Hot Spots and Dodgy Places

by Wee Cheng Tan

He visits a bizarre flower-show in Pyongyang, crosses confusing ethno-religious fault lines in the Balkans and Lebanon, drinks tea with friendly Yemenis near Osama bin Laden’s ancestral village, explores prehistoric caves with Tuareg tribesmen in Libya, and plays Indiana Jones among pyramids shortly after a rebel attack on Khartoum. Through long-forgotten characters, bizarre coincidences of history and personal stories of individuals he encountered, Wee Cheng turns faraway lands alive, and convinces the reader that these are more than just places in the news. A personal, historical and economic travelogue to several news hotspots by Tan Wee Cheng, Singapore’s most-travelled person.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 3, 2012

Reviews

[Raz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skimmed through maybe 20% of this book tbh, needs less info dump historical facts and more interaction with the locals.

There is also something weirdly off-putting about this guy's writing style that I can't put my finger on but annoyed me every now and then.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. An insight into some now stable countries and some not so. Very cool to get a glimpse into life in these places.