The Kindness of Strangers

Penniless Across America

By: Mike McIntyre

Narrated by: Chris Brinkley

Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's summary

A Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Stuck in a job he no longer found fulfilling, journalist Mike McIntyre felt his life was quickly passing him by. So one day he hit the road to trek from one end of the country to the other with little more than the clothes on his back and without a single penny in his pocket. Through his travels, he found varying degrees of kindness in strangers from all walks of life-and discovered more about people and values and life on the road in America than he'd ever thought possible. The gifts of food and shelter he received along the way were outweighed only by the touching gifts of the heart-the willingness of many he met to welcome a lonely stranger into their homes...and the discovery that sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare.

Audiobook includes an interview with author Mike McIntyre.

©1996, 2010, 2014 Mike McIntyre (P)2014 Mike McIntyre

Critic reviews

"Could you survive a cross-country trip relying only on the kindness of strangers? Well, Mike McIntyre did. He put our country to the test, and what he found out sure surprised me."-Oprah Winfrey

"An incredible journey."- (CBS News)

"A superb writer."- (Los Angeles Times)

I was entranced through the journey

Felt like I was walking next to him. I loved every detail and his passion for his cause and to complete his mission. There were moments that I help my breath waiting to see what was going to happen, I laughed and cried. Highly recommend!

Very enjoyable

Enjoyed listening to this. Would definitely recommend. Many times it made me wonder about race and class. America IS Good.

love the concept & his courage

though I am glad I stuck with this and finished it because I admired his courage and loved the concept of what he did... I did feel it lacked something.. most of the encounters were interesting & overall I enjoyed hearing about the people he meet.. but some of it seemed like a journal entry.. I did enjoy

Excellent

Interesting and read well. None of the egocentrism that you see in so many of these personal journey books. It was more about the people he met, most of whom had incredible stories to tell or were leading lives so different from us coastal people. Mike is genuinely interested in others and it comes through. Plus, I learned more about middle America than I thought I would, in a good way.

A Lone Adventure... but not like Wild

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not sure. I thought this would be more like a self awareness journey, like WILD, but instead it was something else entirely.

Has The Kindness of Strangers turned you off from other books in this genre?

No, I still think this is a good topic.

Have you listened to any of Chris Brinkley’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I do not think so.

Did The Kindness of Strangers inspire you to do anything?

It made me think of the kindness of others, however some of the encounters are scary and honestly... weird, so no... I wont be doing anything like this ;)

Any additional comments?

Kindness of Strangers is about accepting help from others. Mike McIntyre sets out on his adventure determined to use no money but to rely on the kindness of strangers. For the most part his adventure is not a hard one. He often finds shelter, food, and in some cases more than in needed.

Rarely do I cry while listening

If you could sum up The Kindness of Strangers in three words, what would they be?

Touching powerful intense

Who was your favorite character and why?

Mike's search for meaning is awesomely genuine.

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

Great narrator, some of the voices are not perfect, but his overall narration does the book justice.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

A friend suggested this book after hearing my son's PCT though hike story. If you are curious about trail magic this book is a magic carpet.

must listen!

This book is very interesting, and facinating. I would encourage others to listen and try to imagine following in Mike's footsteps.

Great if dated

Loved the concept and story. But is the country still generous 20 years later? The epilogue was valuable for filling in the authors motivations and telling us about his writing/ mailing of manuscript to keep it safe.
The nagging question is the minorities who only briefly appear in the book. Guess you would need another "Black Like Me" story to blend into their world. The poor seem tucked away out of sight. They were not the focus of Author's journey. Perhaps other books will be inspired by author's achievement.

What a wonderful story...

They say stories are the entries into the secrets of the universe. McIntyre showed us.

The Ultimate Trip

Where does The Kindness of Strangers rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Towards the Top: This book tells the true story of America, humans, and what our society really is, a place of giving and caring for our fellow man. I often share with students and friends alike, that "all that is missing is kindness and politeness to each other". The fact that a man can walk the distance of the United States "Penniless" is a testament to mankind.