Pindell knows just when to switch from the grand sweep of history to the tiny details of train travel, and paints a picture of our nearest neighbor that is surprisingly complete. Although Pindell expresses justifiable nostagia for routes that have been axed since his journey, a great number of spectacular rides are still to be taken in Canada. Everyone who loves the "torque of travel" should consider the cross-continental trip to Vancouver or Prince Rupert, the bi-lingual route from Toronto to Halifax, or the "Polar Bear Express" to the edge of Hudson's Bay. Don't leave home without Pindell.

The image of the transcontinental train trip conveys both the glamour and the grit of American lore, and amazingly, the reality is available to all of us -- as close as the nearest Amtrak station. Terry Pindell is more forgiving than many of the frustrations of the current US passenger system, but he is a poet at heart, and never fails to see the forces of history through his sometimes dirty train window. He is the perfect traveling companion.

Well written, an interesting exploration of Americans constant quest for "a good place to live". The author takes the reader from West Coast to East with stops in the middle. Recommended

Terry deals with the important category of opportunities for community beyond the boundaries of home and work. The book is a treasure of thought on the value of "third places". Using several towns and cities as a way to consider how human connection needs can be met, he encourages thinking about one's own priorities for the place called home.

The theme of this book is an exploration of what makes a place "good". The particular towns and cities Pindell chooses to visit are not so important. I suspect that some readers may not get this, which is a shame because A Good Place to Live : America's Last Migration is insightfull, well written, and one of the best books on the subject of place. By exploring the govermental, social, economic, and enviornmental factors of a number of "good" towns and cities. Pindell allows us to understand what we're looking for in our very own Good Place.

This book makes an attempt to be a travel memoir, history book and a political statement all in one. It does not cover any one area very well. Your time would be better spent on concentrating on books that cover these areas in proper detail. The author gets too far off on politics in the second half and it was a struggle to not just put the book away and forget it. There are a few good tales of travel on the Mexican trains, but you have to put up with the rest in between. Not worth the time.

I've now completed Pindell's North American train trilogy, and have found him to be the perfect traveling companion. If this book is slightly less successful than the earlier ones, it is only because the central metaphor -- trains as history -- sits less comfortably on Mexico than it does on the US and Canada. For those who love trains, geography, or cultural history, this book provides some clean connections.

Any gringo who has traveled extensively in Mexico will enjoy this read. It captures the essence of this wonderful place, and recognizes the differences of how things work from north of the border, without degrading the Mexican culture. I rate as one of the best books of travel in Mexico.