Customer Reviews

101 Countries: Discovering the World Through Fast Travel

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3 star:		(1)
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Mr. Parmar's book is an excellent guide for those who see the world from a very human point of view. His narrative is easy to place into a context of not just travel, but travel through cultures, personalities, lives, and life. There is a real sense of adventure that seems to be missing in most fiction, but also an element of curiosity and facination that some other travel writing lacks.

On a more practical level, this book has great value to would-be travellers (though seasoned travellers will certainly be rewarded with the text). By examining the small realities of world travel, those for whom attempting trips outside of comfort zones seemed unimaginable can see the potential of exploration of humanity through real travel.

It must be a terrible burden to travel while being weighed down by the burden of plenty, openly disdaining one's own home life while glorifying anything that is different. I really wanted to like this book. As an avid traveller and travellogue reader, I was interested in the outlook of the ADD generation. It is a wonder to check off so many names without actually noticing the places you rip through and deriding those who actually take the time to absorb another culture. I hope Parmar's sensibilities mature in time to actually notice where he travels even to the point where he can at least assemble a small list of favorite places instead of relying upon snarky answers.

Granted, there are some interesting parts of this book. These occur when the travelers back off the hammer and actually try to see and experience an area. All he seems to have now is an extensive list of places as flat as the sheet of paper they are written upon.

While searching for travel books for my trip to Asia last year, I came across this book and read through it. I was curious what Fast Travel meant because I too had limited time, wanted to see as much of the world as I could, and all of this on a tight budget. Frankly, I didn't think such a thing was possible without money and lots of time, but this book proves me wrong.

The accounts of the author are captured in a short descriptive manner which gets the point across and has you longing for more information. Several times along the way he has run-ins with the authorities which require him to pay a bribe or a penalty or some other form of tomfoolery. It makes you realize how different each country really is.

The book isn't written like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide travel guides. It is more about the real-life experience of the author. Where he slept, what he saw, how he made contacts and connections, how he communicated, how he travelled, but most importantly what he ate. You realize in the beginning the author is vegetarian and in some countries finding food or communicating that you are vegetarian can be quite tricky. Being vegetarian myself, I find I can relate to it and picked up some knowledge for my own worldly travels regarding cheap methods of sleep, food, and making contacts.

It's definitely hard to put this book down because you are always curious as to what's going to happen next in the travels of the author.

While your goal may not be to see 101 countries but only a handful, this book still applies. If you are a traveller like I am, but want to know about the real experiences behind worldly travel beyond the travel guides, I highly recommend this book.

Being an avid reader of just about anything I can lay my hands on, I stumbled on this book quite by accident. And what a pleasure I found within! This book not only opened my eyes to parts of the world that I had never really given much thought but also revealed an inner strength and motivation of the primary cast - specifically PJ - prompting a desire for the opportunity to meet him some day.
If I was a grammar teacher, I would of course make some changes within the text, but that is certainly not the point of this book and actually lends to its charm. As I moved from chapter to chapter, I couldn't wait to see where he would go next, what his next challenge would be, and who he would encounter at his next oasis. It is the people and the cultures described within the places that makes this an excellent read and the fact that Mr. Parmar does such an exemplary job at making you feel that you are right by his side during the journey.

PJ, Where are we going next?

If you think about traveling but you don't know where to go, you need this book. The author has crossed over 101 countries, so you'll find a lot of useful information in it. The book contains maps and cool pictures, especially the one of the Turk family. A good complement to the Lonely Planet!

I'm waiting for the next tome!

I am currently using Parmar's book in my suburban Boston high school Social Studies classroom (World History 1800-2004), to increase students' geographical and cultural awareness. My students love the book, and look forward to their reading assignments. They often comment on Parmar's matter-of-fact and sometimes humorous descriptions of the places he's visited. Complicated world issues-like the Israeli/Palestinian conflict-are presented in simple terms, making 101 Countries perfect as a supplement to standard history textbooks. As a teacher, I am convinced that my American students, notorious for lacking the itch to travel the world, are a little more likely to travel beyond the comfortable boundaries of Europe having read this book.

Another important thing to note. If you email P.J! Parmar at PJPARMAR1@YAHOO.COM, he will send you a free "curriculum guide" with questions for homework assignments and teaching strategies in the classroom. This has been really beneficial as a teacher.

Traveling has always fascinated me. Ever since I was a little child growing up in rural Guatemala, exploring has been my dream. I always dreamed of doing what P.J. Parmar is doing: traveling around the world with not much more than the clothes he has on. Going from one exciting and unpredictable place to another yet more exciting and unpredictable.
Parmar amazes me with the simplicity and acuracy of his narration. His appreciation and respect for other cultures and civilizations is evident in every page. You will definitely get more out of reading this book than you will from your glossy travel agency guides and magazines.
I enthusiastically recommend this book to all travelers around the world, especially to those interested in more than the spas and beach resorts of a country.
Reading this book makes me want to go back to the times when I could afford being adventurous. Maybe that time is not gone yet, maybe it never will.

PJ presented his trip at an REI store and I was really impressed. I ordered the book the next day and wasn't disappointed at all. He details his experiences traveling all across the globe and a keen eye able to pick out small cultural details that are often overlooked.

If you've ever wanted to do a long trip, this book will definitely help you plan from getting from point A to B and on to Z.

Great book! Highly recommended!

as a public school teacher, i'm grateful to finally have an insightful and unique text to get my kids excited about geography. the author's sense of adventure and reckless approach to conquering geography is just the key to unlock 7th grade boredom. i've already begun planning my trip to siberia.

Traveling for business all the time, I read a lot on Planes. Granted I don't get out of the country much, but this book made me feel like leaving work to see the world. It made flight time pass wishing I was on board for a few more hours to finish it in one flight... needless to say this book was awesome. Read it and then pass it on to your kids to give them some inspiration.