British Author Follows the Money

British writer Steve Boggan tracked a $10 bill as it made its way across America. Along the way, he met a variety of people including farmers, bankers, truck drivers, and other folks. In this excerpt Boggan sums up his 3,500 mile journey.

Maybe I’m too much of a homer, but I cringed slightly when I first read the headline, waiting for the inevitable Borat-inspired jokes about American obesity, selfishness, and inbreeding. That easy and obvious kind of material seems too much for many foreign writers to avoid.

But Boggan recalls a warm and friendly welcome from our specific colony:

“So, while I could imagine being laughed at or even beaten up in London or Newcastle trying to follow a banknote, in America I encountered people who treated my crazy mission as if it were their own. Often, I was exhausted and hungry – and they treated me with kindness and respect.”

Follow the Money: A Month in the Life of a Ten-Dollar Bill seems like an interesting book and worth adding to the to-be-read pile.