Away From My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America [Paperback]

Rif K. Haffar (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

Traveling mainly by motorcycle, the author traverses 45 countries on six continents in this memoir, experiencing both fascinating and harrowing travails during a one-year journey. With a healthy mix of contemporary and historical perspectives, new insights are provided on typical tourist destinations like the Taj Mahal and the Trevi Fountain. Additionally, encounters with a law enforcement official in the Czech Republic and a panty-wielding pickpocket in Istanbul (among other things) supply plenty of humor along the way. These vivid and engaging accounts showcase the destinations not just as tourists see them, but as residents experience them as well, realistically portraying floods, earthquakes, and civil unrest.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Former telecommunications executive Haffar treats readers to a whirlwind tour of 45 countries spanning six continents in this sometimes funny, often sarcastic account of an unusual trip around the world. Haffar's yearlong excursion by air, motorcycle, camel, and elephant bears little resemblance to the usual package deal offered to tourists with money to burn. Dusty caf s often substitute for four-star restaurants, and back-alley lodgings are as commonplace to this traveler as Hilton Hotels. Despite a grueling schedule, the author finds a way to pack more sightseeing into his journey than any tour guide could possibly offer. From the crowded streets of Florence to the Batu Caves of Kuala Lumpur, Haffar explores not only the well-known landmarks of each city but also the less obvious but often more pleasing haunts of the local gentry. His comments on these sites and the people who guard them are at times biting and provocative and at other times almost wistful. This book is an adventure guide as much as a travelog, and as such, it succeeds quite well in entertaining while informing. A good addition to libraries with travel collections. Mary V. Welk, Chicago
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"An especially recommended travelogue and rewarding reading for the armchair traveler, as well as anyone . . . leaving . . . for an around-the-world adventure!" -- The Midwest Book Review

"Another fine book...worth searching out for Haffar's wit, erudition and charm." -- Sun-Sentinel

"Any armchair traveler will enjoy this book and real travelers will doubtless find that it provokes memories." -- Rambles

"Filled with hilarious anecdotes and delightfully intelligent tongue-in-cheek observations . . . Relentlessly engages and entertains the reader." -- Daily Star

"Instinctively the reader feels a rush of wind from figurative bullets barely dodged . . . definitely recommended." -- NewPages

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ameera Publishing (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971545111
• ISBN-13: 978-0971545113
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,536,637 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A gem, January 14, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Away From My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America (Paperback)

I had my doubts when I picked up this book. Principally I was sceptical about how one begins to cover in any substantial way travels though 45 countries in one year. Within the first thirty pages it became clear to me that the author was searching for and painting a comparative picture of our world. In my opinion the book's prime attraction is in Haffar's skill at distilling cultures, societies, and entire countries into their essential elements. And he does so with humour, occasionally irreverent but never crass. This is brilliant, entertaining reading for anyone, traveller or otherwise, who is curious about the world we live in.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lovely Read, January 7, 2003

By 

"abaday" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Away From My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America (Paperback)

After 30 years of fulfilling travel and discovery in virtually every conceivable part of the world (and not a few inconceivable), I thought I had thoroughly outgrown the `travel book'. The few remaining draws in that genre, for me, are the original classics: Thesiger, Newby, etc. Much of the rest seems to rehash established themes and hackneyed observations. At the insistence of a friend, though, I picked up this gem -- Away From My Desk -- and found it genuinely difficult to put down.

This is a thoroughly entertaining, witty and nicely-paced book, written by someone obviously enjoying the hell out of his travels. Theirs is the sabbatical of a lifetime, and Mr. Haffar's easy and intimate style takes you along for a memorable ride. Beyond the journey, the author's wide-ranging interests and remarkable knowledge - spanning art, history, geology, economics, and opera to mention a few - take you on a trip of a different kind: a compendious yet fascinating tour of our world, including some of the most thoroughly misunderstood places and peoples.

I still dip into this book almost daily for a refreshing perspective or, perhaps more truthfully, for one of Mr. Haffar's reliably hilarious remarks. Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing adventures, November 3, 2002

By 

Charlene Edwards (Flushing, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Away From My Desk: A Round-the-World Detour from the Rat Race, the Tech Wreck, and the Traffic Jam of Life in America (Paperback)

Away From My Desk was an intriguing, colorful adventure from the first page to the last. Take it from one who has traveled to 7 continents, there was so much to laugh about and learn about in this wonderful new addition to my library. I was especially impressed with the amount of detail and honesty the book offered, so much so that I felt I was right there with the author as he visited the mysterious Taj Mahal, the awesome magic of the great Barrier Reef and the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Bravo!