The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing

Long-Distance Motorcycling's Endless Road

De: Melissa Holbrook Pierson

Narrado por: Julie Roundtree

Long-distance motorcycling is not a pastime but an obsession. In this candid, eloquent, sharply observed book, Melissa Holbrook Pierson introduces us to this strange endeavor and the men and women who live to ride impossibly long distances, eating up road, almost without cease. And who find it nothing but fun.

Perhaps the most determined of them is John Ryan, a magnetic, enigmatic man who loves nothing better than breaking records of amazing distance - at no small risk to himself and his health. But why? Pierson, who rediscovered the joys of motorcycling in the midst of a personal crisis, puts on her helmet and joins Ryan in his element in order to understand his singular desire and discipline, his passion and his obsession.

The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing offers an intimate glimpse of an unusually independent yet supportive community as well as a revealing, unforgettable portrait of its most daring member. In electric, pitch-perfect prose, Pierson gives us rare insights into not only a subculture but also the deeply human craving for something more that drives it.

©2011 Melissa Holbrook Pierson (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Pierson is an even better writer than she is a rider." (Boston Globe)

For motorcyclists

Excellent writing by Holbrook Pierson as she vividly captures the motorcycling experience. She puts into words what motorcyclists implicitly know about riding but may find challenging to explain. Story revolves around long-distance riding but delves deep into the philosophy and preternatural world of riding and pushing the limits of being human. While I liked the voice of the narrator, it seems clear that she is not very familiar with motorcycles and does not speak the language of motorcycles. I found the pronunciations tortuous at times, making me wince. But, bless her little heart, she tried her best.

reader needs to learn pronounciation.

Julie has not met a word or name she could not mis-pronounce. One name in paticular was pronounced at least 3 different ways. An overall well written book made less enjoyable by the reading.

Woman voice for a man?

Well it’s a old lady narrator for a man and it’s about motorcycles. Too weird

read the book instead

MHP is that rare person who not only loves motorcycling but can write about it, and well. However, the production oversight on this audiobook is absent and it shows. I appreciate that narration cannot always be by an insider, but the lady's performance shouts out loud her lack of familiarity with the material, eventually becoming so distracting that even my commute wouldn't induce me to finish the last hour. Issues of accuracy appeared in the first chapter when we hear of the Iron Butt challenge in which riders will complete "eleven hundred miles in eleven days " - no, thats 11,000 miles in eleven days. There are many oddities of nomenclature and fact that it spoiled this for me. I really wish the author had read her own book. As for the narration, the continuous changes of pronunciation, factual misstatements and even larger scale numerical errors demonstrate that the producer simply wasn't on the ball. Hollbrook-Pierson's book grace my bookshelves, I've given away numerous copies and always repurchased them for myself. This audio title fails to uphold its promise. please read her work, rather than just listen.

Well Written, Poor Narration

I saw the reviews about the narration and tried it anyway. I'm glad I did, but if you have the choice to read it instead, do that.

The story is about John Ryan, Melissa Pierson, and long distance riding. It is also about Moto Guzzi. Be prepared for Julie Roundtree's mispronounciations if you choose to listen.