Customer Reviews

Don't Go There!: The Travel Detective's Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I think many people are misinterpreting what this book is about.

You can go to the greatest city on earth, and have a bad time. I live in DC, and there are certainly things I wish tourists knew coming in about where NOT to go, what to take a pass on, and what they should see, come hell or high water. This book does that for other cities, like saying what sections of the city to avoid in Detroit or Chicago. It's frank about when the cities are at their most crowded (tourists coming to DC: 3pm is rush hour here, okay?), what seasons to avoid.

It's an honest book that doesn't pander to the dreamer who wants to think of the world as a destination vacation, rather than as a place where other people live.

As for his comments on Ashland... it's a great place to raise a family, sure, but if I'm vacationing, it's not the Center of the Universe for me (their quote, not mine).

Don't Go There! is a great read, packed with interesting, useful,
hilarious and bizarre trivia about cities and towns, both in the U.S.
and abroad. Unlike a conventional travel book, Peter Greenberg
tells us about the underbelly of these places - which is something no
guidebook has done before. It's refreshing and very entertaining.
You can tell there was a tremendous amount of research that went into
writing this book. In his introduction, the author says that while
the facts and figures are correct, his conclusions and advice are
subjective. Greenberg is an investigative reporter, not a paid
mouthpiece for the travel industry, and that's what makes the book a
valuable read, as well as controversial. It's a great gift for any
active or armchair traveler, who already owns the usual collection of
conventional guidebooks.

Five stars!!

I was recently given `Don't Go There' as a birthday gift. I am very thankful - at least I didn't spend any money on this book. I'll state off the bat to assuage Mr. Greenberg's fan club that I HAVE read the book, I'm not in the tourism industry in ANY form (other than as a traveler) and I have NO interest/residence in any of the places I mention.

Previously I had a passing familiarity with Mr. Greenberg's name. I don't know why he is considered an `expert' and I still don't know. There will always be differences of opinion and that is what makes the world go round. However -
To suggest to people that they shouldn't go to places with high rates of suicide (he cites in the U.S. Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming, Alaska and Manhattan - we've had wonderful vacations in some of those places) because suicide might be contagious.....
Skipping cities (or towns) where the residents eat a lot of fast food - oh yeah, that is a reason not to go to San Antonio, Texas.
Deriding "Fake European Towns" such as Solvang, California (founded in 1911 by a group of Danish educators) and Castroville, Texas (established in 1844 by several dozen European families from Alsace and Baden). I'll give him Leavenworth, Washington, but it is absolutely shocking that immigrants would fashion a town after their homeland - not. Where is his outrage at Vail, Colorado or the epitome of fake, Las Vegas, Nevada?

Yes, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but these are just a few of the examples of why I don't value Mr. Greengerg's opinion.

Mr. Greenberg states in his introduction that his book is "about presenting - not promoting - facts that allow people to make reasonably intelligent, independent decisions about the choices available to them". He also includes "... there will be claims that I inserted facts out of context...". Well, I DO have a problem with his representations of facts. In the discussion of lost luggage and airlines (without a doubt a definite concern) the 10 worst offenders for a specific quarter are listed. About the airline with the fewest lost luggage (of those worst) the book states: "...which mishandled 9.92 bags per 1,000 people. Hey, at least it's under 10 percent!" Yes, that number is under 10 percent. It is also under 50 percent. Perhaps stating that they were under 1 percent would have been more accurate and informative. Even the worst of the worst mishandled 13.16 bags for every 1,000 passengers. That is even under 10 percent, at 1.316 percent. Ten percent does sound more dramatic though. I will say that the next time I'm at a luggage carousel, watching the bags go round and round, I'll be thinking that at least 1 of each 100 of them probably shouldn't be there. If Mr. Greenberg and his "team of dedicated staffers" have problems with such basic math, all his other "facts" come into question.

Do I consider Mr. Greenberg's `Don't Go There' a travel resource? NO. Is it entertaining? Yes, but not entertaining enough to buy. I'd suggest looking for it at your local library. I know I'm now not at all interested in any of his so-called `expertise'.

Heard a radio interview w/ author, thought this would be a light-hearted and witty book full of amusing anecdotes and useful tips. I was expecting something in the vein of "Holidays In Hell" or "Badlands." What it turned out to be is mostly an assemblage of obscure statistics. Who really cares that some tiny industrial town has bad air or that a Motel 6 inn suburban Podunk had stained sheets on a particular day? Going through every page looking for some real writing or something interesting takes less than 20 minutes. Without the filler there is not even enough here for a magazine article.

I picked this book up from the library, hoping for some insights just in case I can ever afford a "real" vacation. Of course, being a Chicagoan, the first place I looked up was Chicago. The author warns visitors from going anywhere south of the Loop--oh, did I mention that I am a SOUTHSIDER? If a travel guide makes that recommendation, it tells me the author did not explore the Southside, and probably didn't bother doing much legwork at any of the other places. Obviously, he's never visited the U of Chicago campus (and its Hyde Park neighborhood), our little slice of the 19th Century which is Pullman, the Frank Lloyd Wright/Walter Burley Griffin homes in Beverly, or the Museum of Science and Industry. He's also never seen Chinatown, Pilsen or watched a Sox game live. (And I could take him to some really scuzzy Northside places, too.)

Most of the advice in this book is of the "Duh!" variety, like a caution about taking a Chernobyl tour. A lot of information is useless, in the sense that, if you visit ANYWHERE, you'll expose yourself to some sort of hazard (high ozone, hurricanes, packs of rabid mongrels). So you could take this book seriously and stay home in your bubble. Or, chuck the book, use common sense, and see the world!

This book really (pleasantly) surprised me, at first I thought it would be all negatives but it really made me laugh, freak out and actually plan a trip! It reminded me it is my responsibility to research my holiday and not just trust the tourism boards or resorts. With the speed of information today, it is so easy to book a beautiful holiday from a website and then when you arrive find out it is college Spring break and the pool is full of beer cans (yes true story at a VERY expensive resort).

The book has a funny side side with some crazy sayings that make the book a joy to read. It is funny that Ashland says they are "the center of the universe". They should actually be welcoming Peter with open arms for all the press that city is getting. No one would cancel a visit to Ashland for that quote but it sure is fun to joke about it. What is the saying; "bad press is better than no press".

This is going to be the best Xmas stocking stuffer, everyone will have fun reading bits!

This is a must-read book for anyone who travels for business or for pleasure. I travel frequently on business and I have had too many less than satisfying and occasionally miserable experiences with towns, restaurants, hotels and attractions that sounded great in their own promotional literature. Had I had Greenberg's insights and wisdom from this book I would have been a much happier camper on many occasions. Greenberg's new book is just what we have all been looking for - a tell-it-like-it-is honest appraisal of potential pitfalls that we can now easily avoid. And it's funny and fun to read! Thanks for this Mr. Greenberg! It's going to be my new stocking stuffer for friends this Christmas.

I've read the book and have seen some of the comments being made by people who have not even bothered to read it and felt it warranted my review. Anyone who has made assumptions about this book before they've read it needs to be reminded of the old proverb. Never assume...you know the rest...

Don't be fooled by pouty people making reviews of a book they've not even bothered to pick up a copy and read before they're passing judgment - because once again, Peter Greenberg delivers the goods in Don't Go There.

I have to say, I'm tired of trying to be sold on the same destinations and sales pitch pictures and information. I don't want to be sold, i want to be informed so that *I* may make my own decisions on where I want to go.

I want the kind of details that only Mr.Greenberg, with his vetted years of travel experience can provide.

If I wanted pretty pictures, I'd buy a postcard! BUT, if I want the time-proven, trusted word of a travel expert who has visited more countries in his life than most of us seasoned travelers would ever dream of, I think I'll stick with his helpful hints and straight-forward info on where and when to go and where to avoid completely. In fact, I must say that I've been to so many of the places mentioned in the book, and Mr. Greenberg is dead on about all of them....

Not to mention his telling us about some places or hotels or airports I wasn't even aware of, but should have been.

This book isn't just a great read, it's another great reference tool.

Don't just take MY word on it though - get your own copy and find out. You'll see - I'm right.

Happy reading, happy travels and thank you, Mr. Greenberg!

Most travel books focus on 'best' and recommended places, so it's refreshingly different - and fun - to find one of 'unrecommended' places in DON'T GO THERE! THE TRAVEL DETECTIVE'S ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO THE MUST-MISS PLACES OF THE WORLD. It follows the best-selling COMPLETE TRAVEL DETECTIVE BIBLE and shares the author's experiences of where not to go. From worst airports and hotels to hazardous highways, DON'T GO THERE is specific and essential. Any public lending library will welcome it.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

It's a very well researched book, although being from Europe, i think it's very focused to the US. 1/3 of the cities and reports are about places in the States and not destinations that most european people would go to.
It also talkd a lot about weather facts and natural disasters. It's really good but i think it would have been better if some more tourists had reported their experiences.