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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A Source Of Useful Information But Not As Good As I Was Hoping For, March 4, 2006
This review is from: Lonely Planet The Career Break Book (General Reference) (Paperback)
As someone considering a career break, I was very pleased to discover this book put out by Lonely Planet - my favorite publisher of travel guides.
On the plus side, this book does contain plenty of helpful information related to travelling overseas or living as an expat. I found the large number of internet sites listed to be an especially useful. The books also walks you through the minute details about how to leave your job, organize your finances and otherwise prepare to travel or live abroad. Alot of this was just common sense. But I'm sure many people will find it comforting and helpful to have a "step by step guide" for pre-travel preparations.
It's true this book was written by British writers and intended primarily for a British readership, hence the use of British slang and social commentary. But there is also plenty of information specifically for Americans and the book is definitely usable by any English speaking person of whatever nationality.
On the down side, I was hoping for more practical travel suggestions and information on individual countries and the travel costs within those countries. But there really is very little of that besides mentioning some of the most popular travel routes , such as Bangkok to Bali or Istanbul to Cairo. Currently, I am planning a trip to study Spanish in Latin America. This is one of the most popular activites for those going overseas. But the book had much less information on this than I expected, only listing a few web sites. Instead there was considerably more information related to extreme pursuits, such as climbing Mount Everest or walking to the South Pole, that were really not my interest.
Still I would consider this book worth its purchase price due to the useful information and web sites that it does offer. But it was a bit of disappointment compared to my high expectations. Hopefully future editions will show significant improvement.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
For People Ready to Make The Leap, October 12, 2008
This review is from: Lonely Planet The Career Break Book (General Reference) (Paperback)
This book is for people who are seriously considering taking a career break. It is NOT for people who need inspiration - those people are a different audience. It is also NOT for people who need a guide to a specific part of the world, or expect the guide to have details like cost of living expenses (!).
This book is for people somewhere in the middle. If you are pretty sure that you are going to make the leap, but you need to be convinced that the practical details are not insurmountable, then I recommend this book.
The book covers what you need to know in the planning process, including:
* more or less, what it costs to live like a backpacker (scraping every penny) or living large in nice hotels, or somewhere between these extremes
*what to do with your house and possessions
*whether to get a round-the-world ticket
*what to do about travel insurance
*do you need a lot of vaccinations, and how long do those take?
*how to negotiate a leave of absence
This book not for people who need to know where to go. You need to do research elsewhere to decide for yourself. It is also not for gap-year people - they have a whole different set of issues.
People who are seriously considering (not just fantasizing) taking a career break will appreciate this book. If you have already started wondering "What do I need to plan for? When do I start planning this great endeavour? How do I get started" then this is a great resource.
I read about 5 of these type of books, including most of the ones under "customers also bought" and this is in my top 2.
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8 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Really Good...But...., January 30, 2006
This review is from: Lonely Planet The Career Break Book (General Reference) (Paperback)
Yes this book has some really good info on the subject, but, its written for citizens of the UK or Australia! All numbers and references are for pounds and British agencys and such. Any ideas of a similar book focusing on US travelers? I can not really use this book, as such it is up for sale.
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