About 500 children standing the shape of a bicycle as soon from the top of the gym roof.

Falling Uphill: The Secret of Life

About the free online edition

I love my story. This journey is what taught me how to dream. Unfortunately, most kids and schools around the world can’t afford my favorite book. So I’ve decided to make it free. I consider this online edition a living book. I plan to add drawings from kids all over the world.

There are also a lot of hidden treasures, such as: new color photos, animations, and alternate pictures (try hovering over some images to see the Spanish version, try it on the cover image). This edition also has the text and picture descriptions embedded for eReaders to assist the visually impaired.

At the end, there are some resources for how the book was made and credits. There were literally thousands of people involved in the creation of this book, including over 500 elementary students who illustrated the story.

En español

We hope you enjoy this story of self-discovery

If so, please share our message with your friends. It is the best way to help other people find the book and be inspired to live the life of their dreams. Thanks.

A 4-color photograph of Scott holding his bicycle over his head on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Text: Scott is a real person, and this is the true story of his quest for happiness around the world on a bicycle.
Title Page: Falling Uphill: The Secret of Life. By Scott Stoll with Poplar Creek Elementary School.
Illustration: A chaotic black scribble that looks like a butterfly. Note: All illustrations in the book were drawn by elementary school students while working with Scott as the author-in-residence.
Illustration: Scott crying while riding his bike.
Illustration: Scott holding the world on his shoulders.
Illustration: Scott imagining cycling around the world and meeting lots of children and asking them questions. The kids are doing various things like playing and riding horses.
Illustration: Scott sitting on the ground next to his bicycle and a big hill. He looks sad and helpless.
Illustration: Scott looking surprised. “Oh!?”
Illustration: Scott riding a bicycle on top of a tiny world floating in a sea of stars.
Illustration: Paradise with a waterfall, dolphin, fish, three doors, a question mark and a magic key to unlock the secrets.
Illustration: Scott sitting on his fully-loaded bicycle full of all the supplies he will need like a tent, stove, water filter, pencil and paper.
Illustration: Scott riding through a city on a sunny day.
Illustration: A book called “Secrets of the Universe” with a lock and key.
Illustration: Scott riding his dream which looks like a lion or wild thing.
Illustration: Scott riding through a desert with a cactus, rabbit, rattlesnake tumbleweed, and more.
Illustration: Scott taking a sip out of the river at his campsite.
Illustration: Scott smiling and swimming under the ocean with the sharks.
Illustration: Scott bicycling on the ocean. His tires are enormous and float. All the creatures of the sea stop to look.
Illustration: Scott bicycling on the ocean. His tires are enormous and float. All the creatures of the sea stop to look.
Illustration: Scott asked Zachary, the illustrator of this drawing, what this represented. He said matter of factly, “It’s a flying monkey helping you cross the oceans.”
Illustration: Scott using only one arm carries an old woman home.
Illustration: Scott and Dennis camping inside a hotel room full of mosquitoes.
Illustration: Scott bicycling through the monarch butterfly sanctuary. Butterflies fill the skies and the trees.
Illustration: A full page of butterflies.
Illustration: Scott riding his bike with a bunch of butterflies following him and one leading the way. It looks like eco-friendly exhaust.
Illustration: Scott bicycling up a stair-stepped building in the Lost of City of the Incas.
Illustration: Scott looking up at the leaning tower of Pisa.
Illustration: Scott bicycling in the tombs beneath a pyramid with a mummy inside.
Illustration: Scott playing checkers with some Maasai warriors holding spears. A lizard runs past.
Illustration: A night scene of camping. Scott with mouth wide open, surrounded by mosquitoes.
Illustration: A sheep riding a bicycle. In the background, two people trade a pen for lamb.
Illustration: An alien-looking environment with a sign that says “The Middle of Nowhere.”
Illustration: An upside-down picture of Scott waving hello. Scott is on the bottom of the Earth.
Illustration: Scott bicycling past a mountain and seeing a beautiful woman.
Illustration: The earth with a big mountain on the side and Scott standing on top. This is the biggest mountain on Earth, Mount Everest.

Are you enjoying the story so far?

If you found this inspirational please help us by sharing Scott’s story or writing a review. It is also the best way to help other people find the book and be inspired to live the life of their dreams. And, don’t miss the Spanish edition. Thanks.

Illustration: A scary looking witch doctor holding an ax and a crocodile.
Illustration: Scott cycling up a steep mountain that goes from the bottom, lefthand corner to the top, righthand corner.
Illustration: Scott lying on the ground crying, surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
Illustration: Scott standing on the side of a mountain looking happy. The sun is shining, and a bird flies through the sky.
Illustration: Scott on the side of another triangular-shaped mountain with a snow cap. He is falling off his bicycle but looks like he is flying up the hill.
Illustration: Scott flying through the air on his bicycle with wings.
Illustration: Scott surrounded by animals: elephant, lion, octopus, mouse fish, dog, parrot, butterfly, giraffe, snake.
Illustration: A scary scorpion with scales, and a sign that says “Danger ahead. Do not disturb!”
Illustration: Scott coming face-to-face with a mother elephant and her baby. A sign in the background warns of elephants crossing the road.
Illustration: Scott riding a decorated elephant.
Illustration: A lion watching Scott take a nap under a tree.
Illustration: Scott swimming with three crocodiles.
Illustration: Scott eating the tail of a crocodile that looks very surprised.
Illustration: A night scene of Scott being chased by a giant, bucktoothed chipmunk with a thousand legs.
Illustration: A classroom with a blackboard that shows different animal equations. An elephant, butterfly, scorpion and crocodile are teaching Scott a lesson. Scott looks like a funny combination of all the animals.
Illustration: A close up of a lion’s face.
Illustration: A bunch of people speaking different languages. And, coincidentally, what looks like the Tower of Babel.
Illustration: Scott looking like a monkey riding a scooter.
Illustration: A boy with a gigantic, toothy smile. His nose looks like an upside down question mark.
Illustration: Children shouting and chasing Scott riding a bicycle. The bicycle has just two wheels with a seat in the middle. Scott stands tippy-toe on the seat.
Illustration: Scott eating dinner with a new friend.
Illustration: A page full of people. Each person looks like a different shape: triangle, square, circle, rectangle, tall and small.
Illustration: A very simple drawing of an elephant. It has a nose like a mosquito.
Illustration: Scott in a beautiful village with round houses and people waving. One boy rings the bell on Scott’s bike.
Illustration: Scott with wheels for feet and butterflies following his journey.
Illustration: Scott holding a sword and a shield in the shape of a heart. He also has a big heart drawn on his suit of armor.
Illustration: Scott on his knees with arms in the air in front of a holy rock.
Illustration: Scott asking, “God, what is the secret of life?” God looks like a giant version of Scott but wearing a tie.
Illustration: Scott pointing at a volcano erupting. In the background, a tornado twists and birds fly through the sky. A setting sun and crescent moon make this scene look surreal.
Illustration: A drawing of hundreds of people in zig-zagging line. Scott is asking them questions one-by-one.
Illustration: Scott in the desert next to a cactus and a glass of ice water as big as a building.
Illustration: A galaxy, solar system, planets and stars.
Illustration: Scott looking confused. A question mark floats above his head.
Illustration: A magician standing inside a house. He has a cone hat, goatee and a star-spangled dress.
Illustration: A wizard wearing a black robe. He says, “I’m wise.” The word “wise” uses a Z instead of an S.
Illustration: Scott imagining a two-faced person. Half is a snowman, and the other half is a dragon.
Illustration: The magician using telekinesis to move a box. A person runs away, not believing what they are seeing.
Illustration: A blank page. Or is it…?
Illustration: Scott talking to the wizard. He has an empty thought bubble above his head. They are surrounded by butterflies. In fact, Scott looks like a butterfly. The wizard is made of a bunch of geometric shapes, and he has a cone-shaped hat with a star in the middle.
Illustration: An Alarm clock frozen in ice. Snow falling.
Illustration: A tiny butterfly in the middle of the page.
Illustration: A wizard, girl and boy saying, “It’s you!”
Illustration: Scott saying, “I am?!” The words are big and drawn in wavy, trembly line.
Illustration: The wizard showing Scott the secret. Scott looks dumbfounded.
Illustration: Scott and all kinds of weird looking people and animals. It looks like an abstract drawing that Picasso might have made.
Illustration: Scott riding a bicycle inside a flame that is inside a heart that is inside a rainbow.
Illustration: Scott with lines bursting around his head.
Illustration: A child falling off their bicycle. Falling down as opposed to falling uphill.
Illustration: A child sleeping in bed and having a nightmare of a thunderstorm. But outside the window is a rainbow.
Illustration: Two beds with children sleeping. In one bed, a child dreams of a lock. In the other bed, the child dreams of a key.
Illustration: A child falling uphill, floating into the sky full of clouds, birds and butterflies.
Illustration: A child sweeping the street behind a big truck that says, "Bob's street cleaning company."
Illustration: A child with a toy rocket ship and truck. He imagines the planets and stars.
Illustration: A child in bed dreaming. The thought bubble is on fire. Inside the thought bubble are two elephants in the forest and the word PASSION.
Illustration: A stick-figure drawing of the wizard. He is wearing a cone-shaped hat with a star on it and looking at the secret which is another star on a rectangular podium.
Illustration: A timeline with an arrow pointing from "Today" to "Our Future."
Illustration: Scott riding his bicycle on top of the world.
Illustration: A child dreaming of visiting outer space or flying over buildings like a superhero.
Illustration: Scott bicycling into the sunset.
Illustration: A caterpillar on the hill symbolizes a new beginning.

Credits

About 500 children standing the shape of a bicycle as soon from the top of the gym roof.

This book represents thousands of peoples efforts, some of which are pictured here standing in the shape of a bicycle. Specifically, thanks to Poplar Creek Elementary and all the schools in Argentina. (To protect people’s privacy the full credits are available only in the printed books.) And thanks to the United States Department of State, the community leaders, teachers and hundreds of other people that made this book possible. It was an honor ~ Scott.

© 2019. You are welcome to share this work, but it is forbidden to make copies either digital or paper. However, you can buy a paper or digital book. Proceeds support out Make-A-Book Project.

How this book was made

Did you enjoy the story?

We all hope you enjoy this universal story of self-discovery. If so, please share our message with your friends. It is also the best way to help other people find the book and be inspired to live the life of their dreams. Thanks.

Illustration of Scott riding his bicycle and falling uphill.
Picture of Scott Stoll

Scott Stoll

My claim to fame is that I rode a bicycle around the world and wrote some books. More about me.

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