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    Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence.
    Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence.
    Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence.
    Ebook438 pages7 hours

    Planetwalker: 22 Years of Walking. 17 Years of Silence.

    By John Francis and PhD

    4/5

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    About this ebook

    When the struggle to save oil-soaked birds and restore blackened beaches left him feeling frustrated and helpless, John Francis decided to take a more fundamental and personal stand—he stopped using all forms of motorized transportation. Soon after embarking on this quest that would span two decades and two continents, the young man took a vow of silence that endured for 17 years. It began as a silent environmental protest, but as a young African-American man, walking across the country in the early 1970s, his idea of "the environment" expanded beyond concern about pollution and loss of habitat to include how we humans treat each other and how we can better communicate and work together to benefit the earth.

    Through his silence and walking, he learned to listen, and along the way, earned college and graduate degrees in science and environmental studies. The United Nations appointed him goodwill ambassador to the world's grassroots communities and the U.S. government recruited him to help address the Exxon Valdez disaster.

    Was he crazy? How did he live and earn all those degrees without talking? An amazing human-interest story, with a vital message, Planetwalker is also a deeply personal and engaging coming-of-age odyssey—the positive experiences, the challenging times, the characters encountered, and the learning gained along the way.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherNational Geographic
    Release dateApr 8, 2008
    ISBN9781426203404

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    Reviews for Planetwalker

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      Although I generally abhor "inspirational" literature, I found this book to truly be so. I have often thought that if I could just keep walking, everything troubling me on both a personal and planetary plane would sort itself out. Well, John Francis actually accomplished my fantasy, adding to it a 17-year vow of silence and a more than 20-year practice of not using any form of motorized transportation. Along the way, traveling from place to place on foot, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Oregon, a Master's degree from the U of Montana, and a Doctoral degree from the U of Wisconsin, Madison. He also became a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador and an expert on oil spills. I am particularly struck by his journey from Montana to Wisconsin across the Dakotas. He had intended to spend the winter in Minneapolis, once he realized that he would not reach Madison before the weather became prohibitive. However, he either overestimated how fast he could travel or underestimated the weather, since he was forced to spend the winter in Watertown, North Dakota. How he transformed this set back into a positive experience is emblematic of his entire journey.
    • 5/5
      I met this author while he was giving a speech at some environmental summit. The very next day I went out to get his book and now it is one that I suggest to EVERYBODY. The way its written along with the artwork by the author make it so personal like reading his journal. It is also one of the most inspirational books I've ever read. Just amazing!!
    • 4/5
      After an oil spill in San Francisco in the late 1970s, Francis decides to do something about it in a personal way and gives up travel in motorized vehicles. Later, he decides to remain silent. This is a remarkable story of someone committed to his principles who has to find a new and different way to get along in the world. Francis eventually gets a Ph.D. in environmental sciences, wins an award as the best discussion leader (he doesn't speak!), and walks across America. Werner Hertzog said in a lecture that the best way to learn about something was to "travel on foot". Francis puts that idea to the test. It's tough to distill 22 years of walking into a book like this. Francis does a pretty good job of creating an interesting and thought provoking book.
    • 3/5
      ohn's story and what he has achieved is quite amazing and very inspirational.This book has parts which for me seemed a little repetitive, with common themes. I.e. John walked, strangers couldn't believe it but ultimately helped him. It's not meant as a criticism of John merely an observation on the construction of the early parts of the book. Notwithstanding the above, I come away with immense respect for John and plenty to think about!
    • 4/5
      Inspiring journey of one's man passion trying to instill all of us to find our own passion. We all must give back at some point in our lives if it will have any meaning. Sitting home every evening reading, eatting, and doing the circle of Western society is not the answer. Planet Walker, gives you inspiration, and lights the fire that should be within all of us.
    • 4/5
      Planetwalker is the memoir of a man who decided to spend several years of his life silent and not using motorized transportation of any kind. It was a fascinating read learning how the author managed to earn his bachelors, master, and PhD while maintaining silence. His best pieces of writing though were on his discussion of people and places he met while walking around the country going to meetings, schools to lecture, and interviews as he built a career and built his environmental education nonprofit. He definitely provides many moments of reflection that as a reader I could share as to his reasoning for his decisions to remain silent and avoid transportation. An excellent read that I would recomment to those interested in personal reflection and travel.
    • 4/5
      This was a Library Thing Early Reviewers book, and although it took me a while to get into it, I liked it and recommend it. When I first started it, there was a lot else going on in my life and I could not connect with it. I put it down and picked it up again on vacation and really enjoyed it. John Francis has a minimalist writing style and I found myself looking for more about him and his philosophy, but this is the story of his journey and he is true to that. He is not proselytizing or expecting others to emulate his decisions. He simply tells his story – How he stopped riding in cars, how he stopped talking, and how he managed his journey under those conditions. The glimpses of his travels are sparse, but telling. The style is journalistic, and I expect relies heavily on his journals- all present tense, and briefly descriptive. It is illustrated with his sketches ( I wish they could be larger), and punctuated with quotations from the text. The historical perspective is interesting and a nice juxtaposition to the current trend of paying attention to Carbon Footprints and our personal responsibility to the environment – Francis was 30 years ahead. The story of how his simple decisions (albeit with complex implications for his life) led him to significant accomplishments and allowed him to make a real difference in the world is a good lesson about the impact we each have, or could have. If you are interested in Environmental Studies, travel stories, or personal journeys, give it a try- Don't be surprised if it starts slow- it is worth the effort to stay with it. Francis has a good story and I'm glad I read it.
    • 4/5
      After witnessing an oil spill in 1971, the author gave up all forms of motorized transportation (even public transportation). Shortly thereafter, on his 27th birthday, he took a vow of silence. The book is an account of his personal journey, both internal and actual, for the next 22 years. It is largely drawn from the daily journal he kept while walking.When I read over my first draft of my review, I realized I had talked more about my feelings of his actions, and my opinions of his opinions than reviewing the actual book. I guess that can be taken as a sign of a successful book - any work of non-fiction that creates debate and discussion seems to me to be by definition a sucess.As far as the book goes, I would have liked it to tell more about the author's personal life and backround. But maybe I'm just nosey.In the margins of the book are line drawings and sketchs from his journal, which I found charming. I would like to see some of his works in color. Also in an aside, about once in each chapter, are a few sentences of advice - for example "Painting or drawing a scene or a landscape helps us experience where we are more fully. You can begin with a small sketchpad or blank bound book and watercolors. Don't be discouraged by you first attempts. Tomorrow is another day. Turn the page, walk, and remember to have fun. You will be amazed at where you find yourself." Also occassionally in the margins of the book were what seemed to be to be a random sentence from that page of the book - a printing practice that annoyed me - let me be the judge of which sentence is worth reading twice, not the editor or even the author.I'm curious about the timing of the book - it covers the period roughly from 1971 thru 1991, with an epilogue covering a few years after, Did he try to publish it earlier? Was it prompted by the current gas/oil situation? Overall I like reading the book - I like almost every memoir I read because I find it interesting to "meet" people I would otherwise not have the chance to know, and the topic of environmental awareness is always interesting too. So I would encourage anyone to read this book.
    • 5/5
      As I was opening this book I was completely enthralled by the description alone. As I started reading and diving deeper into the depths of the mind of Dr. John Francis I found a familiar fellow, myself, deep in his thoughts. This story is an amazing adventure of a man trying to find himself in this [too] fast paced world and its corrosive and destructive values. Trying to make an example of himself for himself he also accepts the role as environmental delegate to the "world" as a constant reminder and challenger of the values of humanity. Through his actions Francis acts as provocateur; he overtly questions if our humanity our values is really right for the human race of mother earth.Francis is truly an inspiration to anyone who wishes to change the world around themselves and its clear where that place starts and that is within.
    • 4/5
      John Francis stopped using motorized transportation after witnessing a 1971 oil spill in the San Francisco Bay. He stopped talking several months later. As the subtitle says, 22 years of walking, 17 years of silence.The book I read was the Advance Reader's Edition, published in 2008 by the National Geographic Society.There's another book by the same name and the same author but a different publisher (Elephant Mountain Press). It was published in 2005 and based on what I found on Amazon, the beginning of the first chapter is the same in both. So, I don't know if I read the same book, a slightly different book or what.This book is a conundrum.I found it provocative. As I was reading it, it provided fodder for several interesting conversations, for example, as we took a roadtrip to Moab or as I considered Rachel's Vow of Silence day.Francis is very matter of fact throughout the book. He readily acknowledges his detractors and his own doubts but then just moves on to the next topic. The book appears to be largely drawn from his journals so at times there are disconcerting gaps in time and places where the narrative simply fades away.I found myself struggling with the question of how much is enough as Francis allows people to transport his pack for him on his treks and sends gear ahead via mail. Francis touches on these questions later in the book, in the form of recognizing but not resolving the issue.Francis never pretends to have the answers but reading about an individual who managed to earn a bachelor's degree, a master's degree and a Ph.D. at three different universities, all while walking across the country and not talking, provides for some very thought provoking opportunities to question one's own journey.

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    Planetwalker - John Francis

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