This book was the first I've read of the Buddha collection, and it was also the first book I'd won in the Goodreads Giveaways. It was a pleasure to read from start to finish with its unlikely, but quite believable, situations in which the characters find themselves.
The book caused me to pause and relate to the parallels in my own life and did it with humor and a touch of spirituality. Just enough; not too much. It even touched on the dichotomy between living a peaceful life while consuming animal flesh. Didn't stop the characters from doing it, but I'm grateful that the author broached the subject. (It's so obvious to me: violence/killing/eating animals does not enhance inner spirituality.)
The author himself sums up the book quite well on Page 349 in the note from the author: "Our own Judeo-Christian tradition is almost wholly exterior, and that mirrors our approach to the world. Because of that approach, we've been able to invent marvelous medicines and send people into space. But, at the same time, we also do tremendous damage to the earth; we marginalize certain people; we have high rates of addiction, violence, and mental illness; and we put very little emphasis on quiet, contemplative time and the interior spiritual search."
This book did a wonderful job of conveying just that. And I enjoyed going along for this road trip. That is, until the very end. I felt the end was cliche and that disappointed me. But the more thought I gave it, I felt that at least it did leave it open for more road trips to come, and that's a wonderful thing.