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Summary: An Exceptionally Good Book
Review: "Vagabonding" is a rarity: a how-to book that also happens to be captivating and compelling.
Potts offers a practical plan for taking time off to travel and learn; he mixes useful advice with a survey of travel philosophy and big-picture thoughts on why removing ourselves from our familiar surroundings encourages personal growth (and is simply a lot of fun, to boot).
As a "vagabonder" who's been living abroad for 2 years, I can tell you that Potts's proscriptive plan in right on the money; long-term traveling is truly transformative, and I couldn't imagine a better guide to taking the leap than "Vagabonding."
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Summary: Excellent Book
Review: A quick read that provides practical information as well as "inspiration."
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Summary: Vagabonding into the new millenium
Review: Allan de Botten writes in his Art of Travel, "If our lives are dominated by a search for happiness . . . perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest--in all its ardor and paradoxes--than our travels. . . ." Today's contemporary traveler is met with a particular dilemma: How to achieve this quest for happiness through personal involvement in a multi-cultural society amid today's great forces of commercial globalism. Bombarded by mass culture's mediated faashioning of the world and its national or commercial interests at heart, how does one experience the world through travel without feeling guiltily obediant towards these forces? Mr. Potts offers a way to redefine today's quest for an authentic, individualized travel experience using an obscure term often not associated with the industry of travel and tourism: Vagabonding. I particulary like his redefining of the word: n. 1)The act of leaving behind the orderly world to travel independently for an extended period of time. 2) A privately meaningful manner of travel that emphacizes creativity, adventure, awareness, simplicity, discovery, independence, realism, good humor, and the growth of the spirit. 3) A deliberate way of living that makes the freedom to travel possible. Rolf Potts' "guide" encourages travelers and tourists alike to seek their own experiences at home or abroad in accordance to personal truths, usefulness to the individual, and creative solututions. His book's charge demands declaring independence from a "media culture, which tends to paint our understanding of the world into reductive, uniform colors." Potts' colorful approach to this topic certainly gets the creative juices flowing beyond what the guidebooks and brochures and travel bureaus promote. "Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term Travel" should be on the shelf of anyone who loves to travel, enjoys reading about travel, or simply day-dreams about the possiblities of escaping for a stint of globe-trotting. Who knows, after reading this book, those dreams might become a reality--ask the variety of individuals from high school graduates to professional career people to whom I've recommended Mr. Potts's book and website.
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Summary: The Holy Grail
Review: Anyone who has ever thought about travelling, this book will make you go! Anyone who has ever been travelling, this book will make you want to go again and anyone who is travelling whilst reading this, this book will make you that bit more adventurous when ordering food in a cafe where a squat toilet is another eating area! It's definitely a case of, if he can do it then so can I!Of course if your not a travelling type then the book will mean as much to you as a tin of baked beans to a kipper, but for those who yearn for life as one of the wandering nomads of this world, this book will seem like the travel bible in as much as it suggests a life less ordinary! This book is about working to live and not living to work!
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Summary: A book to inspire, not to direct you
Review: As a former "vagabonder" who's now (quite unpleasantly) ensconced in the 9 to 5 world, I needed a book to inspire and redirect my thinking. This is the first and only travel book that's done that for me. Rolf is clearly one who understands the vagabonder mentality. That's proven by his cautions against excessive planning, reliance upon guidebooks (even Lonely Planet), and against depending upon your cataloged preconceptions of a travel destination. For the true vagabonder relies almost entirely on serendpity, not obsession. You unplug from the media, from email, from everything. And you rely on now, today. I thought it both delightful and completely true that one should target a destination based solely upon the flimsiest of whims (e.g., learning to play ping-pong). Because once you arrive, all will be dashed and certainly enhanced simply be being there. This is both the truth and the "zen" of long-term, vagabond travel: once you get there everything will be different, and better, than you could have imagined. Rolf buttresses his thinking with many quotes from those who have preceeded us in the "vagabonding" mentality. Thoreau, Whitman, etc. (But where is Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness"). In any case Rolf addresses in full measure the social "oddity" of vagabonding, including the fulfillment it brings. People will not understand us. So what? That this is the genuine article is exposed when Rolf catches Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeeler asserting that some people "go to hotels that aren't listed in Lonely Planet," which is truly the vagabonder - the traveler - mentality. There are only a few paths for the true vagabonder, and none of those include guidebooks, group tours, "vacations", or possibly even sabbaticals. Vagabonding is a way of thinking, of living, of traveling, of interacting with the world on a global basis. And as Rolf mentions, it is very, very addictive for those who are so inclined.
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Summary: an inspiration for me
Review: i am currently on a one to two year trip, travelling around the world. rolf pott's 'vagabonding' was a great inspiration for me while preparing to travel.
i read the book in one sitting, discovering an excellent discription of the philosophy with which i wanted to travel: open, free, patient, humble, fun. and the book is filled with references and tips for those seeking to discover the world; it is evident that potts has lived and learned a great deal from his years on the road. 'vagabonding' marks a considerable contribution from a man with considerable understanding, and i highly recommend it for those seeking to grow while wandering the earth.
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Summary: Disappointing
Review: I had great expectations from Potts having read his columns frequently. When I purchased the book, I was gravely disappointed by the overabundance of quotes, which, I suspect, were used to fill space, to make more pages to fill a possible page quota, and to allow Potts to write less.
On a redeeming note, Potts does slather the entire book with many websites and sources for further information. When I first heard of the book, I did not expect it to answer all my questions or help me to plan completely my upcoming trip; I expected it to be a general guide. In that vein, I was not disappointed.
After having read the book, I immediately sold it.
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Summary: WARNING: Dangerous contents
Review: If the idea of setting off and traveling around the world has been in the back of your mind for a while, or if your spirit of adventure has just been awoken, this book might just convince you to take the leap. At less than 200 pages, it is concisely written and straight to the point. Rolf Potts gives you practical, down-to-earth advice while also delving into the philosophy of vagabonding, and giving you some travel anecdotes. Potts covers pretty much all aspects of long-term travel: from earning the money, avoiding many travelers' misconceptions or wrong attitudes, interacting with locals, to details such as choosing a guidebook or riding taxis. But he makes it clear that the learning experience itself is invaluable He makes you realize (forgive the cliche) just how much you can learn and grow by being on the road, open to possibilities; very importantly, he makes you realize how financially feasible it all is. He also presents a contagious attitude towards travel: be sponaneous, don't plan everything, be open to new experiences, live light. His outlook, gained from vagabonding, extends to life at home as well, and makes you understand just how cluttered with things we don't need and don't make us happy our lives are. If you're interested in travel as a lifestyle and not just a vacation, then a lot of the advice in this book will make perfect sense, as if there was no other way to live. But it's so well put, and Potts covers all the "hows and whys" of travel, that a lifestlye on the road all of a sudden comes into perspective. Wanderlust is infectious.
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Summary: A challenge worth taking and reading¿
Review: Not since reading the Jules Verne classic "Around the World in 80 Days" has my imagination been more fired up. I just completed a year of sabbatical of travel around the globe so I could easily act like this book is remedial, which is hardly the case. This book is an intellectual toolkit for any traveler. It not only lays out a dense amount of valuable and practical advice for many travel topics but it will also work out your mind from the easy chair of your living room. I have read Rolf's (the author) writings before and was excited to see he was writing a book. I love many travel writers but Rolf is the first to truly represent a younger and recent generation. To spite his youth he doesn't fall into the Gen-X trap of all cynicism and no substance instead his wit and style fall more into an updated Catcher in the Rye vibe. I recommend if you love his book, become a daily reader of his website, where he posts daily musings and travel quotes. What I strongly recommend against is paying attention to the crackpot that listed the stay at home parenting book as a counter choice to Vagabonding. Clearly this person didn't bother to read Rolf's book, because its clear message isn't about making a life choice of travel over family responsibility, if anything its message is about living your life to its fullest potential so you can experience a life without regret. Something tells me there would be many more happy relationships and families if more people knew more about the big planet out there and followed their unrealized dreams. Take the challenge and read this book.
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Summary: Simply the Best Travel Book of the Year!
Review: Potts, a Contributing Writer to National Geographic Traveler offers his insights and personal philosophy of world travel. The ultimate inspiration for just quiting it all and venturing out on the road. But also loaded with practical travel tips for survival. Potts surprisingly manages to steer clear of politics in a very political world. Though one strong suspects that he's a hardcore libertarian individualist. He's very ecumenical. He takes the best of world's religions and effectively uses selected spiritual passages to encourage the reader towards discovering the deeper meanings of planet-wide citizenry. 5 Stars plus! Cover design is appealing and fits the adventure seeking subject matter like a glove. Eric Dondero, Author, Worldwide Multilingual Phrase Book
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