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Through Painted Deserts: Light, God, and Beauty on the Open Road

Description

Fueled by the belief that something better exists than the mundane life they've been living, free spirits Don and Paul set off on an adventure-filled road trip in search of deeper meaning, beauty, and an explanation for life. Many young men dream of such a trip, but few are brave enough to actually attempt it. Fewer still have the writing skills of Donald Miller, who records the trip with wide-eyed honesty in achingly beautiful prose. In this completely revised edition, he discusses everything from the nature of friendship, the reason for pain, and the origins of beauty.

As they travel from Texas to Oregon in Paul's cantankerous Volkswagen van, the two friends encounter a variety of fascinating people, witness the fullness of nature's splendor, and learn unexpected lessons about themselves, each other, and even God.

"A record of a classic road trip. Miller's tale is full of serendipitous adventures and thoughtful Christian reflection . . . offering the sort of deep-thought wanderings into meaning and significance that are the meat of college-age existence . . . a reminder that life was meant to be lived, not just gotten through." (Publishers Weekly)

Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-08-30
Summary: "Miller's Best"

This book is like "On The Road", but instead of leaving you feeling lost and hopeless, it leaves you feeling inspired. I loved this book.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-07-27
Summary: "very thought provoking"

Donal Millers book is very thought provoking and inspirational. A good reminder of what we should focus on our lives and in our faith. It serves as a call for each of us to get out and learn, explore, and discover while we have the chance.

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Rating: 4 / 5
Date: 2010-06-04
Summary: "It gets better and better"

Donald Miller's one of my favorite authors. He's the New York Times bestselling author of Blue Like Jazz. Until this day, I still can't decide which one of his books is my favorite (I've read Blue Like Jazz, Searching for God Knows What, and A Million Miles in a Thousand Years). So when I came across this book, getting it was a no-brainer for me. It's a republished and retitled version of his first book, Prayer and the Art of Volkswagen Maintenance.

It starts out a little slow for my taste, but then it's a road trip memoir, so the pace ends up making sense, at least for me. In this book, Miller writes about a monumental interstate road trip that he takes with his friend Paul-a trip that takes them over mountains, down the Grand Canyon, and under their beat-up Volkswagen van (the latter, many times over).

I always wanted to go on an interstate road trip, and Miller does a great job of making the journey real to me. While it started out slow, I'm glad that I opted to keep reading as the story kept getting better and better. By the last couple of chapters, I was reading ever-so-slowly and taking down notes, as some lines went straight to my heart.

I really, really liked it.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2010-03-22
Summary: "enjoyable read"

i love donald miller. he writes in such an open, honest, and accessible way. reading his books is like having an honest conversation with a friend. i've enjoyed every one of his books that i've read.

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Rating: 5 / 5
Date: 2009-12-23
Summary: "great book!"

This is yet another great book by Donald Miller. If you like travel, descriptions and reflections of travel, you will love this. It is also a book that you can put down and pick up whenever without feeling lost. The adventure just continues.