here by Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa is so unusual that it was truly astounding that ANY human being was capable of successfully doing it. You will cry when families are reunited. You will shiver in the cold of the Andes. You will breathe more shallowly as the avalanche hardens over your body. You will suffer when survivors of the crash die on the mountain of other causes. You will understand when the victims discuss whether to die by starvation or by the pervasive cold. But, it is such an uplifting story that everyone should read it. The author, Vince Rouse, was supremely successful in not being a part of the story. He simply disappears from view as the ghost writer, but his words are powerful, accurate, and hard to improve on. It is a shame that five stars is the maximum rating. This book deserves eight of them, and I am not prone to using hyperbole.

Inspiring first-hand account of a real hero, April 11, 2006
Piers Paul Read's classic, Alive, introduced the world to the tragedy that befell the Old Christians rugby team when their chartered plane crashed in the Andes Mountains. Nando Parrado follows up, over 20 years later, with what should be another classic. Miracle in the Andes is Parrado's first-hand account of what happened, how he and his teammates survived while waiting for help that would never come, how he and Roberto Canessa struggled mightily over mountain passes in subzero weather to find help, and how the experience has affected every moment of his life for the better.

While Read's account is in no way diminished and remains a classic, Parrado adds a depth to the story that only an actual survivor can provide. Only he can fully convey the emotions of knowing his mother and sister were killed in the crash, and that his father back home didn't know that he was struggling to survive. Only he can convey the emotions and the difficult choices the survivors faced. Only he can convey how his life was changed. Parrado succeeds on all levels.

This is not simply a rehash of Read's book. It comes from a unique point of view that is compelling and inspirational. It adds a new dimension to the story and addresses many issues that Read did not and could not. This is a story written by a true hero. It is timeless, and that is why, almost 25 years after the tragedy, it still resonates with so many people.

Piers Paul Read wasn't there; Nando Parrado was, August 18, 2006
And this is his story.

Those who couldn't stomach the graphic descriptions of cannibalism in "Alive" could handle this; Parrado doesn't go into much detail but simply describes what they all had to do. That ANYONE survived that long under such adverse conditions was amazing in itself, and his description of how he and Roberto Canessa walked out of the mountains almost sounds like an Everest expedition....without the most basic supplies.

One might have expected the survivors to succumb to suicide, multiple divorces, drug and alcohol abuse, etc. but that doesn't seem to have been the case. Parrado and another survivor had to do an "intervention" on a third survivor, but who knows? He might have been prone to addiction anyway. All 16 men still live in Uruguay or the region, and get together at least once a year. They have been through something together that only they understand.

It's a love story - a story of love for family and friends, and his understanding of God.

Read this book!

A staggering story....Intense and Incredible!, May 6, 2007
When my book club chose this book, I honestly wasn't looking forward to reading it. I had read ALIVE and thought I already knew the story, as it had been told in detail.
Boy, was I blown away! What an amazing surprise MIRACLE IN THE ANDES turned out to be!

Nanado Parrado very skillfully and gently takes you into those mountains with such vivid images and heartbreaking exchanges of dialogue, that you 'feel' the immense cold, your stomach actually churns with their hunger, and your body aches with an emotional empathy.

The calm camaraderie of these astonishing young men amazes with their awe-inspiring courage!

The reader comes to know and care about every man and woman caught in this horrible nightmare of survival at it's bleakest.
So many times throughout the novel, just when hope was gaining or plans were coming together to find a 'way out', a devastating set-back would occur. As hope was dashed once again, the spirit and love of these stranded survivors would not diminish....and another plan was carefully thought out.
Everything in their lives was re-examined; their faith repeatedly tested and the bonds of brotherhood strengthened beyond belief!

This riveting account is sure to elevate and illuminate faith in the love that shines the light on their 'miraculous' journey.

Suz ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the 1950s, a series of dams was proposed along the Brazos Riverin north-central Texas. For John Graves, this project meant that if the stream’s regimen was thus changed, the beautiful and sometimes brutal surrounding countryside would also change, as would the lives of the people whose rugged ancestors had eked out an existence there. Graves therefore decided to visit that stretch of the river, which he had known intimately as a youth.

Goodbye to a River is his account of that farewell canoe voyage. As he braves rapids and fatigue and the fickle autumn weather, he muses upon old blood feuds of the region and violent skirmishes with native tribes, and retells wild stories of courage and cowardice and deceit that shaped both the river’s people and the land during frontier times and later. Nearly half a century after its initial publication, Goodbye to a River is a true American classic, a vivid narrative about an exciting journey and a powerful tribute to a vanishing way of life and its ever-changing natural environment. ... Read more

Reviews

Much bigger than Texas, May 1, 2003
I first read this book 15 years ago. And although I've never been to that part of Texas, I feel as if I know Mr. Graves' stretch of the Brazos as well as the back of my hand. I have always felt guilty for never writing him a fan letter. He deserves as much credit as Wallace Stegner, Edward Abbey, John McPhee and all the rest or our naturalist philosophers for his beautiful prose and endlessly ruminative mind. I know that at least one reviewer found the book dull, and I have no capacity for empathy. In fact, I recently purchased, through Amazon, an autographed copy of the book with Mr. Graves' own photographs, for [$$]. If my son loves this book someday as much as I have, I'll consider my life a success. It is that good.

This is the Gospel of St.; John, May 18, 1999
I first met John Graves in 1981 at a Texas Writers' Convention in Ft. Worth. I told him that I'd bought at least 30 copies of Goodbye (which was true), having lent or given outright some 29 previous copies. He autographed it, and wrote a prelogue thanking me for my good opinion of the book. Read it for yourself, and enjoy Texas history and the mind of a man who is attached to every feeder creek, low water crossing, or sweeping bend. This book is what the best and worst of Texas is all about. Read it, then come on down to the River, and catch some fish. I'll set you up with a canoe rental ...

The best book ever, without exaggeration., January 20, 2001
With all the previous and excellent reviews for this wonderful book, I will only add brief personal comments:

This was recommended to me for a Texas history course, but this is not merely the best history book I have come across, but this is the best book I have read bar none. If you read for self-discovery, history or for appreciation of good writing, then you will not leave this book on your shelf disappointed when you are done. You will, if you are like me, go and find your parents or your grandparents or both, hug them and say, "I never appreciated what you did and what you left behind for my generation. Thank you."

And thank you, John Graves.

Unique look at a specific area and history of the Lone Star State, October 10, 2005
I was very impressed with this book. Graves does so much in this enjoyable volume. As he takes a canoe trip down the Brazos near where he grew up, he shares the history of the land--both recent and not-so-recent. Through him, we learn the reality of life for the average settler on the edge of the frontier. He also seems to be detailing a life that in his time was declining and in our age is nearly completely gone. His writing is difficult to describe and unlike anything I have ever read. It flows smoothly with a combination of regional speech and erudition. As you read you feel like you are in the canoe with an incomparable guide to this region of our state. A great book that deserves to be read much more widely than it is.

A piece of Texas to carry with you, May 11, 2004
I carried a copy of this book with me while away from Texas, while in the US Army back in '71. Every time I would get terribly lonely for home and Texas, I would read this book. I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves history, Texas, nature, or rivers. I own several copies (five last count, as have given away half a dozen to good friends), and continue to re-read the book, as I always enjoy Mr. Graves' words, his history lessons, and his use of the English language. His imparting of the north Texas dialect is wonderful, as that dialect is the one in which I also was and am immersed. I have many other of Mr. Graves books, but GTAR is the first you should read! By the way, I also went to Boy Scout Camp at Worth Ranch on the Brazos as many boys did during the mid 50s, boated and canoed and fished on the Brazos, or the Brazos de Dios, the Arms of God. The sweet smell of oak and cedar, of campfires on river islands, the sounds of water rushing down river, the taste of fresh catfish fried up in a campfire...the bald eagles and deer, the ghosts of "The People" and early settlers....the best times..

An excellent book for anyone interested in Texas history., February 20, 1999
I live 25 miles from the spot on the Brazos river where John Graves begins his tale. I have floated this section of the river many times. Reading this book before making the trip makes the float immeasurably more interesting. Each time you come to a certain spot or bend in the river, you recall the tale the author related about the history surrounding that particular spot. This is a great book for anyone who has ever floated or would like to float this section of the Brazos river.

Graves tells us about ourselves while telling us about Texas, October 8, 1998
A great story that incorporates history, the outdoors, and philosophy. With the rugged country of the upper Brazos river as his backdrop, Graves takes you on an enjoyable journey that you hope will never end. You hear tales of the "Old West" and modern Texas as well. Graves' thoughts as he travels alone on the Brazos are classic for their insight and humor. I highly reccomend this book to all Texans, or anyone who wants to feel like a Texan for a while. I'm buying another Graves book soon.

Real Texas Literature, May 13, 2001
I was only a few pages into this book when I realized that I was reading a person who was the real thing. John Graves is a master wordsmith, a thinker, and a person who has the background and experiences to address the subject. As a former Marine and a native Texan, I admit that I might have identified with him a bit more strongly than some, but there is no question that his prose is from a gifted and talented pen. I have experienced part of the trip he described (the first couple of days...spectacular sandstone bluffs and all...)so it made the read more enjoyable and absorbing for me. The book I read was borrowed, so naturally, I have to have my own copy as well as other of his efforts.

John Graves "ruminations" on Texas living, August 7, 2002
As a Texan, I found this book to be a wonderful heartfelt tribute to Mr. Graves love of the Brazos River which included a lot of local history. I formerly lived in that area and have also canoed on the river and so I enjoyed his thoughts very much. I now live in the Hill Country and he wrote a book called "From A Limestone Ledge" that deals with his ruminations on life in our area! It is a pretty good one too! I agree that sometimes he gets a little "wordy" but I think it is still worth reading!

Steinbeckian reflections on a Texas few still know, October 22, 2006
This is one of my favorite books. I went to YMCA and Scout camp in the Palo Pinto country. Back then, the divide that exists today between the so-called "cultural elite" and rural Texas didn't exist (or at least both sides respected each other enough to be civil, as a funny episode from the book relates), and Graves lived in both worlds. His is a lost generation, and although only one or two of the dams along his route got built, the country is now part of the vast exurb of Dallas-Fort Worth, filled with rural retreats for the city folk, 5 acre ranchettes, and driveways lined with 40-thousand-dollar pickup trucks. Graves doesn't mourn its loss, but commemorates what seemed like "progress" in the 60s and has only accelerated thousandfold since. If you pass through that country, or want to know what rural Texas used to be like, read this book. It's a bit long in the telling, but if you trace the journey on a map, it was no small trip. ... Read more