Life is a Road, the Soul is a Motorcycle [Paperback]

Daniel Meyer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 5, 2003

I was on a lonely stretch of road. There were no lights other than the moon and stars, and I had not encountered any traffic in at least 10 minutes. Far ahead of me a figure stepped out of the brush and stood on the shoulder of the road. The figure was still far out of my headlight range, but was visible as a stunning and marvelous silhouette in the bright moonlight.Capturing the essence of the riding experience through a series of adventures and a candid look into the author s mind, this book explodes the myths and shows the reader something few books have before-the complex motivations of an avid motorcycle rider.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Daniel Meyer is a pilot, engineer, skier, and an avid motorcyclist with a few hundred thousand miles under his belt. When asked to describe himself, his usual answer is, "I'm a six-foot, three-hundred pound, blue-eyed Texan; supremely confident and strong as an ox, though I usually don't smell like one."

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse, Inc. (March 5, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595269907
• ISBN-13: 978-0595269907
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #630,765 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great read, June 23, 2003

By 

Mark Butler (Antioch, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Life is a Road, the Soul is a Motorcycle (Paperback)

This is one of those books that you either love or hate, either it touches you and makes you long for the open road and the adventures beyond the next "twistie" or you throw up your hands in disgust and consider it wasted time.

This is not a novel, on the surface its a simple set of small narrations of what happened during a trip: I took road x, stopped and had x for dinner, slept in motel x, etc. For many people this is all they get from it and its not terribly exciting.

For others, those who have the travelling "bug" this is a thrilling narrative of the romance of the open road. What it feels like to leave work on a friday, all strung out and hit the "twisties" and stop at small places where people call you "hon" and to begin to put your priorities back in order.

Mr. Meyers feelings towards his ride and his enjoyment of the open road, the desire to just start riding, pick roads at random and see where you end up... more importantly his ability to enjoy things that others avoid, like riding in the middle of a storm or right through the middle of a dust-devil..appeal to me, its something that people either understand or look at you funny about. If you understand then this book is for you!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why read this Book?, March 25, 2003

By 

"knightanarchy" (Dallas, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life is a Road, the Soul is a Motorcycle (Paperback)

O.k. I have just received my copy of "Life is a Road" and finished reading it. I figure now is a good time to review this book and what I got from it.

Having known the author for many years and being mentioned in the book a couple of times I may not have a completely unbiased opinion concerning "Life is a Road". Of course, like most people, I don't have many unbiased opinions on many subjects.

The question of why I would read "Life is a Road" is simply answered in my case. I did not want a 300 pound biker, who occasionally smells like an ox, sitting in my living room sticking a book under my nose every 3 minutes saying "Read this, read this!" So it is a matter of simple self defense when looked at in that light. The question of what I got out of reading the book is not so simply answered.

Even though I experienced most of the trips described in "Life is a Road" I still gained insight into the larger world around me by reading the book. Although I was there (in varying states of exuberance - boredom - awe - misery - delight etc...) seeing the events from the authors point of view made me re-evaluate some of the ideas and concepts I developed along the journey. Two people seeing the same thing can have completely opposite reactions. A case in point is the 75 mile dust storm we encountered in far west Texas during the Hell and Gone trip. My reaction to the event was "Well hell, now I have to breath and taste sand for an hour or so." Danny's reaction as expressed in his book is one more of wonder. It did not strike me as a wonder of any kind during that ride, but looking back on it through the descriptions, and through the eyes, of the author made me realize what a wonderful experience it was. Amazing how two people can be so much alike and so totally different.

Like the author I am an avid motorcycle rider. Long distance ridding is a true joy in itself. For me the journey is an opportunity to pit myself against the road and nature, as well as see new things along the way. For the author it is an opportunity to once again experience the vibrancy of life that a soul of true passion craves. We each take something home with us at the end of each journey, in my case photographs and stories. What the author brings home from his journeys is superbly revealed in "Life is a Road". Unlike my photos, which can never truly depict the scope and depth of their subjects, the stories in "Life is a Road" does an amazing job of letting the reader feel and see their subjects.

Even if I had never ridden a motorcycle, reading this book would have given me something new. So, what did I get from reading "Life is a Road"? A whole new outlook on motorcycle journeys - and guide posts on what to look for on the next journey.

The main point the book brings across is one I have known for many years - the journey is the point, not the destination. It is easy to forget that at times and it is nice to be reminded in such an entertaining way.

I would recommend this book to not only motorcycle riders but also anyone who has the urge to journey out into the larger world.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best new real life motorcyclist book since jupiter's travels, September 5, 2004

By 

bigdan (ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life is a Road, the Soul is a Motorcycle (Paperback)

I read this book almost non-stop. If you ride a motorcycle, it's a must read. If you don't, read it and find out why the rest of us ride! Humor, adventure, a little sureal, something for all. The story about finding the cat is worth the price of admission alone!
I'm looking forward to reading his next tome, as soon as riding season's over :).