We all have a story. The question is, who is telling that story, and to whom. Or is it ever told? I am telling the stories from my seven year journey discovering my country in my book, now available at booksellers.“
“BOOM! It’s a Big Country for an Old Man” - John Van Dyke
Buy my book at Barnes & Noble
Buy my book on Amazon
Discovering who we are. It’s about us in a rapidly changing America. One that has been changing and shifting as we have gone about our lives. No single story, or single person, or single location, or idea defines us. Our lives, our communities and cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories.
America is a Mosaic of ideas, dreams, hopes, desires, communities, family, culture and places.
It’s a big country.
At the age of 74 I set out to satisfy a curiosity about my country, what was happening to us, who were we? I didn’t recognize what I imagined we were. But I didn’t really know, so I set out on a journey of discovery. I have written a book of that journey. "BOOM! It’s a Big Country for an Old Man."
“In "BOOM!" I take the readers on an extraordinary adventure across the diverse landscapes of America, armed with nothing but a curiosity for the stories that bind us together. The book explores the shared experiences, dreams, and values that unite Americans, transcending the perceived differences that often divide us.”
Available now at BARNES & NOBLE and AMAZON and independent booksellers
John Van Dyke @johnvandyke.com
Wisconsin, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas… and a bunch more
We have so much to talk about today. John Van Dyke has filmed conversations. Asking questions, trying to figure out who we are today in a changing America. Conversations we need to have…
The American Dream
Values and Families
Our Common Ground
Living with Change
Our places… Voices
“The author of this book embodies the true American spirit: he immerses himself in travel, contributes, takes time to connect with people, actively listens, and documents their stories.” - Reader Review
BOOM! It’s a Big Country for an Old Man - THE BOOK of my seven year journey around the country, now at BARNES & NOBLE and Amazon. Ideas, thoughts, have come out of my conversations as I start connecting the dots on so many things. Our past has made today possible. Yet many tend to forget what America was built on. America is about ideas, values, beliefs, family, communities, and stories. It was founded as a community of diverse peoples who shared a dream of a better place and life. Immigrants, many of whom didn’t speak English helped build out America. They settled in the communities around resources and industry. Hard work was rewarded and families grew. Young kids who saw opportunities, and a better life, were educated. The American Dream was spreading. Anything was possible. Along the way we invented, and created, and prospered. John Van Dyke
West Virginia, Ohio, Texas, New Hampshire, Iowa, Kansas, Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Michigan, Arizona, California, New York, Washington, Montana… and more. We are shaped by our places, yet we share basic concerns, and country. An American Mosaic, on the road in America, discovering who we are.
