Beyond the thrill of the moment, “The Ride” addresses the age old question of what determines our fate, are we just at the mercy of events beyond our control, are we on a path determined solely by our past choices or is there something else. We see that in THIS case perhaps it was “the decision not to die” that tips the scales. The end result is the key to living, to being really alive and all that entails.
When queried about the ending Richard McCullough just said, “To take the Ride is to experience completely the Now and free yourself to create your future as you want it to be.” This perspective and the novel itself is made even more potent when you realize that this is a true story.