Walden on Wheels

On the Open Road from Debt to Freedom

By: Ken Ilgunas

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

The story of a student who went to extraordinary lengths - including living in a van on a campus parking lot - to complete his education without sacrificing his financial future. In a frank and self-deprecating voice, memoirist Ken Ilgunas writes about the existential terror of graduating from college with $32,000 in student debt. Inspired by Thoreau, Ilgunas set himself a mission: get out of debt as soon as humanly possible. To that end, he undertook an extraordinary 3-year transcontinental journey, driving to Alaska and taking a series of low-paying jobs. Debt-free, Ilgunas then enrolled himself in a master's program at Duke University, using the last of his savings to buy himself a used Econoline, his new "dorm." The van, stationed in a campus parking lot, would be an adventure, a challenge, a test of his limits. It would be, in short, his "Walden on Wheels."Ilgunas went public in a widely read Salon article that spoke to the urgent student debt situation in America today. He offers a funny and pointed perspective on the dilemma faced by those who seek an education but who also want to, as Thoreau wrote, "live deep and suck out all the marrow of life."

©2013 Ken Ilgunas (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

A wonderful well told story

It wasas the kind of a story that took hold of you, and kept you held tightly In its grasp until the very end.

Excellent, far exceeded my expectations.

Excellent, far exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend this book to young and old alike, a different perspective on living life.

Loved the book. Love the author. Get this!

Great story and very inspiring. Great storytelling and read by clear and consice narrator. highly recommended

It was a pleasure to know you!!!

Love love love love this book! So well written so intelligent and so thoughtful. As a father to 2 young boys I highly recommend this book. KEN took us to a journey we all wish to experience. So glad to meet you you KEN

refreshing and inspiring

Thoroughly enjoyed the adventures and reflections in this coming of age memoir. The narration was well performed.

What a performance!

Probably one of the best audio books i have listened to in terms of performance, lively, engaging, not to mention it's a great story.

Provocative

Kudos to Ilgunas for having the insight and the perseverance to make it through his journey and write this book. Having had my own experiences with debt, I appreciate his struggle. He raises important questions both for individuals and society.
However, his obsession with not making use of an important tool is not freedom. He is often preachy, and he seems unaware that transferring basic expenses to someone else's bills or to a non-cash basis doesn't make them go away.
Community cooperation around the use of important resources is important, as is individual discipline with self-indulgent consumerism. Ilgunas raises these issues, but doesn't offer much in the way of moving us toward shared solutions.

great story and storytelling

very good, entertaining story with surprises around every corner. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that loves an adventure.

Entertaining, thought-provoking

This story makes you think in an unconventional nontraditional manner and questions social standards and everyday practices.
Kudos to Ken for having the discipline, focus, fortitude, and courage to live his convictions through the grimmest of times and the scariest of times.
In addition to an entertaining read this book takes you through good life lessons and a philosophical tune up.

Listened for several hours a day!

What did you love best about Walden on Wheels?

There is no other book out there which i know of. The thoughts of the author reflected my own in many ways and it was interesting to se how his path unfolded.

What did you like best about this story?

The humourous writing, the speaker and a different kind of motivation.

What does Nick Podehl bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He does a great job with different voices for different characters. Very well done!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Go ahead, its worth it :)