John Francis (2) (1946–)

Although I generally abhor "inspirational" literature, I found this book to truly be so. I have often thought that if I could just keep walking, everything troubling me on both a personal and planetary plane would sort itself out. Well, John Francis actually accomplished my fantasy, adding to it a 17-year vow of silence and a more than 20-year practice of not using any form of motorized transportation. Along the way, traveling from place to place on foot, he earned a Bachelor's degree in show more Oregon, a Master's degree from the U of Montana, and a Doctoral degree from the U of Wisconsin, Madison. He also became a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador and an expert on oil spills. I am particularly struck by his journey from Montana to Wisconsin across the Dakotas. He had intended to spend the winter in Minneapolis, once he realized that he would not reach Madison before the weather became prohibitive. However, he either overestimated how fast he could travel or underestimated the weather, since he was forced to spend the winter in Watertown, North Dakota. How he transformed this set back into a positive experience is emblematic of his entire journey. show less

I had extremely high expectations, and I have to say that this book lived up to them. I’m not, as a rule, someone who is easily swept away by the inspirational, and I like to think that living in Ithaca as long as I did gave me a nose for self-serving liberal do-gooder rhetoric. But I was inspired by this book, and moved. You can’t accuse Francis of being a trust-fund hippie. He continually acknowledges and reevaluates his own motives and the difficulties that his choices cause for show more others, avoiding self-righteousness. He describes natural beauty and human goodness without being precious....

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I have to admit that it took a while for this book to really grab ahold of my interest. From an inspirational point of view, the book impressed me quite a bit. A man who undertook a personal journey and lifestyle change to give up motorized travel and walk around the world due to a catastrophic incident in his life is monumental. I was particularly impressed that Dr. Francis earned his undergraduate, graduate and doctorate all while adhering to a vow of silence. The people he met and the show more friends he made during his walk across the United States is entertaining. His descriptions are vivid, however at times I felt they were too descriptive causing my attention to wander. I also don't understand why the book touts Dr. Francis' "22 years of walking" but the book certainly does not cover that entire time period. I was also left a bit disappointed at the end when Dr. Francis suddenly decided to again use motorized conveyances. All in all though I enjoyed the book for being an example of dedication, spirituality and environmental responsibility. show less

Planetwalker is a book about physical commitment to living in a purposeful way. The author in the face of a society which has disconnected itself from the world, disconnects himself in two ways: he stops talking and starts walking. He then doesn’t do this for a day or a week or a year, but for more than a decade and a half in silence and more than 2 decades on foot. In this way, he creates an exemplary disassociation from the world. Beginning with a noticeable anger, this melts over time show more into a determined meditation on the environment and our society. A meaningful, if occasionally didactic, book. show less