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Frank Bures

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Website

https://frankbures.com/

Genre

Nonfiction, Travel, Science

Member Since

August 2016

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Frank Bures is the author of "The Geography of Madness." He frequently writes for magazines and his work has been included in the Best American Travel Writing, and selected as “Notable” in the Best American Essays and Best American Sports Writing. He lives with his family in Minneapolis. ...more

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Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?

Frank Bures Almost everything I write starts with a question. In this case, there were several, all related, all with roots in the same place: all related to stor…moreAlmost everything I write starts with a question. In this case, there were several, all related, all with roots in the same place: all related to stories we tell and believe. Your “self” is a story that you build out of your memories. Your path through life is the story you believe you can follow. And your culture is the set of stories that you (and those around you) believe are possible or real or true. I wanted to explore this point where our freedom to choose a life intersects with the choices we feel we are given. At a basic level, that’s what this book is about.
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Love your book. I just happened upon it in the travel section at my local B&N and I have been ingesting every word. Your comparison to immersion in a culture to being in a stream as the water passes around you is so well put I've used it to explain your book to everyone. Given that I don't see that you've written anything beyond this book (although I hold out hope that you do), any suggestions for further reading?

Frank Bures Thanks so much, Brittany! That's wonderful to hear. It’s an unusual book, but it follows the only course I could find (winding, like a river) through …moreThanks so much, Brittany! That's wonderful to hear. It’s an unusual book, but it follows the only course I could find (winding, like a river) through the questions I have had. I’m glad you stumbled on it.

If you mean books, you’re right, I haven’t written another one yet, though I am working on one. But as a freelance writer I’ve done quite a few stories—travel, science, essays, profiles—over the last twenty years. Most of it you can find on my website (frankbures.com), though there’s a lot there and if you want a couple suggestions I’m happy to send them.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for books similar to the Geography of Madness, that’s tricky. There are lots of books that get into the technical aspects of the science in the book (See Daniel Moerman and Fabrizio Benedetti in particular).

But on the literary side, the closest I can come is recommending the books I’ve loved and where I’ve found some inspiration: Bill Buford’s "Among the Thugs," Peter Hessler’s "Oracle Bones," Jon Ronson’s "Them," Elizabeth Gilbert’s "Last American Man," Michael Perry’s "Population 485," Bruce Chatwin’s "In Patagonia," Susan Orlean’s "The Orchid Thief." There are many more, but those would be a good start if you haven’t read them!(less)

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Frank Bures’s books

Average rating: 3.52 · 534 ratings · 106 reviews · 7 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Geography of Madness: Penis Thieves, Voodoo Death, and the Search for the Meaning of the World's Strangest Syndromes 3.39 avg rating — 414 ratings — published 2016 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Under Purple Skies 4.08 avg rating — 76 ratings — published 2019 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Pushing the River: An Epic Battle, a Lost History, a Near Death, and Other True Canoeing Stories 3.69 avg rating — 39 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Shape of the World: Essays on Travel, Culture and Belief from Rotary Magazine it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nowhere Magazine Issue 6 by Yang Jian, Larry Fagin, Merrill Gilfillan it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Penis Thieves really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2011 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Nowhere 6: Travel Stories (Nowhere Magazine) by Nowhere Magazine, Nick Flynn (Contributor), David Quammen (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Frank Bures…

Frank is Currently Reading

Frank Bures is currently reading

Exhalation

by Ted Chiang

bookshelves: currently-reading, sci-fi

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Aug 13, 2020 03:09PM

Frank Bures is currently reading

Swamplandia!

by Karen Russell (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: fiction, currently-reading

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Aug 13, 2020 04:17AM

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Frank’s Recent Updates

Frank Bures made a comment on John’s review of Pushing the River: An Epic Battle, a Lost History, a Near Death, and Other True Canoeing Stories " John: I am the author of Pushing the River. While I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the book, you are wrong that I had "no sources." There is a section of th ...more "
Jan 29, 2026 08:06AM · see review
Frank Bures is now friends with Javier Sáenz
May 04, 2025 12:42PM · like