Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance

by Donald Miller

An account of a journey across America in a somewhat unreliable Volkswagen van finds two young spiritual searchers asking themselves life's most difficult and, ultimately, inspirational questions.

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction, Memoir, Religion, Faith, Spirituality, Travel

Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Don Miller is an American author, speaker, and entrepreneur best known for his New York Times bestseller Blue Like Jazz. He is the CEO of StoryBrand, a company that helps businesses clarify their messaging. Miller’s writing often explores faith, identity, and personal growth. His other books include Searching for God Knows What, Through Painted Deserts, and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. He founded The Mentoring Project to support fatherless youth and has advised both nonprofit and government initiatives. His later work, including Scary Close and Building a StoryBrand, reflects a shift toward personal development and business communication. He lives in Nashville with his wife, Betsy.

Reviews

[Hansen Wendlandt · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not the later, mature Donald Miller. The vignette style is appropriate for a travelogue, and his anecdotes flow well enough between adventure and insight; but the conversations are overdone and campy, with few passages worth remark. [The jewel: “The kingdom of God will be built by men with callused hands and soft hearts.” (75)] Compared to Blue Like Jazz and Miller’s captivating spoken presentations, Prayer and the Art has no deep spiritual insights—-or, perhaps they are reserved for people who closer resemble Paul and Don, namely college-aged wanderers who stumble through first awareness of the discrepancy between personal faith and cultural behavior. Maybe such a comparison of books is not fair, but it is at least interesting to note that Jazz rests in the notion that one’s relationship with God does not ‘resolve’, while Prayer can describe God’s plan as having a “singular resolution”. (44)

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miller reminds us that God is far more than what we define Him to be in our regularly scheduled "Christian"activities. He distributes thoughts on God evenly throughout the narrative. An enjoyable read.

[Colleen Mertens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I reread this book while off with a broken leg. I relate to the searching done by Donald Miller as he tries to live his faith in his real life. The story details their adventures and this hunt for something more well. I liked this just as well on my 2nd time through as I did on my first.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a Westfalia lover who has road-tripped to Dallas and the Grand Canyon this story spoke to me. For me, someone who is not necessarily a religious person in the lifestyle of attending church services, this book gives permission to love God in your own way; seeking spiritual enlightenment through experiences and faith opposed to Sunday morning masses.

[Lainie Vansant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Man, life sure feels more complicated now than it did for young white guys in 2000.

This book turned a younger me on to Ecclesiastes and convinced me that having illegally lived in the woods was not a relationship deal-breaker, but times have changed, and Donald Miller is apparently a business bro now.

[Christiana Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two friends roadtripping on the west coast and exploring what faith means. With laugh-out-loud moments included, the author does a phenomenal job of honestly asking difficult questions and inviting his readers to do the same. Now I just need a VW camper van.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as polished, but not bad for his first book. Still enjoyable and at times humorous.

[Korista Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a companion to me for many years. I still go back and reread portions and have quotes that I love from it. It was the right time and place for me to encounter this awakening.

[Greg Johnston · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, more light hearted read. Yet, I still took a lot from it due to the simplicity of his story telling. I will read anything by Donald Miller

[Kaydi Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Donald Miller challenges my thoughts and beliefs about God in the very best of ways. I am re-reading this book.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm another one of those lame "I read this before he was popular" reviewers..picked it up for $2 in a clearance bin. I read it and for a year or more I couldn't stop thinking about it. I kept going back to it. Then "Blue Like Jazz" hit and I was like "hey, this is that 'van guy'!"....

I hold this up on the same plain as Miller's "Blue Like Jazz". I haven't enjoyed his other books like these two. Both "life changing" writings...
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2021 UPDATED REVIEW: I've re-read this a few times over the past 20 years, and just finished it again. The last time I read it was probably 5+years ago and I enjoyed it alot this time too, but I knocked it down from 5-stars to 4 because I noticed things this time I didn't really notice on previous reads. Mostly I think this is due to the 'maturing' of either my own spiritual journey or some segments of Christianity since then (or maybe both).

This time I felt like Miller's hardcore evangelical roots and his 'first book voice' were showing alot more than I noticed previously. The language gets pretty (unnecessarily) flowery in parts...he's trying to sound 'smart' and like a 'good writer'. But it goes a bit overboard sometimes. His approach to faith is also a bit more rigid and "Southern Evangelical" than I remembered...not at all like his later writing. I was also quite surprised at his continual insistance that he was a "Good Republican" (just weird, really)

I think the author would probably agree that he's grown alot in writing style, faith, and political views since he wrote this.

I still really enjoy this book and I'll almost certainly read it again sometime.

[Emily E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at the Creation Festival when I was in high school, back when I drove my own little rickety Volkswagen, and ended up waiting 7 years to read it. (This was loooong before he wrote Blue Like Jazz... I had no idea it was the same person until this week, when I looked up other reviews. Wow--my mind is blown.) I don't think this book is destined to become a classic, but he shared some truly great ideas and crafted some truly great passages. Overall, it was quite entertaining and has gotten me thinking a lot about my own spiritual journey and the many times my VW broke down on me. :-)

I'm definitely glad I read it, especially now that I know that this is THE Don Miller. Cool.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to my clever friend Lauren, we rode the Donald Miller wave long before this book was a hit under a different name (only after Blue Like Jazz's success). It was the title and storyline that made her scoop it up for me from a discounted books pile. Maybe she should be an up-and-coming author scout. Yes?

Favorite quote:

"Don."
"Yeah."
"Why don't people believe?"
"Why don't they believe what?"
"In God."
"I don't know. Not everyone has a Volkswagen."

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Donald Miller, through and through. This book escaped my attention before, I guess because it's older than the others I've read and wasn't as publicly celebrated as the post-Blue Like Jazz releases, but I am so happy I read it. I enjoyed the more raw writing style, the looser and longer sentences, the way his progression toward a simpler, tighter structure is laid out in a sort of timeline from book to book.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first book I read by Miller and I liked it. I will say this, he is a wonderful speaker. This book was the least pretentious (not that he is a pretentious person) but this one was written at the beginning of his career and I just really enjoyed the simplicity and the humility (non-forced) of his adventures.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thoughtful but accessible book from Donald Miller - a slice of finding-yourself-coming-of-age life, not as outstanding as some of his other stuff, but still a very enjoyable book. I love the way he finds meaningful lessons in everyday life and interactions, sharing his spiritual quest with us in a way that is so down to earth.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a beautiful thing to travel from Texas to Oregon in a Volkswagen van with Donald Miller, hiking the Grand Canyon, hanging out with Elida and Danielle in Oregon, sleeping under the stars outside Black Butte Ranch. I've read the updated version, Through Painted Deserts, three times. God and light on the open road.

[Sarah Wells · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't realize until just now that this Donald Miller is the same Donald Miller who wrote Blue Like Jazz. Blue Like Jazz is much better. I remember being disappointed in this particular book and never actually finishing.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun spiritual book by Donald Miller. I just really enjoy his voice, so this was a great read for me. Besides, any book where people travel 1/2 way cross country in a VW Van deserves some praise.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Blue Like Jazz, but a really enjoyable read with lots of Donald Miller "deep thoughts". Will make you want to take a road trip! Side note: I actually did their road trip in reverse. But I didn't stay long in Texas!

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in college and I loved everything about it. I loved that he was searching for a deeper faith. And it put into words that longing for the freedom of the open road. I blame Donald Miller for lust for road trips.

[Dana Burkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in high school and did not get a lot out of it... Now that I am older, and have read other books by Miller, I think I might need to give it another try and see if I can digest it better! :)

[Josh Noles · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend got me this for my birthday and I love it. It's the original edition of "Through Painted Deserts" which is the first book I read by Donald Miller. I liked both, but I liked the cover of this one more.

[Dave Mankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

i read this one first back when it first came out under this title. me and about three others, apparently. good thing he re-released it. cuz it's certainly worth the read.

[Cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was "required reading" for a roadtrip with an old boyfriend and some friends. The roadtrip never happened but the book was decent.

[Michael Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

My personal favorite Donald Miller book.

[Kelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, it's such a down to earth journey.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my all time favorite books the year I read it. Maybe it's because I read it first, or because of where I was in my life when I read it, but I like it better than his other books...

[Ashley Calvert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I actually own this version! I found it in the bargain bin at Family Christian. It's out of print.

[Corah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the rawness of Donald Miller's books... his words are like poetry. I just like a good story that is true and makes you think and this did it for me.