Rating: 
Summary: Recommended reading
Review: (From Planeta.com Journal): One of the best books of the year, The Gringo Trail is a riotous mix of humor and scandal. It documents the travels of three Brits who go to South America for different reasons, though drug taking takes center stage. This is quite an unusual book, and it introduces me to Summersdale Publishing, "publishing the grooviest books on the planet." The Gringo Trail confirms that description. Keep an eye on this author! Besides this book, he spends his time with Tourism Concern, a prestigious UK group dedicated to improving tourism. I look forward to reading more of his work.
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Summary: Great travel adventures from the lonely planet generation
Review: At first I was turned off by all the attention given to drugs,since I don't take them and don't give a ( )about the clandestine"drug culture." Having said that, the writer does a great job of describing the cool, exotic, far out and randomness one experiences travelling to far flung cultures (For the politically correct: this is a common western perspective when visiting many, but not all, South American countries. Especially true for the backpacking, alternative lifestyle seeking, lonely planet generation.)Mark does a great job of character development as well as describing exotica. He also gives great background on the 3 main characters, how screwed up their dreary London life was, and what motivated them to travel (something more hardworking, insular yuppie types should consider...) Many travel books are ( ); amaturish, self absorbed drivel. But this story kicks ( )! Read it.
Rating:
Summary: The Gringo Trail
Review: DJ Wheeler needs to get a life (see review below), girlfriend or both.
The Gringo Trail is one of the most interesting books I've read in ages. OK, so some of the jokes are a bit corny but it livens up the (interesting) background info on the Andean countries Mann and his travelling companions visit.
I couldn't put it down and friends who've read it agree that this book has really captured the spirit of backpacking, more so than The Beach.
I would recommend this book to anyone thinking of visiting South America. And, like me, if you've been to some of the places Mann mentions, you will really be able to relate to what he has written.
Rating: 
Summary: 'ey gringo, is no' so bad man!!!!
Review: For those of you who like your travel experiences to be wild and exciting, 'The Gringo Trail' has to be worth a read. Mark Mann cleverly strings together his experiences of travelling in Latin America, with astute cultural observations and hair raising experiences. From hold ups on public transport, to drug fuelled mayhem and Shamanism, Mann gorges himself on all the diversity that South america has to offer. An enjoyable read, sure to be exchanged on the travelling circuit for many years to come!!!
Rating:
Summary: 'ey gringo, is no' so bad man!!!!
Review: For those of you who like your travel experiences to be wild and exciting, 'The Gringo Trail' has to be worth a read. Mark Mann cleverly strings together his experiences of travelling in Latin America, with astute cultural observations and hair raising experiences. From hold ups on public transport, to drug fuelled mayhem and Shamanism, Mann gorges himself on all the diversity that South america has to offer. An enjoyable read, sure to be exchanged on the travelling circuit for many years to come!!!
Rating: 
Summary: This is probably the worst book I have ever read.
Review: I don't often read a book that I think is really bad. I feel a bit disrespectful to the author's late friend who this book is a kind of tribute too, but it is really laughable. Unsophisticated jokes ("I tried to take a picture of Melissa holding a can of "Bimbo" / "what are you trying to imply?" she asked?" - how old is this man?), a lot of unnecessary drug references, and cringy lines like Melissa's "the sea looks quiet after a kill",... This is such a shame as the book contains many very interesting bits of factual and historical information about South America. It might be worth reading for this if you have any interest in the continent. You can save yourself a lot of pain by just reading the bits in italics.
Rating:
Summary: This is probably the worst book I have ever read.
Review: I don't often read a book that I think is really bad. I feel a bit disrespectful to the author's late friend who this book is a kind of tribute too, but it is really laughable. Unsophisticated jokes ("I tried to take a picture of Melissa holding a can of "Bimbo" / "what are you trying to imply?" she asked?" - how old is this man?), a lot of unnecessary drug references, and cringy lines like Melissa's "the sea looks quiet after a kill",... This is such a shame as the book contains many very interesting bits of factual and historical information about South America. It might be worth reading for this if you have any interest in the continent. You can save yourself a lot of pain by just reading the bits in italics.
Rating: 
Summary: The Gringo trail just didn't hit the mark, man
Review: I must admit I had to read this in one sitting. Not for the fact that I liked it, but unfortunetly I have a habit of once starting a book, no matter how bad, I have to finish it. And I needed to finish this one pretty quickly. I did like Marks love of the continent, but that wasn't enough to keep the story together. It was almost like reading my sisters diary when a child, but without the secrets, gossip and intrigue. And that's all this was - a diary, speckled with historical snip bits. The trouble with diaries that are published as stories is they lack the beginning, middle and end needed to satisfy the reader. To be fair, I could have forgiven him for missing the first two out. The Gringo Trail is a collection of experiences that fail to deliver on their promises of excitement and discovery, and makes you end up wishing Mark had made it up instead. Which I'm sure he is very capable of doing. Some true stories are well worth telling, and this is one of them... but more in the pub than published sense.
Rating:
Summary: The Gringo trail just didn't hit the mark, man
Review: I must admit I had to read this in one sitting. Not for the fact that I liked it, but unfortunetly I have a habit of once starting a book, no matter how bad, I have to finish it. And I needed to finish this one pretty quickly. I did like Marks love of the continent, but that wasn't enough to keep the story together. It was almost like reading my sisters diary when a child, but without the secrets, gossip and intrigue. And that's all this was - a diary, speckled with historical snip bits. The trouble with diaries that are published as stories is they lack the beginning, middle and end needed to satisfy the reader. To be fair, I could have forgiven him for missing the first two out. The Gringo Trail is a collection of experiences that fail to deliver on their promises of excitement and discovery, and makes you end up wishing Mark had made it up instead. Which I'm sure he is very capable of doing. Some true stories are well worth telling, and this is one of them... but more in the pub than published sense.
Rating:
Summary: Obviously divides opinion - but I loved it!
Review: Judging by the other reviews, this is a book you either love or hate. Well, I loved it! For me, this book captured the feeling of backpacking better than any I've read (far better than The Beach, for sure), and the evocative descriptions of the places on the Andean 'gringo trail' are spot on. It's also funny, and the story of the three main characters is far more than just 'a diary' of their trip, as it moves subtly towards the book's climactic episode. In short, backpackers and would-be backpackers should definitely read this book - especially if you've been to, or have any interest in visiting, South America.
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