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Old Bug
Having barely seen each other in three decades, two friends impulsively decide to take a cross-country road trip. For one, the trip is a chance to take a few swats at a question that buzzes like an old bug in his postreligious soul, "What do I believe? Not just about God, but about morality, mortality, meaning, and the whole so-called spiritual side of life?" For the other, the journey is the culmination of a lifelong struggle to confront a buried demon and reunite with a family from whom he's been estranged for his entire adult life. What begins as a mundane drive becomes a quest for what really matters; a soul-searching, thought-provoking, oddly mythic, often hilarious, always human odyssey, as these two very different people join forces to keep a 1969 Volkswagen Beetle alive long enough to reach the distant shores of home.
Paperback
First published April 1, 2008
About the author
Dan Jackson
2 books1 followerI'm by trade a producer/writer of non-fiction (not reality, please) TV series for the likes of Discovery and History Channel (Monster House, Highway Through Hell, Diagnose Me).
I wrote this book after a guy I hadn't seen since high school invited me on a road trip in an ancient VW. Afterwards, I thought: "If any experience deserved to be turned into a book..."
I also wrote it as a substitute for the spiritual foundation I never provided my daughter, being one of those Catholics who turned off the channel at an early age and kept his kids away from church.
At the time, I lived in Los Angeles. In 2010, I relocated to Vancouver BC, a move I'd highly recommend.
I wrote this book after a guy I hadn't seen since high school invited me on a road trip in an ancient VW. Afterwards, I thought: "If any experience deserved to be turned into a book..."
I also wrote it as a substitute for the spiritual foundation I never provided my daughter, being one of those Catholics who turned off the channel at an early age and kept his kids away from church.
At the time, I lived in Los Angeles. In 2010, I relocated to Vancouver BC, a move I'd highly recommend.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 8, 2022
Strange Book, not a VGG will it start and drive 1,000 miles and not Spiritual as in Religious. The Humor is Dry the story itself stays interesting. Just something different to read.
June 13, 2010
Even though Dan's road-tripping side-kick Richard was a dour character, his purpose gave Dan the focus he needed for his journey. I love road-trips, especially how the mind can wander and contemplate as you go. This book really hit on that notion of "self-reflection."
June 14, 2008
Classic roadtrip book. Boys and their cars from an older perspective than many. Hints of Bill Bryson, but a little more introspective.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews