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spinstah's review against another edition
3.0
I found this to be very slow going for the first chapter, but eventually it captured more of my interest. I think some of it was more that it wasn't quite what I expected - it's very much a travelogue, and to me the title sounds more academic. Conover reports on his experiences on six roads around the world, sharing stories of the people he meets and how the road impacts their lives. There are lots of interesting characters here and he's a seasoned and adventuresome traveler, taking the reader into all kinds of places most of us will otherwise never go.
liberrydude's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating thoughts on the duality of roads. We go to Peru, Palestine, China, Kenya, Nigeria, and India to see the good, bad, and ugly of roads and people. We even walk on frozen rivers as well as boat down the water roads of the jungle. Conover is no stranger to adversity and danger and he makes for a great travel companion. The people he meets in the course of these many trips come alive and feel like an acquaintance of yours. Belongs with some of the epic books on travel by Chatwin and Theroux.
docpacey's review against another edition
3.0
Conover writes in the tradition of the great John McPhee, he goes along for the ride and makes the characters he meets as entertaining and informative and the subject he is writing about.
I liked the first half of this book better than the last, so i lost a bit of momentum while reading it, but i enjoyed it thoroughly.
Q: 3
E: 3
I: 3
12
I liked the first half of this book better than the last, so i lost a bit of momentum while reading it, but i enjoyed it thoroughly.
Q: 3
E: 3
I: 3
12
thomcat's review against another edition
3.0
Anecdotes and a wandering agenda, still pretty interesting.
lizlogan's review against another edition
5.0
I found this book thoughtful and very interesting. I liked the in depth knowledge and research put into each road, but I think would have liked to have seen the juxtaposition of a road in a more prosperous country as well.
curtispaulostler's review against another edition
5.0
I am very stingy with five stars, and rarely award them to nonfiction, but I really liked this book! The prose was engaging, and there was something quite fascinating about how the author chose the particular routes, and how he described interactions with the people of various cultures. I have always believed that the best stories are about people, not places, and this book exemplifies that, defining the routes by the people who take them or are affected by them. I highly recommend this!
ottopivnr's review against another edition
3.0
Conover writes in the tradition of the great John McPhee, he goes along for the ride and makes the characters he meets as entertaining and informative and the subject he is writing about.
I liked the first half of this book better than the last, so i lost a bit of momentum while reading it, but i enjoyed it thoroughly.
Q: 3
E: 3
I: 3
12
I liked the first half of this book better than the last, so i lost a bit of momentum while reading it, but i enjoyed it thoroughly.
Q: 3
E: 3
I: 3
12
theirishlass's review against another edition
2.0
Got through the first couple of chapters, but it was more travel-log than sociology, which wasn't what I was looking for.
virtuallori's review against another edition
4.0
The author takes us on a fascinating tour of a variety of types of roads all over the world. He discusses how they have affected the communities they connect and the communities that grow up around them, in both good and not-so-good ways.
The maps at the beginning of each of the major stories are a much-appreciated feature (my only criticism: I wish they had been provided for the minor stories as well), as were the photographs.
All in all, an interesting read.
The maps at the beginning of each of the major stories are a much-appreciated feature (my only criticism: I wish they had been provided for the minor stories as well), as were the photographs.
All in all, an interesting read.
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