I’ve been picking up a lot of random books in bookstores lately. This can often be hit or miss. I can’t count the times I’ve picked up books only to go “Well, that was terrible.” However, this current stretch has produced some wonderful books and, since it’s been a while since I’ve done a best-books round-up, I think it’s time again! I spend a lot of time on buses, trains, and planes and use that time to devour books so, without further ado, here are seven books worth your time:
All Over the Place by Geraldine DeRuiter
Geraldine, aka The Everywhereist, is a hilarious writer (and friend). This book chronicles her travels, anxieties, and relationship with her husband Rand (who is as cool as the book makes him out to be). It really is all over the place – but in a good way. Though I found the book to be less about travel and more about her relationship, it more than lived up to all my expectations. I’m a huge fan of Geraldine’s writing, wit, snark, and humor and this book delivered all of that. I mean who else can make a poop story so damn funny? If you love her blog, you’ll love this book. (And if you don’t know about her blog, well, read that too.) This book was wonderful and devoured it in a couple of sittings.
The Worrier’s Guide to the End of the World by Torre DeRoche
I loved Torre’s first book, Love with a Chance of Drowning, about her cross-Pacific adventure with her then-boyfriend. I had the pleasure of getting an advance copy of her second book (and I loved it so much I even wrote a blurb for it!) Whereas the last book was an adventure into the world, this book is an adventure into the self. After meeting the lovely Masha at an event in NYC, Torre meets up with Masha in Europe, where they decide to walk the Via Francigena trail in Italy and then follow Gandhi’s walking route in India. Along the way, Torre encounters snakes, shamans, rude travelers, friendly strangers, and a universe seemingly trying to point her in the right direction. This book is just as fabulously well written and engaging as her first. I grew to love it more with every page — and I can’t recommend it enough.
Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett
Auckland Island, located 285 miles south of New Zealand, is a place with year-round freezing rain, wind, and little food (but apparently a lot of seals). Simply put, it’s not a place you want to get shipwrecked on. Yet in 1864, Captain Thomas Musgrave and his crew did just that — and a few months later, on the opposite side of the island, so did the crew of the Scottish ship Invercauld. This well-written account of the how the two crews survived (and didn’t survive) was a wonderful juxtaposition on leadership, camaraderie, and coming together in crisis. It’s not a long book. It took me a few days to read but it was compelling, captivating, and an excellent reminder of the importance of keeping one’s composure in a crisis.
Dispatches from Pluto by Richard Grant
As a big fan of the state of Mississippi, I was really keen to read this book. The state is an often-overlooked tourist destination with eccentric but wonderful people; beautiful parks, rivers, and swamps; stunning architecture; and a complex and rich history for history buffs like myself. In this book, English writer Richard Grant and his girlfriend move to rural Pluto, Mississippi, to live a better life, escape the big city, lower their cost of living, and try something new. They learn to hunt, garden, fend off wild animals, handle snakes, and befriend interesting characters along the way. Grant dives into the contradictions of this state — from race relations and class to education, food, family, and everything in between. This book was incredible, nails Mississippi, and is a must, must, must read.
The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland by Barbara Sjoholm
Barbara Sjoholm set off one winter to explore this arctic region — then spent two more coming back and learning about it more. In the process, she unearths the region’s rich history and dives into the tension between tourism, mining, and land use. Her book dives deep into the Samis, local indigenous population and their struggle to maintain their culture in the modern era. As a lover of all things Scandinavian, it was really nice to read about an area and people of the region not often given the attention they deserve. As much as I thought I knew about this region, reading this book taught me a lot – and showed me how much I still had to learn. Well written and insightful, you should definitely pick up this book.
The Not-Quite States of America by Doug Mack
The United States of America is more than just 50 states. There’s also the non-states of American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. In this funny, detailed, fact-rich book, Doug Mack explores these territories largely forgotten by the rest of the country, which play a more important role in our country than we realize. I had the pleasure of listening to Doug talk about his book in NYC, and he’s a wealth of knowledge — just like his book! This one of those travel books that expands your mind about the place you don’t really know. In many ways it reminded me of The Geography of Bliss in its approach. If you liked that book, you’ll like this book too!
The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca by Tahir Shah
Inspired by the Moroccan vacations of his childhood, Shah decides to buy a house in Casablanca. He moves his family from England in hopes of breaking out from the monotony of life in London as well as exposing his children to a more carefree childhood. I randomly picked this up in a bookstore and couldn’t put it down. Shah is an engrossing writer and I was glued to every word. While dealing with corruption, the local bureaucracy, thieves, gangsters, jinns causing havoc, and the hassle that seems to come with even the most simple interactions, Shah weaves a story that is simply one of the best I’ve read all year. It’s beautifully written and endlessly enthralling. You must go buy this book!
That’s all for today! Happy reading!
And if you’re a book junkie like I am, join our monthly book club where I send a list of the best books I’ve recently read. You’ll get a list of 3-5 suggested books sent once a month! It’s free to join! Just enter your name and email below to sign up:
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And if you have suggestions, leave them in the comments, as I’m always looking to add books to my Amazon queue that I’ll binge-buy when I’m drinking!
I love the cheesy Syfy channel movies based on this book and finally decided to pick up this massive 800-page tome. The story centers around Paul Atreides and the desert planet Arrakis, one of the most important planets in the cosmos because it produces the “spice.” I couldn’t put this book down. It had character depth, intrigue, and action mixed in with philosophy and what it means to have power and lead a good life. I was hooked from the start.
From the author of the backpacking bible Vagabonding, this new book by Rolf Potts explores the hidden lives of ordinary things. Potts goes back several millennia to examine the relic-driven journeys of Christians as well as the gimmicky souvenirs you’ll find at any shop in any tourist destination. It’s a small, easy read that is a great treatise on why we buy the things we do when we travel.
This is a real-life story of how Gawker outed PayPal founder and billionaire investor Peter Thiel as gay and how, seeking revenge, Thiel helped fund the Hulk Hogan lawsuit that, in the end, brought down the Gawker empire. Featuring interviews with all the key players, this book is a fascinating and sometimes scary read about how one man can bring down an empire, ego, and the nature of conspiracies.
Back in 1899, Edward H. Harriman (a rich railroad magnate) converted a steamship into a luxury cruise for some of America’s best scientists and writers and embarked on a summer voyage around Alaska. Now, author Mark Adams retraces that expedition, traveling over 3,000 miles along the coast of the state. Mark is one of my favorite writers, and this book is very reminiscent of Turn Right at Machu Picchu. Mark brings insight into the people, history, and culture of the state in a way he did with his other book.
Andrew Evans’s life was laid out for him: church, mission, university, marriage, and children. But as a gay kid stuck in rural Ohio, he escaped to the pages of Nat Geo (which he now works for). After being shunned by his family, Evans set out on an overland journey halfway around the world. This is the story about his 12,000-mile journey over mountains and through deserts and jungles until he eventually reaches his ultimate goal: Antarctica. This is a really beautiful read that touches on faith, family, and self.
Not travel related, but Atomic Habits gives you a solid framework for improving yourself every single day. In this book, Clear discusses habit formation and reveals strategies that will teach you how forming good new habits will break the bad ones. As he says: “If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.” James is an amazing writer and person, and I was super excited to get my hands on his book when it came out!
This is the true story of Samuel Zemurray, a self-made banana seller who went from a roadside peddler to kingmaker and capitalist revolutionary. When Zemurray showed up in America in 1891, he was penniless. By the time he died 69 years later, he was one of the richest men in the world. It’s a fascinating story of the kind of Gilded Age capitalism that doesn’t exist anymore (for good reason) and will give you a new look at the whole sordid nature of the banana industry.
Ben Coates got stranded at Schiphol Airport, where he called a Dutch girl he’d met a few months earlier and asked if he could stay over the night. He never left. Fascinated by his adopted home, this is a travel book wrapped in a history book wrapped in a memoir. It’s also a look at modern Dutch culture and society, as well as how it got that way and what the future holds for the country. It’s one of the better books on the Netherlands I’ve read!
Former New York Times Frugal Traveler columnist Seth Kugel is one of the world’s best travel writers. In this book, Kugel challenges the lack of spontaneity in adventure in today’s world because of all the websites (like this one) out there that allow people to plan everything down to a T instead of letting travel just happen. It’s a collection of amusing stories designed to inspire you to be a little less shackled to technology on your next trip! I got to read it before it came out. It’s good! Pre-order it!
In 1943, Marijke de Graaf is sent from Amsterdam to a concentration camp in Germany with her husband, where she faces a choice: death, or join the camp’s brothel. It is there she encounters SS officer Karl Müller. Keith’s ability to seamlessly combine different timelines and narratives as well as paint the emotions that come from tough choices is superb (and why this book topped the Canadian best-seller lists when it came out!).
Ever blacked out so hard from drinking that you forgot hours of your evening? This was Sarah Hepola’s life, during a time where she spent most evenings at fancy parties and dark bars until last call. This self-reflective and poignant book about the causes of her alcoholism, the effect it had on her life and the lives of her friends, and Hepola’s rediscovery of herself is a touching book that will make you think about the negative habits in your life — and how you might be able to break them. 
There’s nothing more inspirational than a well-written travel book. It can fill you with awe, wonder, and wanderlust. Books make those 10-hour bus rides through Laos more bearable. They get us excited for new destinations and can change our world view.
This book tells the true story of Thomas McFadden and his time in Bolivia’s San Pedro prison. McFadden was an English drug trafficker who ended up in jail after an official he was bribing double-crossed him. In the book, you learn about life in a prison where inmates bought their own cells (which created a huge class system), made their own drugs (to be sold on the streets), bribed cops, and developed an economy filled with shops, elected officials, and neighborhoods. Rich prisoners were even allowed to leave with a prison escort. McFadden also started leading tours through the prison during his incarceration (they even ended up in Lonely Planet) to backpackers (who for the right price could also stay the night).
Before Anthony Bourdain roamed the world without reservations or to places unknown, he was a chef clawing his way through the kitchens of New York City. This book (his first) is a very well written insider’s account of the restaurant industry. True to form, Bourdain is crass and vulgar, and he doesn’t hold anything back. You learn about the drug use in kitchens, the fast pace and dog-eat-dog world of the restaurant business, staff loyalty to chefs (kitchen staff follow the chefs they like), and why there are some foods you should just never order. I’m a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain and I always enjoy his work, so it was nice to read about his rise to fame. This book was a very fun and interesting read. You’ll never look at restaurants the same way again.
While this book has nothing to do with travel, it is a wonderfully researched account of how we form habits. Why do we do what we do? Are we hard-wired to repeat habits, even when they are bad? How do we break bad habits and form good ones? This best-selling book discusses how we form habits and gives specific strategies about how to break bad habits and start good ones. This book definitely made me rethink many of my habits and is part of the reason why I decided to read more. (For example, I replaced my before-bed TV catch-up time with reading time!)
I became friends with James Altucher a few years ago at a mastermind conference I was speaking at in Toronto. His book is about how the new economy has made it easier for people to become their own bosses and put their happiness first. The old economy is rigged, he says. Companies treat workers like an expense, won’t rehire in the new era since the financial crisis, and provide very little opportunity for financial independence. From tips on starting your own business to advice on picking up a new skill or just figuring out what makes you happy and doing more of that, Choose Yourself is an uplifting book with practical resources for taking control of your life.
This book recounts Adams’s tale of roughing it through Peru in search of little-visited Inca ruins and ancient cities with a surly Indiana Jones-type Australian guide. While most tourists stick to Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, Adams goes everywhere else, tracing the Incas’ flight into the Andes Mountains after the Spanish invaded their empire. He discovers just how much there is to see in Peru that tourists never visit. In a country filled with Inca ruins, many are still unexcavated and have few tourists. It’s one of best-written tales I read last year and opened me up to a whole new understanding of the Incas. There was a lot about Peru I didn’t know, and now I’m even more excited to visit the country someday, follow Adams’s footsteps, and get off the beaten path! I highly recommend you pick this book up.
Journalist Sarah MacDonald writes about her experience moving to India to follow her boyfriend, despite vowing never to return after a visit a few years before (she hated India after her first visit). The book is well written and funny, and features amazing insights into Indian culture and its differences from the West. From family, marriage, and dating to class breakdowns, Sarah shares a lot about her time in the country. In a way, it’s the classic fish-out-of-water tale, but it reminded me of my own experience living in Thailand and having to adapt to Thai culture. I couldn’t put this book down and enjoyed her account of culture shock and how India broke down her preconceived notions of Western versus Indian values. It allowed her to appreciate the best of both worlds.
I first read this book when it came out in 2003, but after recently rummaging through my book collection at my parents’ house, I picked it up again. The book follows the story of Amir, a wealthy Afghan kid who escapes with his family during the Soviet invasion, grows up in America, and eventually goes back to Afghanistan during Taliban rule to save his friend’s son. Though I read it many years ago, it remains one of my favorite books of all time. Re-reading it made me realize why it was such a phenomenon — it’s beautifully and vividly written with strong characters and a powerful story about grief, guilt, and redemption. Hosseini’s follow up, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is just as powerful. If you’ve never read his works, do so.
While dense, this book was surprisingly incredibly fascinating. It traces the history of salt and its importance to civilization, ancient empires, and world exploration. It’s filled with quirky facts that make you realize how much of our world was influenced by salt. For example, to be “worth one’s salt” means to be worth one’s pay: the word “salary” comes from the Latin word for salt (sal). Ancient Romans and soldiers were often paid in salt since it was so valuable. Salt was recommended to me by a number of my friends, and it was one of the most fascinating books I read last year. It’s important to know about the world — you can’t understand a place if you don’t understand its past, and this book will explain a lot of the past to you.
This book is always on my “top reads” list. A story about following your dreams, this is one of the most widely read books in recent history. It follows a young shepherd boy traveling from Spain to Egypt after he has a dream telling him he needs to get to Egypt. Along the way, he meets interesting people, learns to follow his heart, go with the flow, and discovers love and the meaning of life. The book is filled with wonderful and inspirational quotes. My favorite is, “If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man…Life will be a party for you, a grand festival, because life is the moment we’re living right now.” A book about following your dreams is perfect for travelers because we certainly are dreamers. I’ve read this book multiple times — it always inspires me to enjoy life and dream more.
Originally published in 1974, this book has been a classic hit since its release and was a long overdue read for me. I’ve heard people talk about it for years, and it’s highly recommended by Tim Ferriss, another voracious reader I respect. The book follows a father and his young son during a summer motorcycle trip across America’s Northwest. The tale addresses love, growth, discovery, and the meaning of existence. It is one of those deep books that uses travel as a backdrop to make us question why we do what we do, what makes us happy, and how we can be happier. Like The Alchemist, this is an uplifting and inspirational story that makes you want to turn your dreams into a reality. It makes you want to get out there and explore the world, and that’s a message I can always get behind!
This book (which inspired the excellent movie of the same name) follows Christopher McCandless after he graduates from college, donates his savings to charity, and sets off across the United States in search of a deeper meaning to life. Sadly, he was found dead by hikers in Alaska after mistakenly eating the wrong type of berries. Not much is known is about his time on the road as McCandless used an alias (Alexander Supertramp) while traveling. Krakauer tries to fill in the blanks by using McCandless’s diary and interviewing the few people he met on the road. Despite the tragic ending, I find this an inspirational story about breaking the mold, following your dreams, and trying to live a more meaningful life.
I like all books about people who fall in love with Paris, so when this came up in Amazon as a suggested read, I immediately bought it and wasn’t disappointed. Sarah Turnbull’s visit to the City of Light was supposed to last a week, but she ends up staying permanently with the guy she had traveled to Paris to visit (Paris has that effect on people). This book follows Turnbull’s life in the city as she navigates the highs and lows of trying to fit into a foreign culture while slowly falling more and more in love with it. Its a fish-out-of-water tale and clichéd at many times, but it offers lessons on embracing life in a foreign culture that will never really accept you as one of its own. Funny and witty, I found it to be a fun pager turner. 
This was probably my favorite book of the year. When her husband gets a job at the Lego offices in Jutland, Helen Russell decides to head to Denmark with him, freelance write, and try to figure out why the Danes are so happy. From childcare, education, food, and interior design to taxes, sexism, and everything in between (turns out the Danes love to burn witches), Helen’s funny, poignant story kept me enthralled from start to finish. It’s informative, hilarious, self-deprecating, and tells a great story of someone trying to fit in. As someone who loves Denmark, has lots of Danish friends, and thinks Copenhagen is one of the best cities in the world, I couldn’t put this down. If you read just one book from this list, make it this one!
I found this book while roaming a bookstore in Thailand. I’d never heard of Michael Booth before, but I loved the title. In this book, Michael and his family travel to India — in part because he decided to write a definitive book on Indian food (slightly overambitious!) and, in part because his wife said it was about time they take a family trip and he reconnect with his kids. Along the way, the jaded and bitter Michael loses his cynicism and discovers that it’s never to late to change. I read this at a time I needed a bit of encouragement and inspiration, and I found Michael’s transformation a mirror for my own personal struggles. But, beyond my personal reasons for enjoying this book, his dry British humor and attention to detail were captivating, and I have since ordered his new book on Scandinavia!
I get a lot of random books sent to me by authors. Sometimes I read the books, most of the times I don’t. I picked up this one because the author sent a coconut with it and the title and cover art caught my eye. This book follows Alex as he quits his job in NYC at the end of the tech boom, moves to the South Pacific in search of the perfect life, and lugs a suitcase full of books with him to pass the time. He roams from island to island trying to find that “paradise” that we so crave (spoiler: it doesn’t exist) until one day he ends up on Palau, meets a woman, and decides to stay for a bit. Along the way, they build a house, adopt a monkey, learn the culture, and figure out life. It’s a funny, witty, and inspirational memoir that I couldn’t put down. His coconut got me to open the cover, but his incredible writing kept me going.
Blogger, friend, and legend Mark Manson is one of the most well-known writers on the Internet. Chelsea Handler snapchats his stuff and Elizabeth Gilbert quoted him in one of her novels. Mark’s blog contains long articles on living a better life, relationships, and happiness. This book focuses on breaking down the myth that we’re all special, the illusion that we are owed happiness, and his plans on how to live a more stoic life — accepting things as they are, recognizing that problems can actually push us toward development, and becoming happy and better at the relationships we do have. This book is not about not caring, but about learning how to not sweat the small stuff and focus on the bigger picture. There’s a reason it’s sold over a million copies.
I picked up this book at a second-hand shop in Vietnam years ago, and it intrigued me as I was backpacking around Southeast Asia. Amazon suggested it to me recently, so I picked it up again for another read and found it just as enthralling! John travels to India, where he meets Rick, who then persuades him to go to the Thai island of Ko Phangan, where John, Rick, and their new friend Dave pose as millionaire aristocrats. after getting on the wrong side of the Thai mafia, they leave for adrenaline-fueled journeys to Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, and Hong Kong. I’ve always wondered if this was a true story since so much of it seems far-fetched, but, even if it’s all fake, it’s an entertaining read about life as a backpacker. Light, easy, and fun, it will get you excited for the road.
Adventurer Levison Wood had a dream to be the first person to walk the full length of the Nile. Like the author of the Amazon trek book I featured, Levison is looking to push himself to the limit and do something no one else has done. Starting at the source of the Nile (though this is very contested, since many countries claim to be the source), he starts walking, and walking, and walking. While not the most engrossing writer (side note: I feel this way about lots of adventurers-turned-writers: great stories, but poorly told), Wood still manages to weave a fascinating tale with plenty of insight into this part of Africa. I learned a lot with this book.
Part travelogue, part history book, and part practical guide to Romania, this book recounts my friend Leif Pettersen’s travels through the country during his time as a guidebook writer for Lonely Planet. As someone who also loves Romania (it is such an underrated country. I don’t understand why more people don’t go!), I found his witty and funny retelling of Romanian history compelling and enjoyed all the travel tales he wove in between. I’m not sure some of practical tips still hold true but Pettersen’s book was a witty, funny, and good light read that will give a very good overview of the country!
This enthralling narrative recounts the experiences of twelve American sailors who were shipwrecked off the coast of Africa in 1815, captured by desert nomads, sold into slavery, and taken on a two-month journey through the Sahara. This vivid account of courage, brotherhood, and survival was a page-turner. I’m not sure I would have survived similar circumstances. Based off accounts from the few survivors, it gives you a window in a part of the world and culture that wasn’t well understood during this period of time. I won’t reveal too much of the story, but this book captivated me from start to finish.
Veteran travel writer Thomas Swick (who I also interview in my travel writing course) writes about “the seven joys of travel” through a series of personal essays that detail the author’s experiences visiting destinations across the globe, including Munich, Bangkok, Sicily, Iowa, and Key West. I dig this book because it talks about the personal journey and meaning travel has for us. You can really relate to Swick’s experiences about how travel has changed him.
In his follow-up to A Year in Provence, this book contains a series of essays and comments on the changes in the region, thoughts on the popularity of his first book, and a “how to guide” to visiting the area. Just as beautifully written as his previous book, I loved how he not only writes in detail on life in the region but also how he provides practical tips on visiting markets, what to buy, and where to eat, and even trashes a food writer for poor reporting of the food scene in the area! This is a definite must read (after your read his first book!).
In this follow-up to The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Troost finds himself back in the South Pacific, living in Vanuatu and Fiji. Though they spent two years in Washington, DC, after returning from living in Kiribati, he and his wife move back to the South Pacific after she gets a job, he gets fired, and they decide it’s a better place to start a family. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles against typhoons, earthquakes, and giant centipedes and soon finds himself swept up in the laid-back, clothing-optional lifestyle of the islanders. The book is as self-deprecating, funny, vivid, and interesting as all his others, and cements Troost as one of my favorite modern travel writers.
While I don’t love Vietnam (I didn’t have a great experience there), I do love Vietnamese food! Holliday’s awesome book about the history and culture behind the country’s street cuisine provides a unique perspective on the country. He lived in Vietnam for over ten years, devouring anything he could get his hands on. In this engrossing and hunger-inducing book, you’ll wander through the back streets of Vietnam, learning about street food, and begin to understand the country and its people through their first love. Though I thought the book got a bit tedious in the end, after reading it, this book managed to spark a desire to return to Vietnam that I didn’t think I would ever have again!
At the start of the New Year, I vowed to read one book a week, and I’m proud to say I’m accomplishing that goal. I even started a book club to keep me focused (I mean, you can’t recommend books if you don’t read them, right?).
I’d heard of this book before but never bothered to pick it up until multiple readers recommended it to me. I’m glad I finally read it — it was incredible. An autobiographical novel following the author Peter Mayle’s year living in Provence, it details the struggles and joys of adapting to a new culture. I loved the interesting characters he meets and his description of the slow pace of life in France (which was a clear departure from his previous life in England). As a Francophile, this book makes me want to move to France even more. Wonderfully and wistfully written, I can understand why it continues to be such a classic.
Another reader recommendation, this book looks at the why of travel. What compels us to see the world? From the anticipation of a trip, the act of getting there, being there, and the return, Alain De Botton discusses it all. Though dry in parts, this is one of the best written and most thoughtful travel books I’ve read in a really long time. The author’s use of language and imagery is incredibly sophisticated, and his discussions of beauty, travel, and the mundane are equally thought-provoking. I highly, highly recommend reading this book.
While I don’t love Vietnam (I didn’t have a good experience there), I do love Vietnamese food… a lot! This is an awesome book about the history and culture behind the country’s street cuisine. Author Graham Holliday has lived in Vietnam a long time, and he sure knows his food. In this engrossing and hunger-inducing book, you’ll wander with him through the backstreets of Vietnam, learning about the street food you see all over the country and, in doing so, begin to understand the country and its people through their first love.
What’s it like to visit the most polluted places on the planet? Inspired by a trip to Kanpur, India (considered one of the most polluted towns in the country), Andrew Blackwell set off to visit oil towns, coal mines, the Pacific garbage patch, and, of course, Chernobyl. In many ways, I found this to be the anti-travel book. It didn’t inspire me to go anywhere, but it did pique my intellectual curiosity about the places that remain hidden from everyday view. Blackwell’s conversational writing style, self-deprecating jokes, and sarcasm make this book an easy and fun read.
John Steinbeck’s famous travel book… that he most likely made up! Now commonly believed that Steinbeck fictionalized most of the adventures in his book, the writing is so enjoyable that it’s still a worthwhile read. Set in 1960, it tells of Steinbeck’s travels across the US with his dog Charley as they meet colorful, folksy characters along the way. This book is about that cool road trip we all want to take and the people we wish to meet. It’s such a fun read that you easily overlook the fact that many of the stories are embellished.
Mike McIntyre set off to travel across America with nothing except the clothes on his back. His goal? To get from San Francisco to Cape Fear with no money, relying solely on the kindness of strangers. Along the way he encountered all kinds of people who shattered the cynical journalist inside him. Having hitchhiked in many countries and been in situations where I needed help from strangers, I found this book (re-released last year on its 20th anniversary) a nice reminder that people the world over are generally good, kind souls.