The Socratic Trucker: An American Memoir

The Socratic Trucker is an American adventure/philosophy book written between 2005-2007 and published in 2012. In this series, the author reads, chapter by chapter, and invites discussion.

As a student of philosophy and a larger student of human nature, the Author writes a story about using cross-country truck driving to see his country and meet his fellow Americans. Like the famous philosopher Socrates who engaged his fellow Athenians in conversation, author Roger Farinha went about engaging his fellow Americans in philosophical dialogue about life and the purpose of living, in the spirit of the famous saying "the unexamined life is not worth living." Out of his experience came the vision for an American social movement aimed at revitalizing our great democracy at www.newamericanspring.org.

You NEED NOT purchase the book, except if you wish to support the author. If you enjoy this series, the author will make personal, autographed copies available to you at donations over and above the market cost.

Contents:

Prelude: A short statement about the paradoxical nature yet forward- looking aim of this project (Pgs. a-b).

Introduction: Some brief words aimed at introducing the reader to the auto-biographical origin of the project (Pgs. i-viii).

Chapter 1: Sir Intercept—Socratic Trucker’s first encounter, a middle-aged male therapist in Richfield, Ohio (Pgs. 1-20).

Chapter 2: Madam Giver—Socratic Trucker’s second encounter, a college-aged female student in Lakeland, Florida (Pgs. 21-38).

Chapter 3: The Old Soldier—Socratic Trucker’s third encounter, a retirement aged, African American veteran in Sulfur Springs, Texas (Pgs. 39-56).

Chapter 4: Interlude—Lighter and heavier anecdotes pertaining to being a contemporary truck driver (Pgs. 57-93).

Chapter 5: Freeia and Burn—Socratic Trucker’s fourth encounter, a homeless couple on the streets of Salt Lake City, Utah (Pgs. 95-133).

Chapter 6: The Mentor—Socratic Trucker’s fifth encounter, a retirement ready trucker at a truck stop in Albert Lea, Minnesota (Pgs. 135-153).

Chapter 7: Sir Austere—Socratic Trucker’s sixth encounter, a middle-aged man, having converted to the Amish lifestyle in Bern, Indiana (Pgs. 155-196).

Conclusion: Some inspirational words aimed at wrapping up the project’s final significance (Pgs. A-F).

Afterward: Bringing the reader up to the present day, from the period of these interviews (Pgs. I-X).