Book suggestions?

[Cheli]

Good morning,

I am buying Bob's paperback book but while I'm in Amazon I thought I'd look to see if there are any other books I want or need.  Does anyone have any suggestions on must reads about living on the road or self sufficiency or even anything on the spiritual side about keeping a healthy mind, body and spirit while being a solo traveler?

Or I guess any suggestions for great books will do, I am an avid reader. 

TIA 

 

[Queen]

For a "get my mind right" book, I love anything by Pema Chodron, she's a Buddhist nun who teaches in a way even a thick headed former catholic like me can grasp.  

Beyond that I mostly read lesbian fiction so not sure if that would be of any interest.

 

[Cheli]

Oh I'll have to check her out and see if anything interest me.  I am not a religious person at all, more spiritual and follow many Buddhist principles even though I am not Buddhist.  Although I do have a Buddhist mantra tattooed on my inner forearm.  hahaha

I'm not much of a fiction reader to begin with so recommendations, lesbian or not, wouldn't be of much interest.....but thanks anyway.  

 

[BradKW]

Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy has a lot of good info... I never travel without a babblefish...

 

[SoulRaven]

You may or may not like this sort of book and I only started reading it after hearing about it for such a long time "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat-Moon. He is writing about his travels. It is kind of "flowery" for me but I am still sort of enjoying it. I am not a "reader" usually unless it is reference material and I'm learning something, but I find the book "pleasant".

 

[Cheli]

You may or may not like this sort of book and I only started reading it after hearing about it for such a long time "Blue Highways" by William Least Heat-Moon.  He is writing about his travels.  It is kind of "flowery" for me but I am still sort of enjoying it.  I am not a "reader" usually unless it is reference material and I'm learning something, but I find the book "pleasant".

Oh that actually looks like a good read to me.....just added it to my cart.  Thanks.  :  I love to read and especially stories about finding one self and explorations and adventures of people so that will fit right in.

 

[Queen]

Have you read "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed, good "finding yourself on a journey" read.

 

[Rugster]

Maybe not terribly deep but interesting travel type books I found when I had my motorcycle are:

Ghost Rider by Neal Peart (Rush drummer). He lost his daughter then his wife in less than 18 months and hit the road on his motorcycle to cope. On my second read, I enjoyed hearing about his travels in spots I have seen on YT van sites and from reading about here.

The Long Way Round is bby Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who rode BMW motorcycles from England east through Europe and then Russia and ended in New York. Just a fun read.

 

[Ken in Anaheim]

A CLASSIC....Steinbeck's "Travels With Charley" (his dog).
KinA

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

On a more practical level:

http://www.amazon.com/Managing-12-V...=1461021451&sr=1-1&keywords=managing+12+volts

http://www.amazon.com/Mobile-Intern...F8&qid=1461021559&sr=1-1&keywords=Technomadia

http://www.technomadia.com/excuses/

 

[Canine]

Jack the Ripper,The Green River Killer,Zodiac,Interview with The Vampire.Etc.

 

[B and C]

I am currently into the Jack Reacher series by Lee Childs.  Jack is an EX-Army MP that travels only with the clothes on his back and a collapsible toothbrush.  Always wins.

Almost sounds like those of us here   I hope we don't get into all the stuff he gets into though.

 

[masterplumber]

I've read all the classic travel books, like Blue Highways, Walk across America and it's sequels, Travels with Charlie, etc... They're all great for different reasons. I also have read many overland and around the world journeys by lesser know authors - some by truck, some by motorcycle, and some by any means possible. Some are extremely well written and some you have to think were self edited - so many spelling and grammar errors that even I can pick them out. One of my all time favorites is Shantyboat Journal by Harland Hubbard, and the sequels. Very well written about living a simpler and different kind of nomadic life during a period when the rest of the USA was really starting to buy into the "American Dream" whole hog.

 

[WriterMs]

It's been years since I read his books but I always found Tim Cahill funny and fascinating. I got to chat with him a bit decades ago for my work -- he wrote a terrific piece on Montana's Highway 89 (which is a wonderful drive, btw, that is generally Yellowstone to Glacier).

Bob's book is great -- it convinced me I could live out of a van and he was right.

But I will also recommend you consider using Kindle books since you are such a voracious reader. The Kindle app is free to download to your phone, tablet, iPad, computer, etc. And at any given time, there are FREE books in both fiction and non-fiction. Cyndi has a thread on FREE books wherein she (or others) provide links to books that are free for downloading for a limited time on Amazon.

 

[towhee]

I like books that are about the place where I am. Hmmm. Poor sentence. I like to know about the nature and geology of the places I am traveling through. This year while traveling I bought plant identification books and geology books. For example, I really enjoyed "Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Owens valley". I bought several hiking guides for Death Valley. In Joshua tree park I bought a guidebook for that park. In Anza-borrego state park I bought "Native Plants of San Diego county". The visitors centers in parks often have excellent selection of books. These books help me connect to the plants and animals and landscapes of whoever I am camping. Being connected is good for my head and my heart. I guess that's my spiritual connection piece. Knowing the plants and animals is like having friends around you wherever you are.

 

[Damian Rolling]

I do not know if these qualify as essential, but I have read them all and each has some merit:


-An American Nomad: A Road Trip in Search of America (by Stephen Braxton Thompson)

-The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America (By Mike McIntyre)

-A Walk for Sunshine: A 2,160-mile Expedition for Charity on the Appalachian Trail (By Jeff Alt)

-Free Country: A Penniless Adventure the Length of Britain (By George Mahood)

-Ten Thousand Miles by Freight Train: A Memoir of Beauty and Freedom on the Rails (By Carrot Quinn)

-Walden on Wheels: On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom (By Ken Ilgunas)

-Into the Wild (By Jon Krakauer) 

-The Joy of Not Working: A book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked (By Ernie Zelinski)

-The Joy of Less, a Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize and Simplify Your Life (By Francine Jay)

-Work Your Way Across The USA: You Can Travel and Earn a Living Too! (By Nick Russell)

-eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-Time or Full-time Income (By Steve Weber)

-8 Minute Meditation: Quiet Your Mind, Change Your Life (By Victor Davich)


One I have not yet read is “My First Summer in the Sierra” by John Muir [‘Father of the National Parks’]. It’s free right now on Amazon.

I hope this helps.

Damian

 

[masterplumber]

Damian, great list. There are a few of those I haven't read yet. Thanks for the tip about John Muir's book. I went right to Amazon and picked it up.

 

[Cheli]

Bob's book is great -- it convinced me I could live out of a van and he was right.

But I will also recommend you consider using Kindle books since you are such a voracious reader.

I have a Kindle and I downloaded Bob's book and just finished it.  It was awesome and got me more excited to make this lifestyle change.

 

[Cheli]

Damian thanks for the great suggestions. I've read some of those but going to grab John Muirs book now.

 

[justbreathe]

Hi everyone. Great thread. Thanks for sharing.