Worldwalk

by Steven Newman

At age 28, freelance journalist and former roustabout Steven Newman set out from his home in Bethel, Ohio, to backpack alone the back roads and pathways of the world–unsponsored, unpublicized, paying his own way, and writing for a newspaper audience of nearly 1.5 million. Four years later, he had successfully walked the length or width of 21 countries on five continents and fulfilled a childhood dream. Nearly everywhere on the five continents he crossed, he found familes that invited this American stranger into their homes (sometimes for weeks), and new friends that put him in touch with their friends. In addition to lives of the everyday people that he wrote about in his bi-weekly newspaper dispatches, he had dozens of adventures straight out of a novel or a movie. Among those adventures were wars, a struggle with a blizzard in the Spanish Pyrenees, wild boars that treed him for an entire night in Algeria, bandits in Thailand that nearly chopped off his head, a circus in Greece he worked in for two weeks, a smalltown newspaper in Australia he ran for two months, a flash flood in Australia, and arrests and interrogations in Algeria, Yugoslavia and Turkey. Through it all, Newman proved himself willing to learn from other cultures and to become quickly adaptable to strange cultures and unforgiving natural settings such as jungles and deserts and even fires the size of American states. As the Oregonian newspaper succinctly put “Newman, irrepressible, indomitable, indefatigable…always fascinating, records his experience with poetrical eloquence.”

Genres: Travel, Memoir

477 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 13, 2012

Reviews

[Dylan Bean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel = Learning

Fear is the mind killer

[Kate McKinney · Rating 3 out of 5]

My initial entrance into the book brings me face-to-face w/the author, whom I immediately dislike based on some of his self-centered choices: for example voluntarily placing his trip ahead of significant personal relationships, by putting an end to his happy long-term romance & separating himself willingly from his almost certainly terminally-ill father. It's hard to get past that for starters. Despite looking forward to hearing about his hike around the world, I find it pretty offensive that he would put his dreams ahead of human connections, especially when one of the main goals of his trip is supposedly to demonstrate that humans truly care about each other & are much better than they're portrayed in the media. He had options & could've rescheduled the trip, without letting down the people he's close to. Immediately, I'm viewing the author as a narcissistic, self-indulgent a**hole! Next, after saying he's going to handle the entire undertaking on his own, this gigantic ManBaby has no qualms whatsoever about freeloading from lots of people, straightaway, from the day of departure onwards, despite having purportedly planned, prepared & budgeted for this trip, years in advance. He sets out on the 1st day (after a big, supportive send-off from his family, friends & neighbors), complaining instantly about the weight of his backpack (which he takes the reader thru pocket by pocket, listing every item in his inventory **snore**), complaining about how tired & sore he is, even while others are providing for his housing, his food & his money. Then, here comes his Mom, driving a car on the road where he's hiking, to supply him w/some things he "forgot" to bring!! Like she doesn't have more pressing matters at home w/his seriously ill father?? C'mon! - Oh, Mommy!! I forgot my socks!! Come help me!! Waaaahhhh. Is this a toddler? No, it's a 28-year-old "man" child (?!). Can't shake the feeling that he also sounds somewhat grandiose, like a self-appointed ambassador, or world diplomat. Here's one insignificant guy, going out into the world to investigate whether journalists are correct or not in their assessment of world conditions & human nature. - Really?!? He couldn't even successfully launch from his hometown without problems. *sigh* His persona is mildly naive, almost charmingly (but also irritatingly) simple-minded: maybe a little like Chauncey Gardner or Forrest Gump (but without the humility). Needless to say, my initial excitement about the book is almost immediately quelled into skepticism. His writing is hard to understand at times (ie; he writes about waking up from his sleep in a motel; but he's in a sleeping bag (?), but there's rain dripping on him thru a hole in the roof & a wild animal is in the room w/him?? - Apparently he's in an abandoned motel, but he doesn't make that clear. Also, he never actually locates the "animal" - which he thought was a pit-bull dog - but he suspects it was there & had come thru a hole in the bathroom wall? Very Weird. Hard to tell if he's dreaming it or not). He sleeps in various public places & on people's private property, sometimes without permission, in various stages of dishevelment, stench & half/nakedness. How does he not get arrested? Meanwhile he continues along w/his odd sense of privilege, actually lifting a US flag from a Memorial Day wreath on a veteran's grave in a cemetery where he slept, so he could put it on his backpack (which he's named "Clinger") ?! Who steals flags from people's graves?!?!? Let alone a veteran's?!?! Unbelievable! The more I read, the more this guy seems to have some sort of a thinking-disorder or possibly a mental-illness of some kind. Finally, he approaches Boston (the departure point for the international leg of his trip) & again needs to ask Mommy to send him some of his earlier cast-off supplies (like his sleeping-bag), & to send him $1K in money!! I thought this guy had worked on the oil-rigs to raise the money for the trip himself. Why's he bothering his parents again?! Also, how does he define the self-sufficiency parameters of his trip to exclude payments for lodging; yet he's fine w/accepting all kinds of charity (including food, money, supplies & yes, lodging, even extravagant lodging & limo from CBS News?). He also takes the 1st opportunity he encounters to share lodging costs w/a new friend, on the international leg of his tour, at a budget hostel, without blinking an eye or explaining how this fits into his plan. I just don't get the rules, or how they jive w/his mission statement. Are we sure this guy's name isn't Alfred E. Neumann?!? His writing-style is interesting, even whimsical & charming at times, but somewhat amateurish & I've no idea why he focuses on certain things & leaves other things out, completely omitted (ie; when reshuffling his whole itinerary in order to be given an extremely high-profile interview on TV, by CBS News, he writes about the sumptuousness of his surroundings w/luxury hotel & chauffer; but he says nothing about the interview?!). I will admit, I found myself looking forward to reading more of the book, because it was filled w/interesting anecdotal accounts of his little adventures around the world, so at least the author manages to keep his reading audience attentive w/all his antics. At times when crossing hazardous borders (in North Africa for example, between Algeria & Tunisia), he comically evades threatening inquisitions by giving authorities hilarious verbal run-arounds. It's a good thing he has some random skills that come in handy at times, because he seems to get himself in lots of trouble, usually thru his own carelessness. There are times when I'm stunned by this guy's hazardous lack of preparation (ie; while crossing from southern France into Spain, over the Pyrenees Mountains, he's got NO COAT?!?! & only reluctantly accepts a sweatshirt given him by someone, ending up w/severe symptoms of hypothermia for days, like teeth chattering & violent trembling/chills throughout his body)!?! Yet he continues to refuse hitchhiking rides, & to camp outside in the snow, on 45-degree angle pitched slopes, so as not to "cheat" on the "rules" he established for himself for this trip?! These are earned fouls, dude!! Why would someone unnecessarily risk their life thru carelessness & lack of forethought or planning?! SMH. (He relates that prior to the trip, he previously did a "practice" run over mountains in Wyoming w/his dog, resulting in the poor dog suffering injuries to its foot pads & needing to be carried, after it became too difficult for the dog to walk on its pads anymore!? OMG. Why is this guy not arrested for animal abuse?!) Threateningly foolhardy behavior. While camping, he seems ignorant of even the most basic things (Ie; leaves wrappers from food like greasy sausage outside of his tent & then is surprised when wild animals show up, ravenously scrounging around in the scraps?!? - C'mon buddy!! - Geez, he was lucky it wasn't a bear!!). He also readily follows strangers anywhere, even when he can't understand their language & has no idea where they're taking him?!? (maybe it's a guy thing? Women I know certainly wouldn't do this. He's fortunate it worked out alright for him). Author seems to lack basic common-sense & sound judgment in trivial matters, too: for example, he decides to shave his face using dirty water from an outdoor puddle (undoubtedly introducing random bacteria into his skin, as he's cutting himself in the process of shaving). This happens even tho he's just recently been in a bar & could've simply used the men's restroom!! Hellooo?!? Good thing he's an entertaining narrator, cos otherwise I would've thrown this book aside in disgust long ago! I'm glad that he discovers a few good people & experiences in the world. There are some eye-opening cultural moments: like when he shares w/the reader his impressions of the widespread venomous international reactions towards America, by people in other countries. Really nudges you to start looking at things from different perspectives. I realize that although I don't like the author, I like hearing his adventures & laughing at the occasional humor of his experiences & there's enough of that to keep me reading. He serves up a good conclusion too, w/a message balancing the cruelty of the world w/its kindnesses. Overall, overlooking some obvious flaws in the writer's planning & strategies, it still manages somehow to be worthwhile reading.

[Sam Hamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paperback edition

Wholesome, entertaining, and inspiring. A tale of adventure and universal friendship that makes you realize the world is a big place, we're not all so different, and there's plenty of good in humanity.

Parts of his journey that stuck out to me:
- WW2 Graveyard in France
- Morocco and its insanity
- Him getting arrested in Yugoslavia
- Turkey, specifically Istanbul and a praying in a medieval Mosque.
- India, its people, and its spiritual atmosphere.
- Chillin with Buddhist monks in Thailand
- Australia trying to kill him

[George Shreeve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book deserved to be twice as long. The second half feels rushed and I would have loved more details and stories. Despite the exceptional journey and the inspiration I felt, I would have liked to know more about his mind in the 4 years he was walking.

[Cbatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my new favorite book! Loved every minute of it! My heart is happy!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for all the sheltered Americans that have never left the country.

[Roger Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing was not the strongest (the reason for 4 stars) but the message of worldwide love and friendship was not lost. Adds to ones wanderlust.

[David Craig · Rating 1 out of 5]

mediocre writing and a stereo typed view of the world's people

[E Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Worth a second reading

I read this book years ago, it left an imprint on my mind. So I searched it out, was surprised how many google searches I had to do to find it. It brings to life the many countries and people who are in the news in the last few years, but reinforces my belief that most people the world over just want to live in peace.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

unbelievable journey. adventure and terror for four years. this book can teach us all about how isolated we really are in our hometowns. read this book