Walden on Wheels

On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom

By: Ken Ilgunas

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Length: 9 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

The story of a student who went to extraordinary lengths - including living in a van on a campus parking lot - to complete his education without sacrificing his financial future. In a frank and self-deprecating voice, memoirist Ken Ilgunas writes about the existential terror of graduating from college with $32,000 in student debt. Inspired by Thoreau, Ilgunas set himself a mission: get out of debt as soon as humanly possible. To that end, he undertook an extraordinary 3-year transcontinental journey, driving to Alaska and taking a series of low-paying jobs. Debt-free, Ilgunas then enrolled himself in a master's program at Duke University, using the last of his savings to buy himself a used Econoline, his new "dorm." The van, stationed in a campus parking lot, would be an adventure, a challenge, a test of his limits. It would be, in short, his "Walden on Wheels."Ilgunas went public in a widely read Salon article that spoke to the urgent student debt situation in America today. He offers a funny and pointed perspective on the dilemma faced by those who seek an education but who also want to, as Thoreau wrote, "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."

©2013 Ken Ilgunas (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Delightful and infuriating, both.

The first half of the book is great -- I loved it, hung on his every word. He's making great points -- kids are burdening themselves with tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, spent on earning college degrees which have no economic value. For most, they will be stuck with these loans and huge interest repayments well into middle age -- and with little real benefit. That's an excellent point, and because Ilgunas' writing style is both addictive and fascinating, it's a great listen. It's like he's talking directly to you, telling you how he got himself into that mess, and how he plans to get out.

Special kudos to narrator Nick Podehl -- the perfect voice for this book. I had to check to see if the author himself was narrating, but no. It's just very well done indeed!

But then you come to the second half....... like all converts to a new lifestyle, Ilgunas decides that what he was forced to do to repay his loans -- extreme off-the-chart thrift and Alaskan wilderness-wandering to save money -- is something that everyone should do. Must do. In fact, in everyone did it, it would cure society's ills.

His notion that everyone should take time to live alone in the Alaskan wilderness -- a much, much colder Walden Pond experience -- is that it would help people refine their life priorities and make them less vulnerable to the world of consumerism. (Ilgunas doesn't delve into the mechanics of how having "everyone" retreat to the Alaskan wilderness alone would actually work out, land-and-space wise, but he's in favor of it, anyway.) Then, without taking a breath, he goes on to pontificate about the need for maintaining -- presumably at taxpayer expense -- world-wide wilderness, so that all this would be possible. And what about the people who are too "infirm" to do such a thing? He implies there would be only a few, but for those, just the idea that the wilderness exists would be enough for them to want to pay for it.

Hypocrisy reigns. In the process of ranting against organized society in general, Ilgunas decries how society "spoiled" the pristine beauty of northern New York, building communities like the one he himself grew up in -- where he still lives, in fact, as a 23-year old moocher off his parents, eating their food, tapping regularly (if reluctantly) into his mothers bank account. All the while, he ridicules the mundane life of those who work at regular jobs to pay for mortgages, who maintain restricting ties to family and friends -- when they could be out exploring the wilderness, finding their "wild" selves. In short, Ilgunas comes off as a quasi-nutcase in his fervor for his new lifestyle.

If there is an upside to that -- I came within a hair of quitting the book, in the midst of all that self-serving arrogant nonsense -- it's that at the end of the book he admits his own hypocrisy. At least he has the capacity for honesty. In that sense, it's a better book than Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America", which has a somewhat similar theme. Both books are fascinating reading, the tales of bleak poverty and extreme making-do, but Ehrenreich is much more strident in advocating her solutions. At least Ilgunas maintains a smidgen of humility.

But here's the bottom line about Ilgunas: in his unbridled passion for extreme penury -- living in a toilet-free van, peeing into a bottle, discarding waste "behind a tree", fretting over a mouse eating his food -- a life in which he literally obsesses over every cent he earns and spends, he's really no different than the people he despises so much, those who are consumed with acquiring. Whether one's obsession is doing without, or with acquiring more, one is still spending one's life consumed with THINGS.

Somehow I don't think that's what he intended.

I loved this book!

If you could sum up Walden on Wheels in three words, what would they be?

Engaging, self-depricating, wonderful!

Which character – as performed by Nick Podehl – was your favorite?

I don't have one... but his narration was impressive! I wish he narrated more books that interest me; he is such a talent!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Ken's work in Alaska and Mississippi, his fear and dread about his debt.

Any additional comments?

This book should be required reading for any high school student headed off to college. Debt - both student debt and consumer debt - is at critical levels both in Canada and the USA. While Ken does not romanticize many of his actions, he is frank about the dread of being $32,000 in student debt. With a bit of luck and a spirit of wanderlust, he was able to pay it all off in a few short years, and still go to grad school debt-free. He grows up considerably in his mid-twenties, and I can't wait to see where the next few years lead him.

Fantastic Book!

What made the experience of listening to Walden on Wheels the most enjoyable?

I loved a lot about it. I could appreciate Ken's passion about paying off his student loans, about not wanting to live in debt, his frustration over the job market and the passion with which he came to embrace the wild. He has a tremendous amount of passion for life.

What other book might you compare Walden on Wheels to and why?

None that I can think of. I never read Walden so I can't make that comparison. Maybe I will read it now.

What does Nick Podehl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I thought he read it very well. He's a little weak on female voices but overall he was smooth and brought out the emotions felt by Ken, his buddy, his mother and so on. Good choice to read the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The entire book was enjoyable, can't think of any particularly dull moments.

Any additional comments?

Great book and I highly recommend it.

Fantastic (Mature Audience) Book!

Narration is a go/no-go indicator for me when it comes to the audio version of a book. Nick Podehl made this book come alive for me.
This was a free Amazon Prime option and since I am currently on the path to debt freedom and then financial freedom (1 yr of living expenses in savings at minimum), I immediately “picked it up”. This book contains all the nostalgic adventure I dreamed of as a kid — “against all odds” conquer and adventure in “real life” and in nature. It made me think of how I can bring that sense of adventure into my life. The best part? This is a real person! Non-fiction. “Truth is better than fiction,” really applies here.

You know you’ve picked up a good book when you finish it and are inspired to change for the better.

Thank you, Ken Ilgunas for sharing your story and thank you Nick Podehl for making it come alive for me.

Walden on Wheels

Entertaining, poignant, and entertaining as hell. Fantastic narration and a great story. Looking forward to reading--and listening--to more by this author!

Thought provoking, adventure inspiring!

We'll written and well read. Excellent imagery allows the listener to journey with the author, arriving at the destination changed, inspired, and eager for the next adventure - their own.

Inspirational

Great story about living below your means, unconventionally in pursuit of freedom. I really enjoyed this book and it inspired me to live more frugally. Cheers!

Excellent story and full life!!

Incredible, descriptive writing Lexus share Ken's journey right along with him. As a Duke alumni and one with longings of a simpler life, I felt that Ken's journey is one that I made undertake myself one day, minus the mice! Excellent read for anyone who would love to Julie with the idea of simpler existence and living with the bare necessities. Wonderful book and great narration.

inspired and jealous!

Loved it! Great problem solving to overcome student debt. It's 8 years later and my debt is almost exactly where it was when I finished school. This book was inspiring, entertaining and informative on so many levels.

Excellent memoir

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written, interesting, and enlightening. The only thing that I can kind of complain about is that the title is somewhat misleading. Only the last 1/5 of the book is about van dwelling. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book and I definitely recommend it.