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Title: Soul of Nowhere
ISBN: 0316735884
Author:
Craig Childs
Publicate Date: 2003-10-14
Publish: 2003-10-14
List Price: $18.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $5.95
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $0.99
Amazon Merchant Price: $17.09
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Loved the book, the concept and writing
I read this book with a highlighter pen, marking passages about the places, and comments about humans relating to their inner soul and to nature. I found it deeply personal and, therefore, may not be everyone's "cup of tea". The writing at times was amazing and then just good.
This is a collection of the author's experiences, both interior and exterior. It is called the Soul of Nowhere! and documents his exploration of places, the soul of such places and his own soul in relation to the Soul of Nowhere.
This is not really a travelogue or a documented adventure. It is a man's journey, spiritually and physically.
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2: Hmmm...
One reviewer cited "pseudo-intellectual mumbo-jumbo that gives the reader the impression that he is just trying too hard to write a "serious" book" regarding Childs' "Soul Of Nowhere". I must agree. I have spent a good part of my life in the deserts of the Southwest and beyond, and am a professional archaeologist, so I expected to like this work more than I did. It felt a little bit too forced, as though the author were trying to convince his readers that what he was experiencing was somehow more profound than it actually appears to be on the surface. I wasn't buying all of the forced weightiness ascribed to what amounts to rather mundane situations. I must follow up by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed "House of Rain" despite some extremely irresponsible behaviour on the part of the author. "Soul of Nowhere" was a disappointment.
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3: Stories of the Spirit
I loved this book not so much because of the difficulties and delights Childs experienced in the wild but because of the journey of his spirit as he bonded with the wild places. I've read many books of true adventure written by people who were brave and sensitive and articulate, but this book goes far beyond anything I've come across. It speaks to my soul, so evocative, so intense that I feel I have journeyed with him. It's almost frightening to be drawn so far into the mind of another human being I don't even know. He is undoubtedly brave as a lion in his explorations, but his true bravery is revealed in the opening and dissection of his own soul. His eloquent words describe the feelings I could not articulate for myself in my travels in the southwest deserts. Now I know why I went back to them time after time.
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4: wow!
Craig Childs is an excellent writer, and the prices for used books of his were great. I could buy copies for all my friends.
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5: another winner
Like other reviewers, my first exposure to Craig Childs was through his book The Secret Knowledge of Water, which is excellent. Soul of Nowhere doesn't move me as much as Secret Knowledge, but it's still a great read.
The first book focused on his adventures looking for water sources in deserts of the southwest. In this book, the focus is more on finding archaeological relics in the deep desert. In some cases it's ruins, in others jars or petroglyphs. One can sense his desire to find evidence of and connect with long vanished people of the desert.
I thought the inclusion of the other people was interesting. It places Childs in a social context - we encounter others who share his passion, and they're memorable characters. Other reviewers have said that Childs shares way too much here - it may not be to their taste, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. In any event, he shares some fascinating stories with us. I will definitely be reading more of his books.
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