An interesting account of a journalist who quits his job and decides to cross the country with no money in his pocket, depending solely on the kindness of strangers. A self confessed coward, the author does some major soul searching as he makes his way from California to Cape Fear, NC. Which, by the way, turns out not to be a real place at all, because the name was originally Cape Fiere, and was mispronounced and screwed up over the years. He meets some really crazy characters, and a few really scary ones along the way, but does stick to his determination to make it completely penniless. An enjoyable read. ( )

This travelogue recounts the authors trip hitchhiking across the US. The main characters of the book are the people he meets along the way. His experiences provide a transition between these stories.

I found the book fascinating, insightful and (at times) moving. ( )

Mike McIntyre leaves his job as a journalist in an attempt to fulfill a dream of traveling across the US without a penny. All items, aside from clothes and a sleeping bag, would be available if, and only if, they were provided as an act of kindness from a stranger. Mike meets some interesting characters on his hitchhiking pilgrimage, but for the most part kindness ruled the day from state to state to state.

In some respects, I wish McIntyre would have captured more details on the people he met on his journey or at least included a bit more self-reflection. The book was more of a photo album than a moving picture. Well worth the read if you are looking to restore your faith in humanity. ( )

Mike McIntyre's story of hitchhiking his way, without once using any cash from his home, in San Francisco all the way to Cape Fear, NC, is an intriguing one. Along the way, Mike ran into some very kind and generous people, folks willing to take a chance on him by giving him the benefit of the doubt. Surprisingly (or maybe not), a high proportion of the drivers willing to pick Mike up along the highway (and even take him into their homes for a night) were women. As a male, I find that surprising...and foolhardy on the part of these women. Women, apparently, see it differently.

Something that did not surprise me at all is that those with the least to give were the most generous people that Mike met during his entire trip, a trip about which he planned to write this book from the very beginning. Mike did resign his journalist job in order to free up time for the trip (he was very burned out about his work and his life, in general), so I have to give him extra points for his commitment to the trip.

Now, I do find it a bit odd that he refused to accept donations of cash when people offered to give him money for a meal but he accepted food and meals from almost anyone willing to offer him one. The "penniless" part of his quest seems to have been too strictly adhered to when there is very little difference in accepting a five-dollar bill from someone and sitting down with them five minutes later to a fast food meal they treat him too. Seems like just a technicality, but that's me.

"The Kindness of Strangers" is an engrossing read, and that is probably why I found its abrupt ending so disappointing. Because of the book's last three or four pages, I think it is more a 3 1/2 star book than a 4 star book - but I recommend it to anyone who enjoys travel books of this type. ( )

Interesting book. I'm glad he did it so I don't have to. An amazing assortment of folks that were willing to help. I was surprised he didn't run into more trouble than he did. ( )