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The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing: Long-Distance Motorcycling's Endless Road
“Pierson is an even better writer than she is a rider.”—Boston Globe
“World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders”—long-distance motorcycling is not a pastime but an obsession. In this candid, eloquent, sharply observed book, Melissa Holbrook Pierson introduces us to this strange endeavor and the men and women who live to ride impossibly long distances, eating up road, almost without cease. And who find it nothing but fun.
Perhaps the most determined of them is John Ryan, a magnetic, enigmatic man who loves nothing better than breaking records of amazing distance—at no small risk to himself and his health. But why? Pierson, who rediscovered the joys of motorcycling in the midst of a personal crisis, puts on her helmet and joins Ryan in his element in order to understand his singular desire and discipline, his passion and his obsession.
The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing offers an intimate glimpse of an unusually independent yet supportive community as well as a revealing, unforgettable portrait of its most daring member. In electric, pitch-perfect prose, Pierson gives us rare insights into not only a subculture but also the deeply human craving for something more that drives it.
- GenresMotorcycleTravel
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 3, 2011
11 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Holbrook Pierson
13 books19 followersMelissa Holbrook Pierson is the author of the acclaimed Dark Horses and Black Beauties, The Perfect Vehicle, The Place You Love Is Gone, and her newest book, The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing was published in the fall of 2011.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
January 17, 2019
3 Moto Guzzis out of 5
This was... not what I was expecting. When the informative details were there, this book was great. But it often derailed into some strange-- nearly obsessive-- retelling of the author's encounters with the incomparable John Ryan.
I can agree with one thing: this was a fascinating look at the world of long distance riding. I had no previous knowledge of the extreme sport, and for someone like me who’s into bikes, I was blown away.
Here were my issues with the book, though:
I took my time reading this one (and maybe that's where I went wrong), but I found myself being unable to follow along at times. I felt like the timeline was jumpy, and the flashbacks and flashforwards were choppy. When I got to the end and realized only a year had gone by since the beginning of the main storyline, I was once again confuzzled.
And while his accomplishments are awesome, I absolutely could not bring myself to admire John Ryan the way the author does. A jobless, full-grown man who can't take care of himself and has no ambition to learn about anything but riding. Am I the only one who placed him in the epitome of asshole category? A man who doesn't care about anything beyond his realm of interests and whose lack of social life and life experience has left him utterly alone (emotionally) and incapable of admitting in any circumstance that he could be wrong. Sadly it all caught up to him-- which I did feel bad about. But still.
It's weird, because I'm usually one with deep empathy and compassion for people in general. But I can't shake off the feeling that I wouldn't ever actually want to meet this guy.
Furthermore, the flat-out fangirl style writing, depicting him as a demi-god, was distracting. I really wish she would have stuck to more information on the long distance riding aspects of his life or his beginnings as a rider, rather than describing how handsome and ruthlessly knee-weakening this guy is. At the end the author even admits to having no real clue who this guy really is deep down, albeit having spent a year with the dude. Doesn't seem like a good main focus point for an entire book then, does it?
Picked up a second book by Melissa on riding, before having read this one... But now I'm hesitant to read it.
This was... not what I was expecting. When the informative details were there, this book was great. But it often derailed into some strange-- nearly obsessive-- retelling of the author's encounters with the incomparable John Ryan.
I can agree with one thing: this was a fascinating look at the world of long distance riding. I had no previous knowledge of the extreme sport, and for someone like me who’s into bikes, I was blown away.
Here were my issues with the book, though:
I took my time reading this one (and maybe that's where I went wrong), but I found myself being unable to follow along at times. I felt like the timeline was jumpy, and the flashbacks and flashforwards were choppy. When I got to the end and realized only a year had gone by since the beginning of the main storyline, I was once again confuzzled.
And while his accomplishments are awesome, I absolutely could not bring myself to admire John Ryan the way the author does. A jobless, full-grown man who can't take care of himself and has no ambition to learn about anything but riding. Am I the only one who placed him in the epitome of asshole category? A man who doesn't care about anything beyond his realm of interests and whose lack of social life and life experience has left him utterly alone (emotionally) and incapable of admitting in any circumstance that he could be wrong. Sadly it all caught up to him-- which I did feel bad about. But still.
It's weird, because I'm usually one with deep empathy and compassion for people in general. But I can't shake off the feeling that I wouldn't ever actually want to meet this guy.
Furthermore, the flat-out fangirl style writing, depicting him as a demi-god, was distracting. I really wish she would have stuck to more information on the long distance riding aspects of his life or his beginnings as a rider, rather than describing how handsome and ruthlessly knee-weakening this guy is. At the end the author even admits to having no real clue who this guy really is deep down, albeit having spent a year with the dude. Doesn't seem like a good main focus point for an entire book then, does it?
Picked up a second book by Melissa on riding, before having read this one... But now I'm hesitant to read it.
January 18, 2019
Another brief review notes that Pierson’s book is somewhat disjointed. There at least three books here, and she only really does limited justice to one.
The book is ostensibly about obsessive long-distance motorcycle riding. Not touring, per se, but the “sport” that involves extreme endurance — the ability to pilot a motorcycle despite sleep deprivation. Even in the most obscure competitive passions, there will be an elite, and the focal point of the story is one of them: John Ryan. What he does probably deserves its own footnote in the DSM-IV, in that he has not so much as centered his life on long-distance endurance riding, but stripped away anything and everything that distracts him from this pursuit.
Ryan is quite suitable as the protagonist of his own story. He is charismatic, but deeply flawed. Often charming and helpful, he can be loutish regarding anything outside of his very narrow sphere of influence. Readers will note, for example, that he refuses to start any book that cannot be finished in one sitting. Pierson returns frequently to his care and affection for those whose interests align with his, notably, at the opening of the book, how he helps divert her from her midlife crisis, and how he gives up riding to nurse a disabled friend as the book concludes.
At the same time, he is childish and irresponsible. He seems to be a snippy libertarian (complaining about “socialist” road tolls) but never seems to notice that by refusing to find any way to support himself, he is depending on the assistance of others — outside of his ability to keep his abused motorcycle running, he is far from a model of self-reliance. Astonishingly, he is a type one diabetic, but disdains the dietary discipline that will keep him healthy — although it is hardly unusual to find a middle-aged man still locked into the mindset of his youthful rude good health and refusing, like a petulant toddler, to sensibly address his own body’s changing needs.
Sure, he rebelled against his father’s demands — didn’t we all? Pierson recites that litany quite nicely: his Ryan père believed in the “American religion” of “give your best years, your now, so that at some distant point, which may never in fact arrive, you can get all the pills you’ll need to extend your shuffle to the grave.” Well, yeah, put it like that and the appeal is hard to see.
Unfortunately, while such a character might be fascinating in a tragicomic novel, he really isn’t up to the task of holding this non-fiction tome together. This is especially painful when we are treated to the author’s adulation. She refers to him as a hero — as she does, more generally, to the participants in the riding endurance contests. Technically, sure, one definition of “hero” encompasses being a risk-taking adventurer. But then how does one differentiate the firefighter that goes into a burning building to rescue others (or even someone’s beloved cat), or the nurse who willingly accepts the hazards of working through a deadly epidemic?
To the extent that gaining wisdom should be a central goal in life, Ryan is an abject failure. That Pierson doesn’t explicitly note this is a flaw in her second, introspective book. Her wikipedia page mentions that motorcycling has been central to her life and writing, but she apparently gave up her beloved Moto Guzzi roughly when she had her child. A decade or so later, her divorce became the midlife crisis that led her to return to motorcycling.
At times, this is the better story. Her description of the compassion and joie de vivre of the Moto Guzzi subculture is infectious (despite my three-dozen year faithfulness to BMW’s airhead boxer, I’ve actually been quite fond of the longitudinally-oriented V-twin design). She is too fond of Ryan to point this out, but the way he treats motorcycling as his raison d’être is a profoundly limiting dead end; meanwhile, for her the same passion serves to reinvigorate and widen her previously circumscribed existence. Delving further into this could have created a nice companion to Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (well, maybe; I read that sooo long ago…). The evolutionary need to compete, the desire to “prove” oneself, the schism of motorcyclists into mutually dismissive tribes — there’s grist enough here for some great philosophical meandering.
Instead we are treated too often to her morbid perspective that, in her early fifties, the end of her life is fast approaching. This is surprising, since she has a son just approaching his teens, which should have provided a salutary alternative to Ryan’s abjured “American religion.” I’m no expert, but presumably one of the joys of having children is that they provide meaning and entertainment during one’s “shuffle to the grave.”
The final story here is on the “sport” of endurance motorcycle travel. “Sport” gets those quotes because there’s little need for physical talent or strength here — riding a motorcycle down the highway is quite a bit more strenuous than driving a car, but isn’t going to satisfy one’s cardiologist. There’s a reason why Aerostitch leathers are available with waistlines extending to 46 inches. Still, an exploration into the psychology, sociology, neurology and even endocrinology might have made this a fun if highly eccentric read. In the hands of, say, Mary Roach, an intensive focus on this minuscule subculture could have been an enlightening and uproarious exposé.
Despite all this criticism, this is still a quick and enjoyable book. I should have made that clear, I suppose. Well, you did see those four stars.
Oh, my credentials as a reviewer: I’ve ridden motorcycles for my entire adult life, and I’m in the same age range as the author. My ride of choice for most of that time has been the BMW airhead (my R100 has about 110,000 miles on it), and I haven’t owned acage automobile for over a quarter century. My longest tour was about 25,000 miles, a peregrination that wandered for six months around the circumference of the United States.
The book is ostensibly about obsessive long-distance motorcycle riding. Not touring, per se, but the “sport” that involves extreme endurance — the ability to pilot a motorcycle despite sleep deprivation. Even in the most obscure competitive passions, there will be an elite, and the focal point of the story is one of them: John Ryan. What he does probably deserves its own footnote in the DSM-IV, in that he has not so much as centered his life on long-distance endurance riding, but stripped away anything and everything that distracts him from this pursuit.
Ryan is quite suitable as the protagonist of his own story. He is charismatic, but deeply flawed. Often charming and helpful, he can be loutish regarding anything outside of his very narrow sphere of influence. Readers will note, for example, that he refuses to start any book that cannot be finished in one sitting. Pierson returns frequently to his care and affection for those whose interests align with his, notably, at the opening of the book, how he helps divert her from her midlife crisis, and how he gives up riding to nurse a disabled friend as the book concludes.
At the same time, he is childish and irresponsible. He seems to be a snippy libertarian (complaining about “socialist” road tolls) but never seems to notice that by refusing to find any way to support himself, he is depending on the assistance of others — outside of his ability to keep his abused motorcycle running, he is far from a model of self-reliance. Astonishingly, he is a type one diabetic, but disdains the dietary discipline that will keep him healthy — although it is hardly unusual to find a middle-aged man still locked into the mindset of his youthful rude good health and refusing, like a petulant toddler, to sensibly address his own body’s changing needs.
Sure, he rebelled against his father’s demands — didn’t we all? Pierson recites that litany quite nicely: his Ryan père believed in the “American religion” of “give your best years, your now, so that at some distant point, which may never in fact arrive, you can get all the pills you’ll need to extend your shuffle to the grave.” Well, yeah, put it like that and the appeal is hard to see.
Unfortunately, while such a character might be fascinating in a tragicomic novel, he really isn’t up to the task of holding this non-fiction tome together. This is especially painful when we are treated to the author’s adulation. She refers to him as a hero — as she does, more generally, to the participants in the riding endurance contests. Technically, sure, one definition of “hero” encompasses being a risk-taking adventurer. But then how does one differentiate the firefighter that goes into a burning building to rescue others (or even someone’s beloved cat), or the nurse who willingly accepts the hazards of working through a deadly epidemic?
To the extent that gaining wisdom should be a central goal in life, Ryan is an abject failure. That Pierson doesn’t explicitly note this is a flaw in her second, introspective book. Her wikipedia page mentions that motorcycling has been central to her life and writing, but she apparently gave up her beloved Moto Guzzi roughly when she had her child. A decade or so later, her divorce became the midlife crisis that led her to return to motorcycling.
At times, this is the better story. Her description of the compassion and joie de vivre of the Moto Guzzi subculture is infectious (despite my three-dozen year faithfulness to BMW’s airhead boxer, I’ve actually been quite fond of the longitudinally-oriented V-twin design). She is too fond of Ryan to point this out, but the way he treats motorcycling as his raison d’être is a profoundly limiting dead end; meanwhile, for her the same passion serves to reinvigorate and widen her previously circumscribed existence. Delving further into this could have created a nice companion to Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (well, maybe; I read that sooo long ago…). The evolutionary need to compete, the desire to “prove” oneself, the schism of motorcyclists into mutually dismissive tribes — there’s grist enough here for some great philosophical meandering.
Instead we are treated too often to her morbid perspective that, in her early fifties, the end of her life is fast approaching. This is surprising, since she has a son just approaching his teens, which should have provided a salutary alternative to Ryan’s abjured “American religion.” I’m no expert, but presumably one of the joys of having children is that they provide meaning and entertainment during one’s “shuffle to the grave.”
The final story here is on the “sport” of endurance motorcycle travel. “Sport” gets those quotes because there’s little need for physical talent or strength here — riding a motorcycle down the highway is quite a bit more strenuous than driving a car, but isn’t going to satisfy one’s cardiologist. There’s a reason why Aerostitch leathers are available with waistlines extending to 46 inches. Still, an exploration into the psychology, sociology, neurology and even endocrinology might have made this a fun if highly eccentric read. In the hands of, say, Mary Roach, an intensive focus on this minuscule subculture could have been an enlightening and uproarious exposé.
Despite all this criticism, this is still a quick and enjoyable book. I should have made that clear, I suppose. Well, you did see those four stars.
Oh, my credentials as a reviewer: I’ve ridden motorcycles for my entire adult life, and I’m in the same age range as the author. My ride of choice for most of that time has been the BMW airhead (my R100 has about 110,000 miles on it), and I haven’t owned a
April 3, 2013
Pierson writes really well about motorcycles. And this was a fascinating take on long-distance motorcycling. Pertinent too, in that I'm planning my own trip. She writes soulfully about riding, which makes a lot of sense to people who ride, but I'm guessing this book would only interest a small niche. She contrasts her own return to riding (she gave it up for a decade) with the story of John Ryan - one of the giants of long-distance motorcycling, and one of the primary reasons she got back into bikes. And though he seems like a fascinating person, she seems to want to imbue him with a gravitas that I wasn't sure he necessarily possessed. Thus, the last chapter, which focused on Ryan, couldn't really build to the conclusion I was hoping for. I was immensely captivated, but I might be in the minority.
December 7, 2011
A bit scattered, as if she had two books in mind, neither of which was fully baked.
December 10, 2013
This book seemed to head in two different directions throughout, but it served its purpose in telling a story of a middle aged woman finding her passion again through her idol John Ryan. I found it particularly inspiring because I have been interested in long-distance riding (however a scenic junkie as well), having my first cross-country bike trip when I was 17 - a week after getting my license. I got into an accident on my second, near the Tail of the Dragon, leaving me bikeless and longing to get back on. This book tugs on the heartstrings of a small audience, I believe.. however, it emphasises will and determination which are desired characteristics of all. I feel as though it'd be better suited in a magazine, perhaps divided between her life story and John Ryans.
September 8, 2012
Wow. Ever want to ride 1000 miles in 24 hours? How about Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Key West, Florida. 5200 miles in 96 hours! I had no idea such things were possible. This a great story not only about John Ryan, long distance rider by nature, but also about the author, who, after a long absence from riding, realizes that motorcycling made her a better person.
November 10, 2011
Inspirational parts. But I found the main character to be churlish and immature, which distracts from the narrative.
January 2, 2026
3.5 stars.
Something about motorcycling is deeply meditative and often results in writers philosophising about life. That is the case here, although not so deep as some, it is more focused on the state of mind than the meaning of life, the universe and everything. It is also perhaps more memoir than biography. An enjoyable and quick read, at least for those of us who are into motorcycles!
Something about motorcycling is deeply meditative and often results in writers philosophising about life. That is the case here, although not so deep as some, it is more focused on the state of mind than the meaning of life, the universe and everything. It is also perhaps more memoir than biography. An enjoyable and quick read, at least for those of us who are into motorcycles!
Read
December 25, 2025beautifully written story of some determinedly eccentric and extreme characters.
March 28, 2016
"...and I find a line by Helen Keller: 'Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.' How about the danger to my son of living with a perennially pale, soppy mother? Better to have an animated one joyous for a brief while than to be saddled with the weight of an unhappy presence in the house for extended years." -174
"My body clock, after years of regimented risings in advance of my child's school-bus arrival, was set to get irredeemably sleepy by ten-thirty at night." -98
"It also occurred to me...that people who LD ride do see the scenery; they just do it at greater velocity." -26
"I actually feel sorry for my rear tire. I want it to be well rounded, as it were, having lots of varied experiences. Instead, it is flattening in the middle, mile after mile after mile." -108
"One member who signs himself 'Bird' wrote: 'I was hoping someone would illuminate how I may use the Guzzi to find a wife.' Whereupon another member replied, 'You have a Guzzi. What do you need a wife for?'" -139
"[N]o one 'farkles' a Guzzi. The idea is almost dizzyingly absurd. If you want a bike that you can park to attract a crowd to appreciate the latest gadgetry that can be hooked to the battery, you would choose a different bike. On the other hand, BMW attracts the farkle-happy like Tiffany's attracts trust-funders. That is why an acerbic wit in the Italian camp, Doug Ritchie, says the initials stand for Bavarian Money Wasters. And another thing I just realized. There are no posers among Guzzi riders, not a one." -140
"'Even the most mundane riding experience changes the rider in psychobiological ways which ultimately are beneficial to everyone.' This is because riding makes one proficient in all sorts of things (including risk management), and a proficient person is a better member of his community. He [Andy Goldfine of Aerostitch] cites the 'episodes of transcendence' that riding provides--the beautiful and inimitable sensation of being two disparate things at once: very relaxed and very alert. 'When we ride motorcycles, we decide to be idealists.'
He understands that the communal job of making life safer is what drew hominids together and enabled us to evolve to our current level of sophistication--along the way adding the creation of religion, the social fabric, larger brains and all the incredible stuff they are responsible for making, and finally the natural craving for yet more of those human-originating experiences of managed difficulty. These make us feel alive because they are what made us. This is why motorcycling is so important." 172
"My body clock, after years of regimented risings in advance of my child's school-bus arrival, was set to get irredeemably sleepy by ten-thirty at night." -98
"It also occurred to me...that people who LD ride do see the scenery; they just do it at greater velocity." -26
"I actually feel sorry for my rear tire. I want it to be well rounded, as it were, having lots of varied experiences. Instead, it is flattening in the middle, mile after mile after mile." -108
"One member who signs himself 'Bird' wrote: 'I was hoping someone would illuminate how I may use the Guzzi to find a wife.' Whereupon another member replied, 'You have a Guzzi. What do you need a wife for?'" -139
"[N]o one 'farkles' a Guzzi. The idea is almost dizzyingly absurd. If you want a bike that you can park to attract a crowd to appreciate the latest gadgetry that can be hooked to the battery, you would choose a different bike. On the other hand, BMW attracts the farkle-happy like Tiffany's attracts trust-funders. That is why an acerbic wit in the Italian camp, Doug Ritchie, says the initials stand for Bavarian Money Wasters. And another thing I just realized. There are no posers among Guzzi riders, not a one." -140
"'Even the most mundane riding experience changes the rider in psychobiological ways which ultimately are beneficial to everyone.' This is because riding makes one proficient in all sorts of things (including risk management), and a proficient person is a better member of his community. He [Andy Goldfine of Aerostitch] cites the 'episodes of transcendence' that riding provides--the beautiful and inimitable sensation of being two disparate things at once: very relaxed and very alert. 'When we ride motorcycles, we decide to be idealists.'
He understands that the communal job of making life safer is what drew hominids together and enabled us to evolve to our current level of sophistication--along the way adding the creation of religion, the social fabric, larger brains and all the incredible stuff they are responsible for making, and finally the natural craving for yet more of those human-originating experiences of managed difficulty. These make us feel alive because they are what made us. This is why motorcycling is so important." 172
December 16, 2017
didn't finish
April 22, 2014
For motorcyclists the summer of 2009 was unusual. In addition to John Ryan's epic ride from the Prudhoe Bay, AK to Key West, FL in record breaking time, BMWMOA (BMW Motorcycle Owners of America) and BMWRA (BMW Riders Association International)held their annual rallies on consecutive weekends and only a few hundred miles apart. The MOA rally was held in Johnson City, TN followed by the RA rally in Canaan Valley ,WV. Coupled with a week long rolling rally connecting the MOA & RA rallies, few distance riders could resist.
But what was most memorable for me was my ride ( on my BMW motorcycle) to the rallies.
1734 documented miles from Payson, AZ to Knoxville, TN in less than 36 hours qualified me for membership in the Iron Butt Association (drum roll please). Now I could run with the big dogs except the big dogs run a lot further and faster. A lot.
Read this book and you'll meet them. I met some of them at the '09 rallies. John Ryan looked like Captain America with his Yahama FJR parked front and center. There was a lot of commotion around him as he had just completed his epic ride less than a month earlier.
By far my favorite distance rider was a little 76 year old gray haired great grandmother, Arylis Kellerman, who recently had ridden her BMWs over 100,000 miles in a single year. To look at this woman (she is a small person), you would doubt that she was able to get a motorcycle off it's kickstand. And here she was, a rockstar-at least to me. Bypassing John Ryan,I spent my time in Arylis's aura. I don't use the word aura frivolously. If you've ever been physically close to the Dalai Lama, you'll know what I mean-that sense of soothing calmness.
Arylis & John are both gone now; both casualties of motorcycle accidents. Our loss.
As far as the book,I enjoyed it.I get where these riders are coming from but I'm not sure the general public would. I know a lot of bikers that wouldn't get what these motorcyclists do. Different tribes. Like Zen, it's difficult to describe but Melissa Pierson does a good job.
But what was most memorable for me was my ride ( on my BMW motorcycle) to the rallies.
1734 documented miles from Payson, AZ to Knoxville, TN in less than 36 hours qualified me for membership in the Iron Butt Association (drum roll please). Now I could run with the big dogs except the big dogs run a lot further and faster. A lot.
Read this book and you'll meet them. I met some of them at the '09 rallies. John Ryan looked like Captain America with his Yahama FJR parked front and center. There was a lot of commotion around him as he had just completed his epic ride less than a month earlier.
By far my favorite distance rider was a little 76 year old gray haired great grandmother, Arylis Kellerman, who recently had ridden her BMWs over 100,000 miles in a single year. To look at this woman (she is a small person), you would doubt that she was able to get a motorcycle off it's kickstand. And here she was, a rockstar-at least to me. Bypassing John Ryan,I spent my time in Arylis's aura. I don't use the word aura frivolously. If you've ever been physically close to the Dalai Lama, you'll know what I mean-that sense of soothing calmness.
Arylis & John are both gone now; both casualties of motorcycle accidents. Our loss.
As far as the book,I enjoyed it.I get where these riders are coming from but I'm not sure the general public would. I know a lot of bikers that wouldn't get what these motorcyclists do. Different tribes. Like Zen, it's difficult to describe but Melissa Pierson does a good job.
January 1, 2021
I think this was supposed to be a biography about a man called John Ryan, a so called long distance rider.
But first of all Pierson can't help herself but making a large part of the book about herself and the few parts that are actually about Ryan are so completely over the top and with language use so exuberant it's like a high school girl with a crush on a god.
The guy can do no wrong and she even goes so far as to describe his physical appearance as some sort of adonis.
But then on the other hand she describes a BMW K75 as so smooth that the fuel pump is the loudest thing on the entire bike.
For anyone who's ever heard a K75 running it is either the loudest fuel pump in the world or Holbrook Pierson has some serious problems with her perception.
The language use in the whole book so full of wild parables and filler that is like it's trying to fill a word limit essay, it's just horrible.
I have no idea why she decided to write a book about a man she knew nothing about and how she managed to learn nothing about him as she spent at least a year with the guy.
There's really nothing in the book about the man, how or why he became what he was or really his motivations behind anything he did.
I don't know why this book was ever written and I can't give you a single reason to read it.
A one out of five star review is too good for this but unfortunately I can't rate it any lower.
But first of all Pierson can't help herself but making a large part of the book about herself and the few parts that are actually about Ryan are so completely over the top and with language use so exuberant it's like a high school girl with a crush on a god.
The guy can do no wrong and she even goes so far as to describe his physical appearance as some sort of adonis.
But then on the other hand she describes a BMW K75 as so smooth that the fuel pump is the loudest thing on the entire bike.
For anyone who's ever heard a K75 running it is either the loudest fuel pump in the world or Holbrook Pierson has some serious problems with her perception.
The language use in the whole book so full of wild parables and filler that is like it's trying to fill a word limit essay, it's just horrible.
I have no idea why she decided to write a book about a man she knew nothing about and how she managed to learn nothing about him as she spent at least a year with the guy.
There's really nothing in the book about the man, how or why he became what he was or really his motivations behind anything he did.
I don't know why this book was ever written and I can't give you a single reason to read it.
A one out of five star review is too good for this but unfortunately I can't rate it any lower.
October 30, 2013
I bought this book because John Ryan, the subject of the book, recently passed away due to a motorcycle accident. (At least he went out doing what he was very passionate about.) I had never heard of him, even though I ride motorcycles, BMW's at that and had even attended the same rally in TN that he did and is mentioned in the book. Long Distance riding interests very much, but although I have some long days on a bike, I could never hold a candle to Mr. Ryan's accomplishments or his Iron Butt brethren. Interesting story.
The author, Ms. Pierson, also gives us her personal story of finding her lost love of riding and her accounts of doing some Iron Butt rallies. Very nice stories.
I would like to know her thoughts about the passing of Mr. Ryan. The book hints that the two were very close indeed without getting into sloppy details. My guess is she is devastated and for that, if she should read this review, I am truly very sorry for her loss. Mr. Ryan was a mentor and an inspiration for the author, if nothing else.
If you like reading motorcycle books, this is a good one. I just wish I had met Mr. Ryan; I think he would have been very interesting to know. As it is, his story is an inspiration to me as a rider.
Good Read!
The author, Ms. Pierson, also gives us her personal story of finding her lost love of riding and her accounts of doing some Iron Butt rallies. Very nice stories.
I would like to know her thoughts about the passing of Mr. Ryan. The book hints that the two were very close indeed without getting into sloppy details. My guess is she is devastated and for that, if she should read this review, I am truly very sorry for her loss. Mr. Ryan was a mentor and an inspiration for the author, if nothing else.
If you like reading motorcycle books, this is a good one. I just wish I had met Mr. Ryan; I think he would have been very interesting to know. As it is, his story is an inspiration to me as a rider.
Good Read!
December 10, 2013
Felt like a cheap thriller and feel-good book from the self-help section and in the tradition of Zen & the art of... But it was eminently enjoyable, quenching in some small way my thirst for motorcycle riding this winter. Yet I can't help but get the impression that Pierson is more a journalist than a motorcyclist. Though she is obviously entranced by motorcycling, she seems to passively receive a motorcycle, fully repaired for her, drops it more than once, and generally doesn't engage in any technical know-how throughout the book. Because of this, the hyperbole and flouristic language generally struck me as overkill and detracted from the more nuts-n-bolts grit of simply riding and getting to intimately know your bike. And what's this nonsense about hating on loud bikes? There doesn't seem to be any appreciation for the custom bike scene captured here, at least not by the author. I would imagine longtime LDRiders, with their inevitable mechanical problem-solving knowledge, would have more appreciation for other kinds of bikes beside touring bricks than Pierson lets on. I'll have to read her other book.
December 15, 2011
It may seem that this book has a limited audience, but I think many readers, even those that do not ride motorcycles, can find interest and even inspiration it this book. The author is a middle-aged woman who returns to motorcycling after a lengthy period away from bikes and a recent divorce. Throughout the course of the book she describes her reunion with riding and the community that goes with it. Woven through her personal narrative is her friendship with John Ryan, king of the long distance, endurance riders. And when I say long distance, I really mean it; Ryan and his fellows in the 'Iron Butt Association' ride distances that are impossible to comprehend, even in automobiles. In describing their physical endurance, discipline, motivation and passion for what they do, the author sheds some light on why men (and some women) have the drive to attempt the impossible.
Both motorcycle riders and 'four-wheelers' will enjoy how this talented writer expresses the passion for the open road, and those that push it to the limit.
Both motorcycle riders and 'four-wheelers' will enjoy how this talented writer expresses the passion for the open road, and those that push it to the limit.
May 1, 2012
I enjoyed this book in fits and starts: some of the tales of riding (her own, and of John Ryan's) are captivating, but I think that the parts where she waxes philosophical could stand some tightening. Perhaps it's simply the book's wandering focus: stronger in the more journalistic areas describing the long distance riding community (and John Ryan's place in it, and her own participation), weaker in trying to convey why they do it.
But enough of this chat. My ride later this week from Colorado up to the Black Hills of South Dakota awaits. This was a great book to read to get in the mood to knock out some miles.
But enough of this chat. My ride later this week from Colorado up to the Black Hills of South Dakota awaits. This was a great book to read to get in the mood to knock out some miles.
February 14, 2015
This book tells an amazing story not only of JOhn Ryan- legendary Iron Butt rider (who died in a motorcycle accident not long after this book was published) but also of the author, Melissa- and how she got back into motorcycling after some life issues out that part of her on hold. Melissa has a way with words that creates such vivid images in my head. Every book I have read by her is one I keep on a shelf- and return to time and time again.
December 17, 2011
I would not think about riding a motorcycle round the block much less for one thousand miles in one day. The author clearly loves to ride and her story is fun. She conveys her love of riding and the subjects dedication to riding with a real fun zest. I wasn't too up on the jargon, but didn't find that to be a drawback, instead I found it fascinating.
December 4, 2011
This was a GREAT book about people who do serious long distance motorcycle riding. There were many things to think about and tons of great quotes. I enjoyed this so much more than Holbrook-Pierson's first book. This one was so beautifully written and the words twisted and turned much like the beloved roads she described. A great read for anyone who rides.
August 22, 2016
If you've ever wondered why people ride motorcycles or do other activities that you consider too dangerous to tackle, read this book. Although I'm not sure anybody can explain thoroughly enough for everybody to understand, Ms Pierson does it as well as I have ever heard stated. A very thoughtful read.
December 18, 2012
If you are curious about long distance riding then this book is a good place to start looking for answers. A quick read which was interesting and engaging.
August 18, 2014
Kind of rambling, lots of big words for no good reason, but paints a very enticing picture of long-distance riding.
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January 15, 2019To find inspiration in anything is hard unless you open a book like this. One of my top 5 favorite reads of all time.
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