Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing; not so much about bicycle touring
Review: I found the book disappointing in that it was much less about his bicycle touring and more about his preoccupation with his father. I think the book would have worked out better if he included more of the experience of touring across the country and integrated that with his spiritual journey to understand his father.
Rating: 
Summary: struck a cord in my personal experience with my dad.
Review: I heard Brian being interviewed on NPR and found the subject so interesting that when I arrived home I ordered the book. The following weekend as I was sitting on our lake dock following Brians bike journey much to my surprise he writes that he had to stop at Scheels hardware in Minot No.Dak.. My husband was the manager that let him in the bike shop. Ross remembered him because one didn't see too many guys riding bikes in yellow spandex in those days. The checkout girl is my sister Nancy and Brian surely captured her spirit. Most of the details of his stay in Minot were very accurate with just a few mistakes.ie. Nancy would never have served him a beer and she drove a big old Chevy Caprice that had a trunk that was wired shut with a coat hanger. Your readers might find it interesting to know that Nancy did not marry that Brad. Rather she ended up marrying a real adventurer that she met over in Pakistan. She and the "new" Brad are now parents of 3 childern and living in a remote section of Pakistan. I am looking forward to her reading a copy of this great book that I am sending to her.
Rating: 
Summary: No ring of truth
Review: I must admit to being quite disappointed with this book. I found
it to feel like a less than honest story, in both the tone
and the details. I found myself doubting the story as the
details didn't seem to ring true. The story of the Wheel Wizard
using a hammer in the manner described to fix a wheel is
either fabricated, or belies the author's cluelessness concerning
bicycle repair and maintenance. The story of the war vet simply
felt anachronistic, like it was a forced story made up to fill
out an otherwise empty section of the book. These are just
two of too many examples where I found my self doubting
the story as told. It really doesn't matter if all the details
are true, because if they are true the book has failed even more
so to convey what is supposed to be a very personal experience
of journey and learning.I was also surprised to find positive reviews of this book. For
anyone considering reading this book, if you haven't yet read
Miles from nowhere, you would read that one instead. That book
is by far the better travel tale, and simply doesn't fail to
convey an honesty that A Crossing lacks.
Rating:
Summary: Funny and touching story of self discovery, faith and family
Review: I read Newhouse's book when it first was published and enjoyed it a lot. Recently I gave a copy to my girlfriend, who also loved it. The occasion prompted me to pull my own copy off the shelf and give it another read. I was reminded once again of Newhouse's incredibly honest, understated writing style that makes you feel just exactly what he's feeling. I've rarely read a book so completely free of the author's pretensions and ego. This is a writer of real skill. I hope he publishes more books.
Rating:
Summary: Engrossing physical/spiritual journey, with insight & humor
Review: I read The Crossing in one sitting--it's an easy and engrossing read, yet full of humor and insight. It's about being young and unsettled, searching for something true and profound--but it never bogs down in navel-gazing or verbosity. The writing is quick and lean, rich with self-effacing humor, which makes the insights go down easily. The book takes the form of a journal, and it reminds me of many trips I've taken, but the author has written about his journey with a grace and fluidity that makes this the diary we all wish we'd had the talent to write.
Rating: 
Summary: I laughed, I cried, I got tendenitis! Very REAL, honest, fun
Review: I was curious about the book (skeptical?) as I knew the author, but quickly found out that this is the real deal. Hey, this guy can write! A very poignant story, an adventure anyone can relate to...and if you have a father (!), you'll find yourself shedding a few tears. If you are a person of faith, you'll find the issues real. From the perspective of a former (avid) cyclist, I was enthralled. Just enough cycling minutiae to keep me believing...and sore! I weigh the effectiveness of most books I read on the emotions it invokes in me. Honestly, I laughed out loud and shed real tears. Nicely written, good metaphors, well developed characters you end up caring about...where's the sequel?! Highly recommended. -JA
Rating:
Summary: A long time since I've seen tears on my pages
Review: I'm a 49-year-old male raised on an Illinois farm and thought I'd long since passed the day when a book of remembrances could touch me so. Fathers out here, and elsewhere I suspect, have learned the art of showing love only lately ... and awkwardly. Brian Newhouse uses the physical act of crossing the nation via bike as a metaphor for his inward journey toward his father's heart. I can hardly speak to how this book might seem to others, but I saw myself again and again in his struggles with faith, with love, and with himself. It's been a long time since I've seen tears on a book in my hands.
Rating:
Summary: Cyclist's Book Should be Re-Cycled
Review: I'm sorry, but this was just not worth the money. Not even close. The only interesting character in the entire book ditches him in the first two weeks. With such a wonderful experience, you would think that there might actually be a few more notable characters. Instead, the author splits his time between daydreaming about some obviously disturbed "girlfriend" and her equally bizarre friends and whining about his father that doesn't pay tribute to him. I was really expecting an episode with snake-handlers.
Rating:
Summary: Not really about the bike ride
Review: If you're wondering what a cross-country bike ride might be like and whether you might like to do it, don't bother reading this book. There are many other books that more accurately describe the experience, or at least make it seem more appealing. (Barbara Savage's book about her around-the-world journey is quiet entertaining) The author spends most of the book discussing his relationship with his emotionally distant Scandinavian father. Unfortunately, he doesn't really offer anything novel or insigntful on this topic. His musings on religion are equally annoying and sophmoric.
Rating:
Summary: Tour de force on relationships, from laughing to crying
Review: It would be easy to recommend this book to men who have reserved Scandinavian fathers. That's who you would share your copy with. But the message, in elegant and crisp language, is just as strong about relationships. Unfortunately, most men - at least in the Midwest - do not talk about relationships outside of their marriage. When I read this book, I felt the excitement and imagination in those age-old reasons why we care about people. I don't cycle, but the intensity of the cross-country trip was a meaningful backdrop to what happens when I cycle in and out of my friends' lives.
| 
