Bill Barich decides to replicate the famous trip of John Steinbeck across America, a trip Steinbeck wrote about in one of his last books, Travels with Charley. He sets off to get a feeling for the heart of America. Like Steinbeck, he finds a world that is less optimistic, more bleak, more influenced by the media, a less compassionate America, a world that is driven by the dollar. Like Steinbeck, Barich runs across few individuals who seem to read and think deeply about our country and that, to me, is the saddest part of this book. ( )

In Long Way Home: on the Trail of Steinbeck’s America, author Bill Barich begins his road-trip from New York City to San Francisco in September 2008 in a rented Ford Focus the minute his plane from Dublin lands. Barich had recently finished Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley and wanted to see if America was truly as depressing as Steinbeck painted it to be. Deliberately taking highways through lesser known towns of the United States, Barich acquaints himself with the local people, food, and way of thought, especially thoughts about the upcoming election between Obama and McCain. I loved the way that the author combined short histories of each town with current personal experiences he had with the people, while keeping the style light and easy to follow. I almost felt as though I were sitting in the passenger seat next to Bill; I could see the changing leaves of Virginia out the windshield, talk with button-salesmen at the Palin rally in Wilmington, Ohio, and take pictures of signs advertising upcoming rodeos in Strong City, Kansas. Though somewhat too fact-heavy, Barich’s book was overall entertaining, informative, and an insightful look at ever-changing, ever-static America. 4/5 stars. ( )