Answering the call of the open road—40,000 life-changing miles

Yang bought his first motorcycle as new immigrant to America, lonely and out of place. Whenever he rode that green Yamaha, he felt more in touch with life’s possibilities. Although the bike was stolen within a few months, Yang never forgot the feeling. It wasn’t until later in life that Yang got back on a motorcycle. By then, he’d settled into Silicon Valley amidst the technology revolution; and founded, scaled, and sold a half-billion-dollar tech startup. Then, during the upheaval of the dot-com bubble burst and a few failed attempts to get new companies off the ground, Yang felt a strong pull to reengage with himself. He revved up his bike and began riding into unfamiliar landscapes.

Coming Alive on the Ride narrates more than 40,000 miles of his travels, from California’s coast to the upper reaches of Alaska, Canada’s far eastern edge, and more.

This inspiring memoir is a reminder that, if we slow down and tune in our senses, adventure inspires and instructs the way nothing else can.

“With honesty and grace, Michael Yang weaves together stories of motorcycle roads, immigrant challenges, and Korean heritage into a powerful meditation on resilience and renewal... —Yul Kwon, VP at Google and Winner of  Survivor: Cook Islands

Michael Yang is a Korean American author, entrepreneur, investor, and adventure motorcycle traveler. He was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to San Jose, CA, at 14. He founded a Silicon Valley tech startup, which was successfully acquired by a large corporation. In his sixties, Michael began embarking on epic motorcycle journeys across North and South America.

Yang holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and computer science and a master's degree in business administration from UC Berkeley, and a master's degree in computer science from Columbia University. He is a fourth-degree black belt in Taekwondo and lives in La Cañada, California, with his wife and family.