Reviews

"The diary is possibly unparalleled--an author of a recent book candidly dissecting his experiences with both Mormon and non-Mormon audiences . . . certainly deserves wider distribution--in part because it shows a talented historian laying open his vulnerabilities, and also because it shows how much any historian lays on the line when he writes about Joseph Smith." -- Dennis Lythgoe, Deseret News"By turns humorous and poignant, this behind-the-scenes look at Richard Bushman's public and private ruminations about Joseph Smith reveals a great deal--not only about the inner life of one of our greatest scholars, but about Mormonism at the dawn of the 21st century." -- Jana Riess, co-author of Mormonism for Dummies"The diaries are much more than simply a record of what Bushman calls 'pre-review jitters.' There are also some fascinating facts about the book's writing and its reception. In the end the diary is the record of a believer who wants to write a believers biography that speaks to both believer and unbeliever. It is also the diary of a man who realizes that neither audience is wholly comfortable with what he did." -- Nate Oman, Times and Seasons."Writing about Joseph Smith is always a risk. As Bushman himself reflects, you run the risk of offending either the faithful believers or the enlightened skeptics, or perhaps even both. In my review of Rough Stone Rolling, I indicated my pleasure that Bushman elected to take a middle of the road approach through most of the book. In RSR, Joseph Smith comes alive in ways I'd never encountered before in two decades of Mormon studies. In On the Road Richard Bushman likewise comes to life, a man who is far from ordinary, a scholar devoted to his task and willing to take risks." -- Jeffrey Needle, Association of Mormon Letters