Fueled by the belief that something deeper exists that the casual Christianity by which they've lived, Don and Paul are two free spirits who set off on an adventure-filled road trop in search of a deeper meaning for their lives. As they travel from Texas to Oregon in their cantankerous Volkswagen van, the two friends encounter fascinating people, witness unexpected beauty, attempt to solve life's most perplexing puzzles, and discover anew the amazing God who created them.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Miller is a young man with only a few years' professional experience in ministry, but his youth is a key feature in this book of travel memoirs. A record of a classic road trip, Miller's tale is full of serendipitous adventures and thoughtful Christian reflection, offering an unusual mix of travel mishaps in a broken-down (and often breaking down) VW van; youthful, somewhat macho bantering between friends; and the sort of deep-thought wanderings into meaning and significance that are the meat of college-age existence. The book's strongest point is the way in which it conveys the character of Miller and his companion--two young "Republican hippies." As we travel along with them, they can be fun, profound, annoying, hilarious and, at unguarded moments, surprisingly tender. Their insights are sometimes deep, sometimes naive, sometimes simple and sometimes just goofy. Their religious insights are similarly mixed in depth, but the two are remarkable and winsome in their aim at complete honesty. The narrator often allows himself to be portrayed in an unflattering light to faithfully recapture the experience. This book is an appealing Sunday afternoon read, a reminder that life is meant to be experienced and not just gotten through. (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From the Back Cover
Fueled by the belief that something deeper exists that the casual Christianity by which they've lived, Don and Paul are two free spirits who set off on an adventure-filled road trop in search of a deeper meaning for their lives. As they travel from Texas to Oregon in their cantankerous Volkswagen van, the two friends encounter fascinating people, witness unexpected beauty, attempt to solfe life's most perplexing puzzles, and discover anew the amazing God who created them.
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More About the Author
Donald Miller grew up in Houston, Texas. Leaving home at the age of 21, he traveled across the country until he ran out of money in Portland, Oregon, where he lives today.
Harvest House Publishers released his first book, PRAYER AND THE ART OF VOLKSWAGEN MAINTENANCE, in 2000. Two years later, after having audited classes at Portland's Reed College, Don wrote BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which would slowly become a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller.
In 2004 Don released SEARCHING FOR GOD KNOWS WHAT, a book about how the Gospel of Jesus explains the human personality. SEARCHING has become required reading at numerous colleges across the country. In 2005 he released THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS, the story of his and a friend's road trip across the country. Don's most recent release was a book about growing up without a father called TO OWN A DRAGON.
Don has teamed up with Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson to write the screenplay for BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which will be filmed in Portland and Nashville in 2009 and released thereafter.
Don is the founder of The Belmont Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation which is working to recruit 10,000 mentors through 1,000 churches as an answer to the crisis of fatherlessness in America.
A sought-after speaker, Don has delivered lectures to a wide range of audiences, including the Women of Faith Conference, the Veritas Forum at Harvard University, and the Veritas Forum at Cal Poly. In 2008 Don was asked to deliver the closing prayer on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Don's next book, A MILLION MILES IN A THOUSAND YEARS, humorously and tenderly chronicles Don's experience with filmmakers as they edit his life for the screen, hoping to make it less boring. He then shares the principles storytellers use to make a story meaningful and exciting, exploring their effects when he applies those principles to his actual life.
Of his new book, Don says: "It might be the greatest book ever written. I don't think anybody is going to read a book again after they read my new one. I think God is proud of me. I am going to make a killing off this thing, and I'm going to use the money to go to space."
Harvest House Publishers released his first book, PRAYER AND THE ART OF VOLKSWAGEN MAINTENANCE, in 2000. Two years later, after having audited classes at Portland's Reed College, Don wrote BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which would slowly become a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller.
In 2004 Don released SEARCHING FOR GOD KNOWS WHAT, a book about how the Gospel of Jesus explains the human personality. SEARCHING has become required reading at numerous colleges across the country. In 2005 he released THROUGH PAINTED DESERTS, the story of his and a friend's road trip across the country. Don's most recent release was a book about growing up without a father called TO OWN A DRAGON.
Don has teamed up with Steve Taylor and Ben Pearson to write the screenplay for BLUE LIKE JAZZ, which will be filmed in Portland and Nashville in 2009 and released thereafter.
Don is the founder of The Belmont Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation which is working to recruit 10,000 mentors through 1,000 churches as an answer to the crisis of fatherlessness in America.
A sought-after speaker, Don has delivered lectures to a wide range of audiences, including the Women of Faith Conference, the Veritas Forum at Harvard University, and the Veritas Forum at Cal Poly. In 2008 Don was asked to deliver the closing prayer on Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
Don's next book, A MILLION MILES IN A THOUSAND YEARS, humorously and tenderly chronicles Don's experience with filmmakers as they edit his life for the screen, hoping to make it less boring. He then shares the principles storytellers use to make a story meaningful and exciting, exploring their effects when he applies those principles to his actual life.
Of his new book, Don says: "It might be the greatest book ever written. I don't think anybody is going to read a book again after they read my new one. I think God is proud of me. I am going to make a killing off this thing, and I'm going to use the money to go to space."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A diamond in the rough,
By
This review is from: Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance (Paperback)
Above, Miller says that he attempted to write a christian book with a secular pen. I agree with him that he has succeeded in doing this, and praise him for it. Prayer and the art of Volkswagen Maintenance is a rarity. It is a truly well-written Christian book. I was very happily surprised.It is a novelized journal of a pilgrimage-trip, and Miller does an excellent job of moving back and forth between plot narrative and inner reflection. Sometimes, the close attention to detail is tedious, but it's livable. Touches of Annie Dillard, Ernest Hemingway, CS Lewis and John Steinbeck can all be found here. Miller has a gift for dialogue and many passages are really funny, maybe because they feel real. A nice blending of fun, troubles, and thought and reflection like we all know is possible, but have a hard time capturing. Bravo. A passage: "Pretty big church, is it?" "Yeah, it is. We've got about 200 people there." A smile comes to my face as Paul's definition of large collides with mine. "Two hundred people would make for a good Sunday school class in Texas. I hate to break it to you, but unless a church has a gym and a bowling alley, they're really not fulfilling the work of the Lord. A church has to have a gym and a bowling alley because people play basketball and bowl and if they do it at church they are more likely to accept Christ. Widows and orphans especially, they play basketball a great deal." "Is that right?" "Sure it is."
17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is the SAME book as "Through Painted Deserts" by Donald Miller,
By Paradigm Books & Music "paradigmbooksandmusic" (Spring Hill, TN USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance (Paperback)
Okay, after reading the amazing book titled Blue Like Jazz, I wanted to buy all of Don Miller's other books. Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance was his very first book (written well before Blue Like Jazz) and has been out of print for some time. For a while there, you could not find it for under $40-50. But, I have good news! After I purchased Through Painted Deserts by Donald Miller, I quickly discovered that it is in fact "Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance" that has been reprinted with a new title under Don's current publisher! He explains it on the front dedication page to his mother. Hooray! Now you know, and you can get his first book for much less then the out of print version.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Funny & Insightful -You can't help but enjoy the ride...,
By C. Curtis (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance (Paperback)
As a FORMER Volkswagen owner, tie-dye wearing camp counselor, and CURRENT coffee addicted, 30-something Northwesterner...I HAD to get this book. I read it aloud on a plane ride (seemed appropriate since we were headed for Texas) to the delight of fellow sleepy-headed travellers. I laughed along with passengers B&C, dogeared my favorite pages (pps. 44, 111, 118, 123, 272, & 289) and enjoyed vicariously the physical and spiritual odyssey of two guys, a van and one heck of a road tip! My thanks to the author for his honest attempt to process & put words to the deafening struggle for understanding our minds wrestle out in the quiet confinds of our souls. "Searchers" will find themselves relating to Miller's quest for answers to the "big" questions in life and empathize as they unravel themselves among the mechanical details of everday living. You'll enjoy the ride!
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