Customer Reviews

Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence.

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This was a Library Thing Early Reviewers book, and although it took me a while to get into it, I liked it and recommend it. When I first started it, there was a lot else going on in my life and I could not connect with it. I put it down and picked it up again on vacation and really enjoyed it. John Francis has a minimalist writing style and I found myself looking for more about him and his philosophy, but this is the story of his journey and he is true to that. He is not proselytizing or expecting others to emulate his decisions. He simply tells his story - How he stopped riding in cars, how he stopped talking, and how he managed his journey under those conditions. The glimpses of his travels are sparse, but telling. The style is journalistic, and I expect relies heavily on his journals- all present tense, and briefly descriptive. It is illustrated with his sketches ( I wish they could be larger), and punctuated with quotations from the text. The historical perspective is interesting and a nice juxtaposition to the current trend of paying attention to Carbon Footprints and our personal responsibility to the environment - Francis was 30 years ahead. The story of how his simple decisions (albeit with complex implications for his life) led him to significant accomplishments and allowed him to make a real difference in the world is a good lesson about the impact we each have, or could have. If you are interested in Environmental Studies, travel stories, or personal journeys, give it a try- Don't be surprised if it starts slow- it is worth the effort to stay with it. Francis has a good story and I'm glad I read it.

An interesting journey, poetically documented (along with wonderful pen & ink sketches) by a man who was distraught by the damage we humans do to our environment. He sought to make a statement by changing his way of life, embodying his own philosophy. Certainly not a "how-to" guide (how did he afford his walkabout across the country? or all of his education? the apartments?), but he was clearly very resourceful, made friends easily, and even entrepreneurial in nature. A zen-like journey toward self-discovery by interacting with the environment & people around him, even in his self-imposed silence. The tone and pacing of the book shifted toward the end, where it seemed the flowing insightful wording from his journals drops away; the pacing fast-forwarding as he re-immerses himself in the "daily grind" of the "real world" -- the wording more stilted, more intellectual, professorial even. At this point, for me, the journey (inward & outward) seemed to disconnect. Up until then, the reading flowed beautifully.

I am on the fence about this memoir. John Francis has lived this really unique life. Meeting people from all over the world, getting a phd, learning to build boats, and more all without speaking. I would have loved to learn more about these experiences but I feel like this memoir often focuses on mundane details like camp sites and water drop strategies. It's almost as if it was pieced together years after the walk with the help of a travel journal. Losing many of the personal details to the tides of time.

I first bought this book after reading an article in Adventure National Geographic Magazine about John Francis. I was 15 when I first cracked open this book and have never placed it down since. It really made me think deep. This book opened up my eyes and gives you the 'anythings possible feeling'. The book is somewhat artistic. I enjoy reading his poems at the beginning of every chapter that sometimes foreshadows what lies ahead in the book. John Francis inspired me to the point that I'd take his book on vacations or hikes so I could write short poems in the back blank pages. I have read this book once a year since buying it in 2007. This book changed who I am today. It teaches you to listen to others opinoins before you speak. If you like nature and the outdoors you would most definately cheerish this book.

This product was in like-new condition, just like the seller said it would be. I got it used, for a penny! This is a great book to read out-loud on a roadtrip with friends, so I've found. I had the privilege of meeting John Francis, and he tells stories in the same fashion out loud as he does in his text. It's a very captivating, and motivating book!

A H.D.Thoreau on foot. An emotionally uplifting book. Not for everyone. This book was well written and takes you on an introspective journey targetting our failing environment, racism, life, self-acualization and human interaction.

I enjoyed it to it's fullest. I will keep it next to ,"Walden." I will return to it.

Dan Williams, author of ,"Above His Shoulders."

While I can't say I'm too fond of his actual writing, the story of this, at the very least, interesting man and his journey makes it well worth the read.

This book was given to me for Christmas because I am interested in environmental issues, and have lived for more than a year without a car, walking, riding my bike, and using public transportation instead. I admired Francis' radical commitment to his non-motorized living style and don't feel so smug about my choice as a result. I also found his experience in silence fascinating - and wondered if the voices and arguments in his head came back - he never answered that. Maybe he will in his second book, which has the added appeal of larger prints of his drawings and paintings.

In short, I loved the first three chapters, and the ending of this book - found myself skimming some of the travelog in the middle. At times it reminded me of the first memoir written in English ("The Book of Margery Kempe" by a Medieval woman who after twelve children got her husband to take a vow of celibacy and embarked on the life of a pilgrim). Like Margery's book, a lot of the writing seemed centered on people's responses to and validation of such an extreme lifestyle.

With his feet moving and his lips still John Francis proves that you can take your message to the world if you believe in yourself and your cause.

This book is truly an inspiration. Beautiful, unique layout. Exceptionally well-written account of a young man's life in America.