Enjoyed for overall positivity and message of connection in tough times. ( )

1.5 stars -- I expected more from this book. It certainly had the potential to be engaging and inspiring. Leon travels around the world, allowing himself only $5 a day and the kindness of strangers to get by on.

Honestly? The whole experience was quite self-centered. He tries over and over to play it like he was doing this for others - he wanted to "give back" to the people who gave to him. But he didn't want them to know he would give back, because "you don't give to get" - yet he only gave after he "got," so that left me thinking, "Huh?," and he didn't give back to everyone, only a very select few. He hardly mentions any of these generous strangers in the book, even!

He spends most of the book talking about his yellow bike, and repeatedly would write something like, "I wasn't sure if I'd be able to go home. I wasn't sure I'd be able to leave this adventure. Maybe my girlfriend was right, and I am just running." And... it felt like he was really trying way too hard to force an "inspirational" and "personal growth" type of twist to the story.

The writing itself is not engaging. It reads something like, "Day 1, I hopped on my bike and crossed the border and then I did this and then I did that and somebody paid for my petrol and I asked a hundred people to stay the night and I couldn't believe how many people said no, and finally I met someone who was actually kind, and then Day 2, I hopped on my bike..." and it just repeats.

Had he really engaged with the people around him, and spent time serving them, and wrote in greater detail about their stories, it could have been a good read. At the end of the day, the book was all about how great he is (he mentions several instances where people give a banquet in his honor, a toast at a wedding in his honor, names an animal after him, etc. - I didn't see how these tidbits added anything to the story...), and I found it more awful than inspiring. I would not recommend that anyone else waste their time or money with this one.

I received this book free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

I don’t watch TV so I didn’t know there was now a tv show about the authors journeys.
If there was ever a book needed for the messed up times we are living in, this book is perfect.
Impossible to read and not be affected. ( )

While not a great writer, Logothetis certainly has a big, golden heart which makes this book engaging and and warm. Through trauma and humor, he stumbles and roars his way around the world on kindness alone. His final "follow-up" chapter is especially nice. ( )