States of Mind: A Search for Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Harmony, Unity, Friendship, Love, Pride, Wisdom, Honor, Comfort, Joy, Bliss, Freedom, Justice, Glory, Triumph,

by Brad Herzog

Release Date: 03 April, 2001

Edition: Paperback

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"Millionaire" Contestant's Book Finds "Fate"?

Brad Herzog has written an entertaining volume that is a combination of travelogue, history lesson, and even a bit of spiritual introspection. Each chapter is devoted to a small town in America named after a "state of mind." Sometimes the name is well-earned (such as Triumph, a Louisiana town destroyed by hurricanes) other times the name can be quite ironic (Justice, home to the legendary Hatfield and McCoy clans in West Virginia).

Herzog gives readers a fascinating history of each town, before setting off to meet some of the townspeople. A member of the often maligned "Generation X," the author also philosophically delves into the "state of mind" of each place - examining Faith in South Dakota, looking for Love in Virginia, and uncovering Honor in Michigan. There are many lessons to be learned by the "characters" Herzog and his wife, Amy, meet along the way. For those of us living in metropolitan areas, the book is as well an eye-opening look into life in a small town (many of which seem to be in deep decline).

As many, I became aware of this book when Herzog was on the game show "Who Wants To Be A Millionnaire." It is nice to know that this book received plenty of free (and well-earned) publicity thanks to that appearance.

A Fantastic Voyage

Having read my fair share of travel literature, I can tell you one thing: like real travel, the trip is only as good as the companion. That said, Brad Herzog (and his wife, the book's photographer, Amy) make wonderful travel partners. From mile one aboard their Winnebago, I was delighted with Brad's insights and observations. In a growingly homogenous country besotted by Wal Marts and McDonalds, Brad's book shows us that the places and people that made the U.S. so unique still exist.

"States of Mind" belongs on the shelf not only with the best travelogues, but with the best writing about small towns like Sherwood Anderson's "Winesburg, Ohio" and John Steinbeck's "Cannery Row."