The story turns when Shapiro picks up a Hank Williams album - hence the name. Apprently, his Dad was a big fan of Mr. Williams and this immediately makes a unconcsious connection. Hank soon takes the album out of his bad (a clear cut no-no) and his adventure begins. This adventure takes him across the country (from New York to Vegas) with a pregnant librarian, a talking dog, and a dead American Indian. Every other chapter reveals more and more about the changes in society that lead to the creation of the BAI and the organized ellimination of books, videos, and music on such a grand scale.

What I found interesting was the world that Bisson depicts. It is a world with obvious technological advances (a huge electric grid that powers and directs vehicles on the highway) but in which society seems to have degraded in many ways (drugies who dig through huge trash piles naked). They have wierd technology that can heal wounds by becoming a sort of growing skin patch and a sort of nano-technology "bug" that can follow humans as well as fall in love with them. But they also have a masive black market that sell "bush meat." Reading the book was like wathcing an artist paint an alternate world. THe story was interesting enough to keep me going and I enjoyed "the view" as I went along.

In the end, I would say if you find fantasy/science fiction - and a wierd mixture of utopia and dystopia - interesting, this book might be for you. Or if you are just looking for something different to read this might staisfy your curiosity.