Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer [Paperback]

Doug Lansky (Author)

Book Description

Series: Travelers' Tales Footsteps | Publication Date: May 10, 2001

With a bottomless taste for the absurd, Doug Lansky takes the reader on a global odyssey. In Naples, reputedly the world’s worst place to drive, Lansky rents a car. In Berlin, he dons a latex jumpsuit and spiked collar for a visit to the notoriously erotic Kit Kat Club. And in Tokyo, determined to deepen his appreciation for sumo wrestling, Lansky takes lessons from a master and rediscovers how it feels to be lifted into the air by a wedgie. Other adventures include climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in ill-fitting hiking boots, competing with the mobs to get picked for The Price Is Right, and tandem hang gliding with a daredevil pilot in New Zealand.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Unflappable NPR correspondent Doug Lansky (There's No Toilet Paper on the Road Less Traveled, ed.) intrepidly ventured from the peak of Kilimanjaro to Berlin's erotic Kit Kat Club to Sweden's 100 guest-capacity Ice Hotel (rebuilt each winter just north of the Arctic Circle) to a Texas cattle auction where the auctioneers "talk more and say less than a room full of presidential candidates" and lived to write Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer. Some of his destinations are truly strange and, evidently for good reason, truly obscure though readers will definitely get a laugh from Lansky's tenure (one day) as a bellboy in Jules' Undersea Lodge (scuba access only capacity: four guests), 20 feet underwater.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Travelers' Tales is a valuable addition to any pre-departure reading list

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Travelers' Tales (May 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885211635
• ISBN-13: 978-1885211637
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,812,336 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for the bedside, the john, or the airplane, May 24, 2001

By 

Aaron Dorfman (North Miami, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer (Paperback)

I recently finished reading this book, and I loved it. I started out reading on the airplane. The short articles make it easy to read for a while and then take a break. I also enjoyed reading one or two stories before bed and while in the bathroom.

I don't get a chance to travel as much as I would like, and I felt as though I was able to travel vicariously through Doug Lansky, the author. I imagined myself trying to steer a gondola in Venice or hiking in the mountains. It's just a fun book to read--it kept my imagination going and made me laugh out loud a few times, too.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CERTAINLY ENTERTAINING!, June 14, 2001

By 

Sandra D. Peters "Seagull Books" (Prince Edward Island, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer (Paperback)

If you find yourself having one of those ho-hum days, dreary days and are in need a quick pick-me-up, search out this book and buy it. Time flies when you are having fun! Lansky brings more than a chuckle or two; some of his escapades are downright sidespliting and hilarious. No one would ever dream the "running of the bulls" could be quite as Lansky tells it. My only regret is that he didn't take me with him, especially to the "gondola school." Just imagine travelling anywhere with this zany, outrageous man. He could certainly turn an ordinary adventure into a ride on the wild side. At least, by reading the book, you have the safety and comfort of home but the "pleasure of the trip" - great author, terrific off-beat book - don't miss it!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny Funny Stuff, May 21, 2001

By 

Christopher (St. Louis Park, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Trout in Venice: The Far-Flung Escapades of an Accidental Adventurer (Paperback)

This is an entertaining and delightful read. Lansky has tried many things we have all wondered about -- and some we'd never dream of. From his 'tail' of running with the bulls in Spain to what sounds like the most grueling cross-country ski challenge ever, it is put together in a way that is mostly humorous, at times informative, and always surprising. I recommend it.