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Buenos Aires. 22 cm. 285 p. Encuadernación en tapa blanda de editorial ilustrada. Colección 'Inspiración'. Bach, Richard ( 1936-). Traducción, Andrés Vergara .. Este libro es de segunda mano y tiene o puede tener marcas y señales de su anterior propietario. 9501505693
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1974
51 people are currently reading
607 people want to read
About the author
Richard Bach
164 books3,770 followers
Since Jonathan Livingston Seagull - which dominated the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List for two consecutive years - Richard Bach has touched millions of people through his humor, wisdom and insight.
With over 60 million copies of his books sold, Richard Bach remains one of the world's most beloved authors. A former USAF fighter pilot, Air Force captain and latter-day barnstorming pilot, Bach continues to be an avid aviator-author, exploring and chronicling the joys and freedom of flying, reporting his findings to readers.
His most recent works include Travels with Puff, which recounts Bach's journey from Florida to Washington state in his small seaplane, Puff, and Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student, which incorporates Bach's real-life plane crash.
In October 2014, the never-before-published Part Four to Jonathan Livingston Seagull was published.
Readers can find more about Richard and his work at www.richardbach.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
March 28, 2007
Favorite Quotes
It’s not when you start that makes your success in the world, but when you quit.
Were we, also, hiking along some cosmic journal page? Were the events about us all part of a message we could understand, if only we found the right perspective from which to read them? Somehow, with our long series of miracles, I thought so.
At last, the answer why. The lesson that had been so hard to find, so difficult to learn, came quick and clear and simple. The reason for problems is to overcome them. Why, that’s the very nature of man, I thought, to press past limits, to prove his freedom. It isn’t the challenge that faces us, that determines who we are and what we are becoming, but the way we meet the challenge, whether we toss a match at the wreck or work our way through it, step by step, to freedom.
And behind it lies not blind chance but a principle that works to help us understand, a thousand "coincidences" and friends come to show us the way when the problem seems too hard to solve alone. Problems for overcoming. Freedom for proving. And, as long as we believe in our dream, nothing by chance.
It’s not when you start that makes your success in the world, but when you quit.
Were we, also, hiking along some cosmic journal page? Were the events about us all part of a message we could understand, if only we found the right perspective from which to read them? Somehow, with our long series of miracles, I thought so.
At last, the answer why. The lesson that had been so hard to find, so difficult to learn, came quick and clear and simple. The reason for problems is to overcome them. Why, that’s the very nature of man, I thought, to press past limits, to prove his freedom. It isn’t the challenge that faces us, that determines who we are and what we are becoming, but the way we meet the challenge, whether we toss a match at the wreck or work our way through it, step by step, to freedom.
And behind it lies not blind chance but a principle that works to help us understand, a thousand "coincidences" and friends come to show us the way when the problem seems too hard to solve alone. Problems for overcoming. Freedom for proving. And, as long as we believe in our dream, nothing by chance.
December 11, 2012
Bach is a lyricist. He tells the most simple of stories with grace and deep meaning. Beyond that, however, and purely from a plot perspective, this memoir is a charmer. Bach and two friends spend a summer flying around the country, trying to recreate the 1920s barnstorming days. The very fact that their adventure is a recreation and not the real thing brings extra value to me, as I research the era for my next novel, since it offers much insight into the changes that have come about since the 1920s. The book is enjoyable and worthwhile from an informational standpoint, but it also offers worthwhile themes and plenty of fun.
March 23, 2015
A very relaxing and enjoyable read whether you are an aviation fan or not. Bach has the rare ability, perhaps through his attention to details that other authors might leave out, to make you feel immersed in the adventure with the flyers. I tend to re-read this book every few years just to experience the atmosphere that Bach manages to create and, although I am an aviation fan, much of that atmosphere comes from his descriptions of the places he visits and the people he encounters, in his attempt to recreate a barnstormers life in a more modern era. A thoroughly recommended read to leave you with a sense of peace and relaxation.
October 2, 2008
Yes Richard Bach! Yes! If you need some inspiration to get up, turn off the tv, and go and do what you want to do with your life, READ THIS BOOK. Amazing. It made me want to join the great flying circus. Such a positive, inspiring read about people doing what they want to do.
March 15, 2018
Two pilots, one parachutist and two antique airplanes constitute The Great American Flying Circus. Making their way across the midwest trying to recreate for themselves the golden age of barnstorming. In an odd way, this cross country saga reminded me a little bit of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, except the philosophical digressions weren't nearly as deep and interesting. But if you ever feel nostalgic for the great age of Flying Machines. Or, if you liked the movie The Great Waldo Pepper. Then you would love this book.
May 1, 2019
Barnstormin' You don't get more American than that! But do you even know what it means? This is a real adventure, something only conceivable at a time when such adventures were still possible in such a carefree, Tom Sawyer way. There's no question I yearned to join him and at the same time realised the time has passed. Wistful and nostalgic, with beautiful imagery, it provides a vivid insight into a time gone by.
May 10, 2020
For someone who doesn’t understand a single thing about planes, especially planes from the 1920s, I was a little skeptic about this book. Well, as the 4 stars reveal, I was wrong. The book is very fluid to read and airplane language doesn’t complicate a lot, but you do need some knowledge in order to imagine things properly in your head. However, it was a beautiful book with a beautiful message. Recommend!
August 2, 2018
The biggest irony of this book is the desire to fly for nostalgia and lamenting that the barnstorming life just isn't done anymore - fast forward all these many more years and the sentiment turns even more poignant. It got oddly philosophical at times but the spirit of antique aviation is strong in it.
July 23, 2021
I enjoyed it as a postcard from the past, with images of a bygone era. There is not much of a plot, and the philosophy that the author conveys is not quite of my liking, but the book was a relaxing read.
January 29, 2025
Awesome
Richard Bach has a way of writing that one feels they are with him experiencing what he does and feeling the freedoms in our wonderful country where we are free to adventure any we choose.
Richard Bach has a way of writing that one feels they are with him experiencing what he does and feeling the freedoms in our wonderful country where we are free to adventure any we choose.
July 18, 2019
Fun read!
Loved the trip I took on this read! Took my first Biplane ride with Stu this year
Thank you Richard!
Loved the trip I took on this read! Took my first Biplane ride with Stu this year
Thank you Richard!
November 18, 2021
I am a Richard Bach fan. He is a different kind of author. If you like the romantic side of aviation, I definitely recommend!
July 26, 2022
Un libro muy repetitivo, y solo en los últimos 6 capítulos se resume la verdadera esencia del mensaje .
October 6, 2022
A sweet, gentle reflection on the summer of 1966, in midwestern America, from a $3/ride "gypsy pilot."
March 11, 2024
Always a pleasure reading stories of his time barnstorming. Makes me wish I'd spent the time and money learning to fly that Stearman.
October 26, 2024
Great read, great thoughts.
Left me thinking more deeply about life, and my country, as every great book should. Well worth my time. Thanks again, Richard.
Left me thinking more deeply about life, and my country, as every great book should. Well worth my time. Thanks again, Richard.
November 11, 2024
Come rendere noiosa l'avventura...
September 22, 2013
Richard Bach, a true adventurist at heart with a deep passion for flying, and a much deeper passion for freedom, comes up again with a question: “Why?” and “What were the chances of this happening…?” in his book “Nothing by Chance.”
Bach says about their barnstorming:
“I knew now, without question, that the land of yesterday does exist, that there is a place of escape, that a man can survive alone with his airplane, if only he had a wish to do so. Milan had been good to me, and I was happy. But tomorrow it would be time to move on.”
“…No freedom tasted, none of these strange affairs I called guidance to whisper that man is not a creature of chance, pointed into oblivion.”
“Which would I rather have - the wreck in the hangar or a polished piece of a biplane that flew only on calm Sunday afternoons?”
*********************
The story raises fundamental and core questions that are thought provoking - about life with its choices, and freedom of choices ever present before us. Bach uses the backdrop of slow paced country life (which is in total contrast to modern city life), to bring forth these questions and we can relate to the theme and the quest easily and instantly.
The simplicity or the freedom to stop and smell flowers is represented by the life that is gentle, calm and peaceful where they land their aircraft. The sky is beautiful, spacious, all encompassing and there is a sense of luxury - luxury of time, luxury of choice, luxury of space, of looking at the bright sun, vast blue sky, hues of twilight and the constellations in the clear nights, along with vast fields, water spots, hills and valleys and the green belts of land. He talks about good friends and the space they give each other. Life is simple, and there is a sense of freedom and joy that is uplifting and very gentle. Set in a simple narrative and a rather poetic style, Bach comes up with the most poignant questions of life. "Why?" and "What were the chances of this happening?"
These are the questions that plague every one of us, at one time or the other – specially, when things go wrong. We always stop to wonder why this has happened, or why we have to go through this. Richard Bach comes up with his answers in a very simple manner.
“At last, the answer why. The lesson that had been so hard to find, so difficult to learn, came quick and clear and simple. The reason for problems is to overcome them. Why, that’s the very nature of man, I thought, to press past limits, to prove his freedom. It isn’t the challenge that faces us, that determines who we are and what we are becoming, but the way we meet the challenge, whether we toss a match at the wreck or work our way through it, step by step, to freedom.” “And behind it, ….. lies not blind chance but a principle that works to help us understand, a thousand "coincidences" and friends come to show us the way when the problem seems too hard to solve alone”.
These are probably not revelations!!! Probably there is nothing new about these answers!! But this is his search for the meaning of life, and these are his answers. What is impressive is the way he puts forth his dreams and visions. What I like about the book is the freedom that is vibrant throughout the book. The freedom that always charms but eludes mankind, the freedom that everyone yearns for but which remains a distant dream. You can feel that freedom pulsating and inspiring throughout.
We choose to be what we are, by choosing to do whatever we do. Choices are made by us, nothing is thrust upon us, nothing ever happens by chance! To just live, or to be alive every moment, to be chained or to be free, to be what we want to be, or to be something we don’t want to be - everything is a matter of choice!!!
A perfect feel good and thought provoking book, and I enjoyed reading the same.
“Problems for overcoming. Freedom for proving. And, as long as we believe in our dream, nothing by chance.”
What an absolutely fantastic way, to end an absolutely fantastic book!!
Bach says about their barnstorming:
“I knew now, without question, that the land of yesterday does exist, that there is a place of escape, that a man can survive alone with his airplane, if only he had a wish to do so. Milan had been good to me, and I was happy. But tomorrow it would be time to move on.”
“…No freedom tasted, none of these strange affairs I called guidance to whisper that man is not a creature of chance, pointed into oblivion.”
“Which would I rather have - the wreck in the hangar or a polished piece of a biplane that flew only on calm Sunday afternoons?”
*********************
The story raises fundamental and core questions that are thought provoking - about life with its choices, and freedom of choices ever present before us. Bach uses the backdrop of slow paced country life (which is in total contrast to modern city life), to bring forth these questions and we can relate to the theme and the quest easily and instantly.
The simplicity or the freedom to stop and smell flowers is represented by the life that is gentle, calm and peaceful where they land their aircraft. The sky is beautiful, spacious, all encompassing and there is a sense of luxury - luxury of time, luxury of choice, luxury of space, of looking at the bright sun, vast blue sky, hues of twilight and the constellations in the clear nights, along with vast fields, water spots, hills and valleys and the green belts of land. He talks about good friends and the space they give each other. Life is simple, and there is a sense of freedom and joy that is uplifting and very gentle. Set in a simple narrative and a rather poetic style, Bach comes up with the most poignant questions of life. "Why?" and "What were the chances of this happening?"
These are the questions that plague every one of us, at one time or the other – specially, when things go wrong. We always stop to wonder why this has happened, or why we have to go through this. Richard Bach comes up with his answers in a very simple manner.
“At last, the answer why. The lesson that had been so hard to find, so difficult to learn, came quick and clear and simple. The reason for problems is to overcome them. Why, that’s the very nature of man, I thought, to press past limits, to prove his freedom. It isn’t the challenge that faces us, that determines who we are and what we are becoming, but the way we meet the challenge, whether we toss a match at the wreck or work our way through it, step by step, to freedom.” “And behind it, ….. lies not blind chance but a principle that works to help us understand, a thousand "coincidences" and friends come to show us the way when the problem seems too hard to solve alone”.
These are probably not revelations!!! Probably there is nothing new about these answers!! But this is his search for the meaning of life, and these are his answers. What is impressive is the way he puts forth his dreams and visions. What I like about the book is the freedom that is vibrant throughout the book. The freedom that always charms but eludes mankind, the freedom that everyone yearns for but which remains a distant dream. You can feel that freedom pulsating and inspiring throughout.
We choose to be what we are, by choosing to do whatever we do. Choices are made by us, nothing is thrust upon us, nothing ever happens by chance! To just live, or to be alive every moment, to be chained or to be free, to be what we want to be, or to be something we don’t want to be - everything is a matter of choice!!!
A perfect feel good and thought provoking book, and I enjoyed reading the same.
“Problems for overcoming. Freedom for proving. And, as long as we believe in our dream, nothing by chance.”
What an absolutely fantastic way, to end an absolutely fantastic book!!
November 27, 2024
Lovely
Excellent as always. Bach has an incredible ability to share the joy of flight. I lost my medical some years ago and miss it still. Sound of an aircraft over the house in SW England and I'm outside to see what it is. And more often than not who! They were great days.
Excellent as always. Bach has an incredible ability to share the joy of flight. I lost my medical some years ago and miss it still. Sound of an aircraft over the house in SW England and I'm outside to see what it is. And more often than not who! They were great days.
May 20, 2021
Спокойное повествование о жизни летчиков, которые решили провести лето, летая из города в город и развлекая смелых желающих прокатиться на самолете.
Книга не без житейской мудрости в стиле "ничто не случайно (см. название) и раз так случилось, то это к лучшему". С мудростью согласна, про летчиков читать было интересно.
Мне запомнился один момент, когда лутчик дал другу прокатиться на своем самолете и друг неудачно приземлился, сильно повредив машину. Так главный герой подумал, как же ему не хотелось быть на месте друга, ведь ему сейчас так неловко и горько за случившееся. Высший уровень эмпатии, на мой взгляд.
Книга не без житейской мудрости в стиле "ничто не случайно (см. название) и раз так случилось, то это к лучшему". С мудростью согласна, про летчиков читать было интересно.
Мне запомнился один момент, когда лутчик дал другу прокатиться на своем самолете и друг неудачно приземлился, сильно повредив машину. Так главный герой подумал, как же ему не хотелось быть на месте друга, ведь ему сейчас так неловко и горько за случившееся. Высший уровень эмпатии, на мой взгляд.
February 28, 2017
Книга мне очень понравилась. Но чтобы получить от процесса чтения удовольствие, надо проникнуться, а не видеть только поверхностный рассказ.
На мой взгляд, данная книга передаёт три мысли. Первая, ясна уже по названию произведения - ничто ни происходит случайно. Всё, что бы вы ни делали, что бы с вами ни происходило, дано для чего-то, просто нужно понять для чего именно. Вторая, о том, что надо жить этим моментом, не ждать, что счастье придёт позднее, оно уже здесь, это просто нужно осознать. Ну и конечно же о свободе, не надо ставить рамки и мучиться от них. Если нравится летать, то зачем учиться на дантиста, вместо того, чтоб наслаждается этим чувством полёта.
Не теряйте ту искру в вас, наслаждайтесь жизнью: "Никогда не прекращай быть ребенком, Ричард! Никогда не прекращай ощущать, чувствовать, видеть и радоваться таким прекрасным вещам, как воздух, моторы, звуки и цвета, которые окружают тебя. Носи свою безобидную маску, если это нужно для того, чтобы защищать ребенка от мира, но знай, приятель, что, если ты не сохранишь в себе этого ребенка, ты состаришься и умрешь".
На мой взгляд, данная книга передаёт три мысли. Первая, ясна уже по названию произведения - ничто ни происходит случайно. Всё, что бы вы ни делали, что бы с вами ни происходило, дано для чего-то, просто нужно понять для чего именно. Вторая, о том, что надо жить этим моментом, не ждать, что счастье придёт позднее, оно уже здесь, это просто нужно осознать. Ну и конечно же о свободе, не надо ставить рамки и мучиться от них. Если нравится летать, то зачем учиться на дантиста, вместо того, чтоб наслаждается этим чувством полёта.
Не теряйте ту искру в вас, наслаждайтесь жизнью: "Никогда не прекращай быть ребенком, Ричард! Никогда не прекращай ощущать, чувствовать, видеть и радоваться таким прекрасным вещам, как воздух, моторы, звуки и цвета, которые окружают тебя. Носи свою безобидную маску, если это нужно для того, чтобы защищать ребенка от мира, но знай, приятель, что, если ты не сохранишь в себе этого ребенка, ты состаришься и умрешь".
April 17, 2020
Sorunlar tek başımızayken aşılmaz gibi göründüğü zaman, binlerce rastlantının ve dostların bize yardıma gelmesi tesadüf müydü?
Sorunlar alt edilmek için. Özgürlük kanıtlanmak için. Ve biz rüyamıza inandığımız sürece hiçbir şey rastlantı değil...
Sorunlar alt edilmek için. Özgürlük kanıtlanmak için. Ve biz rüyamıza inandığımız sürece hiçbir şey rastlantı değil...
July 1, 2020
“(...) bright and happy and beautiful in a way that we are all beautiful when we are for a moment completely unconscious of ourselves, when we are looking out toward something that absorbs us completely.”
December 22, 2020
Review posted on my blog The Writer's Library.
Unlike Richard Bach, I may never know the true freedom of flight. I used to think that flying was mainly commercial, that there was no way it was a hobby for anyone. Yet if you have the good fortune to fly a small, simple Wright, I consider you lucky. I'd never have the courage to do that.
Bach does his best to impress upon his readers the spirituality of flight, the freedom of the open air, and why the earth is not free in the same sense.
When I was younger and much more naive I thought that, as long as I was free, so was everyone else in the world. I now understand that I am not free, not really. Society has pinned me down and forced me, a nonconformist, to fulfill society's expectations. Yet, like Bach, I want to fly, even if I can't actually fly.
This book teaches us that real freedom can be found in what you love, whether it's flight, writing, or skydiving. I believe that this book can teach you to embrace your inner calling and just go with it, even if society tells you otherwise.
Another great one by Bach.
Unlike Richard Bach, I may never know the true freedom of flight. I used to think that flying was mainly commercial, that there was no way it was a hobby for anyone. Yet if you have the good fortune to fly a small, simple Wright, I consider you lucky. I'd never have the courage to do that.
Bach does his best to impress upon his readers the spirituality of flight, the freedom of the open air, and why the earth is not free in the same sense.
When I was younger and much more naive I thought that, as long as I was free, so was everyone else in the world. I now understand that I am not free, not really. Society has pinned me down and forced me, a nonconformist, to fulfill society's expectations. Yet, like Bach, I want to fly, even if I can't actually fly.
This book teaches us that real freedom can be found in what you love, whether it's flight, writing, or skydiving. I believe that this book can teach you to embrace your inner calling and just go with it, even if society tells you otherwise.
Another great one by Bach.
October 14, 2012
Uno dei primi romanzi di Bach, che racconta un'estate passata in giro per gli States vivendo alla giornata e guadagnandosi il pane come "pilota da circo" con due amici: acrobazie in cielo, e voli per chiunque, a terra, sia disposto a pagare $3 per vedere dall'alto la propria città.
Molto meno metafisico (o, a seconda di come la si vede, molto meno new age) dei romanzi per cui Bach è diventato famoso, Niente per caso lascia comunque intravedere la strada che l'autore intraprenderà con il successivo Il gabbiano Jonathan Livingston.
Una lettura gradevole per appassionati di Bach... o del volo.
February 29, 2008
didn't like it quite as much as i like the first book i read by richard bach. and i'm an idiot and can't remember the name of that book. so this is kinda useless. but i think my friend nick would enjoy this book, so i'm going to give it to him. i think he's stuck in a different time. so if you ever feel out of place, like you're searching for a different place, a different time, where people took things a little slower, when things were more clean, honest, and pure... then you should probably read this book. it might inspire you to try to find that time and place.
July 27, 2008
I read these and all the other "older" Richard Bach books after The Bridge Across Forever roped me in (and held me for some time) to Bach's writing. I wasn't much impressed with any of these earlier books, though I suppose aviation enthusiasts might enjoy them. While Jonathan Livingston Seagull gets all of the attention, it is still my humble opinion that Bach's magnum opus was Illusions. Long after I've re-thought how good the rest of his books were, Illusions remains solidly wonderful. And it had a vampire long before the Twilight books ever did. :)
July 18, 2013
Celou knížku jsem proklatě záviděl lidem, kteří by dokázali takhle žít. Vážně. Od několika "normálních" děvčat jsem si vyslechl, že žít pro pár dolarů, hamburgery k večeři, úsměvy lidí na palubě letadla i na zemi a vítr ve vlasech je šílené.
Není. Je to daleko lepší než žít pro velká auta, domy a osm hodin buzerace v zaměstnání.
A tak čekám, až potkám děvče nenormální, které by usedlo na křídlo dvojplošníku a vyrazilo za skutečným dobrodružstvím.
Kousek od baráku máme moc hezkou louku. Rovnou.
Není. Je to daleko lepší než žít pro velká auta, domy a osm hodin buzerace v zaměstnání.
A tak čekám, až potkám děvče nenormální, které by usedlo na křídlo dvojplošníku a vyrazilo za skutečným dobrodružstvím.
Kousek od baráku máme moc hezkou louku. Rovnou.
February 8, 2012
This is my favourite Richard Bach book, dealing as it does with the true-life experiences of the author when he spent a summer barnstorming in his Parkes 1929 biplane. Bach is brilliant at writing animals; highlights of this book include a marvellous comic piece involving a mouse, and another involving a friendly racoon. Bach's deep love of flying, and his respect for living things, resonate throughout the pages of this delightful book.
September 11, 2015
In this non-fiction tale of Richard Bach's own barnstorming in a 1929 bi-plane through the Midwest, the lesson for all is the pursuit of a desire, the persistence of following a dream, and trusting that whatever the challenge or experience that comes, the way we meet that it and work through it, brings us freedom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews