In Search of Nice Americans

Book excerpt: How one man's mid-career crisis turned into an odyssey into the weirder side of American life. Like most of us, Geoff Steward was rocked by 2016's litany of horrors. Unlike most of us, Geoff did something about it. Turning his back on his day job as a lawyer - and the requirement to account for every six minutes of his time - Geoff set off across America in hot pursuit of bears, honky-tonk bars and, above all, nice Americans to restore his faith in the world. Armed only with his blend of waspish wit and mischievous charm, Geoff roamed from New York to Alaska, meeting ordinary Americans such as Joe le Taxi, the former NYPD police officer who was one of the first on the scene at the Twin Towers; Pam and Bob, a paranoid psychiatrist and a failed actor who once saw the back of Meryl Streep's head; and Sheriff Duke of Calhoun County, who reintroduced Geoff to the long (and armed) arm of the law. For anyone at a crossroads, contemplating a temporary or permanent career break, this hilarious travel romp offers a new hope.