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The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem – An Inspiring Memoir of Volunteering and Self-Discovery
Ken Budd’s The Voluntourist is a remarkable memoir about losing your father, accepting your fate, and finding your destiny by volunteering around the world for numerous worthy causes: Hurricane Katrina disaster relief in New Orleans, helping special needs children in China, studying climate change in Ecuador, lending a hand—and a heart—at a Palestinian refugee camp in the Middle East, to name but a few. Ken's emotional journey is as inspiring and affecting as those chronicled in Little Princes and Three Cups of Tea . At once a true story of powerful family bonds, of sacrifice, of self-discovery, The Voluntourist is an all-too-human, real-life hero whom you will not soon forget.
451 pages, Paperback
First published May 8, 2012
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732 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
March 17, 2012
Following the death of his father, Ken Budd realized how much he respected his father and the life that he lived. Wanting to be like his father and realizing that he would never have children of his own, Ken became a voluntourist. He helped rebuild in New Orleans after Katrina, taught English in Costa Rica, helped at a school for autisitic and disabled students in China, researched climate change in Ecuador, helped with Palestinian projects in Bethlehem, and helped at an orphange in Kenya. The book concludes with his advice for those seeking their own voluntourism experiences.
I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. The author never seems to find the meaning in his voluntourism experiences that he seems to be seeking. In the first four voluntourism experiences and much of the fifth, he spends more time describing other volunteers and his interactions with them than he does the people and projects that he is working on. His descriptions of his experiences are needlessly crass.
I felt that I learned more about the Palestinina-Israeli conflict from the section on Bethlehem, and the final section on Budd's work at the Kenyan orphanage was more interesting, but not enough for me to recommend the book. The most valuable part of the book was the section of advice for others seeking to become voluntourists.
I wanted to like this book, but I didn't. The author never seems to find the meaning in his voluntourism experiences that he seems to be seeking. In the first four voluntourism experiences and much of the fifth, he spends more time describing other volunteers and his interactions with them than he does the people and projects that he is working on. His descriptions of his experiences are needlessly crass.
I felt that I learned more about the Palestinina-Israeli conflict from the section on Bethlehem, and the final section on Budd's work at the Kenyan orphanage was more interesting, but not enough for me to recommend the book. The most valuable part of the book was the section of advice for others seeking to become voluntourists.
July 30, 2022
I would recommend reading this book if you would like a concise look at six (6!) different voluntourist experiences in six (6!) different countries.
Also available here: the author's insights into his experiences' values to the people he and other voluntourists are attempting to help.
The book is very personal, involving as it does the author's struggle with his own childlessness, and and also the loss of his father- a person whom he admired greatly.
This is not a subject that appeals to everyone, but if the idea of going to another, less fortunate country and helping out temporarily appeals to you- you would most likely find this book to be a valuable read.
Also available here: the author's insights into his experiences' values to the people he and other voluntourists are attempting to help.
The book is very personal, involving as it does the author's struggle with his own childlessness, and and also the loss of his father- a person whom he admired greatly.
This is not a subject that appeals to everyone, but if the idea of going to another, less fortunate country and helping out temporarily appeals to you- you would most likely find this book to be a valuable read.
February 2, 2019
To quote directly from the book: “A bit melodramatic, perhaps “.
May 9, 2012
The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem by Ken Budd starts with the line, “I want to live a life that matters,” and so he does.
Inspired by the need to deal with the loss of his father, he searches for answers, but this quest requires a passport and patience. Patience to wait in line at customs, for airplanes, for young children in China and Costa Rica, for Ecuadorian birds to fly in the cloud forest, and for all things in Palestine.
During his journey, he states, “I’m not only working for free, I’m paying for the privilege.” From his first moments scraping paint and mold in the lower Ninth in New Orleans, he bemoans, “How can I live up to my father’s life when I’ll never be a father myself?” This juxtaposition of trying to have a life with meaning, and involvement with children as a route to that meaning, are essential parts of his journey and inner monologue. Clearly enamored of his father’s life and how he managed his life and work, Budd states “It’s not even dying that bothers me. It’s dying without making a difference in the world. Without doing a damn thing that matters.” Most people want to make a difference but they have no idea where to start. Budd’s book points out that you can start anywhere on the map and even with only two weeks at a time. He is a fantastic role model for getting out there and making a difference. And his father’s death is a reminder that we all have only a limited time -- at the end of our lives no one sits and thinks, “I wish I spent more time at the office.”
His expeditions out of his normal routine help him to elucidate his grief. He takes the time to mourn his father and to look at his life while also mourning that he will not be a father. As he says, “Sometimes in life, you can drive a familiar road and still not now where you’re going.” But Ken Budd is forcing himself to change his life and help others although while in the South American cloud forest, as in so many of his volunteer sites, he wonders, “What good are we actually doing here?” It does seem that the person who gets the most benefit from volunteering is the volunteer, although Budd clearly shows how much the programs he participates in -- from teaching English in Costa Rica to feeding lunch in Kenya -- do help the locals with whom he interacts.
Budd recounts reading the Tibetan lama Sakyong Mipham and his words, “Thinking we have all the time in the world, we waste it.” Budd does not waste his time. As his dad told him, “if you’re going to do something, Budo, always do it right.” Although in the beginning it does seems as if his “renewed quest to be a better person began with [his] being a selfish jerk.” Budd does “fling [himself] around the globe” without his wife, and getting out of his comfort zone to heal after his father’s death does stand a chance of ruining his relationship with his wife, who does not want to be a mother.
He shares many moving moments from his assignments and I do like when he says while in Ecuador improvising, “Enjoy what you have instead of lamenting what you lack.” Budd’s evolution to a person who really appreciates what he has is worth reading. I hope the reader becomes inspired to take a journey and see just how lucky you are!
Budd's ultimate message may be summed up: "Don’t wait to cherish your life! Start today!"
This review first appeared at Wandering Educators.
Lisa Niver Rajna is the Geography Awareness Editor for Wandering Educators. You can find her at WeSaidGoTravel.
Inspired by the need to deal with the loss of his father, he searches for answers, but this quest requires a passport and patience. Patience to wait in line at customs, for airplanes, for young children in China and Costa Rica, for Ecuadorian birds to fly in the cloud forest, and for all things in Palestine.
During his journey, he states, “I’m not only working for free, I’m paying for the privilege.” From his first moments scraping paint and mold in the lower Ninth in New Orleans, he bemoans, “How can I live up to my father’s life when I’ll never be a father myself?” This juxtaposition of trying to have a life with meaning, and involvement with children as a route to that meaning, are essential parts of his journey and inner monologue. Clearly enamored of his father’s life and how he managed his life and work, Budd states “It’s not even dying that bothers me. It’s dying without making a difference in the world. Without doing a damn thing that matters.” Most people want to make a difference but they have no idea where to start. Budd’s book points out that you can start anywhere on the map and even with only two weeks at a time. He is a fantastic role model for getting out there and making a difference. And his father’s death is a reminder that we all have only a limited time -- at the end of our lives no one sits and thinks, “I wish I spent more time at the office.”
His expeditions out of his normal routine help him to elucidate his grief. He takes the time to mourn his father and to look at his life while also mourning that he will not be a father. As he says, “Sometimes in life, you can drive a familiar road and still not now where you’re going.” But Ken Budd is forcing himself to change his life and help others although while in the South American cloud forest, as in so many of his volunteer sites, he wonders, “What good are we actually doing here?” It does seem that the person who gets the most benefit from volunteering is the volunteer, although Budd clearly shows how much the programs he participates in -- from teaching English in Costa Rica to feeding lunch in Kenya -- do help the locals with whom he interacts.
Budd recounts reading the Tibetan lama Sakyong Mipham and his words, “Thinking we have all the time in the world, we waste it.” Budd does not waste his time. As his dad told him, “if you’re going to do something, Budo, always do it right.” Although in the beginning it does seems as if his “renewed quest to be a better person began with [his] being a selfish jerk.” Budd does “fling [himself] around the globe” without his wife, and getting out of his comfort zone to heal after his father’s death does stand a chance of ruining his relationship with his wife, who does not want to be a mother.
He shares many moving moments from his assignments and I do like when he says while in Ecuador improvising, “Enjoy what you have instead of lamenting what you lack.” Budd’s evolution to a person who really appreciates what he has is worth reading. I hope the reader becomes inspired to take a journey and see just how lucky you are!
Budd's ultimate message may be summed up: "Don’t wait to cherish your life! Start today!"
This review first appeared at Wandering Educators.
Lisa Niver Rajna is the Geography Awareness Editor for Wandering Educators. You can find her at WeSaidGoTravel.
April 2, 2012
Review first published on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com...
The Voluntourist is subtitled "a six-country tale of love, loss, fatherhood, fate and singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem". This memoir really tells three stories. It is a look into the growing popularity of voluntourism. The book also is a travel journal, describing the places and people Ken Budd encounters on his journeys. Finally, this memoir is a personal journey as the author struggles to reconcile to his father's death and to the fact of his loving but childless marriage.
Voluntourism is the idea of people traveling to different locations of the world, combining travel and vacation with a chance to do some good. Ken Budd has traveled multiple times as a voluntourist, sometimes with his wife and sometimes alone. The projects he describe range from rebuilding homes in New Orleans to studying climate change to working orphans and special needs children. He describes the amazing need for help, the ability of these projects to utilize whatever skills a person brings, and the sometimes discouraging feeling of how little you can do in a short time. The book talks about the challenges and rewards of voluntourism presenting a useful perspective for anyone considering such a trip.
In the context of the book, Ken Budd's memoir also acts as a travel journal. He travels to many different places including Ecuador, Kenya, China, and Palestine. Through his experiences, we get a brief look into these places and people, allowing the reader to be an armchair traveler. What makes it more interesting is that this is not a typical tourist's view, but a deeper look through the people that he meets.
The final aspect of the book is Ken Budd's personal journey. He undertakes these adventures as he feels his life incomplete after the death of his father and after accepting the fact of a life without children. For me, this was the incomplete part of the book. The projects and the places of travel were the highlight of the books. The emotional journey is reflected in glimpses making parts of the book come across in a somewhat detached manner. I wish there was more of his story.
*** Reviewed for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program ***
The Voluntourist is subtitled "a six-country tale of love, loss, fatherhood, fate and singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem". This memoir really tells three stories. It is a look into the growing popularity of voluntourism. The book also is a travel journal, describing the places and people Ken Budd encounters on his journeys. Finally, this memoir is a personal journey as the author struggles to reconcile to his father's death and to the fact of his loving but childless marriage.
Voluntourism is the idea of people traveling to different locations of the world, combining travel and vacation with a chance to do some good. Ken Budd has traveled multiple times as a voluntourist, sometimes with his wife and sometimes alone. The projects he describe range from rebuilding homes in New Orleans to studying climate change to working orphans and special needs children. He describes the amazing need for help, the ability of these projects to utilize whatever skills a person brings, and the sometimes discouraging feeling of how little you can do in a short time. The book talks about the challenges and rewards of voluntourism presenting a useful perspective for anyone considering such a trip.
In the context of the book, Ken Budd's memoir also acts as a travel journal. He travels to many different places including Ecuador, Kenya, China, and Palestine. Through his experiences, we get a brief look into these places and people, allowing the reader to be an armchair traveler. What makes it more interesting is that this is not a typical tourist's view, but a deeper look through the people that he meets.
The final aspect of the book is Ken Budd's personal journey. He undertakes these adventures as he feels his life incomplete after the death of his father and after accepting the fact of a life without children. For me, this was the incomplete part of the book. The projects and the places of travel were the highlight of the books. The emotional journey is reflected in glimpses making parts of the book come across in a somewhat detached manner. I wish there was more of his story.
*** Reviewed for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program ***
November 19, 2012
I didnt like it.
I thought the premise was fascinating; a guy who is struggling with the loss of his father and the fact that he will never be a father himself (his wife does not want kids) and starts volunteering around the world. I have read a few other books about volunteering abroad and really enjoyed them (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - The Heart and the Fist, etc). This book seemed right up my alley.
But as I sat here in Tanzania in my own two year volunteer trip, the book did not resonate with me, at all. I did not connect with his experiences or the way in which he spoke of the work he completed.
In truth, I gave up. I made it through 16% (kindle) and I really tried to like it and kept hoping the tone or plot or something, anything would change to make me feel better about the book but it never did.
Maybe it gets better. I guess I will never know.
From what I read, I have several stronger opinions about what I read but suffice it to say, I didnt like it and I was very disapointed.
I thought the premise was fascinating; a guy who is struggling with the loss of his father and the fact that he will never be a father himself (his wife does not want kids) and starts volunteering around the world. I have read a few other books about volunteering abroad and really enjoyed them (Leaving Microsoft to Change the World - The Heart and the Fist, etc). This book seemed right up my alley.
But as I sat here in Tanzania in my own two year volunteer trip, the book did not resonate with me, at all. I did not connect with his experiences or the way in which he spoke of the work he completed.
In truth, I gave up. I made it through 16% (kindle) and I really tried to like it and kept hoping the tone or plot or something, anything would change to make me feel better about the book but it never did.
Maybe it gets better. I guess I will never know.
From what I read, I have several stronger opinions about what I read but suffice it to say, I didnt like it and I was very disapointed.
May 10, 2020
2.5 stars
I did read the entire book and the writing flowed smoothly for me. I was interested in the topic and appreciated Budd's descriptions of the volunteer experiences in six countries. However, the portions where he dwelt on his reasons for doing this bogged down in self-pity with no sense that he was going to put effort into resolving his issues. That he would refer to his methods (or lack thereof) of communication with his wife as just the way their marriage worked was beyond frustrating. I didn't expect a sugar coated ending but would have appreciated seeing him show some effort to work through his crisis about burying his father and not becoming a dad himself.
All in all, I'm glad I read it for the descriptions of the actual volunteer projects and the people he interacted with around the world.
I did read the entire book and the writing flowed smoothly for me. I was interested in the topic and appreciated Budd's descriptions of the volunteer experiences in six countries. However, the portions where he dwelt on his reasons for doing this bogged down in self-pity with no sense that he was going to put effort into resolving his issues. That he would refer to his methods (or lack thereof) of communication with his wife as just the way their marriage worked was beyond frustrating. I didn't expect a sugar coated ending but would have appreciated seeing him show some effort to work through his crisis about burying his father and not becoming a dad himself.
All in all, I'm glad I read it for the descriptions of the actual volunteer projects and the people he interacted with around the world.
December 3, 2012
It's hard to say that I didn't like a book about volunteering but what can I say. I didn't like Ken Budd's writing style at all. I really don't need to know what one does every minute of the day. He gave the reader play by play of every day during his voluntourism projects and the flashbacks in the middle of his storytelling were obstructive to the flow. Also, I get that we as human beings often find ourselves "doing good for others" for selfish reasons sometimes but the real motives for Mr. Budd's journeys (although with results may have benefit organizations/people) didn't sit well for me.
March 23, 2018
I really enjoyed this read. The brief synopsis is the author (in his early 40s) is faced with the sudden death of his father which makes him consider whether he is living a meaningful life. The author is struggling as well with the fact that his wife doesn’t want kids and he is coming to terms with the fact that he won’t be an author.
What I loved:
I really enjoyed his descriptions of the projects: the work (often tedious), the environment, and the relationships he formed with the other volunteers and the beneficiaries of his volunteer efforts. He also considers some of the ethical and moral implications of these short term volunteer trips and I really felt that he was someone seeking to understand his world and contribute in a meaningful way.
His advice at the end was also quite valuable if you are considering a volunteer trip. I loved the concluding section on Kenya. Also he painted really vivid pictures for the reader about each experience without falling to comparisons.
What I didn’t love:
Sometimes it felt a little repetitive especially some
of the passages about his family (dad and wife) and the issues he was struggling with. He quoted the same conversations with his dad’s coworkers several times but I didn’t really feel like there were new insights or new ground was being covered...rather it felt needlessly repetitive.
I also didn’t enjoy how the conflict about whether or not to have children was built up throughout the whole book then, when they are volunteering together at an orphanage, that topic wasn’t explored....I felt a bit like t was a missed opportunity to really explore the feelings that being with young children together brought out in them. He spent the whole book talking about how he wanted kids and the wife didn’t only to go oh well I will have different contributions at the end.
Finally, the Israel/Palestine conflict....I liked that he acknowledges he was only hearing one side of the story (a very sympathetic view towards Palestine) but again why not go a bit deeper and try to find the other side of the story (he must quote his dad ten times in that section about the other side of the story only to never explore it).
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found the thing I mentioned minor annoyances rather than major issues. Kudos to him for seeking out these opportunities then sharing that out!
What I loved:
I really enjoyed his descriptions of the projects: the work (often tedious), the environment, and the relationships he formed with the other volunteers and the beneficiaries of his volunteer efforts. He also considers some of the ethical and moral implications of these short term volunteer trips and I really felt that he was someone seeking to understand his world and contribute in a meaningful way.
His advice at the end was also quite valuable if you are considering a volunteer trip. I loved the concluding section on Kenya. Also he painted really vivid pictures for the reader about each experience without falling to comparisons.
What I didn’t love:
Sometimes it felt a little repetitive especially some
of the passages about his family (dad and wife) and the issues he was struggling with. He quoted the same conversations with his dad’s coworkers several times but I didn’t really feel like there were new insights or new ground was being covered...rather it felt needlessly repetitive.
I also didn’t enjoy how the conflict about whether or not to have children was built up throughout the whole book then, when they are volunteering together at an orphanage, that topic wasn’t explored....I felt a bit like t was a missed opportunity to really explore the feelings that being with young children together brought out in them. He spent the whole book talking about how he wanted kids and the wife didn’t only to go oh well I will have different contributions at the end.
Finally, the Israel/Palestine conflict....I liked that he acknowledges he was only hearing one side of the story (a very sympathetic view towards Palestine) but again why not go a bit deeper and try to find the other side of the story (he must quote his dad ten times in that section about the other side of the story only to never explore it).
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found the thing I mentioned minor annoyances rather than major issues. Kudos to him for seeking out these opportunities then sharing that out!
March 14, 2019
A good read if you have a heart for the world and also see yourself as not identified by a nationality or specific label, but as just a person in a world of many different people. In his own way, Ken takes you to six different counties with him, and you go along for the ride. It is a little long, but that is the nature of his story. We don't change or discover ourselves or the world quickly. It is long. It takes time.
November 22, 2020
I feel as if this book had all the info and stories to be a good book but honestly it was just a jumble of stories of these places he visited and how it correlated to his life and his Fathers passing. The quote on the front of my book says you will want to do volunteer trips too, but honestly this book made it seem like it’s a shit show to try and go and do these things. I finished it but it’s not a book I would recommend or ever rea again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2017
Great Story about a man who volunteers most of the year and has a very understanding wife that doesn't want kids - making the voluntourist a very easy career choice.
I truly enjoyed some of the storys.
I truly enjoyed some of the storys.
March 30, 2025
Some really interesting perspective on Voluntourism and the role people play in.organizations around the world. Well-written except for weird (frequent) tangents that sometimes felt like completely random departures.
September 10, 2018
Meh. Just a bit too self absorbed for my taste.
April 14, 2020
Interesting but chapters about different countries and programs much too long..makes it less interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2021
Very inspiring and selfless. I loved it. Reading about different countries and volunteering intertwined was truly inspirational.
July 7, 2024
Interesting, worth reading.
January 5, 2016
Ken Budd wants to live a life that matters. His father, he felt, had been a person who mattered, and Budd wants to emulate him, even though he lacks the practical skills of his now deceased father. He decides to test the waters as a volunteer cleaning up after the mess left in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina. This first trip inspires him to go much further afield, firstly to Costa Rica, and then, over a period of just nine months, to China, Ecuador, Palestine and Kenya. On some of these trips his wife joins him, and shares the experiences with him. They meet quirky and sometimes crazy characters, as well as amazingly generous people.
While the book reads as a kind of lengthy travel diary (it’s over 430 pages), its purpose isn’t just to show you where Budd and his wife have been, but to prove to you the great worth of volunteering abroad, the values of going out of your comfort zone (in some cases, well and truly out of it) and of learning how other people live – and survive.
The book has a kind of backbone: Budd’s wife Julie doesn’t want to have any children, and after Budd’s father dies Budd is left with the double grief of losing his father and losing the possibility of ever being a father. This is, in part, the kickstarter to his first volunteer trip. Budd gradually finds out something of what he’s like as a person - “My renewed quest to be a better person began with my being a selfish jerk,” he writes - and he continues to work on whether the marriage is sustainable in view of his wife’s desire to be childless. Since the book is about real people (even if some of the dialogue has the ring of the scriptwriter about it), at the end there’s no obvious solution to the couple’s conflict of views (though they’re still living together, according to the book’s website).
This isn’t a page-turner; you need just to relax and take it as it comes. There’s much in it that will reward a leisurely reading.
While the book reads as a kind of lengthy travel diary (it’s over 430 pages), its purpose isn’t just to show you where Budd and his wife have been, but to prove to you the great worth of volunteering abroad, the values of going out of your comfort zone (in some cases, well and truly out of it) and of learning how other people live – and survive.
The book has a kind of backbone: Budd’s wife Julie doesn’t want to have any children, and after Budd’s father dies Budd is left with the double grief of losing his father and losing the possibility of ever being a father. This is, in part, the kickstarter to his first volunteer trip. Budd gradually finds out something of what he’s like as a person - “My renewed quest to be a better person began with my being a selfish jerk,” he writes - and he continues to work on whether the marriage is sustainable in view of his wife’s desire to be childless. Since the book is about real people (even if some of the dialogue has the ring of the scriptwriter about it), at the end there’s no obvious solution to the couple’s conflict of views (though they’re still living together, according to the book’s website).
This isn’t a page-turner; you need just to relax and take it as it comes. There’s much in it that will reward a leisurely reading.
June 18, 2012
I liked this book a lot.
After his dad passes away suddenly, Ken Budd faces an attack of "What have I done with my life to make a difference?". It's something those of us who lose parents or close loved ones often ask. Death has a funny way of clarifying and prioritizing things. Ken and his wife had decided that kids weren't in the equation, and that decision is now coming back and smacking him in the back of his head with uncertainty. He decides he wants to go to where help is needed and lend a hand to help the common good and man.
Where does Ken end up? Working to help rebuild houses in the South after Hurricane Katrina, in Costa Rica(with his wife) teaching middle-school kids how to speak English, helping special needs children in China, dealing with all sorts of mayhem in Palestine, spreading the word about the causes and effects of global warming in Ecuador, and helping orphans in Kenya. This helps him deal with the grief process and come to a peace with his own life and how things have and haven't worked out for him in the life he's led so far. By making a difference, however small he may believe, to others who are far worse off, helps him come to terms with the things he has to be grateful to in his own life.
Wow. All I have to say is I think Ken's message is all shades of wonderful. If I had someone to help my 80-year old father out full-time and I knew I could afford to do it monetarily, I wouldn't hesitate to get out into the world and help those who are less fortunate. I guess for those of us who can't get out there and do it on a scale like Ken did, you should try to do your best to do so on a daily basis. The book made me more aware that even the smallest things that you can do to help someone out in their life, on a daily basis, help them, and that makes all the difference in the world.
After his dad passes away suddenly, Ken Budd faces an attack of "What have I done with my life to make a difference?". It's something those of us who lose parents or close loved ones often ask. Death has a funny way of clarifying and prioritizing things. Ken and his wife had decided that kids weren't in the equation, and that decision is now coming back and smacking him in the back of his head with uncertainty. He decides he wants to go to where help is needed and lend a hand to help the common good and man.
Where does Ken end up? Working to help rebuild houses in the South after Hurricane Katrina, in Costa Rica(with his wife) teaching middle-school kids how to speak English, helping special needs children in China, dealing with all sorts of mayhem in Palestine, spreading the word about the causes and effects of global warming in Ecuador, and helping orphans in Kenya. This helps him deal with the grief process and come to a peace with his own life and how things have and haven't worked out for him in the life he's led so far. By making a difference, however small he may believe, to others who are far worse off, helps him come to terms with the things he has to be grateful to in his own life.
Wow. All I have to say is I think Ken's message is all shades of wonderful. If I had someone to help my 80-year old father out full-time and I knew I could afford to do it monetarily, I wouldn't hesitate to get out into the world and help those who are less fortunate. I guess for those of us who can't get out there and do it on a scale like Ken did, you should try to do your best to do so on a daily basis. The book made me more aware that even the smallest things that you can do to help someone out in their life, on a daily basis, help them, and that makes all the difference in the world.
September 30, 2014
I will go ahead and admit right up front that I've never been a fan of memoirs/autobiographies/biographies. That is why it took me about two years to finally getting around to reading this book despite the fact it was written by someone I know. And maybe "know" is to strong a word. I've been acquainted with the Budds for years. When Ken worked with my husband, I would look forward to the tales Frank would bring home via Ken on his then fiancée's latest adventure at work. She worked in a hospital at the time and the stories she could tell! It would continually amaze me what novel things people who aspire to insert into certain orifices that would usually wind up getting stuck.
When Ken and "Julie" got married, we attended their wedding with our then 3-month-old daughter (she is now 23). Shortly thereafter, we moved south and only saw the Budds rarely during the next couple of decades. Mostly, we kept up with them via the Christmas cards Ken mentions in the book--you know the ones where you "brag" about your kid, life, etc with the occasional travails mentioned.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed his book. I certainly feel like I came to know him and "Julie" a bit better. The book is both painfully honest at times, very often funny (Ken's a really funny guy), sad, hopeful, you name it. I found myself laughing out loud, tearing up, wincing, learning, and reminiscing (I've traveled to both Africa (Tanzania and the Serengeti for me but not dissimilar to Kenya) and Israel and my daughter just returned from a study abroad trip to Ecuador (that's three of the six countries he volunteers in).
If you're thinking of taking the Voluntourist track yourself, this is a must read. If not, it's just a good book with about one man's struggle to discover who he is and what he wants out of life.
When Ken and "Julie" got married, we attended their wedding with our then 3-month-old daughter (she is now 23). Shortly thereafter, we moved south and only saw the Budds rarely during the next couple of decades. Mostly, we kept up with them via the Christmas cards Ken mentions in the book--you know the ones where you "brag" about your kid, life, etc with the occasional travails mentioned.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed his book. I certainly feel like I came to know him and "Julie" a bit better. The book is both painfully honest at times, very often funny (Ken's a really funny guy), sad, hopeful, you name it. I found myself laughing out loud, tearing up, wincing, learning, and reminiscing (I've traveled to both Africa (Tanzania and the Serengeti for me but not dissimilar to Kenya) and Israel and my daughter just returned from a study abroad trip to Ecuador (that's three of the six countries he volunteers in).
If you're thinking of taking the Voluntourist track yourself, this is a must read. If not, it's just a good book with about one man's struggle to discover who he is and what he wants out of life.
June 14, 2012
A few years ago I spent four months living in an apartment in Ulan Bator, Mongolia with a friend fresh from Peace Corps. His friends numbered in the dozens and stayed on our couch, floor, everywhere, for weeks at a time. There I got a first hand account of the trials and tribulations of volunteering in a very foreign country. They told tales of terrible kids, tortures of the flesh, and then also went into great detail of the nightlife or lack of it, the food, the culture, much more in depth than the actual thing they were there to do, which was teach English. I found out that then that Teaching provides the teacher with much more teaching than the students. The tool is two sided.
Ken Budd goes into great detail not just of what he did, but what happened to him when he did it. It's great to see that someone with such observatory skill is doing something with it. I hope that others who read this will take time to help others even if it's for selfish reasons. IT will change you, no matter what. good or bad, change will happen. Ken was open to it, he saw an opportunity and took it. Thankfully he was fully supported by his work and his spouse to accomplish what he wanted to and indeed needed to.
I recommend this book to any arm-chair tourists. Eco Tourism is in full swing around the world and hopefully Voluntourism is the next fad.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
Ken Budd goes into great detail not just of what he did, but what happened to him when he did it. It's great to see that someone with such observatory skill is doing something with it. I hope that others who read this will take time to help others even if it's for selfish reasons. IT will change you, no matter what. good or bad, change will happen. Ken was open to it, he saw an opportunity and took it. Thankfully he was fully supported by his work and his spouse to accomplish what he wanted to and indeed needed to.
I recommend this book to any arm-chair tourists. Eco Tourism is in full swing around the world and hopefully Voluntourism is the next fad.
I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
June 1, 2012
Having become more interested in "voluntourism" (the catchphrase annoys me, tho it is accurate) and recently signing up for my own jaunt around the world, I was interested in reading the author's perspective on the experience.
As with any kind of tour, a lot of the experience is about the people touring with you, so I enjoyed reading about the folk he volunteered with. And I appreciated his descriptions of the realities of this kind of experience: bug bites, lack of toilets/running water, customs hassles - all things you don't necessarily expect when you hear "tour". I was also glad to see him address (albeit at the very end) the concern that a constant stream of ever-changing volunteers might not necessarily be the best thing for traumatized children.
The pondering about his father's death and his childless marriage came and went. I found myself wondering at times how the anecdote about his father related to what was happening in the chapter, but for the most part, didn't interfere much with the flow of the book.
Definitely for armchair travellers, or those who want some insight on volunteering abroad for beginners.
As with any kind of tour, a lot of the experience is about the people touring with you, so I enjoyed reading about the folk he volunteered with. And I appreciated his descriptions of the realities of this kind of experience: bug bites, lack of toilets/running water, customs hassles - all things you don't necessarily expect when you hear "tour". I was also glad to see him address (albeit at the very end) the concern that a constant stream of ever-changing volunteers might not necessarily be the best thing for traumatized children.
The pondering about his father's death and his childless marriage came and went. I found myself wondering at times how the anecdote about his father related to what was happening in the chapter, but for the most part, didn't interfere much with the flow of the book.
Definitely for armchair travellers, or those who want some insight on volunteering abroad for beginners.
June 11, 2012
I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this book. After the sudden death of his father and his own realization that he will never be a father himsekf. Ken Budd decides to take on international volunteering vacations as a way to give meaning to his life and allow him to make a lasting impression on the world. Budd's writing style is funny,descriptive and easy to read. His travels take him to New Orleans, China, Costa Rica, Equador, Bethlehem and Kenya where he does a variety of tasks from home renovation to caring for children. Throughout the memoir, Budd recalls his father's life from Budd's own memories and the words of his father's friends and former coworkers.
I've always had an interest in "voluntourism" and this book made the experience more intriguing and also brought to light a lot of important things to think about before taking on this type of a journey. Budd includes some helpful information for anyone considering voluntourism and the names and contact informtation of the organizations he worked with.
I've always had an interest in "voluntourism" and this book made the experience more intriguing and also brought to light a lot of important things to think about before taking on this type of a journey. Budd includes some helpful information for anyone considering voluntourism and the names and contact informtation of the organizations he worked with.
August 24, 2012
This book is the author's story of coming to terms with his father's sudden untimely death. Yes, it is also about his coming to terms with the knowledge that he will never be a father (because his beloved wife, his high school sweetheart, doesn't want children), but that is somehow tied up in losing his father. Perhaps all of his adventures are a study in a father/son relationship. His father comes across as a kindly but hard-working guy, often absent from the family mentally because he was so conscientious about his work. Mr. Budd , himself, seems to share that legacy in that he seems very likeable , affable really, but was willing to volunteer in Palestine during the Christmas holidays, missing his wife's birthday and family gatherings. For some reason, I had trouble making myself finish this book. It is certainly adequately written, with a clear journalist's use of language. The adventures themselves were moderately interesting. The book just had a very average feel about it. I didn't dislike it, but I probably won't go out of my way to recommend it either.
June 24, 2013
The premise of taking time out of your upper-middle class American life and volunteering time in various 3rd world countries is a very interesting one. Since I am just about to go to Costa Rica (on vacation), I am re-reading that chapter for local color. We went to several places he did (Monteverde, Arenal, Cuidad Quesada)
The contrasts between his six volunteer stints are quite strong-post-Katrina clean-up in NOLA; Costa Rica; China; etc. Also, his experiences bring out the silly American trend toward monolingualism and might inspire readers to study a foreign language. The chapter on Palestine was the most interesting to me.
I do get a little tired of his ongoing personal struggles--his wife's decision to remain childless and the death of his father at 65. While this are major life issues, he does seem to whine on a bit too much about these. Maybe a good therapist would help.
Definitely has potential for a BOTY pick--the whole volunteering piece should appeal to college students.
The contrasts between his six volunteer stints are quite strong-post-Katrina clean-up in NOLA; Costa Rica; China; etc. Also, his experiences bring out the silly American trend toward monolingualism and might inspire readers to study a foreign language. The chapter on Palestine was the most interesting to me.
I do get a little tired of his ongoing personal struggles--his wife's decision to remain childless and the death of his father at 65. While this are major life issues, he does seem to whine on a bit too much about these. Maybe a good therapist would help.
Definitely has potential for a BOTY pick--the whole volunteering piece should appeal to college students.
August 27, 2012
While not strictly about African travel, this is a great read about Ken Budd living through something of a mid-life crisis after his father's death and the realization that he would not become a father himself. He deals with these crises through volunteer travel (not a bad outlet!). He visits six different countries and does a different type of project in each, though more than one is focused on caring for children. Ken visited New Orleans to help with post-hurricane clean up, taught English in Costa Rica, worked at a special-needs school in China, helped study the effects of climate change in Ecuador, visited the West Bank to assist refugees and finally worked in an orphanage in Kenya.
The reader can see the impact of each trip on Ken and how it helps him to work through his grief as well as towards becoming the kind of man his father was. It's a funny and touching read.
The reader can see the impact of each trip on Ken and how it helps him to work through his grief as well as towards becoming the kind of man his father was. It's a funny and touching read.
May 17, 2015
This book is a good idea, and I love the travel and volunteer scheme. Unfortunately, I just could not bring myself to continue to read. I found that the lack of an engaging plot hurt, as well as the attitude of the author. I am sure that the writer is a wonderful person and really did care about his volunteer positions, however I found that he missed the point of his travels. He was always writing about the other people he was volunteering with, his dead dad, or his childless family. It came across like he was trying to hard to write some sort of inspiring tale when in reality I just found it a long and pretty boring piece of text. The places he went to sure do sound lovely. I will also be doing a medical project in South America this summer, however, lets just say it was not this book that inspired me to do so. It is on the abandoned shelf for now. Perhaps I will give this book another go in the future, but this has gone on to long and I want to read something else now. :)
March 22, 2012
Ken Budd's father dies abruptly, causing him to question what gives his own life meaning. He gets an email calling for volunteers to help out in New Orleans after Katrina. After that experience, he decides he will become a serial voluntourist, visiting several countries to help with a variety of projects: an orphanage in Kenya; studying climate change in Ecuador; a refugee camp in Palestine.
It's an interesting read, although I felt the prose could have been tightened in some areas. He did a good job unifying all his experiences, an accomplishment given how different each one is. I had problems keeping track of the many characters introduced on each trip.
This is definitely an armchair travel kind of a book. I didn't feel inspired to embark on my own voluntourist trip after finishing it though.
It's an interesting read, although I felt the prose could have been tightened in some areas. He did a good job unifying all his experiences, an accomplishment given how different each one is. I had problems keeping track of the many characters introduced on each trip.
This is definitely an armchair travel kind of a book. I didn't feel inspired to embark on my own voluntourist trip after finishing it though.
December 25, 2012
This book had a really interesting premise to me, a man coming to grips with two losses in his life setting out to discover something about himself, and hopefully in the process help out others.
The unexpected death of his father is the catalyst to his journey, and it plays a part throughout his story. Sometimes, though, I felt like his flashback stories about his father had no relevance to the story at hand. They seemed sometimes just sort of thrown in and I often felt they detracted, rather than added, to the flow of the book.
But overall, I really enjoyed the story. I thought he opened up his emotion and laid it out for everyone to read, his pain at the realization he would never be a father and his pain at losing his father before he could really tell him how much he mattered (a lesson for all of us).
Worth a read.
The unexpected death of his father is the catalyst to his journey, and it plays a part throughout his story. Sometimes, though, I felt like his flashback stories about his father had no relevance to the story at hand. They seemed sometimes just sort of thrown in and I often felt they detracted, rather than added, to the flow of the book.
But overall, I really enjoyed the story. I thought he opened up his emotion and laid it out for everyone to read, his pain at the realization he would never be a father and his pain at losing his father before he could really tell him how much he mattered (a lesson for all of us).
Worth a read.
November 28, 2013
This book was a slow read for me. I did like it but as I got closer to the end I noticed more mistakes. It was a little boring so maybe the author got bored of writing it and just wanted it to be over. Not sure. Still can't decide if his volunteering was based on the loss of his father, or the idea that he wasn't going to be a father himself, or if he was just being selfish. Was he going around the world because he wanted to help people or because he wanted to help himself? He didn't seem to be thinking about his own family, especially when he was gone during Christmas and his wife's birthday. He realized this and now appreciates what he has more than what he doesn't have. I wasn't inspired to take a volunteer trip after reading this book. I was, however, reminded that we need to take care of our loved ones, our neighbors and our community.
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