In my opinion, books are dying. Yea we’ve got the Kindle, but still, I don’t read “real” books much anymore, and I don’t know many others my age (24) who still do either. It’s because were flooded with info and quick reads on the web, ahemm, just like this blog. If I can’t breeze through something in less than 5 minutes, then chances are, it ain’t being read. It’s just how things are these days.
But, I have been thinking recently about a few books that have completely inspired and actually made myself and others travel, and two of them were written in the past ten years when the internet was already thriving and sucking away our souls. Read on my friends to discover 3 books that have gotten people off their asses and into the world.
Eat Pray Love – By Elizabeth Gilbert
Yea I might be the only straight dude out there who has read AND seen the movie, but Gilbert is a great writer. It was highly suggested by an ex-girlfriend to read the book (before it was super popular) and I actually really enjoyed it, minus the fact that she in my opinion seemed like a pretty selfish bitch (Elizabeth Gilbert, not my ex, well…)
Anyways, the book was ripped off of the shelves of every bookstore (that still exists) by lovelorn middle aged women, college-age girls who had finished the Twilight saga already, and…me.
Her story takes her from her quaint and comfortable life in New York, to having a mid-life crisis and deciding she needed to see the world and thus Italy, India and Bali became her next few homes to get more in touch with her sensuality, spirituality and sexuality.
That book alone has spurred millions and millions of dollars for the destinations she visited in her book, and you can even go on Eat Pray Love inspired world tours (STA Travel even has one!). Holidays to Bali and Italy have surged recently and all because of the work of one woman’s book.
On The Road – By Jack Kerouac
If you’re a traveler, and especially if you’re an American, On The Road is a must-read. Kerouac was a part of the Beatnik movement and On The Road, his Magna Opus is his account a series of epic trips he took across America in the 1940’s via boxcar, bus and hitchhiking.
The story is all about growth through experience, connecting with people, sex, drugs and the great unknown and basically spurred the backpacking movement in my opinion. Read this book if you haven’t yet, you will be very inspired, hell you might even tie up a hanker chief to the end of a broomstick and head out before you even close the back cover!
The Beach – By Alex Garland
Most people are familiar with The Beach because of the movie that was adapted starring Leonardo Dicaprio (one of his best movies if you haven’t seen it). The book is awesome and matches the sentiments of every perpetual traveler; the longing for more and more off-the-beaten-track destinations to discover, connection to place and time, disconnecting from the world (not for us Flashpackers!) and self-discovery.
The story starts in Bangkok, Thailand with Richard, a Young English traveler who is staying solo in a hostel. He is approached by a rather crazy Scottish guy (we’ve all experienced this one!) and he offers Richard a tattered map to a “secret” beach that no tourists know about. Daffy, the Scottish guy ends up committing suicide in the hostel and Richard decides to try and discover the beach.
Richard teams up with a young French couple and sets out to find the beach on a nearby island, and when they finally get there, they have a run in with marijuana farmers who are heavily armed. They escape and stumble upon a group of people from all over the world living on the island who have created their own little self-sufficient commune.
Richard and the Frenchies become a apart of the group and the rest of the story is pretty exhilarating (won’t ruin it for you) but there is lots of sex, drugs and violence, shark attacks and all that shit that actually makes you read a whole book!
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
The other day I was passing by Ketut Liyer’s house, Liz’ medicine man / palm reader…..there were so many tourists queued outside.
I think they want to experience what Liz had here in Bali
Haha that poor guy probably had no idea what he was getting himself into!
Jeremy recently posted..How to Get To and From the Airport on the Cheap
My child has read three entire books! I must have done something right.
Three great picks. I haven’t read Eat, Pray, Love but my wife loves it! She keeps begging me to go to Bali.
Personally, I get inspired to travel by cultural books that uncover horrors of places that we often consider idyllic. I recently read ‘Gods of Greektown’ by John Karrys (http://godsofgreektown.com) that did just that – when I think of Greece, I think of beautiful white buildings, beaches, and boats. I don’t think of the turbulence of the Greek Diaspora, which is what John Karrys talks about in the book. It’s very inspiring and I’ll definitely think of it next time I’m in Europe.
Hey Justin, thanks for sharing! I agree, I’m more intrigued and inspired about seeing a place after learning something off-the-beaten trail or atypical.
How about a book published more than 100 years ago? “A Tramp Abroad” is an account of Mark Twain’s journeys in Europe in 1878, and is one of his five travel books. The tales from the classic American humorist are still relateable to today’s travelers because he writes about the experience of traveling. Twain talks about the people of a place, notices the differences in cultures, and jots down his last minute change in plans.
One of his passages mentions how he came across a book he had heard much about from other tourists and was quite happy to find it. This reminded me of my own visit to the British Library in London. I was browsing the display of antique books when I realized I was looking at a Gutenberg Bible! Let me repeat … a Gutenberg Bible!!! Only one of the first books in history to come off the printing press. No big deal. Then I saw the original “Beowulf” manuscript, and a few feet from that a sheet of paper with Shakespeare’s handwriting. I was literally having a mini internal freak-out by the time I left. Twain’s book has plenty of moments that will bring you back to your own adventures.
ding ding ding, you win the award for most intellectual post on The World Or Bust yet to date! Your prize – virtual high five