Customer Reviews

Red Highways: A Liberal's Journey Into the Heartland

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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Please, everyone, read this book before you vote!!!

A book that presents a fresh, honest outlook on our country!
This brave young woman really did her homework to find out the difference between what's been reported in the news and the actual news. She's then taken that knowledge to help the public gently question their beliefs in live interviews.
A must read, you'll love it!

Red Highways was a gift for myself. I heard Ms. Aguilar on a radio interview and was hooked. It was like hearing a much younger, female version of Studs Terkel. Her observations about places like Mississippi were fascinating. I clicked and ordered the book that day.

The book was better than I hoped. The narrative was compelling; more than just a series of clever observations, Aguilar's journey inspires and outrages -- but most importantly, it engages. I could not put the book down, despite work and personal commitments that made that rather ... impractical.

I'm giving this book to several family and friends for the holidays. It provides real context to the Obama success and real hope that the Red/Blue schism may indeed be, at minimum, made less wide and less absolute.

READ THIS BOOK -- it's good for what ails you and US.

And with Studs Terkel's death, it's truly uplifting that he left behind not just his work, but protege's like Rose Aguilar to carry on.

A book everyone needs to read. It tells us we are not really divided,We really are the United States....... This book proves that we all want and need the same things from our government. It made me feel like you were with her on her venture. This is a book you will not want to put down.

Once I got going, I couldn't put this book down. I grew up in a family that was politically mixed, so the diverse range of political viewpoints was familiar to me. What was not familiar was a side of America that I've only seen in old movies - places where racism still divides and hatred or fear overrule what's best for the common good.

Many of the stories in this book are delightful. You get to meet an environmentalist Republican and an anti-choice Democrat, proving that here in America, we've got it all. Also interesting is the recurring theme of joblessness and poverty taking hold of small town America over four years ago, a dark foreshadowing to the economic crises we are facing today.

No matter what your political views are, where you live, or who you voted for, this book will connect you with a United States that you didn't know existed. Sometimes it takes an adventurous reporter traversing reality to bring us the truth about where we live and who we live with.

Don't be mislead by the word liberal in the title.
What's in this book are just honest opinions from ordinary citizens like yourself....telling you "like it is" in America today.
I was so moved by these words I actually kissed the book & cried at the end to think that America may have hope to survive and thrive again!

I beg you again, please.. Read It Before You Vote!

I had the pleasure of meeting Rose on her journey at the end of a long, hot, Republican laced day in Texas. I gave her fresh blueberries and she asked a few questions and visibly relaxed when she found out she was among liberal Democrats. I too, believe everyone needs to read Red Highways. It is thought provoking yet eash to read and gives voice to what common people in this still great country believe. Good job Rose, we will be waiting for your next effort!

This book was fascinating. When Ms. Aguilar contacted me and asked if I'd like to read her book, I thought the idea sounded pretty interesting and I was very curious about what she did with the premise, where she took this grandiose idea to travel around the country, talking to strangers about their politics. Red Highways totally surpassed any expectations I could have had for it. The conversations Aguilar had with "red state" Americans were so interesting... she really showed that these places are not solely made up of conservative Republicans, that in actuality there is just as much diversity in some of these areas as in big cities such as New York or Chicago. The book made a really good case for just talking about politics with friends, neighbors, family, whoever you spend time with, because so many of the people Aguilar talked to explained that they were Democrats or even moderates but were afraid to make that information public among their Republican friends, neighbors, and church families. The funny thing was, Aguilar would find several different people in the same group that said this... they were all hiding the same "secret" (and my guess is that you'd find the opposite to be true in places like San Francisco - people too afraid to admit they're conservatives).

Not only is this book interesting, but at just over 200 pages it is very accessible. It written in an easy, conversational type style which makes it a book that just about anyone could easily pick up and get through in a relatively short amount of time. Which is fantastic, because I think that Red Highways is something everyone should read, especially those of us liberal Northerners unfamiliar with the "red states". This was a really eye-opening read for me and I got a lot of insight about stereotypes we all have, myself included.

The only thing I might add to this pretty great book would be a touch more analysis. Aguilar explains that the main thing she learned from this project is how important it is to get out of your comfort zone, engage with people who think and believe differently than you do - and as someone who lives in San Francisco, she stated that her regular interactions tended to be with people just like her. What she points out here is an excellent take away from Red Highways, but I feel like there could be so much more. I feel like this book is packed full of discussions, analyses, etc., and I think Aguilar could have gone into a bit more depth with her own thoughts about what she experienced. I also think that a bit more depth of this nature would help the book be more of a "scholarly" book - the type that can be read in high school and/or college classroom poli sci classes. I am being kind of picky about this, though, because truly there is a lot to take away from this book and it is such a worthwhile read. I encourage everyone to pick it up and share with family and friends (especially those who disagree with you!).

Rose Aguilar's "Red Highways" is simply a delight.
A road trip tale that never fails to surprise and enlighten.
A political novel that is empathetic and spares the demagoguery.
A look into the American lives, feelings and opinions that the mass media, and many politicians, fail to listen to; but Ms. Aguilar does.
A seasoned radio interviewer, Rose Aguilar takes the time to listen to the denizens of the road and residents of the four states that she and her companion traveled through (Texas, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Montana- I for one would love to see her cover the other 46!). There are conversations and spirited debates and of course, opinions will differ across our diverse nation. However, the ones presented here are meticulously genuine and represent views not necessarily expected from those who gladly share them.
To listen is a simple courtesy not always extended, and rewarded beyond measure.
The `Red Highways' lead from gun shows to churches, from fairs to the living rooms of generous strangers, and it doesn't matter quite as much how much Americans' ideologies and politics differ as we come to find over Ms. Aguilar's four months of interaction and interviewing. We find here in the many delightful and heart-rending tales of the road just how unified we all could be, and how much our senses of spirit and humor survive the hard yet hopeful times so many of us share.
And what a fine stocking-stuffer for family and friends...no matter their political persuasions!

Red Highways is unlike other socio-political nonfiction books you will find today. It offers an eye-opening and very real human narrative about the minds, values, beliefs and voting habits of every day people in U.S. "red states." Are they as red as we think they are? Through personal interviews and true stories during the author's own travels post-2004 election, we gain valuable insights into the people the media has told us vote or think a certain way. It may challenge your conceptions or misconceptions about these voters - or why some don't vote! It is a poignant and important book about people and politics that may at times surprise you, make you laugh and definitely make you think. Read it before or after the Nov. 4th election. I'm buying it for friends and family for the holidays!

I've just done something that I very rarely do. I read a book from cover to cover in two sittings. I truly enjoyed this book and will share it with friends around the world. Rose, you provided an insight into parts of the country that I have not had the opportunity to visit. And through your writing you uncover many of the deep deep divisions about race, religion and politics.