Customer Reviews

Planetwalker: How to Change Your World One Step at a Time

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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Witnessing a tragedy has often been the catalyst that changed someone's life and sent them in a direction that would ultimately be a force for good in the world. Such is the case of John Francis, who witnessed an oil spill in San Francisco Bay in 1971. He was so moved by the consequences of the spill that he stopped using all forms of motorized transportation and began a 20+ year odyssey on foot that took him across America. He became a tirelss advocate for the environment and earned a bachelor, masters, and Ph.D. along the way.

The expression "He talks the talk and walks the walk" unequivocally applies to John Francis, Ph.D.

His writing is lyrical, easy to read and expresses his philosophy as well as his strong and continuing commitment to the environment. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking a story of adventure, commitment, and beautiful use of the English language.

John Francis writes an important story about the quest of a young man to live ethically in our complex world. Young John gives up using any form of gasoline-powered vehicle and deals with the consequences of his decision. He writes gently and movingly about the criticism and misunderstanding he received as a consequence of eschewing the automobile. Though he does not romanticize his decision, he writes lovingly of the quiet and peace of walking. I was inspired by this book.

John is a friend of mine and therefore it'd be hard not to love his book, because this book IS John and he's pretty amazing. Genuine, humorous and inspiring. But I can also tell you I bought quite a few copies and gave them to people who aren't biased. And guess what. They loved it too.

John's sensitivity and artistic skills wake memories of past personal low-impact trips (on foot, by bike, hitch-hiking, ...), giving them an unsuspected universal and far-reaching spiritual value and dimension. He helps us re-think our priorities and worries, showing how quiet and "soft" courage can transcend social, ethnic and cultural preconceptions/misconceptions.
I have almost finished John's book on a trip to Eastern Europe, and feel somewhat anxious about loosing his warm presence.
A great book.

Very enjoyable story about a man who displayed the courage of his convictions and marched to the beat of his own drummer. I read quite a few books on various subjects, mostly checking them out through the local libraries, but this is one of the relative few I'm proud to keep as part of my collection and will reread someday.

Being a part-time pedestrian and filling my gas tank only every 8-10 weeks, Dr. Francis's book resonated deeply with me.

I've recommended this book to many people and sent another copy to a family member.

I'm so glad to have found this book!