diff --git a/server/boot/fieldGuide.js b/server/boot/fieldGuide.js
index ad142e8336..87fcdd0e69 100644
--- a/server/boot/fieldGuide.js
+++ b/server/boot/fieldGuide.js
@@ -1,11 +1,16 @@
-var R = require('ramda'),
-// Rx = require('rx'),
-  debug = require('debug')('freecc:fieldguides'),
-  utils = require('../utils');
+var Rx = require('rx');
+var debug = require('debug')('freecc:fieldguides');
+var observeMethod = require('../utils/rx').observeMethod;
+var saveUser = require('../utils/rx').saveUser;
+var utils = require('../utils');
+
+var allFieldGuideNamesAndIds = utils.allFieldGuideNamesAndIds();
 
 module.exports = function(app) {
   var router = app.loopback.Router();
   var FieldGuide = app.models.FieldGuide;
+  var findFieldGuideById = observeMethod(FieldGuide, 'findById');
+  var findOneFieldGuide = observeMethod(FieldGuide, 'findOne');
 
   router.get('/field-guide/all-articles', showAllFieldGuides);
   router.get('/field-guide/:fieldGuideName', returnIndividualFieldGuide);
@@ -15,60 +20,66 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
   app.use(router);
 
   function returnIndividualFieldGuide(req, res, next) {
-    var dashedNameFromQuery = req.params.fieldGuideName;
-    if (req.user) {
-      var completed = req.user.completedFieldGuides;
+    var dashedName = req.params.fieldGuideName;
+    var userSave = Rx.Observable.just(req.user)
+      .filter(function(user) {
+        return !!user;
+      })
+      .map(function(user) {
+        var completed = user.completedFieldGuides;
 
-      var uncompletedFieldGuides = utils.allFieldGuideIds()
-        .filter(function (elem) {
-          if (completed.indexOf(elem) === -1) {
-            return elem;
-          }
-        });
-      req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides = uncompletedFieldGuides;
-      // TODO(berks): handle callback properly
-      req.user.save(function(err) {
-        if (err) { return next(err); }
-      });
-    }
-
-    FieldGuide.find({ where: {'dashedName': dashedNameFromQuery}},
-      function(err, fieldGuideFromMongo) {
-        if (err) {
-          return next(err);
-        }
-
-        if (fieldGuideFromMongo.length < 1) {
-          req.flash('errors', {
-            msg: '404: We couldn\'t find a field guide entry with that name. ' +
-            'Please double check the name.'
+        var uncompletedFieldGuides = utils.allFieldGuideIds()
+          .filter(function(id) {
+            if (completed.indexOf(id) === -1) {
+              return id;
+            }
           });
+        user.uncompletedFieldGuides = uncompletedFieldGuides;
+        return user;
+      })
+      .flatMap(function(user) {
+        return saveUser(user);
+      });
 
-          return res.redirect('/');
-        }
+    var query = { where: { dashedName: { like: dashedName, options: 'i' } } };
 
-        var fieldGuide = R.head(fieldGuideFromMongo);
-        fieldGuide.name.toLowerCase().replace(/\s/g, '-').replace(/\?/g, '');
+    debug('find fieldGuide', query);
+    Rx.Observable.combineLatest(
+      // find that field guide
+      findOneFieldGuide(query),
+      userSave,
+      Rx.helpers.identity
+    )
+      .subscribe(
+        // don't care about return from userSave
+        function(fieldGuide) {
+          if (!fieldGuide) {
+            req.flash('errors', {
+              msg: '404: We couldn\'t find a field guide entry with ' +
+                'that name. Please double check the name.'
+            });
+            return res.redirect('/field-guide/all-articles');
+          }
 
-        // if (fieldGuide.dashedName !== dashedNameFromQuery) {
-        //   return res.redirect('../field-guide/' + fieldGuide.dashedName);
-        // }
-        res.render('field-guide/show', {
-          title: fieldGuide.name,
-          fieldGuideId: fieldGuide.id,
-          description: fieldGuide.description.join('')
-        });
-      }
+          if (fieldGuide.dashedName !== dashedName) {
+            return res.redirect('../field-guide/' + fieldGuide.dashedName);
+          }
+          res.render('field-guide/show', {
+            title: fieldGuide.name,
+            fieldGuideId: fieldGuide.id,
+            description: fieldGuide.description.join('')
+          });
+        },
+        next
     );
   }
 
   function showAllFieldGuides(req, res) {
-    var allFieldGuideNamesAndIds = utils.allFieldGuideNamesAndIds();
-
     var completedFieldGuides = [];
     if (req.user && req.user.completedFieldGuides) {
       completedFieldGuides = req.user.completedFieldGuides;
     }
+
     res.render('field-guide/all-articles', {
       allFieldGuideNamesAndIds: allFieldGuideNamesAndIds,
       completedFieldGuides: completedFieldGuides
@@ -76,16 +87,19 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
   }
 
   function showCompletedFieldGuideFunction(req, res) {
-    req.flash('success', {
-              msg: [
-                'You\'ve read all our current Field Guide entries. ' +
-                'If you have ideas for other Field Guide articles, ' +
-                'please let us know on ',
-                '<a href=\'https://github.com/freecodecamp/freecodecamp/' +
-                'issues/new?&body=Please describe your idea for a Field Guide' +
-                ' article and include links if possible.\'>GitHub</a>.'
-              ].join('')
-            });
+    req.flash(
+      'success',
+      {
+        msg: [
+          'You\'ve read all our current Field Guide entries. ' +
+          'If you have ideas for other Field Guide articles, ' +
+          'please let us know on ',
+          '<a href=\'https://github.com/freecodecamp/freecodecamp/' +
+          'issues/new?&body=Please describe your idea for a Field Guide' +
+          ' article and include links if possible.\'>GitHub</a>.'
+        ].join('')
+      }
+    );
     return res.redirect('../field-guide/how-do-i-use-this-guide');
   }
 
@@ -95,38 +109,40 @@ module.exports = function(app) {
     }
 
     if (!req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides.length) {
-      return showCompletedFieldGuideFunction(req, res, next);
+      return showCompletedFieldGuideFunction(req, res);
     }
 
-    FieldGuide.findById(req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides[0],
-      function(err, fieldGuide) {
-
-        if (err) { return next(err); }
+    findFieldGuideById(req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides[0]).subscribe(
+      function(fieldGuide) {
         if (!fieldGuide) {
-          debug('bad juju in field guide %s',
-            req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides[0]);
+          debug(
+            'field guide %s not found',
+            req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides[0]
+          );
           return res.redirect('../field-guide/how-do-i-use-this-guide');
         }
         return res.redirect('../field-guide/' + fieldGuide.dashedName);
-      });
+      },
+      next
+    );
+  }
+
+  function completedFieldGuide(req, res, next) {
+    var fieldGuideId = req.body.fieldGuideInfo.fieldGuideId;
+
+    req.user.completedFieldGuides.push(fieldGuideId);
+
+    var index = req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides.indexOf(fieldGuideId);
+    if (index > -1) {
+      req.user.progressTimestamps.push(Date.now());
+      req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides.splice(index, 1);
+    }
+
+    saveUser(req.user).subscribe(
+      function() {
+        res.send(true);
+      },
+      next
+    );
   }
 };
-
-function completedFieldGuide(req, res, next) {
-  var fieldGuideId = req.body.fieldGuideInfo.fieldGuideId;
-
-  req.user.completedFieldGuides.push(fieldGuideId);
-
-  var index = req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides.indexOf(fieldGuideId);
-  if (index > -1) {
-    req.user.progressTimestamps.push(Date.now());
-    req.user.uncompletedFieldGuides.splice(index, 1);
-  }
-
-  req.user.save(function (err) {
-    if (err) {
-      return next(err);
-    }
-    res.send(true);
-  });
-}
diff --git a/server/utils/rx.js b/server/utils/rx.js
index 5bc8a36382..7e98aa486b 100644
--- a/server/utils/rx.js
+++ b/server/utils/rx.js
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 var Rx = require('rx');
 var debug = require('debug')('freecc:rxUtils');
-var slice = Array.prototype.slice;
 
 exports.saveUser = function saveUser(user) {
   return new Rx.Observable.create(function(observer) {