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The Kindness of Strangers
Wall Street Journal bestseller...Featured on Oprah...The inspirational account of one man's continental leap of faith--and the country that caught him
What would you do if you had to journey penniless across America, depending only on the kindness of those you met along the way? If you're Mike McIntyre, you might meet...
A biker-turned-minister who shares faith, food, and self-defense tips with a stranger on the road...
A lady firefighter who used to be a man...
A lonely woman who offers a place to spend the night, and in the morning feels the loss of yet another man who leaves her...
Stuck in a job he no longer found fulfilling, journalist Mike McIntyre felt his life was quickly passing him by. So one day he hit the road to trek from one end of the country to the other with little more than the clothes on his back and without a single penny in his pocket.
Through his travels, he found varying degrees of kindness in strangers from all walks of life--and discovered more about people and values and life on the road in America than he'd ever thought possible.
The gifts of food and shelter he received along the way were outweighed only by the touching gifts of the heart--the willingness of many he met to welcome a lonely stranger into their homes...and the discovery that sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare.
"A truly heartening book, one that restores one's faith not just in the road, but in the openness and humanity of the people of this country."--Salon
"A superb writer...Something about McIntyre and his quest makes people want to feed him, pray for him, reveal their innermost torments to him."--Los Angeles Times
"Captivating."--San Jose Mercury News
"An incredible journey."--CBS News
What would you do if you had to journey penniless across America, depending only on the kindness of those you met along the way? If you're Mike McIntyre, you might meet...
A biker-turned-minister who shares faith, food, and self-defense tips with a stranger on the road...
A lady firefighter who used to be a man...
A lonely woman who offers a place to spend the night, and in the morning feels the loss of yet another man who leaves her...
Stuck in a job he no longer found fulfilling, journalist Mike McIntyre felt his life was quickly passing him by. So one day he hit the road to trek from one end of the country to the other with little more than the clothes on his back and without a single penny in his pocket.
Through his travels, he found varying degrees of kindness in strangers from all walks of life--and discovered more about people and values and life on the road in America than he'd ever thought possible.
The gifts of food and shelter he received along the way were outweighed only by the touching gifts of the heart--the willingness of many he met to welcome a lonely stranger into their homes...and the discovery that sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare.
"A truly heartening book, one that restores one's faith not just in the road, but in the openness and humanity of the people of this country."--Salon
"A superb writer...Something about McIntyre and his quest makes people want to feed him, pray for him, reveal their innermost torments to him."--Los Angeles Times
"Captivating."--San Jose Mercury News
"An incredible journey."--CBS News
246 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
285 people are currently reading
1735 people want to read
About the author
Mike McIntyre
6 books73 followersMike McIntyre was a late bloomer, latching onto journalism at age twenty-seven. He's been a travel columnist for the Los Angeles Times, a theater columnist for the Washington Post, and a feature writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune and the Budapest Sun. His first book, The Kindness of Strangers, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller and featured on Oprah. He's lived, worked and traveled in more than eighty countries. He spent much of his youth in Lake Tahoe, later earning degrees from the University of California, Davis, and the University of Michigan. These days he and his wife divide their time between San Diego and the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 353 reviews
January 14, 2015
A glaring example of America viewed through the lens of white male privilege. I wish I could have stuck with McIntyre through his journey but I was disappointed with the books premise, and the fact that this was a best seller. Upper middle class man who admits to never having struggled through social or economic challenges, decides to cross the country while courageously relying on those in far more precarious circumstances.
Instead of actually tackling, or even waltzing, with myriad of themes available, McIntyre relies on his own sense of peril to drive the narrative. He narrowly escapes a handful of gay men who propositioned him on the road, but only after accepting a ride or meal. Later, he's trapped for days with a woman who has a serious mental illness. Are they stuck in a well, waiting on Lassie to bring the kindly sheriff? No. Instead, readers watch as her support system crumbles and McIntyre's primary concern is extracting himself from the roll of surrogate boyfriend so he can get on with his adventure.
How disappointing that MacIntyre fails so utterly to portray his "strangers" as anything other than the ultimate white male fear: a trap that demands more of his time or attention than he's willing to give.
Instead of actually tackling, or even waltzing, with myriad of themes available, McIntyre relies on his own sense of peril to drive the narrative. He narrowly escapes a handful of gay men who propositioned him on the road, but only after accepting a ride or meal. Later, he's trapped for days with a woman who has a serious mental illness. Are they stuck in a well, waiting on Lassie to bring the kindly sheriff? No. Instead, readers watch as her support system crumbles and McIntyre's primary concern is extracting himself from the roll of surrogate boyfriend so he can get on with his adventure.
How disappointing that MacIntyre fails so utterly to portray his "strangers" as anything other than the ultimate white male fear: a trap that demands more of his time or attention than he's willing to give.
April 23, 2008
In which the author, a Bay Area journalist, decides to try to travel across the United States without a penny in his pocket, relying purely on Blanche DuBois’ staple. This is both a compelling travel narrative and an interesting look at human psychology. Almost all the people who help Mike are damaged in some way. Most, if not all, are poor, and yet still give more than they can afford to. So it’s in many ways a very moving book. At times it’s also nerve-wracking: there are a lot of scary, dangerous people wandering America’s highways, and Mike has some tense encounters with them, including on his very first ride, getting picked up by a guy who takes him somewhere secluded and propositions him. I hate that this is the kind of project I could never repeat—that even a solo road trip in my own car could be a bit dangerous for me. Yes, there are a lot of kind strangers out there—they may even be in the majority—but in many ways, the unspoken message of this book is how very, very lucky its author was.
Anyway, if you can track this book down—sadly, I think it’s out of print—I definitely recommend it. It’s a fascinating look at many of America’s less-seen faces.
Anyway, if you can track this book down—sadly, I think it’s out of print—I definitely recommend it. It’s a fascinating look at many of America’s less-seen faces.
July 23, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. I would love to see an actual map of his travels. I was almost finished with the book and on my way to the beach (Jersey Shore) which is located only 15 miles from my home, when my husband and I passed a young man who was sitting on the curb amongst some shrubbery. I told my husband "turn around" there is a young man who looks like he could use our help. I was encouraged to turn around because of all the people who turned around for Mike. The young man, whose name was also Mike, and his girlfriend were at a local party and his girlfriend of 3 years broke up with him. Mike was devastated and shared his story with my husband. I brought this young man a water bottle and a nectarine. My husband gave Mike, his business card, offered him a ride and prayed with him. Mike really appreciated and was very thankful that we stopped to help him. It felt good to do so. This book will stay with me for a long time. Just today in church our pastor said the same thing the author said in this book "why is it that the people with little are the people who give the most". I want to be the person "Where much is given, much is expected". We don't have a lot of money, but we have what money can't buy so we have been given much. compassion. Great book, looking forward to reading The Wander Year
February 20, 2012
Mike McIntyre writes well, with honesty and humor. I found this book to be very compelling and wish that I did not have to put it down. Some of the people he encounters are true gems, others are not. It was the hearing about the "others" that made me stop this book. Some of the lives encountered here are extremely tragic, sin-filled, and downright disgusting at times. There is a lot of sin in this world (I contribute to it as well) but I just feel that as a Christian I really don't need to know all the details of those who have completely given their lives over to perversion and selfishness. I myself have plenty of sin and evil in my heart and I don't need to learn new ways to express it.
July 28, 2013
i enjoyed this book a lot more than i thought i would. i was ready to scoff at it and think "no one would give you a ride/food/bed TODAY buddy!". but the same type of people who helped him in 1996 i think would help him today.
they were mostly the poorer people of america, the ones who'd struggled themselves. the ones who didn't have a lot extra to give, but gave what they could.
it brought up a lot of issues about race, class, and religion.
at one point the author wondered if he would have gotten as many rides if he'd been a "clean cut" black man instead of a "clean cut" white man. nope. not at all. i can say with 100% certainty he would not have. not only because he was going through some really racist areas (and he was picked up by some overtly racist people) but because a lot of people stereotype on skin color even if they don't consider themselves racist and there is this weird inherent fear of black men in so many white people.
the author also wondered if he would have been treated with the same amount of kindness if he had been traveling through richer areas or through big cities. i don't think so. a lot of the people who helped him knew what it was like to need to hitchhike or go a night without a place to sleep or go without a meal. most people of means have not experienced that. for some reason i think having gone through a shit experience makes you more compassionate to people going through the same thing. i dunno. i do know that well-to-do folks would not have invited him into their homes and most richie riches would not have treated him to a ride or meal.
and then there's religion. one guy said to the author (paraphrasing) "i don't know how you can be such a moral, good guy when you're not a christian." wow. there are lots of good, moral, kind people who aren't christian. there are also lots of really bad people who ARE. anyway. a lot of the people who helped the author were christians and a lot of them prayed/preached with/at him. he was going through the heartland and the bible belt, so i think that was to be expected. it was nice to see some christians actually behaving as christ said they should though, by helping the less fortuante.
they were mostly the poorer people of america, the ones who'd struggled themselves. the ones who didn't have a lot extra to give, but gave what they could.
it brought up a lot of issues about race, class, and religion.
at one point the author wondered if he would have gotten as many rides if he'd been a "clean cut" black man instead of a "clean cut" white man. nope. not at all. i can say with 100% certainty he would not have. not only because he was going through some really racist areas (and he was picked up by some overtly racist people) but because a lot of people stereotype on skin color even if they don't consider themselves racist and there is this weird inherent fear of black men in so many white people.
the author also wondered if he would have been treated with the same amount of kindness if he had been traveling through richer areas or through big cities. i don't think so. a lot of the people who helped him knew what it was like to need to hitchhike or go a night without a place to sleep or go without a meal. most people of means have not experienced that. for some reason i think having gone through a shit experience makes you more compassionate to people going through the same thing. i dunno. i do know that well-to-do folks would not have invited him into their homes and most richie riches would not have treated him to a ride or meal.
and then there's religion. one guy said to the author (paraphrasing) "i don't know how you can be such a moral, good guy when you're not a christian." wow. there are lots of good, moral, kind people who aren't christian. there are also lots of really bad people who ARE. anyway. a lot of the people who helped the author were christians and a lot of them prayed/preached with/at him. he was going through the heartland and the bible belt, so i think that was to be expected. it was nice to see some christians actually behaving as christ said they should though, by helping the less fortuante.
September 4, 2012
I did not finish reading this book, which is something I try not to do. Why? Because after being about a quarter in, I realised that I was not learning so much about this journey he was taking. Rather, I was reading a book which was telling me about the lives of people that he encounters on his trip. The book started with high hopes for me, and I really wanted to enjoy it. I was intrigued as to why he was making the choice to do this, how his family and girlfriend reacted, and then I was left reading chapter after chapter of different folk, camping grounds, families, their reactions, etc.
I tried to continue and find something that really grabbed me in the book, but even some of the people's quasi-wisdom just felt like people venting their opinions on the world... none of it was life/soul changing for me.
When I started to feel like this while reading, I knew that I had to stop:
The book itself is pretty well written, with the odd error here and there that I noticed.
If you read this hoping to find something to change your life, you may be disappointed. If you want to learn about how to appreciate life and take nothing for granted in a biography, read Michael J Fox's, Lucky Man.
I tried to continue and find something that really grabbed me in the book, but even some of the people's quasi-wisdom just felt like people venting their opinions on the world... none of it was life/soul changing for me.
When I started to feel like this while reading, I knew that I had to stop:
The book itself is pretty well written, with the odd error here and there that I noticed.
If you read this hoping to find something to change your life, you may be disappointed. If you want to learn about how to appreciate life and take nothing for granted in a biography, read Michael J Fox's, Lucky Man.
April 2, 2019
The Kindness of Strangers was a great choice for this month’s book club and was loved by everyone. This is a memoir where the author is on a quest to cross America from coast to coast without any money and only relying on the kindness of strangers. The idea came to him after being haunted by an earlier experience of when he passed a man in the desert that had run out of gas and the author drove right past him and did not stop to help fearing that the man was not really stranded. So the quest began to see how far the kindness of strangers would actually take him.
Some quotes from the book that stuck with me after reading...
“I walk on, wondering how the people who have the least to give are often the ones who give the most.” Pg. 42
“It suddenly occurs to me how odd it is to be staying in the house of a total stranger. But then a moment later I think maybe this is the way it supposed to be. Maybe what is really unnatural is the great lengths we take to avoid one another.” Pg. 52.
“At the start of this journey I wondered if America was too suspicious to let a stranger into its heart. But on this day I wonder if it’s the stranger who is too suspicious to allow America into HIS heart.” Pg. 211
Some quotes from the book that stuck with me after reading...
“I walk on, wondering how the people who have the least to give are often the ones who give the most.” Pg. 42
“It suddenly occurs to me how odd it is to be staying in the house of a total stranger. But then a moment later I think maybe this is the way it supposed to be. Maybe what is really unnatural is the great lengths we take to avoid one another.” Pg. 52.
“At the start of this journey I wondered if America was too suspicious to let a stranger into its heart. But on this day I wonder if it’s the stranger who is too suspicious to allow America into HIS heart.” Pg. 211
February 21, 2011
What an intriguing book and an intriguing idea. Not to mention a little nuts and a lot brave. I'm not an Oprah fan, but apparently the author went on her show about this book and his journey several years ago. I must admit that I almost didn't read it because I figured it would be too much of that "finding yourself" stuff that just drives me insane.
Instead... well, it's kind of sad. I can tell you with almost 300% certainty that I would not pick up a hitchhiker. Ever. Maybe it was just the type of people Mike was picked up by or the parts of the country he went through, but some of these people had the saddest stories. I know, it's real life to these folks, but man, it was kind of a downer. However, the good parts, the people that were genuinely good and somewhat normal made me smile.
I'm giving this four stars because it was well written and very interesting. I read it quickly and I enjoyed Mike's ability to let us into his life as well as his journey. I like that he let us know how things ended up after his trip was over. I felt that I got that sense of closure I so badly want with any memoir.
I will also admit that I didn't agree with some of the thing he said. He mentioned that he felt like those that had the least to give, gave the most. And while I understand, I think it may have been a bit out of context. He seemed to travel through some depressed areas and I wonder if that didn't contribute to his extrapolation of that. I'm not saying that the poor folks can't be generous, but I'm not sure it was fair to say that had he been hitchhiking through a more affluent area, if he wouldn't have been treated just as well. Maybe not. I don't know.
The pacing was well done on this novel, I didn't feel like he rushed anything or drew it out too far. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I would recommend this book for those that enjoy memoirs or travel stories. Or anyone, really, that is just looking for something a little different.
I'm still not picking up any hitchhikers myself. Ever.
Instead... well, it's kind of sad. I can tell you with almost 300% certainty that I would not pick up a hitchhiker. Ever. Maybe it was just the type of people Mike was picked up by or the parts of the country he went through, but some of these people had the saddest stories. I know, it's real life to these folks, but man, it was kind of a downer. However, the good parts, the people that were genuinely good and somewhat normal made me smile.
I'm giving this four stars because it was well written and very interesting. I read it quickly and I enjoyed Mike's ability to let us into his life as well as his journey. I like that he let us know how things ended up after his trip was over. I felt that I got that sense of closure I so badly want with any memoir.
I will also admit that I didn't agree with some of the thing he said. He mentioned that he felt like those that had the least to give, gave the most. And while I understand, I think it may have been a bit out of context. He seemed to travel through some depressed areas and I wonder if that didn't contribute to his extrapolation of that. I'm not saying that the poor folks can't be generous, but I'm not sure it was fair to say that had he been hitchhiking through a more affluent area, if he wouldn't have been treated just as well. Maybe not. I don't know.
The pacing was well done on this novel, I didn't feel like he rushed anything or drew it out too far. I look forward to reading more from this author.
I would recommend this book for those that enjoy memoirs or travel stories. Or anyone, really, that is just looking for something a little different.
I'm still not picking up any hitchhikers myself. Ever.
August 4, 2014
A clean-looking man in the nineteen-nineties hitchhikes safely across America without a penny. People are nice to him. They feed him and give him places to sleep. Even the police are helpful to him.
Wow. As a not-so-clean-looking hippie in the nineteen-sixties I used to hitchhike across America without a penny, but the police were less than helpful. As for the people I encountered, although I always reached my destinations, I had some extreme adventures along the way. It's kind of a miracle I survived those travels.
What I'm getting at is that Mike McIntyre saw the kindness of strangers to a straight white dude. It's an interesting book, though he withholds personal information that would have given his travels a better story arc -- he's having difficulty with his girlfriend, who he leaves behind, and we learn very little about his own personality. Did he grow from the travel experience? Did he change? The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying.
I love the America he encountered -- bedrock human kindness. I'm glad it's still out there. But I wish I'd learned more about the man who made the journey.
Wow. As a not-so-clean-looking hippie in the nineteen-sixties I used to hitchhike across America without a penny, but the police were less than helpful. As for the people I encountered, although I always reached my destinations, I had some extreme adventures along the way. It's kind of a miracle I survived those travels.
What I'm getting at is that Mike McIntyre saw the kindness of strangers to a straight white dude. It's an interesting book, though he withholds personal information that would have given his travels a better story arc -- he's having difficulty with his girlfriend, who he leaves behind, and we learn very little about his own personality. Did he grow from the travel experience? Did he change? The ending is abrupt and unsatisfying.
I love the America he encountered -- bedrock human kindness. I'm glad it's still out there. But I wish I'd learned more about the man who made the journey.
February 12, 2014
I enjoyed this tremendously, as McIntyre hitchhiked across America with not a penny in his pocket. The less people had, the more they gave him, it seemed. And most people who picked him up said they never picked up hitchhikers. As someone who would not have picked him up no matter how "clean cut" he looked, I'm amazed at these people, especially the lone women, some of whom even let him sleep in their houses. I wonder if the fact that this took place nearly 20 years ago makes a difference. I'm not sure we're as kind (or trusting) these days.
October 28, 2015
The Kindness of Strangers was a fascinating true story of one man's intentionally penniless journey across the US, San Francisco to Cape Fear, NC. The journey took place in 1994, across small tributary roads and through small towns. The story of the six week journey and the people Mike McIntyre met and who helped him along the way is both eye opening and heartening.
As an added bonus, because I chose to listen to it, at the book's conclusion the narrator interviews Mike McIntyre 20 years after the walk and you get to hear a little of the after story as well.
It was worth it.
As an added bonus, because I chose to listen to it, at the book's conclusion the narrator interviews Mike McIntyre 20 years after the walk and you get to hear a little of the after story as well.
It was worth it.
November 5, 2007
This book totally blew me away. The author decides to quit his job as a journalist and spend a year hitchhiking from one end of the country to another, carrying no money and subsisting only off what he is given by strangers. He learns a lot about others and about himself through his reactions to others. I picked this up on a whim from a used bookstore for a dollar, and enjoyed it more than any other book I read in 2006. Extremely highly recommended.
February 5, 2015
If you commit to hitchhiking from San Francisco to Cape Fear without any money, there's no way it can't be an entertaining read.
I like Mike. He's a decent guy who just got fed up with his place in life and set out to find himself. In doing so, he met people in a string of small towns throughout the United States and captured their story, as much as his, in this book. And coming from a journalistic background (I can relate), Mike showed off some great writing.
I like Mike. He's a decent guy who just got fed up with his place in life and set out to find himself. In doing so, he met people in a string of small towns throughout the United States and captured their story, as much as his, in this book. And coming from a journalistic background (I can relate), Mike showed off some great writing.
April 14, 2013
I thought this was a really good book..it was a quick read for me mainly because I was so interested in the many different types of people he met in his journey. I am impressed in that he was able to be aside his fears so that he could make this soul journey and not only found himself but found out that there are so many people who are just kind and are willing to give of themselves.
July 9, 2012
This was an ok read. Nothing spectular. Just some guy's first person account of a social experiment he did to supposedly test his ability to overcome his many "fears", which was to see if he could solely depend on the kindness of strangers and travel (hitchhike) to a certain location. He then met a gaggle of people who all seem to be kind, but also very odd - and with a myriad of personal issues. If you ask me, it was a moochers guide to hitchhiking and it actually irritated me. Some of his comments were judgments of people, hurtful comments, and I wanted to smack him. Perhaps this was intentionally done to create a rise in the reader, I don't know. He did this to himself (left his house, job, etc. without a penny), yet expected sympathy. Almost like he wanted you to feel bad for him, as you would a wounded, homeless veteran on the streets. I hope he truly found the enlightenment he was looking for, though I think this was actually a way for him to get $$ and acknowledgement (Oprah). Other than that, it was well written. He's articulate and visually it's easy to see the story as it moves along. I do recommend it, if you like autobiographies.
November 7, 2012
This is not a book for young readers as the author is quite blunt in his encounters and descriptions of those he meets. However, from my own Christian perspective, I found it very intriguing how he (an agnostic at best) described his encounters with Christians. What particularly struck me was regardless of the person, whether living consistently with their Christian faith or not, the author responded the same to attempts to proselytize. He was able to dismiss their spiritual instruction as either motivated by their good works or a mockery of their bad works. It resonated that in all encounters, the depth of theological understanding among American Christians was pathetic, and this shallow "get Jesus" Christianity is utterly devoid of any power to save anyone because it doesn't get at the heart of the Biblical Gospel. I do understand that the encounters are written through the eyes of an unbelieving author which could have tainted what he actually heard, but I do believe that he was honest in sharing his encounters. Now more than ever, we need disciples in America, who know what they believe and why they believe it. Only then will we have something worth sharing.
June 3, 2014
A very interesting read and one that I really enjoyed. I have always had a bit of wanderlust and Mike's journey was fun to follow. It seems somewhat incredible to me that the majority of those that helped him along the way were the ones with the least to share. Yet share they did. I was hoping that maybe Mike would get more into the discussion about why people stopped to pick him up and help him yet most of the time they claimed that they wouldn't normally do that. He scratches the surface of the debate about his appearance and his question of whether his skin color had something to do with it. That could probably be the subject of an entire sociology textbook.
There is so much of this country that we don't normally see since we choose to fly to our destinations, or if we are driving, we look for the fastest highways to get us there. The back roads of America are probably still the most unseen places on the planet. I applaud Mike's determination to avoid the highways and stick to the smaller roads. That is where the character of our country lives and thrives.
There is so much of this country that we don't normally see since we choose to fly to our destinations, or if we are driving, we look for the fastest highways to get us there. The back roads of America are probably still the most unseen places on the planet. I applaud Mike's determination to avoid the highways and stick to the smaller roads. That is where the character of our country lives and thrives.
March 15, 2019
Quite disappointing really. There was a such an opportunity for real wisdom to be distilled, for greater understanding for the author to reveal something grand about how it changed his life. This book offered none of that. Yes he travels, yes he overcomes fears, but all in all there isn't anything overly profound with one exception: those with the least means are very often the most generous.
Specifically some of the things I didn't like:
-I found it confusing that the author had a midlife crisis about never having lived when he goes on at length about all the places he's visited and all the stuff he's done long before he took the trip.
-Also, every person he met along the way was a current or former drug user. I'm not sure that reflects the reality of America, or maybe just the people generous and not too scared to pick up a hitchhiker.
-Never did learn much. He spoke to lots of great people, but I can't remember any real lessons that he learned that would change his life.
Specifically some of the things I didn't like:
-I found it confusing that the author had a midlife crisis about never having lived when he goes on at length about all the places he's visited and all the stuff he's done long before he took the trip.
-Also, every person he met along the way was a current or former drug user. I'm not sure that reflects the reality of America, or maybe just the people generous and not too scared to pick up a hitchhiker.
-Never did learn much. He spoke to lots of great people, but I can't remember any real lessons that he learned that would change his life.
March 7, 2014
I liked the book but I thought the dynamic with his girlfriend made him come off looking like an ass. He kept sending her postcards along the way so she would know he was OK, but there was no way for him to know whether she was ok that whole time. Then he decides life is short so he better write to both his grandmothers from the road. Hell, they could've already been dead by the time those letters arrived at their destinations. I wasn't surprised when he came home and his girlfriend broke up with him. He didn't seem to be too surprised either, or too disappointed. But otherwise it was a pretty cool travelogue.
August 20, 2014
Pretty brave to take off with no money or credit cards. Interesting that most of the people that helped him were either those who struggle themselves financially or from a church. I don't think I would pick up a hitchhiker today no matter how clean cut he looked. Too bad I would be afraid to lend a helping hand.....today's society. :(
January 30, 2015
I loved this book about a man who journeys across America with no money. I've always believed that people are generally good (sometimes different, but generally good.) This book validated that.
There are a lot of great stories in here about every day people living extraordinary lives. Every person can teach you something...if you just take the time to listen.
There are a lot of great stories in here about every day people living extraordinary lives. Every person can teach you something...if you just take the time to listen.
July 8, 2015
I loved this book. It's a great story of a man's journey across the US without a penny and only relying on the kindness of strangers. He makes some insightful observations that left me pondering them after I finished the book.
December 5, 2015
Interesting but not all that compelling.
August 13, 2012
Very enjoyable!
March 26, 2015
Interesting and inspiring. I don't think this journey was what the author expected, and that sense is successfully conveyed to the reader.
September 20, 2017
I keep this book by my bed and love to randomly open to read a paragraph or a page.
August 18, 2018
Friend of mine wrote this!
February 19, 2016
(Spoilers)
Let me start off with the backstory. Or LACK of backstory, I should say. You see, in the very beginning little is known about why Mike McIntyre wants to do this journey. Yes he eventually tells us why...(he’s a travel journalist but doesn’t feel accomplished, has a beautiful girlfriend—appears to have grown bored with the relationship) but it feels like little more than half a sentence of reasoning and then bam. Mike up and decides to make his way across America without using money. There you go. THE END. That’s the premise of the story.
Mike just wanted to see if he could make it across America without using money, as a test while “rediscovering himself” and wanting to find out just how "Kind" America was.
But really? That was it?
What were you trying to find Mike? Give me (us, the readers) a reason to care! I still don’t effectively realize through such little information as to why he'd want to force hardship upon himself like this…nor what he was ultimately hoping to achieve because we're left with vague and spacey answers. Maybe he was running away from something. OHHHH! Yes! That’s right. See, we get a little more insight 10 to 11 chapters into the book in the form of one sentence which he explains to a meth dealer and hustler that pimps out his hooker girlfriend—that he (Mike) basically told his boss he didn’t want to take his crap anymore (though in the beginning of the book, his brazen attitude with his boss was far less thrilling than that exaggerated statement made to the drug dealer).
Furthermore Mike's girlfriend gets no attention or real mention other than how they met over the span of a paragraph. Honestly, by the end of the book it appears as if she had no care that he was about to embark on not only a dangerous journey but an epic one as well. We would never KNOW she even cared, because Mike doesn’t give us any sort of insight into the relationship—keeping it closely guarded maybe for privacy purposes, but still. How am I supposed to see myself as the author/traveler and follow in his journey and feel a part of what and how he feels without gaining ANY insight into what his partner thinks about his leaving? Mike references how he doesn’t ever want to call his girlfriend because it could make him weak. I found that odd, only because I have always used the encouragement of others to push me along when I felt no determination of my own…so I felt it strange to hear that, but hey, everybody is different.
Still, you get this sense of his wanting to be free from the relationship without exactly saying it.
This is mostly due to his consistent physical descriptions of the women he encounters, their ample, or lacking body parts and “assets” and how attractive he finds them. Each and every story we hear is mostly from guys explaining how they “cheated on their wives” or were “womanizers that decided to change” and suddenly you start to get this overall image that Mike is either 1. Seriously hard up for sex. Or 2. Mike is looking for permission and/or a reason to move on and sleep around while on his journey without feeling guilt for doing so.
I felt like keeping his love life out of the loop, was odd as I now have no character description of him to really go on, aside from his humble attitude and "blank slate expression" when he's not being afraid. I find it hard to relate with the guy.
I do however like how Mike immediately jumps into the action from the start of the book. I just felt the story could use flashbacks or dream sequences, or SOMETHING to explain in further depth his desires and what he was hoping to get from this in the end. Some sort of real attainable goal, other than the sudden drop off at the end that leaves you thinking "Well, he made it. Okay, guess the books over now".
There have been many negative reviews from people on here, unable to believe how kind people treated Mike while he was out on his adventure. Having lived homeless and a nomad/drifter myself, I found people are far nicer than we're led to believe. I’ve been in so many of the scenarios Mike's explained with complete strangers offering everything to you....not necessarily because you asked but because they KNEW you needed it.
I loved the way Mike reiterated this because it really is true. The world is not as evil and dark, and bad as movies and media make it out to be. People don’t generally see someone hitching on the side of the road and think “Man, I sure do wish I could RUN THAT GUY OVER!” In fact, they are more scared of YOU, than the hitch hiker is of THEM.
I suppose I could say, I feel Mike went out to rediscover himself in a sense and what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Yet even still this was an awkward presumption considering his job, which included traveling the world as a journalist.
All we're left with is assumptions. I know you can leave aspects open to keep the reader guessing so that they can feel involved by IMAGINING their own reasons – but you do that to the point that it’s simply FRUSTRATING.
Mike McIntyre wanted to test America. Or at least his "idea" of what he thought America was, however naive and ignorant that might’ve been. Because you can’t base a nations response of kindness on 40 - 50 people you came in contact with on your journey out of hundreds of millions to be fair. But we also don’t generally all live with the need to randomly walk up and start killing each other either, so your book title wholeheartedly rings true. The term for what Mike was experiencing was "wanderlust".
When I was purposefully homeless for 8 and a half months myself, it was because I’d never been in an airplane or on a train. I had lived in one town for 32 years and never been to more than the 5 surrounding states. I was a sheltered hermit with a thirst for adventure that did nothing but get up, go to work, come home every day until I finally snapped, quit my job, sold everything I owned and left it all behind.
Yet I keep coming back to how odd it was for McIntyre to have had this amazing life of traveling across the world as a journalist, interacting with people and cultures all over, and finding it such a tedious career in that he needed to elope on a spiritual journey as a result. It ultimately gives me the feeling that he really just wanted to write a book about one singular epic experience....such as this test for example, to make it across the US with no help. If only for a newspaper article or a cover story.
And despite a few grammatical errors, I enjoyed this and even laughed a few times at his descriptions and scenarios.
Now I won’t chastise the guy for not being religious because honestly I could use a helpful dose of religion myself. I do find it a little strange that for a guy who has so little to believe in, he utilizes the kindness of Christians and church goers throughout his journey to feed him and offer him places to sleep. As if he expects their kindness solely because of their faith and I have to admit; I find that just a little bit forward of him. In fact I’d have an easier time relating to him if he had acknowledged this at least. To say "Well I may not be a Christian but I know they’re a giving kind of bunch, so I might as well use them to help me along!". I’d have been okay with him just stating the obvious to the readers on what he expected and WHY he congregated towards religious groups when seeking food or shelter.
There were times when reading that I felt as if he was trying to convince us (the reader) not to be angry with what he was doing by accepting peoples gratitude. There’s no way around it. If you’re hungry and someone offers you food...take it. But Mike, don’t try to feed us some campy line where each and every single person goes into a long winded sudden preachfest, or says something to the effect of "Listen, I understand your journey. You shouldn’t be ashamed of taking peoples offer for food or a place to stay. We are doing this for a reason!" (Of which he always chooses the easiest answer for the person which is that of faith) at times it feels like a cop out.
You wanted to get across America without spending a dime and by only being offered food and bedding for free instead of paying for it. Accept that! And don’t be apologetic for it! If these people offered you help then they did it of their own volition. You didn’t hold them at gun point, right? So quit trying to make the reader feel empathetic and stop trying to divert flak you feel may be coming your way by giving us these obviously exaggerated campy lines from people urging you and what you’re doing along. You don't have to try to make us sympathize with you, because you have the money you need to complete the journey and instead of using it, you're choosing to not use it.
When I was homeless I asked for food because I was hungry. I could have gone home any time I wanted to family that cared, but I didn’t. I had too much pride. I didn’t accept money unless it was absolutely forced down my throat.
This doesn’t make you a bad person. You gave these no false pretenses. Quit feeling bad about it.
The most intriguing parts to me were the homeless shelter where Mike gets raw and gritty with detail and repeats the lines of a manic homeless man that is slowly bellowing in and out upon Mikes growing claustrophobia in that chaotic environment. He painted the perfect picture.
Yet sadly other parts read much like a journalists writes, with hard, straight to the fact style that doesn’t feel much like a story more than notes scribbled out like : "Alice looked rough from the night before. Mascara lines running down her worn face. Brought awake by the thudding next door, she shuffles across the room. Barbara watches, cold and unresponsive."
These quick little snips of sentences while telling a story just feel so rough and forcefully conformed. It causes you to want to take a break instead of plowing through, sometimes feeling exhausted with the stop and go text. But the break is fine because I always found myself wanting to come back to the book to see what was going to happen next.
Mike breaks character drinking beer and traveling with drug dealers and then you’re finally like "Thank you God! Maybe now we start finding adventure and things really start to take off now!"
But it never really gets more interesting than these few moments. This was a VERY good book, with some obvious flaws. You should definitely purchase this book. I’d rate it a 3 ½ if I could, but I can’t and a 4 is just too much to give for obvious mistakes and lack of backstory and the ability to make you feel involved.
+_+Side Note To Reviewers+_+
I also want to point out real quick. Some reviewers paint a negative picture of Mike because he's white. "Awww privileged white guy gets bored with having an easy life, a great job and nice car and decides to hike. Boo-hoo".
As if the author ever had any choice in what race and what gender he was brought into this world as.
As if depression or mental illness (Robin Williams?) Doesn’t affect the rich white people out there as well (still guessing here Mike, this is why more backstory is needed).
Depression isn’t a social or economic class, it’s a mental disability.
Some reviewers speak about Mike’s judgments of others, yet judging people is how we were born. It’s how as hunter gatherers – we survived. It’s the very reason we have facial expressions and read people’s faces. Its idiotic to believe nobody judges other people because it’s an evolutionary, biological trait and the foremost way we understand each other, and each others emotions. It’s also how we keep ourselves from harm. There are several examples where McIntyre judges people and finds out he’s wrong. Like the lady in the sweat pants and dirty shirt that picked him up and took him back to her trailer and broken home. He expected her house (based upon her personal appearance) to be a dump but was surprised by how wrong he was. He then goes on to admit how wrong he in fact was.
Pros:
1. Okay Story
2. Few grammatical errors, nicely edited and easy to read.
3. Characters stories would good and interesting, though he suffered mostly by ignoring himself and his partner.
4. Straight into the action from the very start. Wastes no time getting you hooked.
Cons:
1. Very stop and go. This wasn't enough to keep me away, but enough to keep me from reading all the way through in one sitting.
2. Abrupt Ending
3. We knew the girl was going to leave you from the start. You made it blatantly obvious throughout the book by showing disinterest in her through your words. I would've liked to have been lead along more, to "feel" your hurt, more than just witnessing it, shrugging and thinking "Oh well, sucks for him."
Let me start off with the backstory. Or LACK of backstory, I should say. You see, in the very beginning little is known about why Mike McIntyre wants to do this journey. Yes he eventually tells us why...(he’s a travel journalist but doesn’t feel accomplished, has a beautiful girlfriend—appears to have grown bored with the relationship) but it feels like little more than half a sentence of reasoning and then bam. Mike up and decides to make his way across America without using money. There you go. THE END. That’s the premise of the story.
Mike just wanted to see if he could make it across America without using money, as a test while “rediscovering himself” and wanting to find out just how "Kind" America was.
But really? That was it?
What were you trying to find Mike? Give me (us, the readers) a reason to care! I still don’t effectively realize through such little information as to why he'd want to force hardship upon himself like this…nor what he was ultimately hoping to achieve because we're left with vague and spacey answers. Maybe he was running away from something. OHHHH! Yes! That’s right. See, we get a little more insight 10 to 11 chapters into the book in the form of one sentence which he explains to a meth dealer and hustler that pimps out his hooker girlfriend—that he (Mike) basically told his boss he didn’t want to take his crap anymore (though in the beginning of the book, his brazen attitude with his boss was far less thrilling than that exaggerated statement made to the drug dealer).
Furthermore Mike's girlfriend gets no attention or real mention other than how they met over the span of a paragraph. Honestly, by the end of the book it appears as if she had no care that he was about to embark on not only a dangerous journey but an epic one as well. We would never KNOW she even cared, because Mike doesn’t give us any sort of insight into the relationship—keeping it closely guarded maybe for privacy purposes, but still. How am I supposed to see myself as the author/traveler and follow in his journey and feel a part of what and how he feels without gaining ANY insight into what his partner thinks about his leaving? Mike references how he doesn’t ever want to call his girlfriend because it could make him weak. I found that odd, only because I have always used the encouragement of others to push me along when I felt no determination of my own…so I felt it strange to hear that, but hey, everybody is different.
Still, you get this sense of his wanting to be free from the relationship without exactly saying it.
This is mostly due to his consistent physical descriptions of the women he encounters, their ample, or lacking body parts and “assets” and how attractive he finds them. Each and every story we hear is mostly from guys explaining how they “cheated on their wives” or were “womanizers that decided to change” and suddenly you start to get this overall image that Mike is either 1. Seriously hard up for sex. Or 2. Mike is looking for permission and/or a reason to move on and sleep around while on his journey without feeling guilt for doing so.
I felt like keeping his love life out of the loop, was odd as I now have no character description of him to really go on, aside from his humble attitude and "blank slate expression" when he's not being afraid. I find it hard to relate with the guy.
I do however like how Mike immediately jumps into the action from the start of the book. I just felt the story could use flashbacks or dream sequences, or SOMETHING to explain in further depth his desires and what he was hoping to get from this in the end. Some sort of real attainable goal, other than the sudden drop off at the end that leaves you thinking "Well, he made it. Okay, guess the books over now".
There have been many negative reviews from people on here, unable to believe how kind people treated Mike while he was out on his adventure. Having lived homeless and a nomad/drifter myself, I found people are far nicer than we're led to believe. I’ve been in so many of the scenarios Mike's explained with complete strangers offering everything to you....not necessarily because you asked but because they KNEW you needed it.
I loved the way Mike reiterated this because it really is true. The world is not as evil and dark, and bad as movies and media make it out to be. People don’t generally see someone hitching on the side of the road and think “Man, I sure do wish I could RUN THAT GUY OVER!” In fact, they are more scared of YOU, than the hitch hiker is of THEM.
I suppose I could say, I feel Mike went out to rediscover himself in a sense and what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Yet even still this was an awkward presumption considering his job, which included traveling the world as a journalist.
All we're left with is assumptions. I know you can leave aspects open to keep the reader guessing so that they can feel involved by IMAGINING their own reasons – but you do that to the point that it’s simply FRUSTRATING.
Mike McIntyre wanted to test America. Or at least his "idea" of what he thought America was, however naive and ignorant that might’ve been. Because you can’t base a nations response of kindness on 40 - 50 people you came in contact with on your journey out of hundreds of millions to be fair. But we also don’t generally all live with the need to randomly walk up and start killing each other either, so your book title wholeheartedly rings true. The term for what Mike was experiencing was "wanderlust".
When I was purposefully homeless for 8 and a half months myself, it was because I’d never been in an airplane or on a train. I had lived in one town for 32 years and never been to more than the 5 surrounding states. I was a sheltered hermit with a thirst for adventure that did nothing but get up, go to work, come home every day until I finally snapped, quit my job, sold everything I owned and left it all behind.
Yet I keep coming back to how odd it was for McIntyre to have had this amazing life of traveling across the world as a journalist, interacting with people and cultures all over, and finding it such a tedious career in that he needed to elope on a spiritual journey as a result. It ultimately gives me the feeling that he really just wanted to write a book about one singular epic experience....such as this test for example, to make it across the US with no help. If only for a newspaper article or a cover story.
And despite a few grammatical errors, I enjoyed this and even laughed a few times at his descriptions and scenarios.
Now I won’t chastise the guy for not being religious because honestly I could use a helpful dose of religion myself. I do find it a little strange that for a guy who has so little to believe in, he utilizes the kindness of Christians and church goers throughout his journey to feed him and offer him places to sleep. As if he expects their kindness solely because of their faith and I have to admit; I find that just a little bit forward of him. In fact I’d have an easier time relating to him if he had acknowledged this at least. To say "Well I may not be a Christian but I know they’re a giving kind of bunch, so I might as well use them to help me along!". I’d have been okay with him just stating the obvious to the readers on what he expected and WHY he congregated towards religious groups when seeking food or shelter.
There were times when reading that I felt as if he was trying to convince us (the reader) not to be angry with what he was doing by accepting peoples gratitude. There’s no way around it. If you’re hungry and someone offers you food...take it. But Mike, don’t try to feed us some campy line where each and every single person goes into a long winded sudden preachfest, or says something to the effect of "Listen, I understand your journey. You shouldn’t be ashamed of taking peoples offer for food or a place to stay. We are doing this for a reason!" (Of which he always chooses the easiest answer for the person which is that of faith) at times it feels like a cop out.
You wanted to get across America without spending a dime and by only being offered food and bedding for free instead of paying for it. Accept that! And don’t be apologetic for it! If these people offered you help then they did it of their own volition. You didn’t hold them at gun point, right? So quit trying to make the reader feel empathetic and stop trying to divert flak you feel may be coming your way by giving us these obviously exaggerated campy lines from people urging you and what you’re doing along. You don't have to try to make us sympathize with you, because you have the money you need to complete the journey and instead of using it, you're choosing to not use it.
When I was homeless I asked for food because I was hungry. I could have gone home any time I wanted to family that cared, but I didn’t. I had too much pride. I didn’t accept money unless it was absolutely forced down my throat.
This doesn’t make you a bad person. You gave these no false pretenses. Quit feeling bad about it.
The most intriguing parts to me were the homeless shelter where Mike gets raw and gritty with detail and repeats the lines of a manic homeless man that is slowly bellowing in and out upon Mikes growing claustrophobia in that chaotic environment. He painted the perfect picture.
Yet sadly other parts read much like a journalists writes, with hard, straight to the fact style that doesn’t feel much like a story more than notes scribbled out like : "Alice looked rough from the night before. Mascara lines running down her worn face. Brought awake by the thudding next door, she shuffles across the room. Barbara watches, cold and unresponsive."
These quick little snips of sentences while telling a story just feel so rough and forcefully conformed. It causes you to want to take a break instead of plowing through, sometimes feeling exhausted with the stop and go text. But the break is fine because I always found myself wanting to come back to the book to see what was going to happen next.
Mike breaks character drinking beer and traveling with drug dealers and then you’re finally like "Thank you God! Maybe now we start finding adventure and things really start to take off now!"
But it never really gets more interesting than these few moments. This was a VERY good book, with some obvious flaws. You should definitely purchase this book. I’d rate it a 3 ½ if I could, but I can’t and a 4 is just too much to give for obvious mistakes and lack of backstory and the ability to make you feel involved.
+_+Side Note To Reviewers+_+
I also want to point out real quick. Some reviewers paint a negative picture of Mike because he's white. "Awww privileged white guy gets bored with having an easy life, a great job and nice car and decides to hike. Boo-hoo".
As if the author ever had any choice in what race and what gender he was brought into this world as.
As if depression or mental illness (Robin Williams?) Doesn’t affect the rich white people out there as well (still guessing here Mike, this is why more backstory is needed).
Depression isn’t a social or economic class, it’s a mental disability.
Some reviewers speak about Mike’s judgments of others, yet judging people is how we were born. It’s how as hunter gatherers – we survived. It’s the very reason we have facial expressions and read people’s faces. Its idiotic to believe nobody judges other people because it’s an evolutionary, biological trait and the foremost way we understand each other, and each others emotions. It’s also how we keep ourselves from harm. There are several examples where McIntyre judges people and finds out he’s wrong. Like the lady in the sweat pants and dirty shirt that picked him up and took him back to her trailer and broken home. He expected her house (based upon her personal appearance) to be a dump but was surprised by how wrong he was. He then goes on to admit how wrong he in fact was.
Pros:
1. Okay Story
2. Few grammatical errors, nicely edited and easy to read.
3. Characters stories would good and interesting, though he suffered mostly by ignoring himself and his partner.
4. Straight into the action from the very start. Wastes no time getting you hooked.
Cons:
1. Very stop and go. This wasn't enough to keep me away, but enough to keep me from reading all the way through in one sitting.
2. Abrupt Ending
3. We knew the girl was going to leave you from the start. You made it blatantly obvious throughout the book by showing disinterest in her through your words. I would've liked to have been lead along more, to "feel" your hurt, more than just witnessing it, shrugging and thinking "Oh well, sucks for him."
March 9, 2012
Loved this book!!!! So entertaining...occasionally disturbing...often reassuring about the goodness around us. Great read!
***UPDATE****
The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America
by Mike McIntyre
I read this book when it originally came out in print in the ‘90s. It’s one of the only titles I always remember as being one of my favorites. Now, I stumbled upon it for free in the Kindle store and had to read it again. I was just as hooked the second time around. The reader is able to take Mike’s leap of faith alongside him and learn about what is really important in life. This book is entertaining, endearing, thought-provoking and uplifting. The best part of it is Mike’s open-mindedness towards what he encounters and his sharp insights and commentary. I hope to one day join Mike on his journey again, just in case I ever start to lose perspective on what’s really important in life.
“There was a time in this country when you were a jerk if you passed somebody in need. Now you’re a fool for helping.”
“I walked out the door a pilgrim. But today I feel like a refugee from the world of common sense.”
“As I wander down the road, I see a new shape to the shadow I cast – the tent strapped to my pack. I walk on, wondering how the people who have the least to give are often the ones who give the most.”
“Jerry exudes the ease and confidence of a self-made man, but also displays immense gratitude. He’s a man who made a U-turn in life and is now aimed down the right road, mindful of the perils of detours.”
“Mike, on this trip, keep in mind that when people give you something, there’s a reason for it. They have their own motivations for helping you.”
Jerry parks in front of the motel office. He pays for the room with a credit card and gives me the key. I consider asking him what his motivation is for helping me. But it’s soon clear.
He pulls a business card from his wallet. On the back, he writes down his toll-free number. The one he got for his sons. The one that never rings.
Jerry’s eyes are moist when he hands me the card.
“If you need something out there and you can’t get ahold of your dad, call me.”
“If you could do something different now, what would it be?” I ask Lester.
“Not a thing. Yew are lookin’ at the most contented man in the world.”
“What’s your secret?”
“I guess I make the most of what comes and the least of what goes.”
“I envy and admire so many of the people I’ve met on this trip. I’m grateful for their rides, their food, their shelter. But the kindest act of all is when they’re merely themselves. They help me in ways they aren’t even aware of. It’s always a comfort to meet an honest man, and I’m always sad to say goodbye.”
“Joan gazes out the windshield. I realize how fragile her sobriety is: Three years is the same as three days. The dragon is never slayed. Every time Joan sees the Omaha skyline, it’s like her own journey to Cape Fear. But while I’ll stop at the Atlantic Ocean, there is no end to the road she travels. She is forever tempted, forever tested.”
“We do what we have to, and if we’re able, we do a little more.”
“I’ve never understood what people mean when they say they have to find themselves. We know who we are. The hard part is being that person. It’s always so much easier to be someone else.”
“Ever since I left California, folks have been warning me about someplace else. In Montana, they said watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming. In Nebraska, they told me people aren’t as nice as in Iowa. In Iowa, they said I’d find trouble in Missouri. No one ever says anything bad about his own part of the country. Evil in America is always down the road.”
“I want to take someone to heaven with me,” Lee says. “What good is a carpenter if he never builds a house” What good is a fisherman if he never catches a fish? What good is a Christian if he never converts one soul? You’re too good for hell. You know what the Bible says about strangers?”
“No, what?”
“They’re angels in disguise.”
“The forest is a sunburst of reds, oranges, yellows and purples. It looks like a rainbow exploded and dripped on the trees.”
“There’s a new feel to the land. I’m still in the United States, but it’s a different country. The abrupt change reminds me of crossing from California into Mexico. The blacktop is potholed. There isn’t a new car on the road. People wear tired looks and tired clothes. What little they have is paid for with sweat, and it’s obvious there aren’t enough jobs to sweat over. Northern Kentucky is as depressed as a recent widow.”
“Television tells us that New York and L.A. and Miami are America,” Dean says. “That’s not America. This is the real fabric of the country out here.”
“At the start of this journey I wondered if America was too suspicious to let a stranger into its heart. But on this day I wonder if it’s the stranger who’s too suspicious to allow America into his heart.”
“I’m reminded that no matter how hard we try, nothing we do is in a vacuum.”
“All at once a realization hits me. It’s so simple: It took giving up money to have the richest experience of my life.”
“A good friend of mine says America is hard on the edges and soft in the middle. He may be right. None of this journey has been a cakewalk. But the country was more accommodating in the states between California and North Carolina.”
***UPDATE****
The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America
by Mike McIntyre
I read this book when it originally came out in print in the ‘90s. It’s one of the only titles I always remember as being one of my favorites. Now, I stumbled upon it for free in the Kindle store and had to read it again. I was just as hooked the second time around. The reader is able to take Mike’s leap of faith alongside him and learn about what is really important in life. This book is entertaining, endearing, thought-provoking and uplifting. The best part of it is Mike’s open-mindedness towards what he encounters and his sharp insights and commentary. I hope to one day join Mike on his journey again, just in case I ever start to lose perspective on what’s really important in life.
“There was a time in this country when you were a jerk if you passed somebody in need. Now you’re a fool for helping.”
“I walked out the door a pilgrim. But today I feel like a refugee from the world of common sense.”
“As I wander down the road, I see a new shape to the shadow I cast – the tent strapped to my pack. I walk on, wondering how the people who have the least to give are often the ones who give the most.”
“Jerry exudes the ease and confidence of a self-made man, but also displays immense gratitude. He’s a man who made a U-turn in life and is now aimed down the right road, mindful of the perils of detours.”
“Mike, on this trip, keep in mind that when people give you something, there’s a reason for it. They have their own motivations for helping you.”
Jerry parks in front of the motel office. He pays for the room with a credit card and gives me the key. I consider asking him what his motivation is for helping me. But it’s soon clear.
He pulls a business card from his wallet. On the back, he writes down his toll-free number. The one he got for his sons. The one that never rings.
Jerry’s eyes are moist when he hands me the card.
“If you need something out there and you can’t get ahold of your dad, call me.”
“If you could do something different now, what would it be?” I ask Lester.
“Not a thing. Yew are lookin’ at the most contented man in the world.”
“What’s your secret?”
“I guess I make the most of what comes and the least of what goes.”
“I envy and admire so many of the people I’ve met on this trip. I’m grateful for their rides, their food, their shelter. But the kindest act of all is when they’re merely themselves. They help me in ways they aren’t even aware of. It’s always a comfort to meet an honest man, and I’m always sad to say goodbye.”
“Joan gazes out the windshield. I realize how fragile her sobriety is: Three years is the same as three days. The dragon is never slayed. Every time Joan sees the Omaha skyline, it’s like her own journey to Cape Fear. But while I’ll stop at the Atlantic Ocean, there is no end to the road she travels. She is forever tempted, forever tested.”
“We do what we have to, and if we’re able, we do a little more.”
“I’ve never understood what people mean when they say they have to find themselves. We know who we are. The hard part is being that person. It’s always so much easier to be someone else.”
“Ever since I left California, folks have been warning me about someplace else. In Montana, they said watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming. In Nebraska, they told me people aren’t as nice as in Iowa. In Iowa, they said I’d find trouble in Missouri. No one ever says anything bad about his own part of the country. Evil in America is always down the road.”
“I want to take someone to heaven with me,” Lee says. “What good is a carpenter if he never builds a house” What good is a fisherman if he never catches a fish? What good is a Christian if he never converts one soul? You’re too good for hell. You know what the Bible says about strangers?”
“No, what?”
“They’re angels in disguise.”
“The forest is a sunburst of reds, oranges, yellows and purples. It looks like a rainbow exploded and dripped on the trees.”
“There’s a new feel to the land. I’m still in the United States, but it’s a different country. The abrupt change reminds me of crossing from California into Mexico. The blacktop is potholed. There isn’t a new car on the road. People wear tired looks and tired clothes. What little they have is paid for with sweat, and it’s obvious there aren’t enough jobs to sweat over. Northern Kentucky is as depressed as a recent widow.”
“Television tells us that New York and L.A. and Miami are America,” Dean says. “That’s not America. This is the real fabric of the country out here.”
“At the start of this journey I wondered if America was too suspicious to let a stranger into its heart. But on this day I wonder if it’s the stranger who’s too suspicious to allow America into his heart.”
“I’m reminded that no matter how hard we try, nothing we do is in a vacuum.”
“All at once a realization hits me. It’s so simple: It took giving up money to have the richest experience of my life.”
“A good friend of mine says America is hard on the edges and soft in the middle. He may be right. None of this journey has been a cakewalk. But the country was more accommodating in the states between California and North Carolina.”
March 30, 2025
In 1994 journalist Mike McIntyre was feeling restless and dissatisfied and set out to discover how kind Americans really were by hitch-hiking without a penny from the San Francisco bay area to Cape Fear. His goal was to count on the kindness of strangers.
It is an interesting if inherently unwise proposition. He was able to find some truly kind and interesting people, some strange people and some who would have been wisest to avoid.
I enjoyed following along on his journey, but I don't think I would have enjoyed being part of it.
It is an interesting if inherently unwise proposition. He was able to find some truly kind and interesting people, some strange people and some who would have been wisest to avoid.
I enjoyed following along on his journey, but I don't think I would have enjoyed being part of it.
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