From Bangkok to Bogotá, a hilarious behind-the-brochures tour of picture-perfect locales, dangerous destinations, and overrated hellholes from a guy who knows the truth about travel
Travel writer, editor, and photographer Chuck Thompson has spent more than a decade traipsing through thirty-five (and counting) countries across the globe, and he's had enough. Enough of the half-truths demanded by magazine editors, enough of the endlessly recycled clichés regarded as good travel writing, and enough of the ugly secrets fiercely guarded by the travel industry. But mostly, he's had enough of returning home from assignments and leaving the most interesting stories and the most provocative insights on the editing-room floor. From getting swindled in Thailand to running afoul of customs inspectors in Belarus, from defusing hostile Swedish rockers backstage in Germany to a closed-door meeting with travel execs telling him why he's about to be fired once again, Thompson's no-holds-barred style is refreshing, invigorating, and all those other adjectives travel writers use to describe spa vacations where the main attraction is a daily colonic.
Smile When You're Lying takes readers on an irresistible series of adventures in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond; details the effects of globalization on the casual traveler and ponders the future of travel as we know it; and offers up a treasure trove of travel-industry secrets collected throughout a decidedly speckled career.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 3.5 / 5.0
Intelligent and acerbic:
I picked up Smile When You're Lying with a bit of trepidation - the last few books I picked up that purported to give you the "real deal" on travel in other countries had a preening smugness to them, self-depreciating authors who weren't as humble or as witty as they thought they were. I didn't want to be sour on the idea of authentic travelogues in general but I found myself bracing for the worst. I was pleasantly surprised: Chuck Thompson's writing is honest without being self-congratulatory, clever... more info
Overcast In Thompson-Land:
How can you pass up a book that promises ". . . a hilarious behind-the-brochures tour of picture-perfect locales, dangerous destinations, and overrated hellholes from a guy who knows the truth about travel?" After reading the cover, and some of the quick reviews on the back of the book, I decided that it was time to read some stories that travel editors refused to run from a prolific travel writer. Contents: Introduction: You Deserve Better; "Welcome to Thailand, Ulysses S. Grant!"; Baked Alaska: How... more info
Former Travel Agent - this book made me laugh out loud!:
I grew up in the same town Chuck did, so I thought his stories about Juneau were priceless and hysterical. As a former travel agent (8 years in the racket) I've been on many of the same kinds of schmooze fests he has. Anyone who's ever thought after too many daquiris that checking out a time share for the free **fill in the blank here** was a good idea, and let's face it we've all done it once, will relate! I still travel a lot, and find his observations to be spot on, at least in the destinations we've... more info
A Painful Disappointment:
I had been looking forward to reading about this book since I first read about it in the NY Times. 300 words are not enough to describe how horrid this book actually was. Negativity, an inability to relate to people from other cultures, egomaniacal, and lacking any semblance of a sense of humor. And after all that, the best part was criticized Paul Theroux...
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