Rating: 
Summary: Travelers' Tales Thailand
Review: "I loved this book. It parts the curtain on a country that has long fascinated and mystified me."-David Lamb, author of A Sense of Place and Over the Hills"...The breadth and color of the collective portrait they provide of Thailand is remarkable."-Los Angeles Times "[The] essays...compose a highly personal geographical and cultural portrait of Thailand."-Travel and Leisure Asiaweek "It made me homesick for Thailand."-Epicurean International, Inc. "O'Reilly and Habegger have not settled for the obvious...As a result this anthology offers a comprehensive and fascinating introduction to the 'Land of Smiles.'"-The Elliot Bay Book Company, Seattle "Travelers' Tales Thailand provides a rich and varied look at this ancient and exotic nation...[it] showed me parts of Thailand I never would have found with a map and a standard guidebook. Many of these pieces read like short stories and that's the beauty. The places and people are real; the events could happen to anyone."-Judge's citation, Society of American Travel Writers Foundation, Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards
Rating: 
Summary: great
Review: Great fun to read. I highly recommend if you're thinking about goin there, or even traveling in general. It's puts you right in the mind of the adventurer, and more than anything, lets you realize the world around you.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent essays on interesting, varied subjects.
Review: I have read other Travelers' Tales (France, Spain) and have enjoyed all of them. The personal experiences of real travelers is more valuable than just guidebook-suggestions of places to see and things to do. I like the addition of 15 Things not to Miss at the end of the book. Well done!
Rating:
Summary: A Mosaic of Thailand
Review: I have read the original publication and not this updated version, however, if it's anything like the original (which I'm sure it is in addition to some extra essays), then it's worth buying. The beauty of the original book is the 'every day-ness' quality of the stories - and it's not located specifically in the tourist culture. So the reader moves beyond temples, Patpong Rd and the like to get a better idea of greenies abroad, farang's forming special and unusual relationships and the power of indigenous religion/practise (yep the noun) in every day life. I admit that it's a hard read at times as some of the stories get bogged down in fairly dense narrative, whilst others flow. Still, it's worth pursuing and the cover has been changed from the original. Anything with a comment by/from Ian Baruma is worth buying, he's a top quality writer and despite his Japan associations, he does travel to other parts of Asia and perceptibly discusses their 'ins' and 'outs' (ie Angel Dust: An Asian Journey/Odyssey). I'm off to Thailand yet again and will enjoy picking this up and selling my old copy.
Rating:
Summary: A Mosaic of Thailand
Review: I have read the original publication and not this updated version, however, if it's anything like the original (which I'm sure it is in addition to some extra essays), then it's worth buying. The beauty of the original book is the 'every day-ness' quality of the stories - and it's not located specifically in the tourist culture. So the reader moves beyond temples, Patpong Rd and the like to get a better idea of greenies abroad, farang's forming special and unusual relationships and the power of indigenous religion/practise (yep the noun) in every day life. I admit that it's a hard read at times as some of the stories get bogged down in fairly dense narrative, whilst others flow. Still, it's worth pursuing and the cover has been changed from the original. Anything with a comment by/from Ian Baruma is worth buying, he's a top quality writer and despite his Japan associations, he does travel to other parts of Asia and perceptibly discusses their 'ins' and 'outs' (ie Angel Dust: An Asian Journey/Odyssey). I'm off to Thailand yet again and will enjoy picking this up and selling my old copy.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Tapestry of Thailand
Review: I read this book after my first trip across Thailand and found it to capture the essence of the country better than anything else I've read. By looking at this fascinating place from so many angles and points of view, you can really get a rounded view. A great read to gain insight before you go, or to understand what you've seen and experienced after being there. Everyone will like some stories more than others, but that's part of the charm--you're bound to find more than a few stories that really carry you away, make you laugh, or make you see the people, places, and religion in a new way. Tim Leffel, author, The World's Cheapest Destinations
Rating:
Summary: Read it before you leave
Review: I've been in Thailand for about a month now, and nothing could have fully prepared me for this country. Travel books tell you a few demographics, how to exchange money, and some places to go. They also offer tips on where to eat and which guest house to choose. Travel writing, however, let's you know, at least in part, what you will experience when you arrive. I definitely had a few favorite articles in this collection. I really enjoyed Alan Rabinowitz, who wrote primarily about experiencing the Great Outdoors of Thailand. Tim Ward's pieces on the Buddhism of Thailand were especially insightful. But my favorites were the articles describing food. One tells of a traveller's experience in a Bangkok cooking school. The descriptions of Thai food were spot on! The articles in this book are short, and it offers merely a glimpse of "Amazing Thailand," but this collection of well-researched travel writing got me more than excited to come here.
Rating:
Summary: Read it before you leave
Review: I've been in Thailand for about a month now, and nothing could have fully prepared me for this country. Travel books tell you a few demographics, how to exchange money, and some places to go. They also offer tips on where to eat and which guest house to choose. Travel writing, however, let's you know, at least in part, what you will experience when you arrive. I definitely had a few favorite articles in this collection. I really enjoyed Alan Rabinowitz, who wrote primarily about experiencing the Great Outdoors of Thailand. Tim Ward's pieces on the Buddhism of Thailand were especially insightful. But my favorites were the articles describing food. One tells of a traveller's experience in a Bangkok cooking school. The descriptions of Thai food were spot on! The articles in this book are short, and it offers merely a glimpse of "Amazing Thailand," but this collection of well-researched travel writing got me more than excited to come here.
Rating:
Summary: Filled with personal insights not found elsewhere
Review: Leaving for Bangkok on October 28th. This book is not like a professional tourism book. The articles have personality, feelings, and the requisite facts but are presented to the reader in a manner which suggests one-on-one conversations. The range of topics is universal meaning that you will find an article in the book on almost anything concern visit to Thailand. Phuket or Samoi, Bangkok or Pattaya, or discourses on life in a Wat or life in Patpong are all here. Chang Mai and the highlands or the peninsula southern regions are all on view. A most enjoyable book. When I return in mid November, please contact me if you have any questions from a returning visitor.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic compilation of stories about Thailand
Review: Reading this book feeds my homesickness for Thailand. The book contains dozens of non-fiction stories about Thailand written by all types of people: foreign and Thai, tourists, backpackers, religious seekers, scientists, officials, etc. This book is a must-read for anyone planning a visit to Thailand, or for those of us who have spent time there and miss it
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