An interesting read ...
I rather liked this book.  It's definitely NOT a travel guide; it's more of a philosophical exploration of variously defined "places" and "locations," some of which might be visitable, but others not.<br /><br />I'm a geography "junky," and I often get lost for hours exploring via Google Earth.  This book was kind of like that experience, except it utilizes the written word rather than visual images.  The author's method of describing these places, utilizing essay, worked fine for me.  It was a bit like being in a pinball machine, each chapter a "concept" to bounce against, moving from level to level.<br /><br />What this book did for me -- I will probably look at places a little differently now.  I love road trips, and love traveling "out-of-the-ordinary" routes (e.g., I did a cross-country road trip some years ago from Seattle to Duluth, MN, traveling ONLY 2-lane roads).  I really enjoy discovering old run-down dilapidated homesteads and barns, and trying to find out who lived there.  Small towns (pop. &lt; 500) fascinate me -- what do the people who live there do for a living?  Do their children stay, or move on to "the big city"?  I'm interested in history, certainly, but also in the how and why certain places exist.<br /><br />So this book was a natural fit for me.  A bit disjointed, sure, but with a lot of good stuff worth mining for.