It reads like a trip! Come-on, Peak and Come-Down!
583616
The best book I ever read! Wolfe's style is Unmatchable.
 Not only is it a great piece of history, inviting you to witness the birth of the hippy scene,
 But, it reads like a great psychedelic trip!
 You come on fast, peak for what seems like forever, and come down with a crash!
  I never had that much fun reading words on paper!
 I would also recommend "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas" by Hunter S. Thompson
3489057
A wild ride through the eyes of a reader!  It's a refreshing 'switch of gears' that I think the reading public may come to appreciate.  I like how he balanced the negatives out with natural positives about some of the titles he especially enjoyed.  Looking forward to future books and how Glenn ultimately perceives them.
1525026
This book is a trip.
Hugely detailed descriptions of the purported astral and causal appearances of a broad array of phenomena, from nasty thoughts to rose bushes to church bells ringing.
Obviously, for the new disciple there is the distraction of getting caught up in the accounts of these lower planes, but for fun, as a sort of clairvoyant travelogue of the unseen world, entertaining and fascinating stuff.
If your meditation is done for the day, relax with this. It beats the ugly news of the world.
3288703
Be prepared to read it to the end. You simply cant put it down!  And be surprised at the end. But don't peak!
2772132
Loving this book. I'm reading it straight through, though also skipping to more indepth discussions as appropriate. We are headed to Scotland in 2019, and I cannot imagine a better way to prepare for the trip. Rick's writing is highly readable, packed with information and often humorous. It's easy to tell that he has visited these sites personally, more than once, and has so many good tips and suggestions to share. I feel as if I'm on one of his tours already. I think what I love most about this book is that it is so down to earth. Rick is enthusiastic as all get out when he thinks it's appropriate, but he's never gushy. He just tells it like it is. He also allows for the fact that travelers are not all alike. Some are foodies, some can't live without air conditioning, some go for the adventure, others for the education. Throughout the book, he demonstrates great respect for these and other differences, and offers something for everyone. My only disappointment is that there are not color pictures, but I understand the challenge with the thinner paper the book is printed on. This thin paper makes page turning easy, though, and also keeps the weight of the book from being overbearing--and that's a good thing! I definitely recommend this book for a thorough, insightful look at Scotland--and reading it makes me wish I could pack up today and take off!
683463
Taking a trip in the back pocket of a skeptic trying to find out where and why people are happy is sheer bliss. Eric Weiner not only knows the art of description, he knows about meaningful travel and how to write a engrossing tale. The book is NEVER boring or repetitious. It moves and flows and shines. In case you can't tell, I loved it!
3188284
i just got my copy, and I am enjoying the trip.  What a fantastic group of writers.  Their imaginations and personalities jump off the page.  I hope they are busy creating more stories for me to read.  The back cover alone was enough to make me want to dive into the pages.  Keep the stories coming I want more.  Marie
3623701
IMHO, this is a practically perfect story.  yes, it's long and at times tedious, but what a fabulous concept and execution!  It stands as one of my all time Top Five Favorite books and perhaps best is listening to it as read by Tim Curry!  A true delight!  For details on why it's so fab, read the 03 San Diego review or 2000 NY review on this page. I agree!  But, give yourself a treat on your next trip and let Curry thrill you.  Magnificent!
3360875
Thank God there are people as crazy as Danny Bent. Nothing about this trip makes sense, but everything about it is riotous fun. Think a European "On the Road" written from a bicycle seat. I don't know whether I'm more grateful he made this trip -- or more grateful that I wasn't there beside him. Don't miss this book!
3573797
It's a fast-paced thrill ride that you get to take with rich, well-rounded characters whom Gill has you either loving or hating with her masterful, succinct, conversational style! Her use of imagery is so good, it's like there's a movie playing in your head! She even managed to address several important social issues with this story! I only stopped reading when I had to pee, and when it was over, and now I'm going through the five stages of grief because she hasn't finished the sequel yet!
You have got to read this book!
4039818
This is truly one good read !  A page turner! It's a love story  & a travel guide book  rolled into one,  Amazing! So FUNNY & exciting  ! Dang i wouldn't mind reading this again!
2251843
I can't put this book down! It captured my wandering attention very fast and I look forward to the next chapter. The author is honest, witty, true, and makes you feel like you are along for the ride. Great book! I highly recommend!
4028433
With all the intensity of what's going on in my life at the moment, I was so in hopes "Skizzer" would turn out to be a quality gripping novel that I could curl up with a hot cup of tea and get lost in. "Skizzer" had me in that setting on the first page! Something about "the wind was lashing at my windshield" caused me to settle in a little farther under the covers--and with every turn of the page I was loving this book even more!

Becca seems to fly by the seat of her pants and Claire is the down to earth, structured "sensible" one--(who I think secretly wishes she wasn't.) Becca is "high maintenance" and seems to be "darn proud of it." And Claire seems to pay dearly for it. (At least she thinks she does.) Because Becca seems to be a bit of a spoiled brat who Claire probably spent a lot of her younger years covering for. I'm so into the the storyline and yet, at the same time, I find I've somehow created my own little "guessing game" in an attempt to determine the character of these two "characters"! And now I find myself trying to figure out just what there is about this book that I feel so compelled to do it! And then, just when I thought I had them "sized up", Claire unexpectedly said something so completely "out of character" that I laughed right out loud!

I particularly LOVE how every night this book creates the "escape" I was looking for, alleviating the stress of the day. And as I put it down and turn off the light--I just seem to drift off to sleep. I'm not clear on whether I'm what you'd called "skilled" at recognizing a good novel. But since I've already found myself reasoning that if I limit myself to a couple of chapters each night, and then read it through again once or twice---it might it buy me enough time for A.J. Kiesling to have written another--I figure it pretty much qualifies me as such. For an author's first novel?--What an EXCELLENT, well-written, hard to put down captivating read!

Pamela Hoeppner, Author of "The Breast Stays Put -- No Chemo-No Radiation-No Lumpectomy-NO THANK YOU" (Put your scalpel back in your pocket and nobody gets hurt!)
328433
Connectography - completely consuming from an author who lives what he writes about! I promise, once you pick it up, you won't be able to put it down again. Enjoy!
301399
My only regret is that the book wasn't longer.  Every page is full of descriptive prose and fascinating narrative. You will feel like you're there with the author, either on the boat, hiking in the wilderness, or examining the joys and sorrows of friendships gained and lost.
What a well-written book!
1800698
Publisher's Weekly notes that this engrossing travel account is "facile and condescending" in parts, and that's an understatement.  I cringed when I read her hackneyed views of race relations, black dancing (so free! so unhindered by puritanical white uptightness! aren't "they" so very "primitif!" But in a good way! Ooh-la-lah!).

My buddy S and I were taking turns reading this book out loud to one another as we replicated part of de Beauvoir's journey through the Southwest.  After a while we couldn't stop ourselves from commenting on various sites in the voice of Simone...
"While the majestic red rocks near Santa Fe present a dazzling profile against a cerulean sky, I cannot help but note that the American Working Man leads a life of quiet deslolation, inured to the tragic injustices perpetrated against that little lizard we see lifting its barbaric yet courageous head to better view us, its oppressors!  Now we shall drink whiskey with some bums in the Bowery! Zout allors!"

There's much to like in this book, and much that's maddeningly trite.  I bought the book in the UK and since many Brits love to hate the US, it was kind of fun to read the slobberingly positive pull quotes on the front pages.  Still, I recommend this book to readers of good travel literature.

Warning: you will want to drink whiskey and smoke cigarettes while reading this book. I'm just sayin'.
2941452
Yeah yeah, who am I to say that. But honestly, I just couldn't put it down and read it in a few days, and now recommend it to anyone asking for advice on good books to read.
It is a book with so many layers, and many sentences are pure gems. Gregory David Roberts takes you on a exhilarating ride, and his writing style is so vivid you can almost smell, feel, hear and see the country as he describes it. That scene with the feral dogs!