Customer Reviews

Expansion

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Part travelogue, part mid-life odyssey, EXPANSION is a rolling-down-the-road reflection on one man coming to terms with himself as he takes a three week motorcycle trip through Mexico. And yet, "this is the partial story of but one life ..."

Seven years before his Mexican roadtrip, Frank Leonard took another odyssey on the road that retraced much of Robert Pirsig's own "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". On the plains of North Dakota, he had a moment, an epiphany, that would be a life-changer - his eyes raised skyward, he broke into uproarious laughter as he uttered a stream of "God damn its" that rolled across the prairie solitude. It was a release that presaged his soon-to-be-experienced life changes.

After 25 years in the Lutheran ministry, he abruptly left. Soon thereafter, he left his 28 year marriage. He was at a complete burnout point, realizing he needed to completely empty the tank before it could be replenished with a new life. The foundation of his life having crumbled beneath him, he saw the raw logic of following his heart, and of no longer living by the truths and dictates of others. All the flashing yellow lights were pointing him towards the necessity of reshaping his future life.

The narration of Frank Leonard's journey to self, his course of self-examination as he rolls along the highways and Interstates, weaves the immediate present in with the fabric of his fifty year lifetime of serving others. Now, he is embarked upon a mission to serve himself in the process of self-discovery. Neither midlife crisis; nor burnout; nor selfishness ... and yet perhaps with elements of all three ... Frank Leonard sees the chance to confront himself and to finally begin living authentically - finding "the edges of my own internal values and limits".

"It has not been easy. There have been tumultuous choices to make along the way, and some dear friends have been lost, but finally I can say that I accept myself, and that I can be at peace".

For those in pursuit of the discoveries of their own life adventures, Frank Leonard's EXPANSION offers a guiding light. Highly recommended.

I vastly enjoyed this book. The author, Frank Leonard, takes the reader on a trip, both inner and outer, from San Francisco, his home, to visit his son in Mexico. The book has some interesting and raw autobiographical bits, as the author comes to grasp where he is presently in life.The reader sees how one big part of Frank's life has ended, and the new(and present) one takes shape. The narrative of the trip is solid. I felt like I was on the back of the bike at times.
Frank hits some wonderful insights on life throughout the book. I had trouble putting it down. His style of writing is easy to follow. This ties in with me first philosophical book in my life, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance".
Keep a lookout for this author. He has a lot more to say.