Way Off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small Town America (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

CBS roving correspondent and author Geist offers up an amusing and expansive collection of America's quirky, strange and offbeat nooks. The "Land of Lost Luggage" in Scottsboro, Ala., for instance, is where the millions of bags airlines "lose" every year wind up and "every day is like Christmas" for the locals. In New Glarus, Wis., photographer Kathy DeBruin has a reputation as the "Annie Leibovitz of cow portraiture." And then there's Boston's Museum of Dirt, where, among other amazing dirt is a display of dirt taken from Barry Manilow's driveway. While mirth is in plentiful supply, some of Geist's stories are real nail biters, such as his trip via mule train to deliver mail to the Havasupai Native American tribe. (Its members live on the floor of the Grand Canyon.) Geist's low key, deadpan humor hits the mark, and he has a gentle way of writing just to the point of ridicule before he backs off. Readers will find nearly 30 tales that will amaze and amuse and maybe inspire some extra stops on their next road trip.
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From Booklist

This year marks Geist's twentieth anniversary as an on-air correspondent for the CBS News program Sunday Morning, and by way of celebration, he marks the occasion with this witty, good-natured exploration of small-town America. When Geist says "small town," he means small: one of the places he visists, Hanlontown, Iowa, has a population of 229. Yet the place is lively enough to have its annual Sundown Days, which celebrate the fact that, on the summer solstice, the sun sets on the railroad tracks. Then there's Loyalton, California (population 817), whose paperboy, age 92, delivers the paper from an airplane, sort of dive-bombing his subscribers. (He's a younger cousin of the Wright brothers.) Not all of the places Geist visits are quite so small—Chattanooga, Tennessee, has 154,762 residents—but they are all just as interesting (Chattanooga is home to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame Museum). Geist, as usual, writes in a friendly, slightly off-kilter tone, pointing out these unusual places with their unusual people but never quite making fun of them. Pitt, David

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Broadway (May 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767922727
• ISBN-13: 978-0767922722
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #440,532 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A quick and fun read, May 29, 2007

By	Janice (Arlington, VA) - See all my reviews

Bill Geist's "Way Off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small Town America" contains essays of his travel in small town America. Most of these small towns are virtually unknown, and some essays are more memorable than others. The memorable ones include the essays of the headless chicken; the sole citizen of Monowi, Nebraska (population: 1); the cow photographer; and many others. The author provides both a wacky and interesting picture of small towns, mostly in the Midwest. Contrary to the belief that small towns are boring, these essays actually gives a rather fun and proud portrayal of people living in these towns.

This was a fun read for me to learn more about the different characters in small town America. The writing was conversational and witty. However, I can see how some readers may feel offended by his style of writing which at times can be seen as making small jokes of small town folks. In any case, do not be deter by that as the essays in this book are fun and unique.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll read this book through a blur of tears..., July 12, 2007

By	PAMELA J. DEROY (Lake Geneva, WI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have never laughed so hard in my life - Bill Geist is a genius. I used half a box of tissue because I was laughing so hard all afternoon as I read this book that tears were pouring down my face and the print was blurry. As wonderful as the entire book was, my very favorite chapter was the first, "Standstill Parade" - I wanted to share the humor and realized that I would be incapable of reading that chapter to anyone without bursting into gales of laughter which would have spoiled for them. It occurred to me that married couples would drive each other crazy first by cackling and roaring with laughter during the entire time they read the book and then by wanting to share the humor with each other and trying to read while being unable to control their laughter.

I've been going through a very grim period lately and friends recommended this book. I'm now going to read Bill's other books - sure worked better than antidepressants. Wait until you read about the "road kill stew" - the watermelon champion, the ride in a vintage plane with a man who had had five heart attacks to deliver papers to outlying ranches.

You'll read about "Mike, the Headless Chicken" - reminded me of when my father decapitated a chicken destined for the stew pot and it flew over the roof of the house before expiring - well Mike took a lot longer to expire - long enough to become famous. I won't give any more away - you have to read it yourself.

I promise you "Way Off the Road" is good for whatever ails you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Antidote to a dreary day, January 6, 2008

By	Pandora "Incurably Curious Tourist" (Bethlehem, NH) - See all my reviews

Someone gave me this book as a Christmas present because I travel in an RV, which Geist did on his 5,600 mile road trip across the country, gathering stories of small town America. I guess they gave me this book thinking Geist a kindred spirit, but the photo on the cover made me wince because he looks so goofy and the story excerpts on the back cover seemed so lame, which they are. But when I read the book I laughed in spite of myself, not at the stories, which are too Ma-and-Pa Kettle-ish, but at Bill's sarcastic asides and self-deprecating humor. You can't help but like him.

I'm embarrassed to say I'd never heard of Bill Geist, probably because I rarely watch television. But I'm glad I finally met him. The stories serve as a background for his witty comments that are very, very funny. His book is a perfect antidote for a dreary day.

The reason for the 3 stars is that the story collection itself seems forced and contrived. Surely, one can find humor in America without resuscitating Gomer and Goober Pyle.