Guitar Odyssey

When amateur guitarist Michael Rays decided to learn one of his favorite guitar solos--from Deep Purple's "Highway Star"--he had no idea how long it would take. Months? Years?

The answer ended up being two years. Michael would practice--usually 20-45 minutes on a given day--and then immediately slide over to his computer and write about what had just happened: what he had practiced, how things were going, how he was feeling and anything else that came to mind.

The result is Guitar Odyssey--a psychological travelogue of a guitarist as he pursues something his natural talents don't easily allow. It's also a book about rock and roll, the learning process, pursuing goals and the hypnotic power songs can hold over an individual. For anyone familiar with the challenges of learning a difficult piece of music, Guitar Odyssey is a reminder of the thrill of the chase, and that good things come with patience, persistence and a positive attitude.