Mr. McMurtry is a very introspective man, and American roads are intimately connected to his soul. In these roads he sees his past, which he contrasts with the present, sometimes drawing fabulous analogies. Our roads are the rivers of the past. But my overall impression of this formidable book, is that Mr. McMurtry is sad, and even though that might not have been his motivation in writing this book, his sadness comes across very strongly. It is a good book, despite several editorial errors that should have been caught by his legendary editor.