In this collection of Theroux's shorter travel writings, he writes of sweatshops in Dongguan, massage parlours in Kowloon, jellyfish in Palau and bomb craters on Chrsitmas Island.

Whether visiting the King of the Lozis at a bend in the Zambezi river or crossing the United States in a railway car of unsurpassable luxury, relating his experiments with biblical dieting, or detailing the illneses and diseases suffered in half a lifetime of travel, Paul Theroux, the fresh-air fiend himself, is always an entertaining and honest guide.

Full of startling encounters and memorable scenes, fascinating and sometimes bizarre locations, and enlightening musings on themes as various as sexual attraction and the point of travel writing itself, this extensive collection of his shorter pieces is a rich and remarkable book from a superb writer.

'Theroux remains the standard by which other travel writing must be judged'Observer

Paul Therouxhas written many works of fiction and travel writing, including the modern classicThe Great Railway, Bazaar, The Old Patagonian Express, My Secret HistoryandThe Mosquito Coasts. Paul Theroux divides his time between Cape Cod and the Hawaiian islands.