The Kindness of Strangers cover art

The Kindness of Strangers

Penniless Across America

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The Kindness of Strangers

By: Mike McIntyre
Narrated by: Chris Brinkley
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About this listen

A Wall Street Journal bestseller.

Stuck in a job he no longer found fulfilling, journalist Mike McIntyre felt his life was quickly passing him by. So one day he hit the road to trek from one end of the country to the other with little more than the clothes on his back and without a single penny in his pocket. Through his travels, he found varying degrees of kindness in strangers from all walks of life-and discovered more about people and values and life on the road in America than he'd ever thought possible. The gifts of food and shelter he received along the way were outweighed only by the touching gifts of the heart-the willingness of many he met to welcome a lonely stranger into their homes...and the discovery that sometimes those who give the most are the ones with the least to spare.

Audiobook includes an interview with author Mike McIntyre.

©1996, 2010, 2014 Mike McIntyre (P)2014 Mike McIntyre North America Travel Writing & Commentary United States

Critic Reviews

"Could you survive a cross-country trip relying only on the kindness of strangers? Well, Mike McIntyre did. He put our country to the test, and what he found out sure surprised me."-Oprah Winfrey
"An incredible journey."- (CBS News)
"A superb writer."- (Los Angeles Times)
All stars
Most relevant  
Despite the limitations of McIntyre being a middle class, clean shaven white guy, this is a wonderfully uplifting account of humanity. I particularly appreciated McIntyre's quip that for the first time in his life he knew what it felt like to be defenseless like a woman. And how true that it's often the people with the least to give who give the most. Brinkley's interview of McIntyre 20 years after the publication of the book was a great extra.

An insight into the real America

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