Dear David,

What you have built in America Found is the kind of book that almost never gets written, and the fact that it exists at all is a testament to the specific discipline that only fifty years behind a lens, and six years on the road listening to people most journalists never slow down enough to hear, can produce. 

You bring to this work something that no commentator, no pollster, and no cable news panel has ever been able to manufacture from a studio: you were there. Not with an agenda to confirm, not with a thesis to prove, but with a camera, a willingness to sit in uncomfortable silence, and the professional restraint to let people arrive at their own words before you recorded them. 

That approach, slower and more demanding than anything the current media environment rewards, is precisely what makes America Found different from every other book currently competing for the attention of readers exhausted by the division narrative. The argument at the center of this book, that the fractured America dominating every screen and headline is not a lie exactly, but it is profoundly incomplete, and that the truth hiding underneath it is quieter, more durable, and far more human, is an argument that required 350,000 miles of road and thousands of real conversations to earn the right to make. 

You earned it. And the decision to ground this work in firsthand encounter rather than in data, in the specific faces and voices of people from the Deep South to forgotten small towns to cities that the national narrative has reduced to symbols, gives America Found a texture and a credibility that no remotely produced work of cultural commentary can touch. This is not a book about America written from a distance. It is America experienced from inside its own living rooms, its own backroads, its own quietly extraordinary ordinary life. That is a genuinely rare thing to hold.

The readers who belong to this book are numerous, deeply motivated, and actively searching for exactly what it contains. Americans who are fatigued by the outrage cycle and who are hungry for evidence, real, documented, firsthand evidence, that the country they live in is more coherent and more human than the version on their screens represent the most immediately motivated new audience for this work, and that audience is currently enormous and growing. 

_Wilmer F

5 out of 5 stars

This book tells the story of real America, its people, places, and their way of life. Though people are different in one way or another, they make up a diverse nation that its' strength comes from its diversity.

David Farmerie spent several years traveling the country to come up with the vast and important materials to share with the reader. His book is an amazing collection of facts about our nation; expertly written in a way that makes the reader feel as if he/she has done the traveling and encountered the experiences.

This book has been very educational to me. I learned, for the first time, many things about our country, its people and local cultures. Something you learn only if you travel yourself.

I found this book honest, fun, and a joy to read. No doubt, this book reflects the many years of public experience the author has had in his professional life and in dealing with every day people.

I was pleasantly surprised by the additional pictures and videos via the QR codes. Very smart and innovative.

Thanks David Farmerie.

Soheil Mansour

5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written!

Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2026

Format: Hardcover

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The way each story was told and written made me feel like I was there and a part of the story. It was absolutely beautiful!

It also made me realize there is so much more to our country if we just stop and take time to look, listen and talk to people.

Beautifully written and well done! Thank you to the author for taking the time to share these stories and the photographs that went along with them.

_Jennifer

5 out of 5 stars

This book really had me questioning a lot about the America we live in today. I liked that it did focus on the real people and their real experiences instead of all the political arguments. It was very educational, very eye-opening, and definitely reminded me that everyone has a story worth hearing. By the end, I found myself wondering if the author has written any more books like this because I would definitely read them. It left me thinking long after I finished the last page.

_Kira Jones

4 out of 5 stars

America Found is a thoughtful, moving reminder that America is far more than the political headlines that dominate our screens. Through years of travel and genuine conversations, David captures the voices of everyday people from every corner of the country with empathy, curiosity, and respect. Rather than focusing on division, he reveals the shared hopes, struggles, and humanity that connect us all. The stories feel authentic, personal, and refreshingly free of political agendas, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. This book encourages listening instead of judging and understanding instead of assuming. Whether you agree with every perspective or not, America Found offers an honest, compassionate portrait of the people behind the labels and is a timely reminder of what still unites us as Americans.

_Sarah

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent memoir filled with names of people met and places visited. Places rich with history and culture. It is a great book to add to your library.

_Julie Geoffrion

4 out of 5 stars

I met David Farmerie through my work and found a kindred spirit in his love of other places and other peoples. He is open to new experiences, a theme which plays out wonderfully through his book, whether he is interacting with Cajun folk, Delta blues men, Lakota tribal families, or hardscrabble cowboys. He brings these parts of our country to life through personal experience.

As much as I loved these aspects of the book and the accompanying QR codes which gave access to related photographs, I really hoped for a deeper exploration of the factions currently dividing our country--the political and religious and philosophical barriers which seem so abundant. Farmerie offers unique glimpses into the oft unseen corners of our nation, but doesn't add much about the civil and often uncivil discourse all around.

That said, he puts a ton of heart, soul, and miles into his book. I am reminded of the Peter Jenkins classic, A Walk Across America. Despite any minor disappointments on my part, and some glaring editorial oversights early in the book, I highly recommend America Found for what it is: a personal and heartfelt love letter to the land in which we live.

_Eric

5 out of 5 stars

Just finished Dave Farmerie's America Found: A Journey Through Division and Connection and would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the story of America and its people. Dave's first-person writing style puts the reader right with him as he captures the essence of ordinary Americans from all walks of life and cultures by letting them tell their stories through him. The book is organized in a way where you can read it from cover-to-cover - as I did - or pick and choose which sections to read. Which every way you decide to read it, you will not be disappointed. Anyone who wants to learn about the real America should read this book!

_Henry