This is a non-fiction book that reads like a novel. The fact
that he began his career as a journalist is probably why. Mark Smith graduated high school with my
husband who read the book first. I
decided to read it as well to see if I thought the book club would enjoy
it. I think they will.
Many of us have adventurous spirits. We have travelled to strange lands, done odd
jobs, tried new projects, etc. Few of us have truly lived the adventure he
experienced. The early 70s were days of
sex, drugs and rock and roll. He experienced all of those in a variety of
countries. I would have loved to have
had the courage to take off around the world with less than a thousand dollars,
a backpack and a sense of wonderment about where the road would take me. I marveled at his experiences. Drug and sex filled, dangerous, and exotic,
his hitchhike was the ultimate trip of a lifetime. That being said, I would never have taken a
trip like that!
Women on the road were subject to a whole different set of
rules from me. While both faced danger, women faced the likelihood of rape in
many of these places he traveled. That
would not have kept me from the trip—sleeping outdoors, lack of running water,
dirt—those things would have kept me off the road! And, while I would have enjoyed all the wine,
the vistas seen, etc., I would not have enjoyed the heavy drug use, the commune
like living or having to rely on the kindness of others to know where I would
sleep, bathe, and eat.
I did enjoy the philosophical debate expressed around the
world about US role in international affairs, its war machine and its impact on
innocents abroad. I wonder what they are saying about the US these days if
those were the sentiments of the Vietnam Era!
A perspective from my husband!
ReplyDeleteThis was a tale of the 70's: Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll. Yet, Mark Paul Smith has woven a story about how the road (travel) and encountering different people from different backgrounds and some from different cultures can bring a more enlightened view of reality or at least a deeper perspective beyond the provincialism of the 'West'. I was quite struck by Mark's discussion of fear and how our conception of it can have an impact on the 'Human Psyche'. What he says about fear and courage and how it can be manipulated for ill or good, I believe, is quite profound. I found a message in this book that is very relevant for our society today. The question of what is ethical and how we should respond to it is difficult. An excellent book and a must read!