Great book. So very readable. Some authors are just effortless to read and Mr. Boyle is one of these people. “The Way Home,” is about Boyle’s year plus of living without any of the conveniences of the modern world. No phone, computer, car, electricity, power tools or Fuji XT3 for that matter.
For me, it sounds dreamy. Not without a host of challenges but still dreamy. What I liked about this book was the cadence of events, both old and new, with short glimpses back out into the world.
For most people, even this idea will sound terrifying. Sure, hipsters will love the idea. Well, right up until the point where the phone, computer, and social media leave the picture. Then panic will strike. Did it really happen if you don’t share it? Get likes? Profit?
Another lovely twist was writing this book and writing about his experience which had to be done longhand then walked to the post office.
Get it, read it.
Comments 17
This is on the list. It sounds great, and I am moving to less tech. Slowly. My guess is that what the author did would kill me off pretty quickly.
Making my way through Say Nothing first. Really interesting book about Belfast and The Troubles. The structure is a little odd, but I’ve gotten used to it.
Off topic – did you get an XT3?
Author
Scott,
Nope. Still have XT2’s. Am considered a used Leica full frame so I can use my old lenses and get a look closer to what I did with film for all those years but they are SO expensive I might not be able to do it.
For some reason (probably my dyslexia) I find it very hard to read books. Looking at a page of words and seeing them all jumbled up makes reading not very pleasurable but this could be a book that I actually would give a good go at. Recently I have been getting into the idea of living off the grid, camping, bush craft etc. I have been watching a YouTube channel, he doesn’t speak, you just watch him live in the wilderness and it looks bliss!
Author
Kurt,
Love that, he doesn’t speak. Heaven. At this point, with my job and life, no way I could swing it. But, my wife and I are downsizing, renting for a while to see what that’s like after decades of being homeowners. And, we have a van, so more time on the road. The van teaches you very quickly you don’t need much at all.
Yeah, It kind of ties into the latest episode of “For what its worth” where you mention recording ambient audio. Van life! I would love that, and I agree, I think the less things you own the happier you become!
And on another note… completely off topic… William Albert Allard has had a stagnant website for as long as I can remember but now when you go to his site it says “Under reconstruction, coming Jan 2020” Very exciting indeed!
Author
Kurt,
Ha, funny story. I showed work once, at night and outdoors, during the early years of a unique photography event. Huge bonfires, outdoor screens, etc. My work played and another NG photog who knew me looked over and said “Nice work Milnor.” Allard was standing there as well and he looked at me and said: “Boy, you sure know how to put space together.”
Author
Kurt,
About to head out for two weeks. Not entirely because I want to but that’s a long story.
No way really? Having Bill Allard say that to me would be a dream come true!! Not only is he an amazing photographer, he’s a wonderful writer too!
As I’m reading your quote from him I can imagine his deep, long drawl voice saying those words to you! LOL!
It must have been a great night for you!
Author
Kurt,
It was, for me, just one small part of a very unique night. His photo essay book is a classic.
Oops! Sorry about the massive Youtube video in my comment, I just posted a link, I didn’t expect it to display the actual video. Please feel free to remove it if you like!
The “If you didn’t share it it didn’t happen” modern philosophy makes my blood boil. It really does. One of the reasons I stopped using Strava (apart from the awful KOM leader boards that were impossible to opt out of at the time) was the “share or it didn’t happen” philosophy. Truly pathetic.
The book sounds great, I’ll definitely add it to the list.
Author
Sean,
Me too. I use Garmin now. I am thinking of experimenting with an investment app that is tied to Strava, but I also found the sharing of everything was fueling people to do all kinds of crazy things. With Garmin, I track it for myself, just for fun, but don’t need to share it unless it’s part of a post that might be interesting for others.
I use Garmin for hiking and walking, Wahoo for cycling, but feed them all to Sporttracks and keep my account private so nobody else can see my profile. I like Sporttracks.
Author
Sean,
I’ve been using Garmin, a watch actually. It works well but I can see myself going back to my Seiko solar in the near future. Who am I kidding? My exercise exploits aren’t even on the radar.
That reminds me of a story from the hight of my FaceBook days a good 10 years ago now. My friend and his girlfriend had just split up and I remember him saying to me “I’m going to announce it on FaceBook later”. At the time it seemed perfectly normal but now when I think back its kind of crazy! Was it not official until it was shared online? lol!
Author
Kurt,
For some reason, still baffling to me, we seem to love denying this is a physical addiction. There is no mystery, we know it but we deny it because SO many of us are addicted.