Rating: 
Summary: Just what were you expecting??
Review: For the life of me, I don't understand the attitudes of some of the folks posting their reviews of this book! What were some of you people expecting? A ghost-written autobiography gushing about how, "it was the fans, after all, who made me what I am today?" The man lost two of the people most dear to him within months of each other and was going on this journey for whatever healing potential it had for him, and you're whining because maybe he doesn't have his music or his adoring fans in the forefront of his mind right now? Grow up!!I like Rush, although I have to admit that I've ALWAYS been put off by Peart's sanctimonious nature (mostly apparent in his interviews, where if the man has a sense of humor, he keeps it invisible). What drew me to the book, and what kept me reading it to the end, were the circumstances Peart found himself in and how he dealt with it. Fact is, we all heal from tragedies in different ways---this was his way. Parts of his "healing road" were interesting, parts of it were not, parts of it were very moving indeed. And if I ever had to face the magnitude of tragedy Neil Peart contended with, I hope I could find the reserves of inner power he found to cope with it. I'd also like to point out that if Neil Peart really had contempt for his public, he probably wouldn't have released this book. I'd like to think--rightly or wrongly--that he put it out partly to continue his own healing, and partly with the intention that those who read it would find something they could draw from when they themselves cope with life's harsher realities. I dare anybody to find that contemptuous.
Rating: 
Summary: Quite a journey.
Review: Like most writers, Neil seems to have been born with the travel bug. Always on the move and always with a new angle. Like Robert Fulgum, he is a man of perpetual variation, finding ways to turn a journey into pros.
I started the book with feverish excitement. Never wanting to put it down. Every page full of delight and awe of the natural world that surrounded him. Having an interest in maps and history of my own I found it quite interesting to read through the details, the roads he traveled and the sites he visited. I did, however, find it a bit annoying when I was, over and over again, presented with lists of Sinatra tunes and other Jazz and big band standards. At one point Neil refered to a moment in a tune that could have also served as a segue into Debussy's "Scheherazade." I am sorry to say that it was not written by Debussy but by Rimsky-Korsakov. This is Not, however, a reflection on Neil and his taste in music. Perhaps in future editions this can be corrected.
I was pleased to discover that with all that he has accomplished in his life, wich is a great deal, he is still moved by the things that would move any of us. This is what I like most about the book. One does not have to be rich and famous To see a grizzly up close or to witness the uncomparible beauty of Lake Louise or to have to bury your own child. noone is amune to these things.
I look foward to reading the "Masked Rider."
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Time to Read...Unless you love getting depressed!
Review: What an self-indulgent piece of junk. As a previous reviewer said, no direction, just blather and self-pity. If he thinks he has it rough, try holding a job while going through this! THAT'S the real world, Neil. To pay twenty bucks to indulge his self-pity makes it quite a swindle. RUSH fans, don't waste your time. You'd hardly know his life as a musician by reading this book. And let's not elaborate on his boring letters to "Brutus". Absolute filler to thicken the book. However, if you love self indugent misery, this is your book! Whiney, uninspirational.....boo hoo! boo hoo! Fire the editor!
Rating:
Summary: Secret Touch
Review: After growing up on Rush music during my formative years, I grew distant from the band in the years that followed. In 2002 when, by pure chance I received a ticket to see Rush live in concert, a friend told me about the tragic events that occurred in Neil Peart's life. After reading "Ghost Rider", I discovered that Neil Peart is not only a masterful drummer and song writer for the band Rush, but is also an excellent writer and an extremely intelligent individual. "Ghost Rider" reveils Neils mind, body and heart while traveling on "The Healing Road". Five stars go out to Neil, (a.k.a. John Ellwood Taylor) for putting in words his story and opening himself up to his fans and the rest of the world.
Rating: 
Summary: Definitely worth a read if you're a fan of RUSH.
Review: Short version.... Not a bad book. Writing could have been better and at times the repetitive nature of the journey can sort of bore you. I also think that Neil held back quite a bit on a lot of his thoughts and feelings. Enough managed to make it to paper to help understand the man during a tough time. As for you folk who found out Neil feels uncomfortable when fans approach him.... Go somewhere else to find a friend. I appreciate the music and although a stronger connection to the fans would have been nice to see, who really cares. There are also a few lines referencing Geddy and Alex. Overall, I'm quite glad I read this.
Rating:
Summary: Far more than just an insight into Neil Peart's life...
Review: Just like many of the reviewers here at amazon.com had done, I purchased this book primarily because I am an avid Rush fan. It is true that Neil Peart has kept his private life very guarded from his fans and is very defensive about his privacy (see lyrics to "Limelight" by Peart). However... The more I read this book, the less I was aware that the man on this "Healing Road" is the drummer of a legendary Canadian progressive rock power trio. I became totally immersed in the mind of a man who is on an intense journey of personal re-discovery. Further to that, I became thoroughly engrossed with Peart's simple yet amazingly effective description of life on the road (on two wheels). Peart had made me forget "who" he was and instead made me want to read about who he is becoming -- a man in the wake of devastating tragedy, born of a fragile, healing "baby soul." My hat's off to Peart. This book is an excellent read.
Rating:
Summary: An interesting insight into a hero, but...
Review: I am on my second reading of this book, and after reading the reviews posted here, I must say that my feelings on it and by extension, Neil Peart, have changed somewhat.
I have, of course, been a Rush fan for eons and have adopted many of his drumming techniques into my own style... blah, blah, blah (this won't become a discussion on drumming). But after reading the book the first time, I came away with the feeling that even though he had gone through all the pain, then gone through the work it took to write, then publish it... he couldn't really care what I (as a Rush fan and admirerer of his accoplishments) thought about any of his experiences. This attitude, to me, is akin to bands like Pearl Jam, who record albums, do press and play concerts THEN COMPLAIN ABOUT IT!
If Neil dislikes playing live so much, HE SHOULDN'T DO IT. Rush has always been a band that survived because they were truthful and had integrity. If I know that the man playing drums in front of me would rather be... well, anywhere else but there, it affects my experience.
I did enjoy painting pictures in my mind of all the places he describes and his wandering did awaken a certain "wanderlust" in me, but his apparent disdain for his fans and "regular" people in general is off-putting, to say the least.
In the book, he makes references to "the fool he used to be", and claims that he has a softer view of people, but as a reformed "jerk" myself, I recognize disingenuousness when I read it. In the end, I don't believe that he sees the world any differently than he did before.
But alas, Neil and Rush have NEVER been a "people's band". This should be taken into consideration.
Rating:
Summary: Gets into the Head of Neil Peart
Review: I started reading this book expecting to understand a little more about how Neil Peart cam to grips with his grief over losing his family, but instead I got an unedited, mostly boring travel narrative sprinkled with flashes of humor and wit. The book really only serves one function - getting (a little) into the head of a complex, intelligent musician adored by Rush fans world-wide. For that reason it deserves 3 stars, but DO NOT expect Rush-lyrics-style writing. Maybe we've just been spoiled. I was also vastly disappointed with Neil's apparent disinterest in his fans, to the point of ridicule. As a contrast, I met Geddy Lee a number of years ago in Cleveland, Ohio - he was at an album-signing, staying hours and hours chatting with fans. He was open, smiling, and seemingly happy to "give a little back" to the people . . . something Neil clearly would not do (at least based on his book). Perhaps his new relationship will help change that attitude. Also, the book is unfinished really. Suddenly, after over 400+ dark & gloomy pages, two years fly by and the grieving Neil is quickly married and optimistic. Since he decided to write this book, I would much rather have learned of his inner thoughts about his tragedy (as opposed to the books he read and the meals he ate), and maybe even more about Jackie and Selena, especially when his dedication stated "with honor to the past." He is clearly an articulate writer, so such a task should not have been too difficult, unless he thought his brutish, fat American fans could not grasp it. If you want additional (and better) insight into the mind of Neil Peart, read his other book, "The Masked Rider - Cycling in Africa." Expect the same level of writing, however. So Carrie: thanks for Vapor Trails. Tell Neil we still love and appreciate him regardless of how he feels about us.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book and 'power window' into tragedy and triumph!
Review: This book was hard to put down (literally and figuratively)! Neil just opens up himself to his readers, and one empathizes and sympathizes at his unfathomable and tragic losses. When it rains, it pours, to say the least. Neil loses his precious daughter, his wife, his DOG, and his best freind is incarcerated! WOW!!! Just HOW do you recover from that? Well, Neil shows us, and his description of his 'healing' 14 month motorcycle journey through Canada, the U.S., and parts of Central America prove to be riveting reading. His candor and openness in describing certain people and experiences is appreciated as well. When he goes on to 'dis' some predictable, typical, fat, ugly 'trailer trash' (as we know them to be) travellers, I laughed out loud!!! I would have thought the same thing. My freinds and I constantly put down (in a fun way) such individuals here in Ohio, especially since this state is full of them! Ugly, fat, lethargic, middle-of-the-road, pork rind eating, Chevy pickup driving, minimally educated, uncultured, blue-collar trailer trash!!! All in all, 'Ghost Rider' is a great, honest read.
Rating:
Summary: The point of a journey is not to arrive
Review: You'd think this book was doomed from the start. An epic journey of self-discovery. Zen and the art of motorcycling and grieving. It's been done. And it was a BMW this time too! But not by Neil Peart. So a few thousand copies are Fed-Ex'ed to ardent Rush fans seeking a peek into the painfully private Peart. Big deal.
Dear reader, the book transcends all of these clichés. This is not, as it might appear on the surface, Peart's millennium edition of Robert Pirsig's 70's classic. Nor is it a 428-page Rush lyric. The book stands on it's own, completely separate from the Rush machine and the unfortunately comparable "traveling nomad" works of the past, a la Kerouac and Castaneda. So let's get past that, ok? No one gave Steinbeck a hard time for traveling with Charlie. I think Neil is entitled to travel with Brutus, assuming he can stay out of the clink (Brutus, not Neil). Aside from the tragic genesis, as a travelogue, this is a motorcyclist's fantasy. Any reader affected by wanderlust will devour the pages, in awe of Neil's highways, landscapes, and wildlife. The environment is often used as a metaphor for his internal exile, so the book never strays too far off the melancholy tone set forth from the first page. Oh, but the places he rides! Aboard his trusty GS1100, he spans his homeland from Quebec westward, then up the Dempster Highway (past the Arctic Circle, [look it up on the internet]), down through the Western US, Baja California, Mexico, and Belize. After wintering at home, he's off again in the other direction, (piloting his K1200 this time) to Nova Scotia and down to NYC, and back home again. Once again, on the more comfortable GS, he's off in a more-or-less mindless direction (just trying to find some warm weather) and ultimately finds his destiny and his new home. Technically, I wished for more detail about the trip from Nova Scotia down to NYC. Neil explains the entire ride within a few short paragraphs. Conversely, when he was in the Western US, he often went into excruciating detail, recounting everything from inconsequential roadside fauna to modern-day ghost towns and dead frontiersmen. I guess the Wild West makes for a more fitting backdrop from which to tell the Ghost Rider story. There are some surprising and rare glimpses into Neil's personal preferences, lifestyle, and interpersonal structure of friends, family, and employees. The story of the Ghost Rider lends itself to a little more soul spillage than his last book, The Masked Rider. Hence, us star-struck Americans are treated to a few tasty tidbits of voyeur candy. If you read The Masked Rider in an attempt to learn more about Neil's life, and were disappointed, then this book would fill that void, but at the risk of cheapening the entire meaning and purpose. If all you care about is Neil Peart The Drummer, then spin your CD's - that's where he lives. Aside from the travel prose and peeps into Neil's life, the higher purpose of the book will vary greatly from person to person. This book is the adult version of existential angst, put forth in a manner that had me playing my own "what if" scenarios over and over in my head. As I began the book, I held some of the same preconceptions that other reviewers have expressed - that Neil, due to his prosperity, somehow "had it easier" than most of us would in respect to his ability to escape his demons with a wallet full of bottomless credit cards and a romantic journey across North America. But I soon realized, the last thing I'd want would be freedom from the monotonous but therapeutic workaday routine. Admittedly, I have the luxury of working in a profession that isn't a constant reminder of my past. This isn't true for a musician and lyricist with a 25-year back catalog. It was interesting to see how Neil dealt with this tragedy, and assuredly is still dealing with it. The painfully too-short last chapter was incredibly uplifting. In the last paragraph of the book, Neil says goodbye to the Ghost Rider in a most eloquent and visually inspiring manner. For what he had accomplished, I admired Neil greatly, which at this point in the book had nothing to do with Neil Peart The Drummer, whom I admired since adolescence; rather, it was this unfortunate and resourceful soul who happened to pull himself out of crippling depression and adversity to start a new life (with respect to the past) and write a hell of a novel.
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