TRIPPING is the story of Barbara Glass, an American misfit from the Silent Generation who, after a heartbreaking loss, decides to say "Goodbye Cleveland... Bonjour Paris " She embarks on a voyage of self-discovery, and the result is a fascinating series of adventures and misadventures. From 1957 to 1967 our heroine, nicknamed Bear, "trips" from Cleveland to New York, London, Paris, Siena and Algiers. Along the way she encounters history-making events and people, both ordinary and extraordinary, who shape her life. Death, both peaceful and violent, punctuates her experiences and brings hard-earned wisdom. The title of the book says it all -- tripping as in stumbling (but trying not to fall), tripping as in drugs (supposed to be harmless but actually lethal), and tripping as in travelling all over the place and enjoying every minute of it. You'll want to read this book if you are a student of French language or history. Crazy about Paris or just dreaming about it? Interested in the Silent Generation? You'll find lots to chew on in this book. Interested in women's issues? TRIPPING explores many of them -- including self-discovery, abortion, amphetamine addiction, gaining assurance in a man's world, the elusive female orgasm, etc. -- which remain controversial even today. There's also a whodunit aspect to TRIPPING when the mystery of the death of one of the protagonists is finally explained at the end of the book.