From Beijing's hutongs to the "always undefeated" city of Warsaw, follow Josh along with author Dave Norman as they explore the Far East and Eastern Europe by rail. Whether drinking with nomads in Mongolia, dining with locals in Seoul, or exploring Russian paintball combat with a "retired" Soviet arms dealer, Norman's blend of humor and history makes the adventure come alive.At its core, "Following Josh" is the story of two friends reuniting on an epic adventure across Eurasia. After teaching abroad, Josh is homeward bound while Dave takes the long way from their hometown to a new start in New York City-different trajectories, even while traveling together. Trapped together in stuffy Russian rail cars and cheap hostels, they realize just how far apart they've grown...and what it takes to start anew-in friendship as well as in life.Excerpt from page 134: ..".she embodies my image of a Mongol grandma: skin like oiled leather, glistening brown eyes that search through heaven and time and space, her hair a rainbow of silver, one shade for each of her two or three hundred years moving around the steppe."Dave Norman is the author of three other nonfiction books, including the history title "White River Junctions" and the industry-leading "501 Paintball Tips, Tricks, and Tactics." He lives and writes in Portland, Maine and Columbia, Illinois. www.davenorman.net

In this fascinating look at White River Junction, Dave Norman relates the history of this Vermont river town to the country at large. He puts faces, names, and anecdotes to the forces shaping the American Century. The village was settled at the junction of two rivers. Two railroad lines replaced the barge traffic, and now, two interstates make White River three times a junction. This remarkable book looks at how the town--and America-- changed through these transportation eras...and presents the lives of four locals to see how individual people are affected by technology, culture, and economics. The first five chapters tell the town's story through histories of the railroad, a hotel, a grocery, and a bakery, and an intimate portrait of New England found on the backs of postcards. The remaining chapters introduce residents whose life stories show a town--and country--in transition while begging the question, what makes a Vermonter?