Travels with Samantha

I recently became interested in traveling and when I first picked up this book, I was excited to read about the different parts of the author's trip and hear about the places he visited. However, by the end I found there was more to it than just where he had been and what he had seen. What separates this piece of writing from others is that it reads very smoothly, as if the author is telling the story in person. I found that certain bits and pieces of information from conversations with strangers were effectively chosen. By focusing on interesting dialogues, it is easy to understand how these people have changed the author's outlook on strangers and life in general. His struggle for answers and meaning on this trip reminded me of Eugene Henderson's struggle in Bellow's novel "Henderson the Rain King"...in the end they both seem to find that what they are looking for is actually much closer than it seems. The photography in this book is some of the best I've ever seen...the pictures from the Yellowstone chapter were especially beautiful. If they were blown up, I bet they would look fantastic in a frame on the wall. Greenspun has definitely strengthened my desire to get out on the road, see new places and meet new people. Travels With Samantha proves that everyone can potentially gain from traveling; all it takes is an open mind...

I gave this book to my wife and said "here's my midlife crisis trip." Greenspun takes a trip across the country that every photographer dreams about. Its one of those trips you could have taken during the summer break from college (as Greenspun does) but never thought you could. He hits all the big National Parks: Yellowstone, Glacier, Denali, Katmai, Arches, Canyonlands and shoots rolls and rolls of film. The pictures are excellent; maybe not worthy of a National Geographic cover, but they are very good. One reason for taking the trip was to emulate Steinbeck in "Travels with Charlie" and get in touch with his fellow Americans. I think Greenspun does a good job recounting the stories of everyone he meets along his way. He comes across as very judgemental in his opinions and in the questions he poses. This can upset some readers, but I saw it as a way of arousing conversation from the people he talked to.Another aspect of this book was that it was a weekly travelogue that Greenspun emailed out to friends via the internet as he travelled. He did it essentially to prove he could. Now as the Internet is so pervasive, one gets an intriguing feeling reading this book thinking "Yeah, I could do that with my Thinkpad, too." Well, this guy DID it, albeit with his Apple, and before anyone else, too.

I read this book online before it was ever printed, and immediately grabbed a copy of the print version still hot off the press. This book is an excellent, easy read, with deep moments of reflection kept light by Greenspun's usual wit.If this piece doesn't inspire you to appreciate the vast expanses of these United States and fill you with a yearning to explore them, nothing will.The rich photography populating this book illustrates the people and places that Greenspun visits. Yes, you get the descriptions of what somebody looks like, as with any account; but with this book, you actually get to see the people Greenspun ran into along his way, and witness the majesty that I feel provides the underlying inspiration for the work.Buy it. Read it. Keep it. Read it again in a few years. It will never get old.

I got out of the Navy at 23 yrs old and realized that I didn't know what I wanted to do...a little too late-I didn't have a job or prospects. My family was helpful in that my mother bought me this book for my birthday while letting me crash at her house. Greenspun did not give me a goal so much as help me to focus my motivation toward a realizable goal. I am now back in school at UC Berkeley and well on my way to a career in the biomedical industry. I also live with a new-found respect for the people around me every day as a result of "Travels.." Thanks again.

I first ran across this book online in 1995 or so when the World Wide Web was just starting. The story of Philip's "time off" from MIT, the why and where, caught my attention immediately for a number of reasons: the excellent photography, the reason for his time off (the death of his dog) and the MIT connection. What Philip does is rather unique, that is, merge excellent travel writing with excellent original photography to tell the whole story (most books liek this rely on different authors and photographers, and hence there is a certain disconnect). Since discovering the online book, I have pointed dozens of friends to it, and I believe all have gone on to become fans of Philip's writing and photography. I imagine I will give away a number of copies of the printed versions as upcoming holiday gifts.