Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful read!
Review: Tom Bissell writes with such style and grace, using language with precision and wit, that he could probably tackle any subject and I'd find it fascinating. Here, he manages to write a book that crosses many genres: it is both a travel book and a history, a memoir and a reflective essay, and above all a triumph of narrative. Whether he is describing the beautiful women on the Tashkent subway, the ugly (and noble) Americans doing various kinds of business in Central Asia, the history of the Muslim former Soviet republics, the nuances of the Uzbek language, or, most importantly, what is the most profound ecological change on the planet -- the disappearance of the Aral Sea -- Bissell's prose is clear, sharp, and funny. How he managed to remember tiny details escapes me, but this book transcends its subject matter. I mean, I never thought I'd be interested in Uzbekistan, but once I started reading the author's adventures with his (very funny) translator as they investigate life there, I couldn't put the book down. Details like a laundry detergent named Barf sparkle on every page. It's Gen X ironic in a way but much more profound.
Rating:
Summary: A Really Good Book!
Review: I actually loved this book. The title comes from the act of local fishermen who dug canals in the bed of the Aral Sea in order to chase its receding waters. Tom Bissell guides us through Uzbekistan and an evaluation of the commerce, politics, and corruption leading to the Aral Sea disaster and a search to salvage some shred of hope or reason from all those ships stranded in sand.This story of the sea is told in conjunction with Bissell's own story of a mental collapse he had years earlier in Uzbekistan while, as a Peace Corps volunteer entrenched in the politics of the region, he basically lost his grip to a mounting sense of futility and succumbed to his own sort of irreversible failure. I found the book to be informative on many aspects of the politics, history, and cultures of Central Asia and Bissell to be funny, intelligent, and of huge heart. The two stories resonate so well with each other that, in the end, the book isn't just about Uzbekistan, the Aral Sea, and a bum ride through the Peace Corps, but instead it's about determination, helplessness, failure, and remorse as experienced by an entire country as well as by an individual human being. I don't know what everyone's barking about; I can't think of a read more worthwhile than that.
Rating:
Summary: Fun reading
Review: I dived into this book, and read it non-stop till the end. Like it very much, and hope you will find it entertaining. Maybe this is not a literature masterpiece of any sort, and it doesn't pretend to be.
Rating:
Summary: An highly enjoyable, informative, & idiosyncratic read
Review: I enjoyed this book enormously. I learned a great deal about a part of the world I knew very little about; enjoyed the author's writing style and sensibility throughout; and also enjoyed learning about how someone from a younger generation perceives the world. I would recommend this book to anyone with intellectual curiosity who enjoys good writing and an original perspective.
Rating:
Summary: Funny to note that . . .
Review: It seems pretty obvious that the negative reviewers of this book are either idiots or jealous as hell. Or they didn't read the book. Bissell knows plenty about Central Asia--I live in Tashkent, and I've been all over the region--and this book is one of the best on the place I've read. Certainly the best recent book. Don't listen to nay-sayers: this is a fascinating and hilarious (and brilliantly written) piece of work. Yes, it's got some mistakes, and yes, he's a little precious. But Jesus--the guy waltzed into Afghanistan during the war and has, from what I've read, been back to Central Asia several times since finishing it. He's got the goods, in short. Envious wanna-be writers are the ugliest types of folks, aren't they? Especially when they don't tell the truth.
Rating: 
Summary: My Cousin's Masterful Beginning
Review: Tommy (I'll never be able to call him "Tom") is my all time favorite cousin. As a child, he always protected me from my older brother and his older brother, John (or "Johno"). And now that we've grown, he has used his beautiful writing talent to protect the people of Central Asia as best as he can. I've always idolized this man, and this book just proves how smart I was to look up to him! His time in the Peace Corps changed his life. This book is amazing! I'm so proud to be Tommy's cousin! His knowledge on Central Asia is not only laudable, but every one should take the time to read his work and learn from his wise words. And no, I'm not just saying this because he's my cousin! I'm losing patience in waiting for his next book, describe his trip with my uncle to Vietnam. Way to go Tommy!
Rating: 
Summary: The Book Lacks Merit
Review: In my college class on contemporary literature, we were assigned this book, along with all the rave reviews, as a lesson in contemporary hype. After reading the book and the rave reviews from numerous publications, our class concluded that this book represents the decline and fall of the contemporary literary industry, along the same lines as the recent corporate scandals. While the rave reviews often referred to the author as a genius, the book lacks all traditional traits associated with genius, such as a clear, moral vision, a beginning, middle, and end, and a sense of either comedy or tragedy. Instead, the book reads like a juvenile journal--a stream of consciousness journal that rambles on an on about things that leave the reader with no greater insight regarding Central Asia. Mr. Bissell forgot to fall in love and/or fight for something greater than himself. So why did this book get published and promoted so heavily? Part of our assignment was to trace and chart the vast insider network that Tom Bissell is a part of, including his accomplice publishers, editors, and agents. We're unconvering a lot of dark, seemy behavior, and we'll be presenting the chart as our final project at the end of the semester, which will include his prominent displays at bookstores, along with his tiny sales numbers.
Rating:
Summary: A guide to this review page
Review: Some of you may be wondering how a literary travel book about Uzbekistan could possibly provoke the wide range of reactions to be found on this page (everything from accusing the author of plagiarism to leveling ludicous accusations of his being a trust-fund baby). Is it possible that the English speaking world is filled with so many people who, passionately protective of the literary portrayal of Uzbekistan, cannot wait to correct the injustices of talentless grandstanders like Mr. Bissell? Or might it be that Mr. Bissell, who last year wrote a critical article about a group of self-styled literary revolutionaries with a penchant for sophmoric pranks, has puffed up their sense of self-importance enough to send them into feverish action, employing all their wits in the brave, revolutionary task of writing anonymous, character-assassinating amazon.com reviews?
Rating:
Summary: The Bissells
Review: I have known and loved Bissells. Good people. The Upper Peninsula Bissells are not, however, related to the Lower Michigan Bissells of vacuum cleaner fame. Little Tommy Bissell (what we call him here) has written a lot that we in the U.P. have not always been happy with, but we're proud of him. This is a really good book--especially for a U.P. kid who I watched almost flunk out of high school! I guess Tommy has always been good at making enemies, the "brainy little know it all" that he is!! He came and spoke in his home town and we went out to see him. He gave a moving talk and read from Chasing the (Aral) Sea. I'd never heard of it. But now I have. That's a service. I feel smarter. Everyone should leave Tommy alone now and let him write another book.
Rating: 
Summary: Carpet cleaning Trust Fund Nonsense!!!
Review: A friend who of mine who knows Tom Bissell admitted to me that he is like a college friend who was a brainy little know-it-all with no common sense - except "all grown up". Also, once in an article by Bissell, he acted all "too smart" to watch TV. That is a tiresome, tiresome line to tow, my elitest friend. save yr time and $$$ and just rent Romancing the Stone and then change the setting to Kazakstan or Uzbekestan or whatever.
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