Customer Reviews

Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for Women Who Are Changing the World

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Adventure Divas" epitomizes a certain expression I'm very familiar with professionally: "Plans are what you make on the way to what happens." What happens "on the way" to Holly Morris and her crew is hilarious, gutsy, and crammed with challenges that never deter this determined young author. Her readers - soon to be a loyal, enthralled legion - will appreciate Morris's infinite curiosity, her insightfulness and full-speed-ahead attitude as well as her willingness to volunteer herself for uncomfortable (her exposure to leeches is unforgettable) and downright dangerous situations. Everyone gets a peek into the lives and psyches of remarkable women from around the world. Their cultures include locales many armchair travelers are unlikely to visit. Morris's intimate writing style, her willingness to share her fears, frustrations, and joy lets the reader celebrate along side her as she locates and interviews her Divas.

For me? I felt I was reading the travel diary of a treasured friend. Biggest thrill? That camel race Morris entered without a second thought in Niger's Sahara. That was the "nutgrab" for me (let her describe her "nutgrab" image); quintessentially Holly: gutsy, competitive, and at times impulsive. She started her personal camel Derby with the cry, "I want to win," which all-too-rapidly became "I want to live!" As the first woman ever to enter a Tuareg camel race, Holly came in second (to last).

Her recorded exploits have inspired me to plan a Diva journey of my own. Her website: [...] is a wonderful resource for planning your Diva trip. When you read this delightful book yourself, don't be surprised if by the end you're not glancing longingly at your own knapsack....and preparing to embark on your very own Diva Adventure. Sharon Bordeau,LCSW, NY

Okay, this book was our last book club read. Three of our seven members did a quick review below (we're going to do it after each read). Opinions may differ, but I think you'll get the idea. The synopsis, in a nutshell: the author, bored with her day job and hankering for a little TV celebrity/adventure, asked her mom (a PBS producer) to help put together a show about feminists around the world. She travels to India, New Zealand, Borneo, etc., joins a wild camel race in Niger, gets her period, finds deeper meaning in pubic hair and offers various other insights into womens' lives in other countries. WARNING: we read this book on the heels of "Reading Lolita in Tehran" (both books address similar themes) and unfortunately, Lolita is a tough act to follow:

STACY: I was a little disappointed. After "Reading Lolita," which really describes in horrifying detail the outright represssion women have to live under in a very personal way, these stories just sort of skimmed the surface and don't really go deep. I liked the author's chutzpah in producing her tv project, but the fact that her mother was already a producer for PBS sort of mitigated the whole "self-reinvention/chuck your day job" for me. 3 stars.

BEN: Yes, I am the ONLY male member of this group so pity me please guys-- this is the third feminist book I've had to read this year and no I don't do this to pick up chicks. I get the next selection and it's definitely going to be Norman Mailer. Some of the stories are funny, but the whole book is a little incosistent. The authors talent lies in describing her own personal adventures, but the historical stuff just bored me and I skipped these sections. I also agree with Stacy. READING LOLITA was incredible, so it's always hard when we follow something tremendous up with something okay. 3 STARS

MICHAELA: Ben is so whiny. This book isn't a bad one, and I actually liked the stuff about the authors period. Some people were bothered by how she had to have her mom help her, but it didn't bother me at all (who cares-- it's PBS). I think this is a good intro book for younger women who are interested in feminism. It's true that Reading Lolita really made us think and touched us in a way this book didn't. This is probably not a great book club read (unless you like lighter fare), but a good intro book for young women who are interested in feminism and adventure travel. 3.5 STARS

Many people dream of breaking the corporate shackle to roam the world. Few have the guts to actually do it. Thankfully, Holly Morris took that leap of faith. And lucky for us, she's not keeping her adventures to herself.

Often, travel memoirs flip-flop between worshiping and ridiculing what seems exotic. Worse, if the writer left home base to escape "issues," the book turns into a thinly disguised journal that inevitably ends with some forced bang of a catharsis. Adventure Divas is REFRESHINGLY DIFFERENT. This account of Morris's journey in quitting her desk job to create a documentary TV series about "divas"--or women who are taking groundbreaking steps to create positive changes in their societies--is awe-inspiring.

Geared with an unyielding sense of curiosity and a genuine desire to learn, Morris treks to far-flung locations--including India, Iran, and Cuba. She is observant, and navigates her way with determination. She makes a conscious effort to be respectful of her hosts' cultures. Yet, Morris is only human and makes some odd choices at times. What makes her so endearing to readers is that she has the courage to own up to mistakes--she can poke fun of herself with the most unbelievably explosive humor. The result: Each destination (or diva) that Morris leads readers to turns into a highly thoughtful and insightful probe into local culture, politics, and (simply, yet most importantly)...how to be human.

It's a treat to observe the gears in Morris's loopy and highly intelligent brain at work. What spews forth is a voice that sparkles with a unique blend of soul, wisdom, and the kind of ingenious goofiness that leaves you thinking: "How did she come up with that?" Adventure Divas is an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and thoroughly engaging book.

Divas, adventurers and armchair globetrotters alike will enjoy this witty, irreverent and fascinating collection of true stories from the immensely intelligent and humorous writer/producer/director Holly Morris. Morris joyfully tramples cliches while delving into "divadom" in the most unlikely places, such as New Dehli, Iran, Cuba, Borneo and the Sahara. She treads fearlessly, seeking other proactive women who inspire, invigorate, revolutionize and, yes, of course! rebel, to advance artistic, political, humane and human causes. This collection is based on Morris' PBS series "Adventure Divas," produced with her mother, writer Jeannie Morris, and is rich in background and narrative. A must for anyone seeking well written, unique and inspirational women's literature.

As an aspiring travel writer who has been relatively stationary for awhile now, I found it hard to put down Holly's book. Her writing brought life to lands and people I've only dreamt about seeing/meeting someday. What I love is how her sense of self came through--she is honest in her pursuits. The book is a perfect combination of her own thoughts, well-chosen dialogue, and historical references.
Her words and stories awoke the nomad inside me that has been under forced dormancy for too long. She made me want to grab my dusty backpack and hit the road once again to continue making my own discoveries.
I look forward to reading about all the new adventures someday soon!

Holly Morris did an incredible job with this book. As a traveller who has been to 150 countries, I have digested a lot of travel writing. Holly's style is fresh, inciteful, exciting, real. She really puts you in the scene, and those scenes are often fascinating. I like her writing as much as Paul Theroux and hope she not only continues her world adventures, but also shares them with us.

Bill Kizorek, CEO, Two Parrot Productions

As a woman working in a male dominated profession, I am always on the prowl for soul sisters, women, who like myself, are not afraid to slog waist high through cypress domes or machete their way through the rainforests of central Honduras. We women of nature and exploration are a tribe of our own and I was grateful that Holly Morris put her experiences together in this book. It is refreshing and invigorating to read about women world wide who live unapologetically on their own terms.

Morris launched the television show Adventure Divas to showcase women around the world--activists, artists and politicians--creating social and political change. In its companion book, readers hear how the crew filmed in Cuba, New Zealand, India and Iran for PBS (now on DVD). Like its short, playful name, the project invokes a broad audience and indicates the challenge of broadcasting hopefulness alongside complex global concerns. Unfortunately, Morris's book often breezes through women's stories and could minimize the focus on her own divadom. Nonetheless, interesting stories abound. Adventure Divas' mission of bringing women to the forefront through media delivers inspiration. Most importantly, it provides a model for future media divas to build on

In "Adventure Divas: Searching the Globe for a New Kind of Heroine," Holly Morris decided to quit her desk job in pursuit of directing a documentary which would focus on extraordinary women around the world whom she named as "divas." According to her, these women "were risk-taking, grassroot leaders - artists, activists, politicos - women who were making change on micro and macro levels around the world." With the support of her mother, Holly travelled to places such as Cuba, India, the Borneo Island in Southeast Asia, Iran, New Zealand, and Africa in search of the divas. Her documentary was subsequently picked up by PBS.

This was an okay book for me. I like the central idea of her book, going to different places in search of the divas but she was not able to sustain my interests throughout her book. I am sure it works out well on TV but in the book, I feel as though she's jumping from one place to another, without spending much time in each of the place. In addition, I feel that there is a lack of personal touch on the author side as I don't feel that I have learn a lot about her as I think this would make it a bit more interesting. That being said, there are some insights into the various cultures of the countries that she visited as well as brief information about the countries' politics. This is not a bad book, but just not a very engaging one. Interested readers are better off getting it from the library.

I love it! Love it! Holly writes with pure honesty, vision, openness and salted with tongue-in-check humor. For any women who has ever dreamed of travel, new adventures and meeting the unmeetable, this is the book to read. It left me wanting more!! By the way, Im Debbi, Roberts wife.