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Around the World in 50 Years: My Adventure to Every Country on Earth
The New York Times Best Seller
“Amazing . . . the most original travel narrative ever written.” ―CounterPunch
Around the World in 50 Years is the inspiring story of an ordinary guy who achieved two great goals that others had told him were impossible. First, he set a record for the longest automobile journey ever made around the world, during which he blasted his way out of minefields, survived a serious accident atop the Peak of Death, came within seconds of being lynched, and lost three of the five men who started with two to disease, one to the Vietcong.
After that, Albert Podell set another record by going to every country on earth. He survived riots, revolutions, civil wars, trigger-happy child soldiers, voodoo priests, jihadists, robbers, corrupt cops, and Cape buffalo. He traveled through every kind of earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, snowstorm, and sandstorm that nature threw at him. He ate everything from old camel meat and African field rats to dung beetles and the brain of a live monkey. And he overcame encounters with crocodiles, hippos, anacondas, giant leeches, flying crabs―and several beautiful women who insisted that he stop this nonsense and marry them.
Around the World in 50 Years is a remarkable and meaningful tale packed with some of the most memorable, frightening, and hilarious adventure stories you have ever read.
“Amazing . . . the most original travel narrative ever written.” ―CounterPunch
Around the World in 50 Years is the inspiring story of an ordinary guy who achieved two great goals that others had told him were impossible. First, he set a record for the longest automobile journey ever made around the world, during which he blasted his way out of minefields, survived a serious accident atop the Peak of Death, came within seconds of being lynched, and lost three of the five men who started with two to disease, one to the Vietcong.
After that, Albert Podell set another record by going to every country on earth. He survived riots, revolutions, civil wars, trigger-happy child soldiers, voodoo priests, jihadists, robbers, corrupt cops, and Cape buffalo. He traveled through every kind of earthquake, cyclone, tsunami, volcanic eruption, snowstorm, and sandstorm that nature threw at him. He ate everything from old camel meat and African field rats to dung beetles and the brain of a live monkey. And he overcame encounters with crocodiles, hippos, anacondas, giant leeches, flying crabs―and several beautiful women who insisted that he stop this nonsense and marry them.
Around the World in 50 Years is a remarkable and meaningful tale packed with some of the most memorable, frightening, and hilarious adventure stories you have ever read.
368 pages, Paperback
First published February 24, 2015
148 people are currently reading
4668 people want to read
About the author
Albert Podell
4 books27 followersALBERT PODELL has been an editor at Playboy and several outdoor magazines, reviewed books for the Chicago Sun-Times, managed the literary quarterly that introduced the Beat Generation writers to American readers, and has published more than 250 magazine articles. His first book is a classic that stayed in print for more than fifty years and his last book was a New York Times bestseller.
Al holds a degree in government from Cornell, with emphasis on foreign affairs, was the Graduate Fellow of the Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago, and received a law degree from NYU.
He has had successful careers as an editor, director of photography, freelance writer, advertising creative director, ad agency VP, good-government lobbyist, trial attorney, producer and director of feature-length music videos, and (much less successfully) theatrical investor and producer. He spent seven years supervising the marketing of movies for 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, was president of the American Society of Magazine Picture Editors, head of the American Society of Film Advertisers, and ran the annual Motion Picture Advertising Awards. His music videos have won the bronze and silver awards at the Houston Film Festival and the gold award at the Charleston Film Festival. As an attorney, he never lost a jury trial in 32 years.
Al is an all-around outdoorsman – skier, boarder, hiker, biker, camper, backpacker, mountaineer, canoer, kayaker, long-distance swimmer, scuba diver, windsurfer, and adventurous vegetable gardener.
Al holds a degree in government from Cornell, with emphasis on foreign affairs, was the Graduate Fellow of the Committee on International Relations at the University of Chicago, and received a law degree from NYU.
He has had successful careers as an editor, director of photography, freelance writer, advertising creative director, ad agency VP, good-government lobbyist, trial attorney, producer and director of feature-length music videos, and (much less successfully) theatrical investor and producer. He spent seven years supervising the marketing of movies for 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, was president of the American Society of Magazine Picture Editors, head of the American Society of Film Advertisers, and ran the annual Motion Picture Advertising Awards. His music videos have won the bronze and silver awards at the Houston Film Festival and the gold award at the Charleston Film Festival. As an attorney, he never lost a jury trial in 32 years.
Al is an all-around outdoorsman – skier, boarder, hiker, biker, camper, backpacker, mountaineer, canoer, kayaker, long-distance swimmer, scuba diver, windsurfer, and adventurous vegetable gardener.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 282 reviews
March 30, 2015
I loved this book--but the author is a pompous, chauvinistic pig who overwrites and uses the thesaurus way too much. Nonetheless, the story--of how he visited all 196 countries--is fascinating and the book is chock full of crazy travel tales, including strandings at airports in the south pacific, eating supremely odd local food, and having to employ armed bodyguards to get around certain middle eastern countries. If you can overlook the superior attitude taken by the author, it really is a great read, especially for anyone who likes to travel.
January 13, 2015
Shades of Bill Bryson meets Phileas Fogg.
Podell has put together an interesting amalgamation of his tales in his quest to visit every country in the world over the last 50 years. Some he has to revisit as a result of splits such as Yugoslavia, and some have ceased to exist such as East Germany.
Written in a humorous style, but not to same quality as Bill Bryson and his wry observations, Podell has concentrated on the more dangerous and interesting parts of his travels so much of the book is Central African and Middle East based.
Be warned that his commentary will not be to all tastes, especially his views and participation in the sex trade in Thailand, however he writes with compassion about other subjects such as third-word child-mortality rates.
Although this book does have some amusing sections, I felt it slightly overly long and as a result does drag occasionally. However, it does have some interesting snapshots of some very obscure parts of the world well off the regular tourist trails.
Holiday in Nauru anyone? !
Podell has put together an interesting amalgamation of his tales in his quest to visit every country in the world over the last 50 years. Some he has to revisit as a result of splits such as Yugoslavia, and some have ceased to exist such as East Germany.
Written in a humorous style, but not to same quality as Bill Bryson and his wry observations, Podell has concentrated on the more dangerous and interesting parts of his travels so much of the book is Central African and Middle East based.
Be warned that his commentary will not be to all tastes, especially his views and participation in the sex trade in Thailand, however he writes with compassion about other subjects such as third-word child-mortality rates.
Although this book does have some amusing sections, I felt it slightly overly long and as a result does drag occasionally. However, it does have some interesting snapshots of some very obscure parts of the world well off the regular tourist trails.
Holiday in Nauru anyone? !
November 26, 2014
Everybody on God's earth should read this book if he wants to know what the world is like. Nobody else can tell you because nobody else knows. Nobody else has tried and survived a visit to every country on earth, including the most dangerous of: living conditions, wild animals, political violence, and man-made cussedness in general. Al Podell has gone where no man has gone before - to every single nation in the world; 196 of them. And he has lived as close to the people as he could. He never stayed in a luxury hotel. He did not eat in expensive American commissaries. He experienced the living conditions of the natives. But he was not a native. He was an extraordinarily perceptive, intelligent, adventurer, both mentally and physically. He can tell you what its like to bathe with leeches, and he can also tell you about the relationship of people to their husbands, their wives, their governments, their gods.
Every chapter is like hearing about life on another planet. In detail. The writing is superb, Al having been not only an author, but an editor, and one of the best craftsmen of the English language in America.
I am currently preparing a letter to the New York City Board of Education suggesting that they adapt this book, primarily by leaving out all the very interesting and quite surprising reporting on sex workers and sexual attitudes, all of which is a large part of every culture, whether we like it or not. This is the only book about the world that I have read that tells it like it is. And it is written with such exuberance that it is immediately and forever graspable.
Every chapter is like hearing about life on another planet. In detail. The writing is superb, Al having been not only an author, but an editor, and one of the best craftsmen of the English language in America.
I am currently preparing a letter to the New York City Board of Education suggesting that they adapt this book, primarily by leaving out all the very interesting and quite surprising reporting on sex workers and sexual attitudes, all of which is a large part of every culture, whether we like it or not. This is the only book about the world that I have read that tells it like it is. And it is written with such exuberance that it is immediately and forever graspable.
August 9, 2021
I became lost in the pages, each time I returned to reading Albert Podell's book about his travels through every country in the World. It is with genuine sorrow that I have just read the final page.
I loved that Podell took the time to write about each country he was visiting and describe the various physical, social, and cultural aspects of the environment and its inhabitants, especially as most of us will have to settle for visiting some of these countries vicariously through his experiences, rather than being able to visit in-person.
I didn't know and loved learning that one of my favorite authors, Robert Louis Stevenson:
"was so treasured by Samoans for his powerful political polemics on their behalf, for his storytelling in their oral tradition, and for putting on paper the first fiction story ever written in the Samoan language, that 30 native chieftains journeyed to his deathbed, established an honorary watch guard to keep his spirit company through the night, then carried the body of their beloved Tusitala - the teller of tales - on their shoulders as they hacked a path through the jungle and brought him up the small mountain to his final resting-place overlooking the peaceful Pacific."
Podell writes wonderful descriptions of the places he visited, his experiences with the people he interacts with and the food he eats. My favorite descriptions of places include, "the sun was directly behind us and setting, a larger crimson wafer quickly consumed by the immense appetite of the Sahara," and "the most awesome [waterfall] is Iguazu, my favorite spot on the planet."
Food is one of the cultural highlights of traveling and can provide a memorable experience. Sure enough, Podell wrote about his many culinary adventures include eating a recently deceased anteater in Panama. Indeed, he writes, "Not wanting to waste a good source of protein, we chopped it up, added salt and pepper, and wished we had a box of Roadkill Helper, roasted it over a campfire, and it tasted ....awful, like a burger marinated in formic acid."
On another occasion, Podell describes eating sea cucumber, "a cold, black warty little creature served as a gelatinous, forbidding-looking dark lump - which, once ingested, tasted like a mix of Jell-O, lard and library paste."
In Brisbane, Australia, Podell "ordered and gluttonously consumed the enormous "Native Platter," which included, but wasn't limited to: "barbecued crocodile, emu prosciutto, munch munchies, glacé lilly pilly, dukkah, smoked glacé guandong."
Food can also be a wonderful opportunity to socialize with the local community, in Giza, Egypt, after a photo shoot for their sponsors, I love that Lamyi "brought us to his home for tea and cake."
I appreciate Podell's ability to always find the positive in each situation, however dire it might seem and love his sense of humor. I laughed out loud when I read about his practical system of using toilet paper "for comfort-ranking countries around the world." Podell's rating ranges from "soft white" to "no public toilets at all."
My favorite of Podell's hair-raising adventure stories was the one about six-Italians and their guide who were set upon by a gang and left stranded in the desert. Not knowing what it was, the bandits had thrown away their solar-powered cell phone, which they were able to use to call for help by means of trial and error. "We spoke with this precious person, who I will never forget in my life, who knew the desert very well. "Tell me the color of the sand where you are," he asked, and we told him the color, and he knew exactly where we were, because he was someone who had been initiated by his father to go on the salt trade, so he was walking camels across the Sahara for almost all his life." The fact that their lives hung in the balance and were saved by one person's knowledge of the color of sand to detect their location gives me goosebumps!
On another adventure, Podell takes a group of nomads hunting in his vehicle, a red 4x4 in the desert. He writes, "In a twinkling, nine of them jammed into the car's now-open rear compartment, all standing upright, all chortling and joking and spitting. They smelled as if they had raw garlic for dinner and their last bath a year ago. Our vehicle resembled a red porcupine."
The most heart-warming adventures were the ones where Podell travels to meet the children he sponsors through ChildFund International in person. One lives in a village in Ethiopia and the other lives in a village in Uganda. He describes how he procures goats for these respective families and explains that in Africa children learn to repeat the facts that they are taught, "but they are not taught to solve problems, to be creative, to look ahead, to think things through." Skills that perhaps we take for granted here in the U.S., which Podell lists as his favorite country.
I loved traveling along with Podell in my imagination and plan to re-read this book again in future.
I loved that Podell took the time to write about each country he was visiting and describe the various physical, social, and cultural aspects of the environment and its inhabitants, especially as most of us will have to settle for visiting some of these countries vicariously through his experiences, rather than being able to visit in-person.
I didn't know and loved learning that one of my favorite authors, Robert Louis Stevenson:
"was so treasured by Samoans for his powerful political polemics on their behalf, for his storytelling in their oral tradition, and for putting on paper the first fiction story ever written in the Samoan language, that 30 native chieftains journeyed to his deathbed, established an honorary watch guard to keep his spirit company through the night, then carried the body of their beloved Tusitala - the teller of tales - on their shoulders as they hacked a path through the jungle and brought him up the small mountain to his final resting-place overlooking the peaceful Pacific."
Podell writes wonderful descriptions of the places he visited, his experiences with the people he interacts with and the food he eats. My favorite descriptions of places include, "the sun was directly behind us and setting, a larger crimson wafer quickly consumed by the immense appetite of the Sahara," and "the most awesome [waterfall] is Iguazu, my favorite spot on the planet."
Food is one of the cultural highlights of traveling and can provide a memorable experience. Sure enough, Podell wrote about his many culinary adventures include eating a recently deceased anteater in Panama. Indeed, he writes, "Not wanting to waste a good source of protein, we chopped it up, added salt and pepper, and wished we had a box of Roadkill Helper, roasted it over a campfire, and it tasted ....awful, like a burger marinated in formic acid."
On another occasion, Podell describes eating sea cucumber, "a cold, black warty little creature served as a gelatinous, forbidding-looking dark lump - which, once ingested, tasted like a mix of Jell-O, lard and library paste."
In Brisbane, Australia, Podell "ordered and gluttonously consumed the enormous "Native Platter," which included, but wasn't limited to: "barbecued crocodile, emu prosciutto, munch munchies, glacé lilly pilly, dukkah, smoked glacé guandong."
Food can also be a wonderful opportunity to socialize with the local community, in Giza, Egypt, after a photo shoot for their sponsors, I love that Lamyi "brought us to his home for tea and cake."
I appreciate Podell's ability to always find the positive in each situation, however dire it might seem and love his sense of humor. I laughed out loud when I read about his practical system of using toilet paper "for comfort-ranking countries around the world." Podell's rating ranges from "soft white" to "no public toilets at all."
My favorite of Podell's hair-raising adventure stories was the one about six-Italians and their guide who were set upon by a gang and left stranded in the desert. Not knowing what it was, the bandits had thrown away their solar-powered cell phone, which they were able to use to call for help by means of trial and error. "We spoke with this precious person, who I will never forget in my life, who knew the desert very well. "Tell me the color of the sand where you are," he asked, and we told him the color, and he knew exactly where we were, because he was someone who had been initiated by his father to go on the salt trade, so he was walking camels across the Sahara for almost all his life." The fact that their lives hung in the balance and were saved by one person's knowledge of the color of sand to detect their location gives me goosebumps!
On another adventure, Podell takes a group of nomads hunting in his vehicle, a red 4x4 in the desert. He writes, "In a twinkling, nine of them jammed into the car's now-open rear compartment, all standing upright, all chortling and joking and spitting. They smelled as if they had raw garlic for dinner and their last bath a year ago. Our vehicle resembled a red porcupine."
The most heart-warming adventures were the ones where Podell travels to meet the children he sponsors through ChildFund International in person. One lives in a village in Ethiopia and the other lives in a village in Uganda. He describes how he procures goats for these respective families and explains that in Africa children learn to repeat the facts that they are taught, "but they are not taught to solve problems, to be creative, to look ahead, to think things through." Skills that perhaps we take for granted here in the U.S., which Podell lists as his favorite country.
I loved traveling along with Podell in my imagination and plan to re-read this book again in future.
October 28, 2018
This book is the story of one man traveling around the world, seeking to reach every country. Spoiler: He manages to do it.
A few things hit me while I was reading this book:
First, the author is openly sexist and bordering on misogynistic. Women only exist in his story as objects of desire. Rarely are they named.
Second, we meet nearly none of the people the author meets on his travels. Did he not want to share the stories of people without their permission? Did he not take the time to meet with any real people in the countries he traveled through?
Third, it seems that the author's purpose of traveling is just to reach the goal. He doesn't seem to interact with anyone in those countries (except to get something he wants), and he doesn't seem all that interested in the places he goes, except to say he's been there.
Fourth, how does he get into so many places others could never go (like refugee camps), and how does he meet so many high-up people (like government ministers)?
Fifth, we never get acknowledgement from the author that he is extremely privileged to be able to make all of these trips. Not only is he able to afford to do this, and he is able to take off so much time to take these trips, but as a white man, he is able to get away with a huge number of things that people of color and/or women would not be able to do. (Honestly, while reading this, all I could think of was the number of times I would have been raped if I tried to pull the stunts he did.)
A few things hit me while I was reading this book:
First, the author is openly sexist and bordering on misogynistic. Women only exist in his story as objects of desire. Rarely are they named.
Second, we meet nearly none of the people the author meets on his travels. Did he not want to share the stories of people without their permission? Did he not take the time to meet with any real people in the countries he traveled through?
Third, it seems that the author's purpose of traveling is just to reach the goal. He doesn't seem to interact with anyone in those countries (except to get something he wants), and he doesn't seem all that interested in the places he goes, except to say he's been there.
Fourth, how does he get into so many places others could never go (like refugee camps), and how does he meet so many high-up people (like government ministers)?
Fifth, we never get acknowledgement from the author that he is extremely privileged to be able to make all of these trips. Not only is he able to afford to do this, and he is able to take off so much time to take these trips, but as a white man, he is able to get away with a huge number of things that people of color and/or women would not be able to do. (Honestly, while reading this, all I could think of was the number of times I would have been raped if I tried to pull the stunts he did.)
December 30, 2019
Well, _I_ liked it, but it has a lot of warts, both in structure and in content.
As a young man, the author set a record for longest non-repetitive around the world trip by car, then set about other careers. But he noted, later in life, that he still had the travel bug andn had nearly visited every country in the world. So he continued to put notches in his suitcase, and eventually visited 196 countries, possibly the only person ever to have done so.
Some stories hint at further adventures but leave the bait dangling without ever really explaining the reference. Too many stories involve chasing women, or trying to chase women, or finding out one is too old to chase women, that it doesn't make for an all-ages book -- at least not one I'd want my sons and daughter to read. As always, Your Mileage May Vary, but don't say that you weren't warned!
A "Cover Love" entry for my much-belated 2017 TBR Challenge.
As a young man, the author set a record for longest non-repetitive around the world trip by car, then set about other careers. But he noted, later in life, that he still had the travel bug andn had nearly visited every country in the world. So he continued to put notches in his suitcase, and eventually visited 196 countries, possibly the only person ever to have done so.
Some stories hint at further adventures but leave the bait dangling without ever really explaining the reference. Too many stories involve chasing women, or trying to chase women, or finding out one is too old to chase women, that it doesn't make for an all-ages book -- at least not one I'd want my sons and daughter to read. As always, Your Mileage May Vary, but don't say that you weren't warned!
A "Cover Love" entry for my much-belated 2017 TBR Challenge.
April 22, 2015
I knew I was going to like this book, and I knew it wasn't going to be nearly long enough. Right on both counts, but in ways that I wasn't expecting.
There is just no way that anyone can write a travelogue that covers 196 (plus some now nonexistent) countries in a completely thorough manner. Do you talk about each country one at a time, or do you do an overview of subjects - food, religion, war, sex - with brief comparisons of standout countries? Podell does a little bit of each, alternating between chapters on specific countries (or more often regions), how he managed his travels logistically, highlights of visits, and subjects like foods of the world (one of my favorite sections). And it was great, but I did want more. More more more! This extends to accompanying materials as well. I did read an ARC, and it was obvious that some pictures were missing (the captions were included), but I loved the ones that were there. Too many travelogues rely on the words, and Podell's words do speak for themselves, but the images really add something, particularly when they're so well chosen. On the other hand, I would have loved a map or two - or 20!
Podell begins by saying that his book will include countries that most people won't see in their lifetimes, but this ends up largely equating to one continent: Africa. There were a few mentions of the Middle East and South America, and nations like China were mentioned in passing due to subjects like food, but on the whole it felt very unbalanced. I think a bit more on European and North American countries would have lent an interesting study in contrasts - and really, how many Americans are likely to travel to Finland or Latvia? There were a few great inclusions of non-African nations like Nauru and Mongolia that were fascinating, but again... I wanted more!
Another example of my longing for more story is his visit to Yemen. He hints at interesting personal experience with qat, but skips right over it (in stark contrast to Horwitz's entertaining descriptions in Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia), but then he tells this fabulous story about his "invention" of sushi to the excitement of fellow (Taiwanese) tourists. Perhaps the best sections were those on Cuba and North Korea, since Americans have been banned from Cuba and fewer than 1000 Americans have visited North Korea since the end of the war. Podell's thoughts on the communist governments of each country were really intriguing as well. While he didn't directly contrast them, an engaged reader will definitely find some thought-provoking ideas in contrasting them herself.
And speaking of Podell's thoughts - what a guy! He's a great storyteller and just seems like such a character. He's had multiple successful careers (ad man, journalist, lawyer, etc.) and more girlfriends than I could wrap my head around. (Tantalizing hints of his personal life are sprinkled in where they can't be avoided. He traveled with lots of girlfriends - 34 female traveling companions thanked in the acknowledgements! - and tries to pick up college girls in Brisbane when he's over 70. Then comes home in 2012 and marries a woman 49 years his junior. I love this dirty - and yet somehow classy - old man!) He can be very funny, sometimes goofy and sometimes dry. (Goofy example - he make a pun involving poetry and lemurs that ends with the invention of the "lemurick.") Every now and then I felt his humor bordered on non-PC (and in the acknowledgements he thanked someone for making him cut things more offensive than those he included), so that might turn off some readers. Anyway, he's also very intelligent and insightful, on subjects from the aforementioned communism to global warming to overpopulation and its relationship to rice. (Another note: he's a very liberal, educated, atheist Jew from New York, and his ideas reflect that - be warned, conservative readers.) And of course, he is enterprising, brave, adventurous, and - let's be honest - just plain ballsy. And maybe a little bit crazy. But awesome. His would be some excellent coattails to grab onto to see the world.
And I would love to see more books by him, perhaps more detailed stories of his travels broken down by region (Podell on Oceania) or subject (Podell on World Relgion). So to conclude this enormous review, I highly recommend this one - if you go into it knowing that it's going to whet your appetite but leave your hunger raging in the end!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
There is just no way that anyone can write a travelogue that covers 196 (plus some now nonexistent) countries in a completely thorough manner. Do you talk about each country one at a time, or do you do an overview of subjects - food, religion, war, sex - with brief comparisons of standout countries? Podell does a little bit of each, alternating between chapters on specific countries (or more often regions), how he managed his travels logistically, highlights of visits, and subjects like foods of the world (one of my favorite sections). And it was great, but I did want more. More more more! This extends to accompanying materials as well. I did read an ARC, and it was obvious that some pictures were missing (the captions were included), but I loved the ones that were there. Too many travelogues rely on the words, and Podell's words do speak for themselves, but the images really add something, particularly when they're so well chosen. On the other hand, I would have loved a map or two - or 20!
Podell begins by saying that his book will include countries that most people won't see in their lifetimes, but this ends up largely equating to one continent: Africa. There were a few mentions of the Middle East and South America, and nations like China were mentioned in passing due to subjects like food, but on the whole it felt very unbalanced. I think a bit more on European and North American countries would have lent an interesting study in contrasts - and really, how many Americans are likely to travel to Finland or Latvia? There were a few great inclusions of non-African nations like Nauru and Mongolia that were fascinating, but again... I wanted more!
Another example of my longing for more story is his visit to Yemen. He hints at interesting personal experience with qat, but skips right over it (in stark contrast to Horwitz's entertaining descriptions in Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia), but then he tells this fabulous story about his "invention" of sushi to the excitement of fellow (Taiwanese) tourists. Perhaps the best sections were those on Cuba and North Korea, since Americans have been banned from Cuba and fewer than 1000 Americans have visited North Korea since the end of the war. Podell's thoughts on the communist governments of each country were really intriguing as well. While he didn't directly contrast them, an engaged reader will definitely find some thought-provoking ideas in contrasting them herself.
And speaking of Podell's thoughts - what a guy! He's a great storyteller and just seems like such a character. He's had multiple successful careers (ad man, journalist, lawyer, etc.) and more girlfriends than I could wrap my head around. (Tantalizing hints of his personal life are sprinkled in where they can't be avoided. He traveled with lots of girlfriends - 34 female traveling companions thanked in the acknowledgements! - and tries to pick up college girls in Brisbane when he's over 70. Then comes home in 2012 and marries a woman 49 years his junior. I love this dirty - and yet somehow classy - old man!) He can be very funny, sometimes goofy and sometimes dry. (Goofy example - he make a pun involving poetry and lemurs that ends with the invention of the "lemurick.") Every now and then I felt his humor bordered on non-PC (and in the acknowledgements he thanked someone for making him cut things more offensive than those he included), so that might turn off some readers. Anyway, he's also very intelligent and insightful, on subjects from the aforementioned communism to global warming to overpopulation and its relationship to rice. (Another note: he's a very liberal, educated, atheist Jew from New York, and his ideas reflect that - be warned, conservative readers.) And of course, he is enterprising, brave, adventurous, and - let's be honest - just plain ballsy. And maybe a little bit crazy. But awesome. His would be some excellent coattails to grab onto to see the world.
And I would love to see more books by him, perhaps more detailed stories of his travels broken down by region (Podell on Oceania) or subject (Podell on World Relgion). So to conclude this enormous review, I highly recommend this one - if you go into it knowing that it's going to whet your appetite but leave your hunger raging in the end!
The fine print: received ARC from NetGalley.
November 28, 2014
I totally agree with the advance reviewers.
Author Harold Stephens calls it "the best travel-adventur book written in this young century., author Will Lutwick raves that " it sets a new standard for travel-adventure books.". And Tony Wheeler, the founder of Lonely Planet books, who revolutionized the industry, applauds that "it's like Crocodile Dunder produced by Monty Python and edited by Woody Allen."
I agree with all these guys, but I also have something to add as a women and the author of 20 books.. Despite all the thrilling adventures and hair-raising escapes and revolting foods and arduous conditions, and despite the fact that Mr. Podell is a former editor of Playboy, this is also a book for women. The author writes with comprehension and compassion about how poorly women are treated in most of he undeveloped world, about female genital mutilation, about the lives of women in the sex trade, about third-word child-mortality rates, , and about many other subjects of particular interest to women. If you want to fully understand your word, this is the book to read. .
Author Harold Stephens calls it "the best travel-adventur book written in this young century., author Will Lutwick raves that " it sets a new standard for travel-adventure books.". And Tony Wheeler, the founder of Lonely Planet books, who revolutionized the industry, applauds that "it's like Crocodile Dunder produced by Monty Python and edited by Woody Allen."
I agree with all these guys, but I also have something to add as a women and the author of 20 books.. Despite all the thrilling adventures and hair-raising escapes and revolting foods and arduous conditions, and despite the fact that Mr. Podell is a former editor of Playboy, this is also a book for women. The author writes with comprehension and compassion about how poorly women are treated in most of he undeveloped world, about female genital mutilation, about the lives of women in the sex trade, about third-word child-mortality rates, , and about many other subjects of particular interest to women. If you want to fully understand your word, this is the book to read. .
April 17, 2015
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Dunne Books for this free copy. In exchange I am providing an honest review.
I got to about page 85 before I gave up. It's not that the book is poorly written or dull but it wasn't keeping my attention and I was preferring to do other things beside read it. So as a nod to "so many books, so little time" I decided to move on.
Podell managed to touch down and visit every country in the world in 50 years. That takes a lot of planning, time, money, and in some case with some countries courage and persistence. He had companions along the way and he went solo at some times. Yes, I managed to get all of this from the first 85 pages. His stories and adventures recounted were interesting but not enough to keep me reading.
I got to about page 85 before I gave up. It's not that the book is poorly written or dull but it wasn't keeping my attention and I was preferring to do other things beside read it. So as a nod to "so many books, so little time" I decided to move on.
Podell managed to touch down and visit every country in the world in 50 years. That takes a lot of planning, time, money, and in some case with some countries courage and persistence. He had companions along the way and he went solo at some times. Yes, I managed to get all of this from the first 85 pages. His stories and adventures recounted were interesting but not enough to keep me reading.
May 23, 2018
This book was a disappointment. There were parts of it that were really interesting, but as a whole the book is not great. The author has a tendency to list a lot of things when describing his travels. He does it frequently. It gets very repetitive and starts to lose any meaning at a certain point. It also suffers from the fact that the author is openly sexist and creepy throughout. It earns the 2 stars for the chapters with God (the author's tour guide in Africa) in them, which were delightful and I wish the whole book was written by or about him instead.
May 19, 2015
Šīs grāmatas autors ir izdarījis to, ko noteikti vēlas lielākā daļa no mums – apceļot visas pasaules valstis. Nav ko noliegt, arī es laiku pa laikam aizdomājos par to, cik tad būtu jauki pabūt katrā pasaules nostūrī, apmeklēt katru valsti. Pie reizes redzētu to, kā cilvēki dzīvo citur, un gūtu jaunus iespaidus. Tādēļ ieraugot šo grāmatu, nopirku to vāka un anotācijas dēļ vien.
Šī grāmata ir par vienkāršu cilvēku, kas savā dzīvē ir paveicis divas lielas lietas. Uzstādījis rekordu ar garāko ar auto veikto ceļojumu apkārt pasaulei. Pa ceļam iekuļoties mīnu laukā, izbēgot no linča tiesas Pakistānā un zaudējot trīs no pieciem ceļotājiem. Otra lieta ir katras pasaules valsts apmeklēšana. Neskatoties uz karadarbību, revolūcijām, epidēmijām, cunami, zemestrīcēm, un smilšu vētrām. Viņš ēdis visu – no vecas kamieļa gaļas līdz dzīva pērtiķa smadzenēm. Ar saviem spilgtākajiem piedzīvojumiem viņš dalās šajā grāmatā.
Pirmās stāstījuma nodaļas atspoguļo vareno autoceļojumu, tur ātri tiekam izvesti cauri Ēģiptei, Indijai un Pakistānai. Ēģiptes iedzīvotāju attieksme pret tūristiem, šķiet, tā arī ir palikusi nemainīga. Pakistānas un Indijas robežu viņi šķērsoja nopietna konflikta sākumā, tādējādi iekuļoties nopietnās nepatikšanās. Pēc šī ceļojuma viņam sava mūža gaitā īpaši nepiedomājot bija izdevies apceļot ievērojamu valstu skaitu darba un atpūtas ietvaros. Un tikai uz vecumdienām viņam ienāca prātā īstenot visu valstu apmeklēšanu. Grāmatas otrā daļā ietilpst pēdējo valstu apmeklējuma piedzīvojumi. Tā kā uz beigām ir atlikušas tikai problemātiskās valstis, tad arī piedzīvojumi ir visinteresantākie.
Lasītājam, kas visur saskata sieviešu apspiešanu, šī grāmata noteikti nepatiks. Autors savas mīļotās maina kā zeķes, un sevi pasniedz kā liels meitu ģēģeri. Autoram ceļojumā papildus grūtības pakāpi sagādā arī tas, ka viņš ir ebreju izcelsmes amerikānis. Pasaulē joprojām ir atrodamas pietiekoši daudz valstu, kurās šāda izcelsme ir nopietns šķērslis vīzas iegūšanai. Taču katrai problēmai var atrast savu risinājumu.
Rakstīšanas stils ir nedaudz saraustīts, autors līdz grāmatas vidusdaļai eksperimentē ar stāstījuma veidu. Tiek izmēģinātas dažādas formas no notikuma atstāsta līdz mazām esejām. Beigu beigās autors nostabilizējas uz būtiskāko piedzīvojumu aprakstīšanu, un tas arī ir vislabākais veids, kā rakstīt par vudu priesteri, kas piestrādā par tūrisma gidu.
Pēc grāmatas izlasīšanas es sev sapratu pāris lietas. Es noteikti vairs negribu apmeklēt visas pasaules valstis. Šis mērķis man ir nomiris. Es sapratu, ka tādas valsts apmeklēšana, kurā notiek pilsoņu karš vai aktīva karadarbība ķeksīša pēc īsti neattaisnojas. Tāpat autors sagrāva manus priekšstatus par klusā okeāna salām. Man tagad ir sarakstiņš ar salām, kuru apmeklējumu es esmu izsvītrojis no potenciālajiem galamērķiem. Tajā ietilpst arī mana bērnu dienu sapņu zeme Nauru. Uz to aizkulties ir tikai ne tikai nejēdzīgi dārgi, bet vistrakākais ir fakts, ka no viņas tu prom tiec tikai pēc nedēļas, un arī tas nav garantēts. Tāpat es plānoju izvairīties no Āfrikas valstīm. Esmu cinisks reālists, es negatavojos maksāt naudu, lai brauktu skatīties kā vietējie iedzīvotāji mirst badu, slīgst bezcerībā un ubago naudu iztikai. Vietas, kur baltais cilvēks tiek uzskatīts par staigājošu bankomātu, mani tracina. Visām pārējām valstīm gan vēl ir cerība, ka es tur iegriezīšos.
Grāmatai lieku 8 no 10 ballēm, būtu bijis labi, ja autors būtu vairāk aprakstījis tās valstis, kuras viņš apmeklēja starp autoceļojumu un brīža, kad viņam ienāca galvā doma apmeklēt visas pasaules valstis. Par Latviju te nav praktiski nekā. Ja patīk ceļot un lasīt citu ceļojumu aprakstus, var droši lasīt. Nav Braisons, bet tuvu tam.
Šī grāmata ir par vienkāršu cilvēku, kas savā dzīvē ir paveicis divas lielas lietas. Uzstādījis rekordu ar garāko ar auto veikto ceļojumu apkārt pasaulei. Pa ceļam iekuļoties mīnu laukā, izbēgot no linča tiesas Pakistānā un zaudējot trīs no pieciem ceļotājiem. Otra lieta ir katras pasaules valsts apmeklēšana. Neskatoties uz karadarbību, revolūcijām, epidēmijām, cunami, zemestrīcēm, un smilšu vētrām. Viņš ēdis visu – no vecas kamieļa gaļas līdz dzīva pērtiķa smadzenēm. Ar saviem spilgtākajiem piedzīvojumiem viņš dalās šajā grāmatā.
Pirmās stāstījuma nodaļas atspoguļo vareno autoceļojumu, tur ātri tiekam izvesti cauri Ēģiptei, Indijai un Pakistānai. Ēģiptes iedzīvotāju attieksme pret tūristiem, šķiet, tā arī ir palikusi nemainīga. Pakistānas un Indijas robežu viņi šķērsoja nopietna konflikta sākumā, tādējādi iekuļoties nopietnās nepatikšanās. Pēc šī ceļojuma viņam sava mūža gaitā īpaši nepiedomājot bija izdevies apceļot ievērojamu valstu skaitu darba un atpūtas ietvaros. Un tikai uz vecumdienām viņam ienāca prātā īstenot visu valstu apmeklēšanu. Grāmatas otrā daļā ietilpst pēdējo valstu apmeklējuma piedzīvojumi. Tā kā uz beigām ir atlikušas tikai problemātiskās valstis, tad arī piedzīvojumi ir visinteresantākie.
Lasītājam, kas visur saskata sieviešu apspiešanu, šī grāmata noteikti nepatiks. Autors savas mīļotās maina kā zeķes, un sevi pasniedz kā liels meitu ģēģeri. Autoram ceļojumā papildus grūtības pakāpi sagādā arī tas, ka viņš ir ebreju izcelsmes amerikānis. Pasaulē joprojām ir atrodamas pietiekoši daudz valstu, kurās šāda izcelsme ir nopietns šķērslis vīzas iegūšanai. Taču katrai problēmai var atrast savu risinājumu.
Rakstīšanas stils ir nedaudz saraustīts, autors līdz grāmatas vidusdaļai eksperimentē ar stāstījuma veidu. Tiek izmēģinātas dažādas formas no notikuma atstāsta līdz mazām esejām. Beigu beigās autors nostabilizējas uz būtiskāko piedzīvojumu aprakstīšanu, un tas arī ir vislabākais veids, kā rakstīt par vudu priesteri, kas piestrādā par tūrisma gidu.
Pēc grāmatas izlasīšanas es sev sapratu pāris lietas. Es noteikti vairs negribu apmeklēt visas pasaules valstis. Šis mērķis man ir nomiris. Es sapratu, ka tādas valsts apmeklēšana, kurā notiek pilsoņu karš vai aktīva karadarbība ķeksīša pēc īsti neattaisnojas. Tāpat autors sagrāva manus priekšstatus par klusā okeāna salām. Man tagad ir sarakstiņš ar salām, kuru apmeklējumu es esmu izsvītrojis no potenciālajiem galamērķiem. Tajā ietilpst arī mana bērnu dienu sapņu zeme Nauru. Uz to aizkulties ir tikai ne tikai nejēdzīgi dārgi, bet vistrakākais ir fakts, ka no viņas tu prom tiec tikai pēc nedēļas, un arī tas nav garantēts. Tāpat es plānoju izvairīties no Āfrikas valstīm. Esmu cinisks reālists, es negatavojos maksāt naudu, lai brauktu skatīties kā vietējie iedzīvotāji mirst badu, slīgst bezcerībā un ubago naudu iztikai. Vietas, kur baltais cilvēks tiek uzskatīts par staigājošu bankomātu, mani tracina. Visām pārējām valstīm gan vēl ir cerība, ka es tur iegriezīšos.
Grāmatai lieku 8 no 10 ballēm, būtu bijis labi, ja autors būtu vairāk aprakstījis tās valstis, kuras viņš apmeklēja starp autoceļojumu un brīža, kad viņam ienāca galvā doma apmeklēt visas pasaules valstis. Par Latviju te nav praktiski nekā. Ja patīk ceļot un lasīt citu ceļojumu aprakstus, var droši lasīt. Nav Braisons, bet tuvu tam.
April 8, 2022
This is a preliminary review as I am only 19% into the audiobook. I will post more once I finish the book. Let's hope I make it through the whole thing because so far it's a struggle. Let's start with the deep-rooted, he's-probably-not-even-aware-of-it sexism. This guy....jeez! Many other reviews here have pointed this out so I won't dwell.
But my main problem so far is that it's a recount of a bunch of (frankly boring) "guy's travel." Let me explain. So far in the book all he and his associates have done is travel to the worst, most macho, sexist, backwards, full-of-cheats-and-louts-and-touts places. It's all "breaking a truck axel on a Sahara road" and "being robbed in the night by evil brown thieves" and "nearly being lynched because I purposely chose to travel to a violent, war-torn country." It's very clear that he seeks out these situations. This isn't travel, this is some sort of weird danger-addiction.
But my main problem so far is that it's a recount of a bunch of (frankly boring) "guy's travel." Let me explain. So far in the book all he and his associates have done is travel to the worst, most macho, sexist, backwards, full-of-cheats-and-louts-and-touts places. It's all "breaking a truck axel on a Sahara road" and "being robbed in the night by evil brown thieves" and "nearly being lynched because I purposely chose to travel to a violent, war-torn country." It's very clear that he seeks out these situations. This isn't travel, this is some sort of weird danger-addiction.
November 22, 2014
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC!
If you enjoy rollicking travel adventure stories told by an opinionated older man, then this book is for you. Personally, I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which the author went into minute detail regarding what constitutes a country--and according to whom. I hadn't realized there were so many opinions to be had on the subject. Unfortunately, some of the strong attitudes expressed by the author clash quite strongly with values that I hold, so that dampened my enjoyment of the read somewhat.
Side note: Mongolia rises higher and higher on my list of countries I'd like to visit soon.
If you enjoy rollicking travel adventure stories told by an opinionated older man, then this book is for you. Personally, I particularly enjoyed the chapter in which the author went into minute detail regarding what constitutes a country--and according to whom. I hadn't realized there were so many opinions to be had on the subject. Unfortunately, some of the strong attitudes expressed by the author clash quite strongly with values that I hold, so that dampened my enjoyment of the read somewhat.
Side note: Mongolia rises higher and higher on my list of countries I'd like to visit soon.
October 3, 2019
I really enjoyed this book, mainly because it was pretty awe-inspiring to hear from someone who has been to every single country in the world. There were some great adventures, close calls, and the kind of cool stories you'd expect from a travel memoir like this. However, I wish he would have told more of the cool stories and left out some of the minutiae about his difficulties getting visas to certain places. I also could have done without all the bragging about all the women he hooked up with (it was just a mention here and there, but I thought it really had no place in the book, and didn't contribute at all to the tales of his travel adventures). Overall, an interesting read!
April 7, 2015
I loved this book despite I would never want to meet this author. He is quite full of himself, chauvinistic with an out of this world ego, that would irritate the heck out of me. That said, his book is a fascinating romp whereby he tries to travel to every country in the world in his 50 years. With seemingly endless pocket money he travels everywhere often using the most circuitous routes. For a travel junkie, this is the hashish of voyeuristic journalism. Along the way, i learned fascinating obscure tidbits that made me put new countries onto my bucket list. His ostentatious bravado create disturbing drama and some white-knuckle adventures that made for a very enjoyable read..;
March 25, 2015
I knew by chapter 2 that this book was getting a 5 star rating. This book is storytelling at its finest. Follow along with Albert Podell as he pushes toward his goal of setting foot in every country on Earth. Told with humor and insight, the reader begins to realize just how much of the world is not just different and foreign, but completely unknown or unknowable.
Pick up this book! You will not be disappointed.
Pick up this book! You will not be disappointed.
February 25, 2021
Marvelous! Full of humour, adventure, wit, compassion, stories (oh, stories!), trouble, political analysis, a keen eye for social overview, frail, imperfect bur warm and human like few books are. And yes, the all-time sign of an intelligent person: self-mocking and irony. A treat of a book.
March 13, 2018
I picked up this book to satisfy the wanderlust in me. Coz, I know for a fact that I will not travel to all the countries in the world, neither do I have the desire to nor the financial and mental ability to do that. So why not read about other peoples' adventures. That, this book does perfectly.
As promised, Podell does not go into useless stories from every country he visited, and slides in interesting nuggets while relegating stories from other parts of the world. As guaranteed every story is interesting and tells you a little bit about that country. I also appreciated his stand on what he calls a country and how he defined visiting it.
Am not sure if you'll be inspired to travel to each country, coz that is not the goal of this book. The book is to just tell Podell's experiences, that's all. And that, he does with not a hint of modesty and humility. He is not looking for greater meanings and learnings through his travels(as Instagram makes me believe everyone else is doing), he just wants to achieve his goal of going to every country - simple.
His observations allude to the impact of civilization on nature, ravages of colonization and survival strategies humans have used in the most harsh landscapes. He doesn't romanticize any country, talks about every story with just the right touch of reality and makes it personal. As much as I disliked his outlandish tone in some parts of the book, I admired the fact that he stayed close to reality. I totally disliked the mention of the various girlfriends he left across the world, that felt like a showoff to me and totally not necessary. His non-superior tone when he talks about his outings and charity make the book a good read too.
You cannot be anything but sad when you travel through the slave routes in Gambia. You cannot romanticize Haiti or the war-trod countries in Africa. No matter how much you love traveling, I really doubt if you'll enjoy taking long detours for what could be a 2 hour hop. You cannot be so blind in your love for a country that you forget about it's third-world-ness that you do not take precautions for protecting yourself. There is nothing beautiful about the toilets in some parts of Asia and Africa. And when you are on the road, you'd better suck it up and ready anything edible you get (on that note, if you get grossed out on reading about weird food people eat, you'd better skip the entire food chapter). All these are facts he mentions as part of his stories.
I'd recommend this book if you are interested in knowing and the world. And what it takes to be a world traveler. Do not pick this up if you are sometimes who look to love and respect your author, coz Podell didn't inspire that in me. Pick up this book for witty stories about parts of the world you didn't know existed
As promised, Podell does not go into useless stories from every country he visited, and slides in interesting nuggets while relegating stories from other parts of the world. As guaranteed every story is interesting and tells you a little bit about that country. I also appreciated his stand on what he calls a country and how he defined visiting it.
Am not sure if you'll be inspired to travel to each country, coz that is not the goal of this book. The book is to just tell Podell's experiences, that's all. And that, he does with not a hint of modesty and humility. He is not looking for greater meanings and learnings through his travels(as Instagram makes me believe everyone else is doing), he just wants to achieve his goal of going to every country - simple.
His observations allude to the impact of civilization on nature, ravages of colonization and survival strategies humans have used in the most harsh landscapes. He doesn't romanticize any country, talks about every story with just the right touch of reality and makes it personal. As much as I disliked his outlandish tone in some parts of the book, I admired the fact that he stayed close to reality. I totally disliked the mention of the various girlfriends he left across the world, that felt like a showoff to me and totally not necessary. His non-superior tone when he talks about his outings and charity make the book a good read too.
You cannot be anything but sad when you travel through the slave routes in Gambia. You cannot romanticize Haiti or the war-trod countries in Africa. No matter how much you love traveling, I really doubt if you'll enjoy taking long detours for what could be a 2 hour hop. You cannot be so blind in your love for a country that you forget about it's third-world-ness that you do not take precautions for protecting yourself. There is nothing beautiful about the toilets in some parts of Asia and Africa. And when you are on the road, you'd better suck it up and ready anything edible you get (on that note, if you get grossed out on reading about weird food people eat, you'd better skip the entire food chapter). All these are facts he mentions as part of his stories.
I'd recommend this book if you are interested in knowing and the world. And what it takes to be a world traveler. Do not pick this up if you are sometimes who look to love and respect your author, coz Podell didn't inspire that in me. Pick up this book for witty stories about parts of the world you didn't know existed
December 19, 2014
Beginning in 1965, with his around the world expedition (with his friend Steve), Albert Podell had visited every independent recognized country in world. This included all of the nations that belong to the UN, Taiwan and Vatican City for a total of 196. Some countries he had to visit more than once (like Czechoslavakia and Yugoslavia) after those countries had split up.
Chapters two through seven which discuss his Around the World Expedition had been written about before and read differently from the rest of the book. Maybe, because they were written almost fifty years ago when he was young and wistful. He didn’t actually decide to make this a worldwide event until after he realized he had already been to 87 by the 1980s. He has a reasonable discussion as to what qualifies as a “country”. (At one point he visited Somaliland which is not a recognized country.
There are great discussions about how hard it is to visit some countries. Some are just difficult to get to, because of poor transportation or civil wars. He prides himself that he doesn’t just land in the airport, check in at customs, get his passport stamped and then leave. He spent a bit of time in almost every one of these countries, more than half of which he drove across either east to west and north to south.
He doesn’t write about every country but probably covers at least fifty. There are countries in here that most of us probably never heard of or if we did, had no idea where they were. Take for example the independent countries in the Pacific Ocean like Naura, Kiribati, or Vanuatu. Your might know them by their colonial names but wouldn’t have any idea of what type of government they had or what their economy depended on.
Countries such as Iran, North Korea and Burma (Myanmar) would be places that you would expect him to have trouble getting a visa for, but what about Angola and Saudi Arabia. Of course some countries considered him to be a CIA spy (Venezuela for one) and during his time there always felt like he was being followed. In others (after paying a bribe to get his passport stamped) the locals couldn’t figure out why he was there.
What was saddest for me was his discussion of the corruption and poverty in many Asian and African countries. Having been in Spain during Franco’s Regime and in Yugoslavia and East Germany, before the wall came down, I can remember the paranoia of the locals fearing to talk to you or even smile. For people who think themselves adventurous, this could be a good eye opener.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
Chapters two through seven which discuss his Around the World Expedition had been written about before and read differently from the rest of the book. Maybe, because they were written almost fifty years ago when he was young and wistful. He didn’t actually decide to make this a worldwide event until after he realized he had already been to 87 by the 1980s. He has a reasonable discussion as to what qualifies as a “country”. (At one point he visited Somaliland which is not a recognized country.
There are great discussions about how hard it is to visit some countries. Some are just difficult to get to, because of poor transportation or civil wars. He prides himself that he doesn’t just land in the airport, check in at customs, get his passport stamped and then leave. He spent a bit of time in almost every one of these countries, more than half of which he drove across either east to west and north to south.
He doesn’t write about every country but probably covers at least fifty. There are countries in here that most of us probably never heard of or if we did, had no idea where they were. Take for example the independent countries in the Pacific Ocean like Naura, Kiribati, or Vanuatu. Your might know them by their colonial names but wouldn’t have any idea of what type of government they had or what their economy depended on.
Countries such as Iran, North Korea and Burma (Myanmar) would be places that you would expect him to have trouble getting a visa for, but what about Angola and Saudi Arabia. Of course some countries considered him to be a CIA spy (Venezuela for one) and during his time there always felt like he was being followed. In others (after paying a bribe to get his passport stamped) the locals couldn’t figure out why he was there.
What was saddest for me was his discussion of the corruption and poverty in many Asian and African countries. Having been in Spain during Franco’s Regime and in Yugoslavia and East Germany, before the wall came down, I can remember the paranoia of the locals fearing to talk to you or even smile. For people who think themselves adventurous, this could be a good eye opener.
Zeb Kantrowitz zworstblog.blogspot.com
January 3, 2016
I found this to be a really interesting collection of observations and stories from many years of travel throughout the world. Some parts contain sobering descriptions of the tragedies and difficulties of life in various countries. Then, there are parts that are incredibly informative about places and topics of which I have very little knowledge. Finally, there are sections that are just plain laugh out loud funny and completely entertaining. It presents a broad picture of unique places and adventures from a perspective very different from my own experiences.
I started this book expecting it to focus more on parts of the world lesser traveled by Americans and tourists in general, and this was definitely the case. I would have liked to have read more about the places considered more accessible or more likely to be visited, but still not really well-known. For example, I feel like there are places in Europe that I would have enjoyed reading more about in comparison to the author's perspective on the places he did describe. In addition, I would have liked more detail about some of those favorite countries for things such as scenery and heritage that are mentioned in the final chapter, but barely mentioned throughout the main text. In comparison to the places he did describe, what made these other places move to the top of the list?
This was definitely a worthwhile read, especially for those with an interest in travel or just looking for another perspective on the world around us.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
I started this book expecting it to focus more on parts of the world lesser traveled by Americans and tourists in general, and this was definitely the case. I would have liked to have read more about the places considered more accessible or more likely to be visited, but still not really well-known. For example, I feel like there are places in Europe that I would have enjoyed reading more about in comparison to the author's perspective on the places he did describe. In addition, I would have liked more detail about some of those favorite countries for things such as scenery and heritage that are mentioned in the final chapter, but barely mentioned throughout the main text. In comparison to the places he did describe, what made these other places move to the top of the list?
This was definitely a worthwhile read, especially for those with an interest in travel or just looking for another perspective on the world around us.
* I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
April 15, 2018
Every country in the world in just 350 pages? Impossible. Naturally, this book provides only tidbits and anecdotes. Albert Podell writes mostly well and funny, albeit sometimes he comes of as feeling superior to the “primitive” countries. Even though I was a little sad that nearly no country I knew was included in the book, in the end I was happy. I did not get to agree (or disagree) with Podell's view on countries I knew but got to know completely new ones.
However, my enjoyment of the book was extremely dampened by the way the author talks about his encounters with women and his general view on women. Although mostly cloaked in appreciative and flattering words, in the end he was too much of a chauvinistic macho (and proud of it) for me. The moment I wanted to quit this book was when he talked about a supposedly "thai massage" he and his friend enjoyed. Buddy, a thai massage is not sex with a little bit of back-rubbing! What he describes is an hour of prostitution and has nothing to do with a thai massage!
I only skimmed through the rest of the book because this falsehood made me seriously dislike him and question the things he presents as facts about culture and custom of countries I am unfamiliar with.
In conclusion, it has some interesting and informative snapshots of countries off the well-trodden tourist routes (Lesotho, for example) but I seriously doubt many of the things he presents as facts. In the end, I would not recommend this book.
However, my enjoyment of the book was extremely dampened by the way the author talks about his encounters with women and his general view on women. Although mostly cloaked in appreciative and flattering words, in the end he was too much of a chauvinistic macho (and proud of it) for me. The moment I wanted to quit this book was when he talked about a supposedly "thai massage" he and his friend enjoyed. Buddy, a thai massage is not sex with a little bit of back-rubbing! What he describes is an hour of prostitution and has nothing to do with a thai massage!
I only skimmed through the rest of the book because this falsehood made me seriously dislike him and question the things he presents as facts about culture and custom of countries I am unfamiliar with.
In conclusion, it has some interesting and informative snapshots of countries off the well-trodden tourist routes (Lesotho, for example) but I seriously doubt many of the things he presents as facts. In the end, I would not recommend this book.
March 22, 2015
Editing travel magazine Argosy, the author teamed up with a reporter and photographer and decided to take the longest land journey that could be managed around the world, in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. This was in 1964 and all kinds of troubles and wars were under way; one photographer was killed by the Viet Cong in Cambodia. Pakistan declared war while the team travelled through the country and all foreign journalists became suspect as possible spies, so that the author was almost lynched.
The bugs, leeches and minefields posed their own problems, reminding me of Len Beadell's books about carving Australia's great long roads out of the outback. The people were by turns devious, thieving, hardworking and keen to buy women travelling with the team.
This book details only the more remote and hard to enter countries that the author has visited during his life, scattered over many years, as he claims to have visited every country in the world, seven of which no longer exist. The stories come so thick and fast that it is hard to take them all in at one sitting, so I recommend reading the book over a few stages in order to appreciate not only each journey, but the kind of life that would result from this constant travelling. I recommend this read to any armchair traveller or anyone with a thirst for adventure.
The bugs, leeches and minefields posed their own problems, reminding me of Len Beadell's books about carving Australia's great long roads out of the outback. The people were by turns devious, thieving, hardworking and keen to buy women travelling with the team.
This book details only the more remote and hard to enter countries that the author has visited during his life, scattered over many years, as he claims to have visited every country in the world, seven of which no longer exist. The stories come so thick and fast that it is hard to take them all in at one sitting, so I recommend reading the book over a few stages in order to appreciate not only each journey, but the kind of life that would result from this constant travelling. I recommend this read to any armchair traveller or anyone with a thirst for adventure.
December 12, 2017
This is NOT a book for you if you are a) looking for a fast read b) looking for a thriller with plot twists that will keep you awake at night.
This IS a book for you if you are a traveler or you are thinking about becoming one. It is a book about life on the road. The real aspect of it. Not the one fancy Instagram accounts feed you with every day. It is a book for you if you want to learn about the world and this beautiful planet of ours. It took me few weeks to read this book just because I kept researching about the places Podell wrote about.
You might like or dislike Podell as a person but the fact that he actually went to every single country in the world and the fact that he actually learned and explored all of them will make you appreciate his feat. As an avid traveler myself, I get terribly annoyed with all these records people are setting just because they are counting airports as visits to a country or just because they took trains through countries. Traveling is not about numbers. It is about learning and discovering. Connecting with places and people. And that's exactly how Podell did it.
This IS a book for you if you are a traveler or you are thinking about becoming one. It is a book about life on the road. The real aspect of it. Not the one fancy Instagram accounts feed you with every day. It is a book for you if you want to learn about the world and this beautiful planet of ours. It took me few weeks to read this book just because I kept researching about the places Podell wrote about.
You might like or dislike Podell as a person but the fact that he actually went to every single country in the world and the fact that he actually learned and explored all of them will make you appreciate his feat. As an avid traveler myself, I get terribly annoyed with all these records people are setting just because they are counting airports as visits to a country or just because they took trains through countries. Traveling is not about numbers. It is about learning and discovering. Connecting with places and people. And that's exactly how Podell did it.
January 6, 2015
At times laugh-out-loud funny, Albert Podell's story of his worldly travels is both informative and enjoyable to read. It took me longer than average to finish this book because it is rather long and does drag occasionally. I wish he had included more of his mainstream travels rather than primarily the most dangerous and poorest countries on earth, but I understand the purpose of the omission.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with a taste for adventure, especially anyone considering undertaking the same challenge.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with a taste for adventure, especially anyone considering undertaking the same challenge.
December 17, 2014
A good travel book should unite a number of elements, and I'm happy to see that my friend Al's book does them all. And seamlessly. There's adventure, information and analysis, and Al has gotten them all just right. There are plenty of hair-raising and death-defying moments, but Al doesn't just stop at his itinerary, but provides not only a lot of background information on where he is but a sophisticated political, economic and social commentary--as well. Plus the writing is consistently vivid and exciting. As Michelin says, Worth the trip.
July 3, 2020
This is my first ever review of a book. This book sucked. I can't believe how someone can travel the world and be so negative about everything. He never mentions anything nice about any culture or anything nice about any of the people he meets. The guy is an arrogant, judgmental, sexist asshole that really made this book unreadable. Most of the book is about his truck breaking down and him getting mugged. I got halfway into the book before I decided to stop wasting my time.
May 9, 2016
It was a fun read. There was a lot of good advice, fun stories, and enjoyable humor. Some parts were a little 'really man?', i.e. 'I pay my tax dollars so you should help me' to a US embassy, and a few other parts that made him seem like he thought he was 'above everything'. Beyond that, worth a read.
July 14, 2023
As far as adventure goes, this story is amazing… but the author is (1) a creep and (2) seems to hate every country he visits. So many eurocentric, misogynistic comments and so little commentary about the actual people in these countries
August 2, 2025
Everyone has a travel dream, but not many people want to travel to every country in the world. In this book, the author shared the most memorable experiences from travelling around the world. Of course, those stories in this book are from countries people rarely visit. The unusual experience is what he (so do I) is looking for. We want to experience the variations in life, no matter it is better or worse. Those experiences make a person more open-minded, more accepting, and more compassionate towards other human beings. There are so many different ways to live a life. But at the same time, just like the author said, "you have to take troubles, misfortunes, adventures, disruptions, disasters, as life throws at you, make the best of them, and, if possible, try to use the accidentally cracked eggs to make a nourishing omelet or a piece of abstract art".
C'est La Vie. C'est le voyage.
C'est La Vie. C'est le voyage.
January 16, 2016
My feelings about the book varied wildly as I read. My overall opinion is that there were many interesting things about it but a huge red flag (read on for more information) almost caused me to 1 star it and will prevent me from recommending it; the readers I know would have the same negative reaction I did.
What I liked (3 stars):
- "Dad" jokes..."As a safety measure against a campfire conflagration, the Uros had imported a few medium-sized rocks from the mainland to serve as insulating platforms for their cook stoves. Very few. Because the Uros know that people who live in grass houses shouldn't stow stones." and "I was tempted to write a short poem about [the different types of lemurs], which would have been my first lemurick".
- Fun (or not so fun) facts..."the combined annuals GDPs of those 48 poorest nations is less than the combined net worth of the three richest men in America"; In Madagascar, the family exhumes the bodies of loved ones after five or six years of burial, washes the bones and anoints them with honey, dances with the bones and parades through the streets, and then puts them in a smaller coffin and takes them home to catch them up on what's changed while they were gone; and foreigners can't rent cars in Mongolia, they can only hire cars with drivers.
- He really threw himself into each trip and tried to be as "non touristy" as he could with his lodging and food. In his words, "An essential part of the discovery and adventure (and sometimes the delight) of travel comes from sampling the unusual foods the locals eat, foods they're been eating for hundreds of years without noticeable harm. Dining on the indigenous fare also helped me better understand the local culture and economy and they way they lived." Leading to this quote from the gentle scolding he got while looking for mice shish-kebabs: "We are all sold out for today. Come back tomorrow around noon. Your customs must be different from ours. We eat mice only for lunch."
- How he met the children he sponsored through ChildFund and brought them presents and bought them goats, taking the time to research and find the best goat for each family.
What was okay but a little offputting (2 stars):
- I know he said nothing is exaggerated but how many close calls or coincidences can one person have? Seemed unbelievable.
- It seemed better suited for someone more interested in the logistics of travel; I want to know about the actual places, not the clothes he wore or how many times they had to change a tire.
- He doesn't seem to think highly of women at all. He described the takin as "an odd beast with the head of a goat, the nose of a moose, and the body of a cow, that reminded me of some of my worst blind dates", he lamented how getting older prevented him from "hunting quail" because the "20-something beauties who roused my interest" were no longer interested in him, he described women he saw as though they were part of the scenery, and he included as one of his ranks the countries with "the type of women I like" (incidentally, he didn't marry until his trips were complete and the woman he married, 49 years his junior, was from one of the countries on this list).
The moment that caused me to rage (1 star):
- The things he said about women that I already mentioned rubbed me the wrong way but weren't enough to really piss me off. Until THIS QUOTE (It's a long one; I want his full words to really sink in how disgusted I felt)...
"My long background evaluating female bodies provided me with vital sociopolitical insight as to why Yemeni women average a svelte and inviting 115 pounds while Saudi women tip the scales over 210, why these lithe ladies glide by in shimmering black silk robes while the similarly attired Saudi women plod by like oxcarts whose wheels are out of line."
He then lists 5 reasons for this difference. I will spare you all of them and just quote this one, #4 on his list:
"Although times may be changing a little in Saudi Arabia, it is still a bastion of arranged marriages, where the parents pick the mates and the parties take whatever is offered. In Yemen, the teenagers are more independent, and often conduct lengthy courting interviews before marrying, interviews in which looking like an oxcart would not be advantageous - unless the prospective husband is primarily seeking someone capable of heavy hauling."
In the end I went with 2 stars. Looking at my breakdowns, the good outweighed the bad but the bad was SO bad that I couldn't go higher.
A Few Quotes from the Book
"From their misunderstanding, I learned valuable lessons that helped me through years of foreign travel: If you speak a different language than the other, make sure - unmistakably sure - you and the other person are in agreement. Be sensitive when you're in a position of power, as a hotel guest is with an employee. Never assume that a member of a foreign culture will readily undertake an act that is proscribed in her society. And avoid presuming that just because a person is poor or working class, they'll do anything you want - even if you're the head of the IMF."
"Despite my e-mailed entreaties to my friends asking that they not try to talk me out of my plans, only ten of them advised me to "Go For It!" - four adventurous types, three free spirits, two beneficiaries of my will, and one who asked to be added to it."
Find all my reviews at: http://readingatrandom.blogspot.com/
What I liked (3 stars):
- "Dad" jokes..."As a safety measure against a campfire conflagration, the Uros had imported a few medium-sized rocks from the mainland to serve as insulating platforms for their cook stoves. Very few. Because the Uros know that people who live in grass houses shouldn't stow stones." and "I was tempted to write a short poem about [the different types of lemurs], which would have been my first lemurick".
- Fun (or not so fun) facts..."the combined annuals GDPs of those 48 poorest nations is less than the combined net worth of the three richest men in America"; In Madagascar, the family exhumes the bodies of loved ones after five or six years of burial, washes the bones and anoints them with honey, dances with the bones and parades through the streets, and then puts them in a smaller coffin and takes them home to catch them up on what's changed while they were gone; and foreigners can't rent cars in Mongolia, they can only hire cars with drivers.
- He really threw himself into each trip and tried to be as "non touristy" as he could with his lodging and food. In his words, "An essential part of the discovery and adventure (and sometimes the delight) of travel comes from sampling the unusual foods the locals eat, foods they're been eating for hundreds of years without noticeable harm. Dining on the indigenous fare also helped me better understand the local culture and economy and they way they lived." Leading to this quote from the gentle scolding he got while looking for mice shish-kebabs: "We are all sold out for today. Come back tomorrow around noon. Your customs must be different from ours. We eat mice only for lunch."
- How he met the children he sponsored through ChildFund and brought them presents and bought them goats, taking the time to research and find the best goat for each family.
What was okay but a little offputting (2 stars):
- I know he said nothing is exaggerated but how many close calls or coincidences can one person have? Seemed unbelievable.
- It seemed better suited for someone more interested in the logistics of travel; I want to know about the actual places, not the clothes he wore or how many times they had to change a tire.
- He doesn't seem to think highly of women at all. He described the takin as "an odd beast with the head of a goat, the nose of a moose, and the body of a cow, that reminded me of some of my worst blind dates", he lamented how getting older prevented him from "hunting quail" because the "20-something beauties who roused my interest" were no longer interested in him, he described women he saw as though they were part of the scenery, and he included as one of his ranks the countries with "the type of women I like" (incidentally, he didn't marry until his trips were complete and the woman he married, 49 years his junior, was from one of the countries on this list).
The moment that caused me to rage (1 star):
- The things he said about women that I already mentioned rubbed me the wrong way but weren't enough to really piss me off. Until THIS QUOTE (It's a long one; I want his full words to really sink in how disgusted I felt)...
"My long background evaluating female bodies provided me with vital sociopolitical insight as to why Yemeni women average a svelte and inviting 115 pounds while Saudi women tip the scales over 210, why these lithe ladies glide by in shimmering black silk robes while the similarly attired Saudi women plod by like oxcarts whose wheels are out of line."
He then lists 5 reasons for this difference. I will spare you all of them and just quote this one, #4 on his list:
"Although times may be changing a little in Saudi Arabia, it is still a bastion of arranged marriages, where the parents pick the mates and the parties take whatever is offered. In Yemen, the teenagers are more independent, and often conduct lengthy courting interviews before marrying, interviews in which looking like an oxcart would not be advantageous - unless the prospective husband is primarily seeking someone capable of heavy hauling."
In the end I went with 2 stars. Looking at my breakdowns, the good outweighed the bad but the bad was SO bad that I couldn't go higher.
A Few Quotes from the Book
"From their misunderstanding, I learned valuable lessons that helped me through years of foreign travel: If you speak a different language than the other, make sure - unmistakably sure - you and the other person are in agreement. Be sensitive when you're in a position of power, as a hotel guest is with an employee. Never assume that a member of a foreign culture will readily undertake an act that is proscribed in her society. And avoid presuming that just because a person is poor or working class, they'll do anything you want - even if you're the head of the IMF."
"Despite my e-mailed entreaties to my friends asking that they not try to talk me out of my plans, only ten of them advised me to "Go For It!" - four adventurous types, three free spirits, two beneficiaries of my will, and one who asked to be added to it."
Find all my reviews at: http://readingatrandom.blogspot.com/
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