America Unchained: A Freewheeling Roadtrip In Search of Non-Corporate USA

click here for more details, find new or used items	Dave Gorman Our price £7.25 (£11.99) New from £6.45 Used from £4.99 Pages: 384 (Paperback) ISBN: 0091899338 Pub: Ebury Press Pub date: 2008-04-03 Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1204

Reader Reviews:

Been there, done that? (0/0 people found this helpful)

Dave Gorman writes an entertaining, intriguing travelogue about his trip from "sea to shining sea". Although some of it does have a familiar feel, the quirky observations and careful construction (with a good deal of jumping back and forth between key moments) help maintain the narrative. He's impressively non-judgemental and doesn't hammer his central (and, arguably, somewhat shaky) concept of avoiding chain motels and gas stations too hard. And for anyone who says "I could have written that" - hey, go and try doing the trip, and writing about it. It's harder than you'd think.

Pro: enjoyable, non-taxing read. Con: few revelations.

I should have stuck to Bill Bryson! (0/0 people found this helpful)

The idea is great and I thought it would make an interesting read. The book started off very promisingly. However, as I read on, I got fed up with his constant whining, especially during the chapter about Stef and her bad back, where he came across as a spoilt kid throwing his teddy out of the pram.

I think I'll stick to Bill Bryson if I want to read about travels around America.

Someone Unchain Dave - Let His Writing Flow! (0/0 people found this helpful)

Dave Gorman for me is one of the founding fathers of the recent quest comedy novels that have filled my non-fiction shelves. With his `Are you Dave Gorman' and his `Googlewack Adventure' I was entertained and educated. `Unchained America' follows a similar path to these two earlier books, but with some major differences. Gorman has made TV shows out of all of his books, but whilst previously he adapted them using the photos and short films he made himself, this time he goes out to make a documentary. Unfortunately, this means that the book suffers.

I have not seen the TV show, but having read the book it seems like it was a difficult undertaking. Dave set out across America to go from the East coast to the West with only using unchained stores, gas suppliers and motels. What should have been a fun adventure meeting quirky characters is repeatedly broken up by the importance of filming things. A lot of momentum is lost in the book because they have to stop and start all the time to change film or help the camera woman. For me this book lacked some of the joy that made the others so good. In the second half the narrative does flow better and some of the usual Gorman wit comes to the fore. It is a shame that this wit is few and far between.

More normal but no less hilarious (0/0 people found this helpful)

Having been a fan of Gorman's since the explosion of the 'Are You Dave Gorman?' project my one fear about his work since is where could he go from there? How many amazing accidents and coincidences can happen to one man?
Thats where this project comes in. No drunken bets, no amazingly serendipitus events - just a man wanting to see another side of life and documenting where that desire takes him.
And it takes him on an incredible journey - by turns hilarious, moving, scary, joyess - but above all human.
Highly recommended as both a travel book and a personal memoir of exploration.

A Book Of Two Halves (0/0 people found this helpful)

A good idea for a book and it very nearly comes off as a good read.

When Stef is cameraperson there is much more feeling to the book. The detours to visit places make excellent reading. Unfortunately after she has to quit through injury the sparkle goes out of the book.

Enter Andy and it all goes downhill. It becomes apparent that the idea is to get to the finish line as quickly as possible with no thought to what places may actually be missed by this style of travel. They could just as well have flown instead of driving for the last part of the book for the interest shown. If Andy was so desperate to see his daughter why volunteer for the assignment in the first place? DVD sales of the book is all that comes to mind to me. In this case the last part of the book is a let down. All the stars are for the part with Stef in it.

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