Highway 50: Ain't That America

Rating:
Summary: U.S. 50 tells the story of how this country grew!
Review: As one of the original highways west, it is a living history of westward expansion, from Maryland through Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California.

Following a route mapped by George Washington in the East and gold-rushers and pioneers in the West, the present-day Route 50 remains the most intriguing thoroughfare crossing the United States. Over the course of a year, Jim Lilliefors hits the road in an old Ford LTD and travels from the Atlantic Ocean through Civil War Virginia into Wild West boom towns and across the vast Nevada desert, where signs proclaim U.S. 50 as "The Loneliest Road in America." Hop in and take a ride; discover American and her people along Main Street and come to know the traditions that still survive in these towns, whether east or west: the unpaved roads, the corner pharmacies, and the 24-hour diners.

Rating:
Summary: Takes its place alongside Blue Highways
Review: I cannot understand why this book is not better known. I found it to be in the same vein and every bit as good as Blue Highways and Travels with Charley, and it should take it's rightful place alongside those classic American travelogues. It is the classic story of a man who drives across America, reporting on the people he meets and the discoveries that he makes. One interesting aspect of this book is that the author, who quit his job as a journalist to make this trip, has to stop now and then and work to make a little cash when he is running low. It is filled with odd people and interesting places, and Lillefors thoughtful commentary is often poetic. If you have been looking for something to read since finishing Blue Highways, this is the book that you have been waiting for!

Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable; glad I read it; not a classic though
Review: This book chronicles Jim Lilliefors's trip across America on Route 50, focusing on stories about the people and towns he goes through in rural America. It was interesting to hear his stories, but they weren't compelling enough to rate this book higher. This book would appeal most to people with an interest in rural living and the social evolution of America.

Rating:
Summary: Fairly enjoyable but nothing to keep you awake turning page.
Review: This book has been compared to Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent and Moon's Blue Highways. The comparison isn't even close. Yes,it's a "road" book and provides pleasant and lightweight reading but is not nearly as entertaining as the above mentioned books.

Rating:
Summary: Fairly enjoyable but nothing to keep you awake turning page.
Review: This book has been compared to Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent and Moon's Blue Highways. The comparison isn't even close. Yes,it's a "road" book and provides pleasant and lightweight reading but is not nearly as entertaining as the above mentioned books.

Rating:
Summary: a small classic
Review: This book is kind of a small classic, idiosyncratic and funny. I agreed with the review in The Times when it was first published, saying that it's best enjoyed as a collection of individual stories. I still like picking it up and reading a chapter now and then. Each creates a portrait of some aspect of America that is certainly worth knowing, and is often poignant.