The Kindness Diaries

February 2, 2015
Inspired by the film The Motorcycle Diaries and intent on "revolt against the predetermined structures" of his life, Logothetis (Amazing Adventures of a Nobody) embarked on a journey around the world with a yellow motorcycle and no money. He recounts his excursion in this easy-to-digest and passionate memoir. The goal for the trip was to rely solely on the kindness of strangers for food, lodging, and gas. "The act of giving and receiving," he says, "is where the real magic of human connection occurs." The central conceit of the project was to return the kindness he received: Logothetis would return the favor by surprising each good samaritan with gifts: a cow for a family in Montenegro; a water purifier, books, and sports equipment for an orphanage in Calcutta. He finds that everyone can and should follow their dreams, that "freedom is ours for the taking." The underlying messageâmuch like the book itselfâis simple and heartfelt. Logothetis glosses over the social and political realities of the places he visits, instead choosing to stay focused on the nature of his interactions. The result will please readers seeking light hearted and inspiring book.

December 1, 2014

Feeling trapped in an unfulfilling L.A. office job, travel writer Logothetis escapes the existential abyss of his Hollywood home on a mission to transform lives aboard a vintage yellow motorbike. Relying purely on the goodwill of strangers, the author makes it his ultimate goal to give back to the good samaritans he meets in North America, Europe, India, Cambodia, and Vietnam by rebuilding their lives through various "surprise" charitable contributions, such as paying for eye surgeries, building new homes, or buying a person a cow. Unfortunately, just as the author's bike "Kindness One" often breaks down by the roadside, so too does his premise that searching for kindness among those with little to spare is best accomplished without any travel funds ("They think next time you should bring some money," an Indian man explains to the author at one point, after local villagers have filled his gas tank for free). VERDICT Ultimately, this title reads like a self-centered yet well-meaning quest of one man and his unnamed camera crew (the author is host of a TV show that was licensed to National Geographic International) with very limited knowledge of philanthropy and how to help the underserved. Unabashedly chauvinistic, the author uses his stay-at-home girlfriend as a plot device to reaffirm the cliche that women seek commitment while men take to the open road.--Laurel Angrist, New York

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