Heartland Highways: In Search of America (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798999394248)

Just in time for America's 250th birthday-because what better way to celebrate than with a genuine, entertaining, soul-searching road trip through the whole dang country? John redefines the "Heartland," embracing stories from sea to shining sea. "I go in search of the real America beyond the scare-you-to-death news headlines. Embracing the pace of a wanderer -- not a tourist. "I was a 'detourist.' I didn't follow an itinerary. Followed hunches and locals saying, 'It's just 15 minutes that way-you can't miss it.' Spoiler: I missed it. But what I found instead was better."

HEARTLAND HIGHWAYS: IN SEARCH OF AMERICA is a heartfelt journey of 33,321 miles into the soul of the country as he finds it. He is an authentic voice with stories from the roads less traveled, the diners more deliciously greasy, and the people more real than anything you'll see on cable news. It's John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley and On the Road by Jack Kerouac meets William Least Heat-Moon's Blue Highways, with fewer dogs and more coffee stops.

It's less about destinations and more about detours, the series of accidental adventures, spontaneous diner stops, and unplanned human connections that made this sprawling, chaotic, and beautiful country feel a little more like home. If you're looking for perfect pictures or practical advice, turn back now. But if you're here for the long, strange ride - hop in. Let's take the scenic route on purpose.

"May these pages remind you that the road is always waiting, whether you strike off for two years, as I did, or just for two hours. And that sometimes, leaving is just another way of coming home."

"John W. Butler, an award-winning broadcaster, a storytelling road warrior with a country soul and a sharp wit-equal parts Texas radio charm and Maine forest mystery. HEARTLAND HIGHWAYS: IN SEARCH OF AMERICA is a heartfelt journey of 33,321 miles into the soul of the country as he finds it. John is an authentic voice with stories from the roads less traveled, the diners more deliciously greasy, and the people more real than anything you'll see on cable news.

John worked his way through high school and college on-air as a television news reporter, radio DJ, and even did the TV weather, graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and earning a Master's degree from SMU in Dallas. He's deeply embedded in the Texas media scene, serving on the Texas Association of Broadcasters board and as the past president of the Golden Mic Club. As president of Butler7media, his Texas-based radio stations have garnered awards for broadcast excellence from the TAB and Texas Broadcast News Association. He is a nominee for the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. A Hopi tribesman he spent time with called him "The Truth Seeker.

Read this book. It'll make you laugh, think, and maybe stop yelling at the news for a minute.