Jackfruit: A Bicycle Quest Through Latin America [Paperback]

David E.X.N. Nghiem (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 7, 2009

Bicycling across Latin America, adventurer David Nghiem explores the depth of human intuition while investigating ancient symbols and mysteries. He surveys the effects of globalization, enduring crocodiles and gun shots as he faces his greatest challenge - surviving the journey!

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Booklocker.com, Inc. (August 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 160145922X
• ISBN-13: 978-1601459220
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,705,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Traveler's Tale of Enlightenment, November 30, 2009

By 

J. Jones "Julia H. Jones" (Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jackfruit: A Bicycle Quest Through Latin America (Paperback)

The Vietnamese author writes about his experiences traveling through South and Central America and how he was accepted as just another human being rather than someone outside the mainstream. This book will inform the reader about the way non-white Americans feel in our country and how they are marginalized. South Americans accepted him as an equal. The most interesting thing of all is David's commentary on the corporate takeover of several under-developed countries. Environmental concerns are ignored and massive debt ensues. This book should be read along with John Perkins new book, "Hoodwinked."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting read, well worth picking up, April 10, 2010

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jackfruit: A Bicycle Quest Through Latin America (Paperback)

On the ground, at a gradual pace, one can view the change of the world in a detail not available elsewhere. "Jackfruit: A Bicycle Quest Through Latin America" chronicles David Nghiem's travels as he takes his mountain bike and supplies and rides through the vast part of the world known as Latin America. As he goes through the jungles and cities, he sees the gradual change in culture and people, while facing the harshness of nature all along the way. "Jackfruit" is an exciting read, well worth picking up.

3.0 out of 5 stars Enlightening, but not for everyone., August 8, 2011

By 

Rheazblaze (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jackfruit: A Bicycle Quest Through Latin America (Paperback)

Jackfruit is named after the largest tree-born fruit in the world. It suits to fill the shoes of the traveler David Nghiem who begins what should have been a three month journey that extends to almost a full year. He uses his bicycle as transport and little else. Before you pick up this book, it should be noted that the book is just one of many adventures that David has embarked on and, therefore, it is not like a novel. There is no conclusive ending except to allow you to explore your own mind to the fullest extent imaginable.

The book itself documents David's encounters with climate, friendly locals, not-so-friendly locals, flora, fauna, other travelers and himself. Though he is trying to escape Fate, he seems to rush headlong into it. He challenges and posits long accepted ideas of 'truth' and suggests that history and idealism and truth are nothing but facets of the human brain and, of course, humans are bound to make mistakes. He has done something that very few people are willing to do: question. Even if the answers sometimes led him to impossible outcomes, he continued to analyze ruins, history, cultural differences, and himself in order to seek something higher than what is stated in a text book. In this regard, the book is not for everyone but it should be. It opens eyes and though the reader might want to label the multitude of characters and David as lunatics one must keep in mind that all great minds, regardless of the time period, were often seen as crazy before tangible proof said otherwise.

Again, speaking to the readers out there, the book is riddled with spelling, grammatical, and semantic errors. Though I cannot judge it on intellectual quality from this since it is clearly of a higher caliber, it can be distracting. Furthermore, David is capable of writing well, but not in all regards. It is hard to keep up with the number of people he presents to us and often when he meets up with them later in the book I have forgotten who they were. Also, the book has a choppy style to it where he jumps back and forth between scenes that create a bit of a disconnect in flow.

Other than these problems, however, it is an enlightening book and made even more interesting by the fact that it actually happened to David (despite some incredible moments).