Rating: 
Summary: Read between the lines...
Review: "A Fortune Teller Told Me" sat on my bookshelf for nearly a year. I had started it once when I had run out of reading material but did not find it terribly compelling until I picked it up again recently.
Written by an Italian journalist who has lived in Asia for thirty or more years, it is the story of his travels in Asia during the year when he did not fly because a Hong Kong fortune teller told him that it would be dangerous for him to do so. His travels take him to Singapore, and through Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and other countries I haven't read about yet, because I haven't finished the book. Tarzani,the author, is clearly someone at home on the road. He has the advantage of speaking Chinese, which clearly makes it easier for him to make connections with local people. During his travels he seeks out fortune tellers, but what is most interesting are his observations of the changes taking place in Asia at the time. He makes several references to the rise of Islamic fundamentalism as a reaction to globalization and growing materialism. He also observes the effects of the Chinese diaspora in Asia: how in many of the southeast asian countries the first and second and third generation Chinese control the economy. He seems to indirectly blame this element of the populace for the increased materialism and the loss of local values and customs. One of the drawbacks of his point of view is that he embodies the stereotype of the macho Italian and seems unenlighted about the possibility that women could actually read his book. This comes to light as he despairs about the increased modernization of the world. After computers, what next? Will we dispense with women? Once we no longer need to think for ourselves, will we no longer need to procreate? he seems to say. The book is food for thought and a wonderful travelogue, except when comments like that slip out.
Rating: 
Summary: An unique travel guide.
Review: How interesting would it be if we ALL spent one year of our lives traveling soley by land or sea? Far East journalist Tiziano Terzani was told by a fortune teller NOT to fly for an entire year. Being somewhat of a believer in these things, Terzani took the seer at his word and spent 1993 traveling by land, train, cab, bus, steamer, elephant, or cruise ship. As I read this wonderfully lush travel guide, I was struck by what we 'frequent flyers' miss. We miss the rhythm of the country, the smells, common people, and the flip side of local life the airports don't feature. While some of Terzani's experiences were a bit graphic for my tastes, and I probably could have done without yet another political commentary on how the West has corrupted the East, I thoroughly enjoyed his many visits with local fortune tellers. I especially liked the vestal virgin. I laughed out loud at Terzani's recanting of that meeting. Some of the fortune tellers he found during his travels were accurate, or close to it. Some were charlatans. They were all, however, interesting. What a rich life Terzani has lived. All the best to him and I look forward to more stories from his pen. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Great !
Review: Being of German and Chinese parentage and having lived and travelled throughout Asia all my life, I have finally found my thoughts about this vast continent and its spirituality on paper. As Terzani himself states in this book "It sometimes takes a Westerner to make sense of Asia" and I too have found this to be true. Unlike some misguided reviews that I have read about this book, Terzani is absolutely spot on in his anlysis and interpretations of Asia and its status quo. "A fortune teller told me" is great travel literature, great socio-political commentary and food for the soul all at once. Here is a man in search of truth, travelling through the continent with the richest and oldest history, needlesly reinventing and destroying itself, its identity and its spirituality in order to catch up with the youngest and most money-orientated civilizations.
The West looks to the East for Answers and the East looks to the West for answers in this amazing book.
Two thumbs up!
Rating:
Summary: A Fortune-Teller Told Me : Earthbound Travels in the Far Eas
Review: I fell on this book by pure chance, as I was offered a previous book by Terzani: "In Asia". This book arose my interest on travel writings, but I have difficulty finding a book at the same level, as the author is a master in explaining the cultural, political and economical keys making Asia one of the most interesting places in the world. His travelling by train, car and ship adds a charm that makes you want to jump on the first train and enjoy the timeless travel through this wonderful continent. The fortune-tellers' consultancy is only a curious detail in this in-deep essay on colourful places and people.
Rating:
Summary: Great !
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. I admired Mr. Terzani's stick-to-it-iveness and found each chapter a gem. I think if he had provided maps, I would have enjoyed it more but that certainly does not take away from the sense of adventure of this story. Recommend it for anyone travelling to the Far East.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting but not compelling
Review: The author literally walks us through his encounters with shamans, fortune-tellers, and sorcerers of the Asian continent. His pace is leisurely, and he makes plenty reflections in order to make out what he observes. Perhaps a bit too many, as by the end it feels repetitious. Later in the book the characters the author encounters do not particularly stand out from the ones he met earlier, nor does the author's insight deepen alongside his route. The book is, as with the majority of travel literature, of parallel structure, and its whole does not exceed the sum of its parts (chapters). I would have enjoyed the book better had the author included a heavier dose of social context, which the author should have had at his disposal given his occupation. Overall the book is an enjoyable read, if you don't expect to learn too much from it.
Rating: 
Summary: Couldn't get past his machismo...
Review: The extra star is for the regional descriptions and sometimes interesting tales of his travels. I am a woman. I read this book and enjoyed some of the descriptions of the regions and anecdotes. But through it all comes a pungent arrogance stronger than roasted garlic.
Many of his observations of the Asians he encounters are so completely "superior" as to seem he is speaking of animals, or a KKK member speaking of minorities in the deep south.
Maybe after computers, the world will dispense with men like Mr. Terzani since we women will inseminate ourselves with genetically engineered sperm. That is all.
Rating:
Summary: Prejudice is a blemish
Review: This is a part travelogue, part social political commentary, and also sort of an assortment of methods of fortune telling in Asia. I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a good travelogue. Terzani paints vivid accounts of his encounters, what he sees, smells, feels and thinks. I enjoy the historic background he included about the places he visits. Terzani also provides some thought provoking insights about his view on history, humanity, economic and political development. He has interesting and rare interviews with a few people, including the drug lord Khun Sa. However, the credibility of this book suffers from his apparent condescension, selective belief and prejudice. For example, Terzani is openly critical of the desire and diligence of the Chinese to improve their life. He scorns globalisation and everything modern. He romantises living in a hot, humid, dirty and basic condition and criticises aspirations for more comfort. Granted that some ignorance of the Asian rulers have made the process of modernisation somewhat intrusive and destructive to their heritage and environment. A civilisation takes time to evolve and learn from mistakes. But Terzani fails to see the need or consequences if nothing is done instead. In his view, backwardness and poverty appear more deserving of celebration than success stories. He lacks objectivity and he chooses to believe more in the romantic versions and the underdogs. Some of his ideas are simply ridiculous and extreme. He proposes to isolate Cambodia from any external help and influences so as to let the country 'heals' on her own. Granted that globalisation is an enormous homogenising factor, but perhaps one should look closer at how to harness the good and minimise the bad instead of writing it off. Because of Terzani's long working and living experience in Asia that his words are believed to be credible and accurate, the more important it is to expose his selective information and prejudiced judgement.
Rating:
Summary: Prejudice is a blemish
Review: This is a part travelogue, part social political commentary, and also sort of an assortment of methods of fortune telling in Asia. I have mixed feelings about this book. It is a good travelogue. Terzani paints vivid accounts of his encounters, what he sees, smells, feels and thinks. I enjoy the historic background he included about the places he visits. Terzani also provides some thought provoking insights about his view on history, humanity, economic and political development. He has interesting and rare interviews with a few people, including the drug lord Khun Sa. However, the credibility of this book suffers from his apparent condescension, selective belief and prejudice. For example, Terzani is openly critical of the desire and diligence of the Chinese to improve their life. He scorns globalisation and everything modern. He romantises living in a hot, humid, dirty and basic condition and criticises aspirations for more comfort. Granted that some ignorance of the Asian rulers have made the process of modernisation somewhat intrusive and destructive to their heritage and environment. A civilisation takes time to evolve and learn from mistakes. But Terzani fails to see the need or consequences if nothing is done instead. In his view, backwardness and poverty appear more deserving of celebration than success stories. He lacks objectivity and he chooses to believe more in the romantic versions and the underdogs. Some of his ideas are simply ridiculous and extreme. He proposes to isolate Cambodia from any external help and influences so as to let the country 'heals' on her own. Granted that globalisation is an enormous homogenising factor, but perhaps one should look closer at how to harness the good and minimise the bad instead of writing it off. Because of Terzani's long working and living experience in Asia that his words are believed to be credible and accurate, the more important it is to expose his selective information and prejudiced judgement.
Rating:
Summary: Three and a half stars; somewhat fascinating
Review: Tiziano Terzani's "A Fortune-Teller Told Me," deals with Terzani's travel in the Southeast and East Asia region solely by land because a fortune-teller that he met in Hong Kong told him that he should avoid travelling by air in the year 1993. That would be quite difficult considering Terzani's job as a journalist. Considering that as a challenge, Terzani travelled by trains, buses, and cargo ships which sometimes take days to arrive at his desired destination. In each of the countries or places that he visited, he would seek to find the local fortune-teller/shaman/sorcerer to learn about his fate and his life. Soon, Terzani learned that travelling by land despite its delays do have its benefits. He was able to take things at a leisure pace, learn more about the local people and cultures, and basically see sights that he would have otherwise missed if he was travelling by plane.
At the beginning of the book it was an interesting read for me. I like that Terzani includes anecdotes, personal accounts, and his meticulous observations of local communities. He proves to be very insightful in all the countries that he visited, including their political scenes. In order to know accuracy of what he said, you would have to be quite knowledgeable and aware of the politics in that region. But for other average readers, they may not be aware of such things. Hence, I would think the book is more solid if Terzani includes footnotes or bibliography which would be helpful. He frequently makes comments that are unsupported by any references or sources. In addition, I wish he would deal more with the local cultures as opposed to his obsession to find and consult every famous fortune-tellers in every places that he visited. It WAS interesting at the beginning but by the time he reached Mongolia, I was quite bored and have had enough of fortune-tellers. Lastly, like most reviewers here, I thought he was just like a "typical" Westerner who wants rural areas in Indo-China to be just the way they were, unaffected by globalization so that others like him could see the place in its "pristine" state. Not at all taking into consideration the poverty that these communities have to endure and how modernization would improve their lives tremendously. Hence, Terzani presented a very lopsided view of issues such as this. It is still a rather fascinating read, especially if you are into Buddhism, fortune-tellers, or the Southeast Asia region in general.
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