picked it up from a freebie table on a whim, because the title was catchy. turned out to be a pretty quick entertaining read. gained some insight on how LP works. later learned that there was some media fuss over this book. eh. ( )

I didn't think it was all that bad. Thomas is definitely a sleaze ball kind of guy, but it was a fun, quick read. I did find it valuable to learn how little true research goes into some of these travelguides. ( )

Wow, did I hate this book. What an ass. ( )

Kohnstamm's memoir is not so much about writing his first guidebook for Lonely Planet as it is a self-congratulatory screed lauding substance abuse, poor choices, dubious sexual encounters, and generally unpleasant behavior. Kohnstamm seems to think he's charming and attractive, yet there's little in his self-description to inclines the reader in that direction. I was willing to hold my distaste in abeyance until he sold drugs to supplement his income, at which point I read more from determination to finish than from interest. Kohnstamm seems to need life to be dramatic to be meaningful, and appears to view only drugs and bad behavior as authentic. In his list of categories of travel writers, he omits "unhappy drunk ," though he illustrates it nicely throughout. Two stars for the parts that are interesting, though it's like wiping away someone else's vomit to get to them. ( )

I love to travel and enjoy reading travel writing so I picked up this tale at my local library. It proved to be a fast, light read that was entertaining if somewhat unfulfilling. The reader is treated to the author's adventures in sex, drinking, drug-taking/dealing, and occasional efforts to write a guidebook to Brazil for Lonely Planet. It's a bit of a contrast in styles; on one hand he is completely irresponsible, quitting a job on Wall Street and breaking up with a long-time girlfriend to take part in this lurid adventure, but seems to genuinely care about writing a decent guide to the country.

The parts of the book that deal with the authors challenges and anxieties about writing the guidebook were fairly engaging. I couldn't help but imagine how I would try and write a travel guide and compared that to the authors efforts. Considering his time and budget, the research and writing seem like an impossible task and should be a wake up to anyone dreams of one day becoming a travel guide writer.

The rest of the book is an alcohol-fueled sex-romp through Brazil that gets a bit repetitive but stays entertaining and not tedious. The author is talented at painting quick but vivid portraits of the people he meets (locals and fellow travelers alike), but does a comparatively poor job at describing the cities he visits. I suppose that's what the Lonely Planet book is for, but still, I kept thinking that this story could have been anywhere.

It's not a book I would recommend to my parents or anyone else uptight, but if you're thinking of writing a guidebook or enjoy light travel writing, this could be for you! Overall my recommendation is borrow, not buy, this book. ( )