Customer Reviews

Amazing Adventures of a Nobody

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AMAZING ADVENTURES OF A NOBODY is that kind of book that is infectious: once the reader reads the first page the drive to follow this extraordinary tale has begun and attempting to put the book aside for spot reading is impossible. Leon Logothetis has not only found clues to the path of rediscovering humanity thought withered, he proved himself a powerful writer. Very briefly the book relates the adventures of a young British lad who confronts his meaningless, mundane, uninspiring life and decides to do something to change it. Watching the movie 'The Motorcycle Diaries' in which Che Guevarra travels across South America observing the innate goodness in mankind stimulates Leon Logothetis to discard his ordered march toward boring security, leave his worldly goods behind, and start out on a trek to America where he sets his rules to travel form Times Square to Hollywood with only $5 a day, completely depending on the kindness of strangers for food, transportation and lodging. 'Everything. It was all I had. The only thing I had done with my life so far that even resembled a raison d'etre. This wasn't a trip. This was my life.' 'My inability to follow my true dreams [primal fear] being a major way that fear infiltrated my life. I feared change. I feared rejection. I feared failure.'

The surprises come as Leon attempts the 'impossible', meets all manner of people, and is constantly surprised how sharing his story of his mission gains him friends and respect and sustenance. 'Each person I met along the way was contributing something of themselves to my odyssey. The roles they played composed my own narrative, and without their moving in my life, that narrative collapsed, and I would be left alone, just as before, with no story worth telling.' And throughout this book are little crystals of phrases that want to memorize. ' 'All along the way, we have connected less and less. Now, we don't talk at all. We don't see the point. Now, the journeys are just about speed - getting someplace as fast as possible. Efficiency is the enemy of connection.' The number of people who responded to Leon's story and odyssey provide tremendous character creations of the story and they are all true, as odd and disparate as they seem. 'There is a great potential in each and every one of us to love and be gracious. I never realized this until I embarked on this odyssey. I was always looking at life from the dark side, yet there is a light that so many of us fail to see.'

He gains appreciation for military personnel, for the elderly, for the unsuspected generosity form people who offered their homes and key, from truckers, cabbies, motorcyclists, poor people, neighborhood gatherings of folks bonded by Christian love - and in encountering these many types and unsuspected friends Leon makes it to Los Angeles. He gets a call from home demanding he return because lab tests there prove he is a borderline diabetic who could succumb to his disease without medical intervention, and when his father insists he 'straighten up and return. Leon muses 'I had reached the turning point. A point where it became crystal clear to me that there was no turning back. My future did not lie in the family business, or the stultified world of corporate finance. My future was in the arts. My future was in the rarefied world of writing. My future was in Los Angeles. My future was in reclaiming the lost soul that had floundered for so many years. My future was in giving back to people. My future was in giving whatever gifts I had acquired through this trip. MY future. Not someone else's perception of my future....I felt free.'

Here is a book that restores our faith in the pioneer mind. The book is full of hilarious diversions as well as deeply and profoundly touching connections. It restores that faith in humanity that has been so bruised by the invention of impersonal 'communication', by endless wars across the globe, the growing disparity between the wealthy and the middle class sliding down the hill toward the lower class status. Here is another opportunity to visit joy - to admit that a book is still capable of causing a lump in the throat. Yes, there is a backstage aspect of Leon Logothetis' journey, but it never gets in the way. Leon Logothetis has lighted the lamp for us. The rest is our own commitment to living. Grady Harp, November 11

A quick, intimate read that reminded me of recapping a life-changing journey I had with an old friend. I'm not sure if it was the stories he related, the simple and engaging way he communicates, or just his sunny optimism that makes even the silliest stories charming. It definitely leaves you looking forward to the next adventure! I actually bought one for my husband! He is reading it as I write this...

Through his book, Amazing Adventures of a Nobody, Leon has opened my eyes to the reality of everyday life. I mean, you see it in movies, the news, sometimes even on the streets, but to read about it and visualize it in your mind is like being there and living it. I couldn't leave it all behind, but I genuinely thank Leon for taking his journey on our behalf, and letting us share, and learn from, his discoveries. It was excellent!

I suppose this is a backhanded compliment to the late Christopher McCandless as much as it is a ringing endorsement of Leon Logothetis. The young man who starved to death in an abandoned bus in Alaska was by all accounts very bright, if dangerously brave. Leon has the same magnetism as was often attributed to McCandless. In another life, perhaps we could have been reading of a triumphant return from the bush and the amazing cross-country adventures of a not-so nobody. But Chris had some bad luck. Or maybe Leon just wanted to live more. To be fair, the latter's avowed mission--to *connect* with people--necessarily kept him in contact with the masses, whereas Chris was more the loner type.

Amazing Adventures of a Nobody is, objectively, very well written. Given the respective outcomes, it is obviously funnier and much more uplifting than Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild. I was also reminded fondly of Charles Kuralt's classic slices of America. Finally, this book recalled the same male-isolationist theme of Nick Hornby's About a Boy, especially the film adaptation starring Hugh Grant: "Every man is an island." Logothetis' rejoinder--"I used to feel each man was an island." (p.233)--is ultimately disproved, too.

Essentially this is hitchhike-your-way-across-the-U-S-A, with the added challenge of begging for free food as well. Part of me thinks I could do what he did; the rest of me realizes I wouldn't *want* to. Logothetis executed this adventure as a means of soul-searching--"I was lonely for me"--along with the admitted goal of forging a career in entertainment. He purports to believe in the intrinsic goodness of people, blaming society for "mak[ing] them fearful and thus more introverted." It is difficult to contest his damnation, and yet we must all swim in the same stank waters. Anyone who has been mugged or watched a panhandler use a handout to get liquor might have a hard time buying Leon's [I {HEART} People] mantra.

Honestly, I think Leon had an edge here with his charming British accent. For whatever reason, be it shared cultural histories, Mr. Bean or Top Gear, a British accent in America has always been regarded as either quaint, sexy, or at the very least, non-threatening. I thought of asking Leon how he might have fared had he bummed across England instead. But apparently he has duplicated his success across Europe, so what do I know.

Still and all, inspirational and recommended.

[The reviewer was provided with a complimentary copy of the book.]

This book, and especially the author, are totally engaging. His youthful perspective and wonderment and experiences are totally absorbing, and his observations are very interesting! I'm giving this book to all my friends - times are hard but life is precious, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel and Amazing Adventures of a Nobody is the perfect reminder.

I would recommend Amazing Adventures of a Nobody to any book club, you'll learn so much about yourself and each other. I couldn't believe how captivating it was as I could hardly wait to read about each new crazy encounter. It had my eyes glued to the page and my mind racing with enjoyment. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading. It will change your outlook on life, hopefully for the better. It's perfect! LINA

I'll admit at the beginning that I haven't finished this book, but I've read enough to say that the author's style is extremely readable, and his journey is a lush promise that lured this reader in. Who wouldn't want to know what happens to a man with five dollars in his pocket and a goal to travel across the United States? It only enhances the intrigue of his story that Leon Logothetis experiences a rude awakening in his first American city, New York, and wonders what he's gotten himself into.

Leon brings his inimitable passion for life and relationship into a journey of discovery and new frienships. Traveling light and relying on the kindness of strangers, he confirms his hunch about people's fundamental goodness and invites us to join him in celebrating our endlessly fascinating world. "Adventures of a Nobody" is irresistible reading for anyone who wants to get reconnected to joy for living and the values that matter most.

Greg Hunt, Author of "Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night" Blackbird Singing in the Dead of Night: What to do When God Won't Answer

Leon's journey gives a renewed hope for modern man and modern times. His shows us that deep inside people still have good hearts and want to be there for their neighbors, even if they're strangers. Loved it!

"Amazing Adventures of a Nobody" is the perfect, accurate title for this book. The adventures are entertaining, insightful and fun.

A great read and full of spiritual discovery.