Rating: 
Summary: nicely written travelog, and dealing with personal recovery
Review: Be advised that this book is a journal documenting one person's travels. It only occasionally mentions Rush and the rock and roll lifestyle. Those who are looking for a "Behind the Music" type of book will be disappointed.
With that out of the way, this book is well written and easy to follow. With his detailed description of the landscape, people, and places, I felt as I was on each and every mile of his trip. From the beginning of his desperate state, to his recovery, the journey in between is both dangerous yet breathtaking. Most people don't experience this type of adventure in their lifetimes. Neil Peart had to encounter this in order to survive. Here's to his "little baby soul", and thanks for taking the reader with you on your journey.
Rating: 
Summary: A decent but unfinished book
Review: I recently picked up a copy of this book at a Rush concert. Partly, I was curious to see how well Neil could do as an author. Partly there was a karma connection: I lost my brother to cancer about ten years ago, and had gotten through it with the help of Rush's music, so I wanted to know how such a painful loss affected the man who wrote the lyrics to "Bravado". Not surprisingly, Peart's writing on the page-to-page level is witty, literate, and frank. As a travelogue, Ghost Rider is fairly interesting, peppered with details about the various locales he visits and the people who put them on the map, and pithy observations about the local culture. I'm sure he'd do well as a writer at a travel magazine (but being in a successful rock band probably pays better). As an account of an emotional journey, though, Ghost Rider feels like a journal that was transfered into book form without benefit of a good editing job. It seems like I spent as much time reading about what Neil ate for dinner, what repairs he made to his bike, what (briefly described) old friend he met, etc., than about the process of coming to grips with grief. Understandable that he preferred dealing with day-to-day details to take his mind off the hurt while on the road, but as a final narrative, it gets a bit tedious to the reader who doesn't have much emotional connection to these things, at least not as they're told. Though he clearly misses his wife and daughter, he doesn't say much about them, which makes it hard to empathize with his breakdowns along the way. Flashes into the struggle of the soul are there, but they often get deflected into self-conscious banter which likewise gets a little old. For example, reading about a middle-aged rock drummer chasing after squirrels with a water gun has potential to be comical in an existential way, but Neil manages to deflate the moment by trying to make it sound WITTY. Also, his occasional jabs at fat people, trailer trash, and oblivious Americans left a bad taste -- taking cheap shots at easy targets is not moving writing. He was mostly above that in song lyrics. All of us get lost in the darkness, he said at one point, so he should know better than to write as if he were the only one ever so badly hurt. Rush fans looking for a more personal connection to their favorite band will probably be disappointed (for one thing, Rush is mentioned mainly only incidentally). You certainly get some insight into the workings of the man's mind and the origins of various song lyrics (which preface each chapter), but the delivery of the book is so workmanlike, it's hard to feel a lot of emotional weight from his experience (though it's obviously there). Ghost Rider really could have a been a fascinating, instead of merely interesting read, if only Neil had taken the time to trim down the breadth and expand on the depth. I'd imagine he wrapped up the book in a hurry to work on the latest Rush CD, Vapor Trails, which, on the whole, is a lot more moving (listen to the SONG Ghost Rider). Overall, I admire that Mr. Peart drove himself to write this, and I think he's got a good book or two in him (or a slew of articles), if he focuses better on reaching out to the reader, but for now he shouldn't quit the day job! (Please, no!) So, anyone thinking about buying Ghost Rider should carefully read the reviews here and make up his or her own mind.
Rating: 
Summary: "the innocence slips away...."
Review: As with my other reviews of people's life stories, this should be considered "unrated," as I do not assign numbers to memoirs. I've been surprised at the cold-bloodedness of some of the responses to this book. Yes, it rambles. Yes, it is self-indulgent. Yes, it's a travelogue, some of the detail entirely incidental. And he uses too damned many italics on words that don't merit them. Tra-la. This book was written by a man who went through tragedy so terrible that in publicity photographs taken afterward, he looks to have aged about twenty-five years in six. He does not, like C. S. Lewis, explain his grieving as a kind of conversion, nor does he go into the depths of it, as Robert Romanyshyn does. And why? Because Mr. Peart is not a novelist or essayist or psychologist: he is the lyricist for the rock band RUSH, and this book is the story of what he did when, deep in grief over his dead daughter, his wife died as well: he got on his motorcycle and rode. The result is this book, a kind of journal-in-motion. Some will view it as an escape. But with a man like Peart, to ride away from pain too enormous to face all at once is to ride, eventually, toward it, taking it into his soul piece by piece along the way, finding a bit of it here in a rainy day, there in an engine clogged by an accidental dousing of diesel fuel. There is no one-time immersion, no epiphany to the sound of literary trumpets, no: like many a Rush song, it is a gradually growing sense of enlivenment, like that of many an inwardly dead-feeling survivor who learns, a little at a time, to live--and to run, as M. Scott Momaday says of his character Abel, beyond (because through and out the other side of) his pain. It bears reflection, too, that the former atheistic fan of Ayn Randian individualism learns bit by bit to connect--and when he does, he allows himself to do what so many men lack the courage for: to depend.
Rating:
Summary: I will choose freewill....
Review: to say this book was very interesting. It's take it or leave it. The point I would think that this book was not really intended to be a commercial hit but letting fans know a taste of his personality and experience - that's it. This means you might think he's a snob or whatever but that's fine.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, I must be on a different planet
Review: I too found some parts of the book a little slow, but overall it is a great book. I think it is more than just a "come to grips" with my losses book. Adding in the descriptions of places visited and destinations that took a great deal of effort to get to where very interesting. The book is very honest and that honesty is only available from a brave person. Neil Peart has been a factor in my life for over 20 years. I am not one to idolize people and knew very little about his personal life before reading this book. I came away pretty much agreeing with his point of views on various things. I find travel very intersting by itself and a description of a trip like this makes me want to try to visit some of the locations myself. The Masked Riser was a better read, but this was still very good.
Rating:
Summary: 2 parts inpiration, 1 part tedium
Review: I've been looking forward to reading this for some time now, and devoured it in less than 3 days. I was aware of the tragedies that had befallen Neil Peart several years ago. Though I expected he eventually would find the will to rejoin his bandmates and record again, I never imagined he'd write a book documenting his healing process. He really does a masterful job in words of bringing to life the landscapes through which he traveled on his journey of healing. I've never ridden a motorcycle, but if I had one in the garage I would not be able to help but hop on it and hit the road. Not to follow in his path or anything, but just to ride and explore my own paths. The other inspiration I get from this book is to treasure my family and friends a little more (ok, a LOT more). Also, that the healing process is indeed a road fraught with peril (both literally and figuratively in Neil's case). There are but two choices really. The one his wife Jackie took, which was the ultimate surrender of soul, or the one he took which was a hanging on by the fingernails day-by-day survival. The tedium part, for me, were the endless letters to his incarcerated friend. After a while, they became a nuisance to me ("oh god, not ANOTHER letter to Brutus"). What might have been a bit more interesting was getting to read some replies back from Brutus (or any other of the several letters Neil shares that he wrote to family or friends). It was too one-sided in that respect. At least for me. I wanted to know a little bit of how others saw him during this process of healing. But I guess it wasn't that sort of book. More of a travel journal with a backstory. In the end, you needn't be a fan of Rush to enjoy the book. In fact, the band is mentioned only here and there in passing. 95% of the material focuses on the landscape of his travels and his inner healing process. If you love the notion of a traveler with "baggage" (in more ways than one), a story to tell, and a hundred interesting places with which to tell it, this is for you. Just don't expect a whopper of an ending, or anything. It wraps up really quick in stark contrast to the (perhaps) overly long buildup. Still, it's worth a read. He's an intriguing person in many respects.
Rating: 
Summary: Neil E. Peart: Drummer, Guru, and, Gump Jr.?
Review: Ghost Rider: "Travels on the Healing Road" offers multi-faceted insights into the mind of a man who has encountered life-altering tragedy, and responded by doing what most people feel they must in those moments...run. This is not a new concept, and may get tiring for those wanting more than inert, stream of conscious ramblings.
Having said that, isn't that what grieving people do? "Ghost Rider" is an attempt by Mr. Peart to let us into his mind world, which could strike chords of resonance, or send the reader into the depths of estrangement. There seems to be no middle ground... The revered psychologist Jean Piaget was known for his work in the field of child psychology, but before he ever became "revered", he was actually a recognized scholar for his work with birds--at the age of 15. Mr. Peart, the reigning living god of drummers and all things percussive, seems to have a fancy for flying, feathered, creatures as well. You can read about it on countless pages, but, you kind of wish he would write more in-depth about his encounters with the legendary Freddy Gruber instead of every bird he sees while he is running around the world like Forrest Gump. Which brings me to fulcrum of this book: Neil Peart wrote this book for himself, not for his fans. The book, 400 pages of exploration and adventure that in many ways reads like 1000 pages. The price of admission into the mind of Mr.Peart. Many people will buy this book and say it has profound meaning and will help those who suffer through tragic circumstances, but really those are the people who live vicariously through the works of Mr. Peart and his bandmates. There is nothing groundbreaking here, but there were plenty of opportunities to flesh out ideas which could have translated into something special and useful for the reader. For example, in the opening chapters he finally comes to grips with the revelation that "life sucks, but people are great", a complete reversal of his previous motto for life on earth. Through his tragedy he found that community is necessary to understanding peace, grace, joy, all the things which matter, thus helping many complete their incomplete circuits. Yet he walks away from the "elan vital" (latin for "seeds of life") or the "huerisko" (greek for "I found it") moment which can truly give medicine for souls who seek it. Mr. Peart would likely respond to that claim with idea that he is not a person who aspires to such noble grounds, yet his writing reminds me of Thomas Merton, a monk who thought outside the box of catholicism, and achieved great popularity as a mainstream writer. The depth and "occasional" clarity of Mr. Peart's writings (thinking) remind me of those special people who have chosen the protective walls of monastaries and cloths of spiritual contemplation. Neil missed his calling. He should have been a monk because he can't emotionally navigate relationships with tact, displaying once again the idiosynchratic nature of brillaint yet introverted souls. Perhaps the most enjoyable qualitites of this book are found in his letters to "Brutus" (Psuedonym for his weed connection) where we (the reader) get to know Mr. Peart for who he is: a man who must connect somewhere with someone on the testosterone level. His letters to Brutus convey the charming, warm, stinking funny, regular guy which most fans wish they knew. Imagine sitting in prison and getting letters from Peart during that time of his life (That could be depressive as well, but that's what friends are for). In many ways, I, the reader, wanted to be Brutus just because he knows Neil. His personal connections with family, friends, and business associates are mentioned frequently but always in short bursts. Then it's on to another topic or concept that get's Mr. Peart's mouse moving on the wheel. I found that annoying because I wanted to know how he was healed by those around him (and his relationships) in detail, bringing out the necessary human interface associated with the grieving process. Our lot as the book buyers is sucking up the morsels Neil does decide to toss down to us like dogs waiting by the dinner table. What I wanted from Neil Ellwood Peart is different than what I recieved in this book. There where moments of encapsualtion but they were always so short, fleeting moments. I suppose that I'll jsut having to suck it up, be grateful and deal with it. At least we got this. Well, all is not lost...at least I've got "vapor trails". Hmmn, music...perhaps that is the best medium to capture the essence of Mr. Peart's world.
Rating:
Summary: Enriched by positive and negative
Review: I echo many of the sentiments shared by other reviewers. I was thrilled yet a little offended, inspired yet let down. This roller coaster of emotion did give a little insight to Neil's feelings through the book. Yet, using Neil's own litmus test for a good book, I couldn't wait to get back to reading it. It provided insight of myself, not all of it good, which is after all one reason why we read isn't it? I came away from the book appreciating my own family and my own life, both what it is and what it could be, a great deal more. I have more knowledge of my boyhood, young-adulthood and middle-agehood hero, not all of it good, but that's what we wanted, right? I thought the story ended just a little abruptly, but the end was especially gripping. I felt a bit of emptiness as Neal reached the end of the road and moved on with his life. Yet how grateful we all are for that!
Rating:
Summary: On the road again...
Review: I've been a Neil Peart literary geek since first reading his Rush lyrics back in high school. When The Masked Rider came out, I was so depressed as it was initially going to be available in Canada only, or by written request and payment directly from the publisher. When I finally got it, I loved it. I've read it several times now and it gets better each time. While I knew Ghost Rider would be a different trip entirely, I went into it expecting the briliiant word choices and evocative description from Rider, and I was not disappointed. But the pain and anguish Mr. Peart pours out to his readers from his journal notes, his letters to Brutus and others, and the general pathos he felt (evidenced by his inability to reconcile his former life with this one) was intense! Nothing can prepare a reader for the emotional mind-bender he relates to us, just as NOTHING could prepare him for actually living it. I am grateful that Mr. Peart has continued writing and playing in Rush. I am grateful that he has come to terms with all of his lives and is moving forward one "little baby soul" step at a time. Lastly, I am grateful that he considered us good enough friends to share somewhat in his pain, for it makes one HELL of a story.
Rating:
Summary: On the road again...
Review: I've been a Neil Peart literary geek since first reading his Rush lyrics back in high school. When The Masked Rider came out, I was depressed as it was initially going to be available in Canada only, or by written request and payment directly from the publisher. When I finally got it, I loved it. I've read it several times now and it gets better each time. While I knew this Rider would be a different trip entirely, I went into it expecting the brilliant word choices and evocative description from The Masked Rider, and I was not disappointed. But the pain and anguish Mr. Peart pours out to his readers from his journal notes, his letters to Brutus and others, and the general pathos he felt (evidenced by his inability to reconcile his former life with this one) was intense! Nothing can prepare a reader for the emotional mind-bender he relates to us, just as NOTHING could prepare him for actually living it. I am grateful that Mr. Peart has continued writing and playing in Rush. I am grateful that he has come to terms with all of his lives and is moving forward one "little baby soul" step at a time. Lastly, I am grateful that he considered us good enough friends to share somewhat in his pain, because it makes for a great story.
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