2008-02-29 Are you prepared to make the journey?

At first I found little to admire about Mr. Dyer - a self-confessed drug-taking slacker. At the same time I couldn't help but envy him - his ability to feel at home in many places across the globe, each with a girlfriend attached, and an endless supply of free time in which to enjoy them. Then there is his effortless knowledge of cultures and philosophies, in fact everything seems effortless!

Of course the author does make a contribution to the world - it is in his writing. This is candid and often amusing. It is precisely because he takes the time in any one place we get something more insightful than any travel brochure/etc.

OK, it is easy to wish he HAD tried a little harder, and philosophised a little deeper, and edited a little more. But I guess if you try to force the pace you'd loose a lot of what this book is about - an experience rather than just a sense. And, yes, it jars to step into Dyer-time, but I admit, in the end, I found it an interesting and enjoyable place to be! If you are not prepared to make the journey, then why read a travel book!