Ken Budd’s The Voluntourist is a remarkable memoir about losing your father, accepting your fate, and finding your destiny by volunteering around the world for numerous worthy causes: Hurricane Katrina disaster relief in New Orleans, helping special needs children in China, studying climate change in Ecuador, lending a hand—and a heart—at a Palestinian refugee camp in the Middle East, to name but a few. Ken's emotional journey is as inspiring and affecting as those chronicled in Little Princes and Three Cups of Tea. At once a true story of powerful family bonds, of sacrifice, of self-discovery, The Voluntourist is an all-too-human, real-life hero whom you will not soon forget.
The Voluntourist
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| |||||||||||||||
|
More to Explore
Read an excerpt from The Voluntourist [PDF]. |
Book Description
Best Value
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
Editorial Reviews
Review
“One of the best-written travel memoirs...this book spins a compelling yarn, linking six varied experiences into a cohesive narrative. Recommended for anyone who has been, or is interested in becoming, a ‘voluntourist.’ ” (Library Journal )
“Readers of this unique travel memoir will undoubtedly be inspired to take a voluntour of their own, and the author includes helpful tips on how to do just that.” (Booklist )
“A solid introduction to the world of volunteer tourism and a pleasant diversion for those who don’t mind a wandering road.” (Kirkus Reviews )
“Readers of this unique travel memoir will undoubtedly be inspired to take a voluntour of their own, and the author includes helpful tips on how to do just that.” (Booklist )
“A solid introduction to the world of volunteer tourism and a pleasant diversion for those who don’t mind a wandering road.” (Kirkus Reviews )
From the Back Cover
VOL·UN·TOUR·IST
n. 1. A guy who attempts to save the world in an attempt to save himself.
2. Someone who can only do it two weeks at a time.
When Ken Budd was thirty-nine, his father collapsed after eighteen holes of golf. Ken and his wife raced to the hospital—but it was too late. In the weeks that followed, as grieving friends revealed how his father had changed their lives, Ken started questioning his own life—and admitting, after years of denial, that he and his wife would never have children.
And then, still struggling with grief—his grief at losing his father, his grief at not being a father—Ken received an e-mail with the subject line: "Katrina Relief Volunteer Opportunities." He signed up. He went to New Orleans. And he kept volunteering: Costa Rica, to teach English; China, to work with special-needs children; Ecuador, to study climate change; the West Bank, to assist refugees; Kenya, to care for orphans. His goal: to find purpose by helping others, one trip at a time.
Wry, funny, and heartbreakingly honest, The Voluntourist will linger in your mind long after you've turned the last page.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Ken Budd is an award-winning writer and editor whose writing credits include Smithsonian, Stuff, the Washington Post, AARP The Magazine, McSweeney's, Modern Humorist, and, Worldview, the magazine of the Peace Corps. Ken lives in Burke, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., with his wife.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By mmilloy
Format:Paperback
Oddly, when I picked up this book I wasn't so much intrigued by all the volunteering Ken did around the world as I was the inspiration for it--the epiphany that your life may not be mattering all that much and the proverbial search to figure out what to do. Yet as I read it, I quickly got sucked into the delightfully funny--and honest--way Ken spins the tale of his heady travels. A superb storyteller, he gives us a peek into six wildly different cultures (with all the attendant social and political dramas), and into the quirky, fascinating world of volunteering (with all its personality dramas!), even as he takes us on his own emotional journey in search of himself. The mashup makes this a page-turner in ways I never would have expected. A must-read for anybody who's wondering if they're doing justice to the 650,000 hours Ken says we get in a lifetime--if we're lucky. Loved it!
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Voluntourist: A Six-Country Tale of Love, Loss, Fatherhood, Fate, and Singing Bon Jovi in Bethlehem by Ken Budd starts with the line, "I want to live a life that matters," and so he does. Inspired by the need to deal with the loss of his father, he searches for answers, but this quest requires a passport and patience. Patience to wait in line at customs, for airplanes, for young children in China and Costa Rica, for Ecuadorian birds to fly in the cloud forest, and for all things in Palestine.
During his journey, he states, "I'm not only working for free, I'm paying for the privilege." From his first moments scraping paint and mold in the lower Ninth in New Orleans, he bemoans, "How can I live up to my father's life when I'll never be a father myself?" This juxtaposition of trying to have a life with meaning, and involvement with children as a route to that meaning, are essential parts of his journey and inner monologue. Clearly enamored of his father's life and how he managed his life and work, Budd states "It's not even dying that bothers me. It's dying without making a difference in the world. Without doing a damn thing that matters." Most people want to make a difference but they have no idea where to start. Budd's book points out that you can start anywhere on the map and even with only two weeks at a time. He is a fantastic role model for getting out there and making a difference. And his father's death is a reminder that we all have only a limited time -- at the end of our lives no one sits and thinks, "I wish I spent more time at the office."
His expeditions out of his normal routine help him to elucidate his grief. He takes the time to mourn his father and to look at his life while also mourning that he will not be a father.... Read more ›
During his journey, he states, "I'm not only working for free, I'm paying for the privilege." From his first moments scraping paint and mold in the lower Ninth in New Orleans, he bemoans, "How can I live up to my father's life when I'll never be a father myself?" This juxtaposition of trying to have a life with meaning, and involvement with children as a route to that meaning, are essential parts of his journey and inner monologue. Clearly enamored of his father's life and how he managed his life and work, Budd states "It's not even dying that bothers me. It's dying without making a difference in the world. Without doing a damn thing that matters." Most people want to make a difference but they have no idea where to start. Budd's book points out that you can start anywhere on the map and even with only two weeks at a time. He is a fantastic role model for getting out there and making a difference. And his father's death is a reminder that we all have only a limited time -- at the end of our lives no one sits and thinks, "I wish I spent more time at the office."
His expeditions out of his normal routine help him to elucidate his grief. He takes the time to mourn his father and to look at his life while also mourning that he will not be a father.... Read more ›
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By John Lunny
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
The book didn't inspire me to become a voluntourist, but it did remind me how lucky I am to be a father. Well written, easy to read, very enlightening, and most impressive of all - brutely honest guy stuff.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By Derek Fox
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Excellent...the odd part is, I only bought this one because it was cheap, and I needed an extra book for a trip. Great read, and brings home some important concepts that we all forget...how fortunate we are in the country, how lucky we are to have people who love us, and how resillent people can be when times get tough. Read the book, and apply the lessons to our own lives.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The bookshelves are packed with memoirs, but this one, written by a "regular guy" and not a celebrity, is refreshing and truly memorable. In this book, Budd writes about the death of his father, his struggle coming to terms with the fact that he will likely never be a father himself, and his subsequent attempts to find purpose in his life by helping others. Budd describes the various trips he takes -- to New Orleans, Costa Rica, Kenya, Palestine, China, and Ecuador -- in vivid and lively detail. But the real strength of the book is the author's voice -- candid, humorous, humble, never whiny or preachy. You don't need to be a parent or even a wannabe parent to appreciate this book. If you have ever questioned your purpose in life or have questioned the path you are taking, you will love tagging along on Budd's journey.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Ken Budd is trying to come to terms with the reality that he desperately wants children and his wife, just as firmly, does not. His beloved father passes away and Budd realizes that there will be no children in his life to mourn his passing. He decides to use this passion to raise children to help others and volunteers for a series of trips to assist others. In the course of this book, he ventures to New Orleans after Katrina, China to work with special needs students, Costa Rica to teach English, Ecuador to explore the effect of global warming, the West Bank to help Palestinians, and Africa to work with orphans.
In the process, Budd teaches us all that there are ways to effectively work through what appears to be a no-win situation.
A different kind of travel memoir.
In the process, Budd teaches us all that there are ways to effectively work through what appears to be a no-win situation.
A different kind of travel memoir.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By afeldman
Format:Paperback
Reminiscent of Bill Bryson, Ken Budd takes his readers on a tour of New Orleans, Costa Rica, China, Ecuador, the West Bank, and Kenya. He intersperses detail from each country with the details from his personal life that provide motivation for his travels.
Even those readers who are not initially motivated to go on a voluntourist-type trip (a trip in which you pay an organization to provide volunteer opportunities for you in different parts of the world), all readers are sure to be drawn in by Budd's humorous, honest writing style. Voluntourist provides rich detail of the different countries in which Budd travels, enabling readers to gain a vivid sense of what life is like in different places. It also provides rich insight into how the little things in life provide meaning for life.
Budd's humor and detail make Voluntourist a quick-reading, thoroughly enjoyable book.
Even those readers who are not initially motivated to go on a voluntourist-type trip (a trip in which you pay an organization to provide volunteer opportunities for you in different parts of the world), all readers are sure to be drawn in by Budd's humorous, honest writing style. Voluntourist provides rich detail of the different countries in which Budd travels, enabling readers to gain a vivid sense of what life is like in different places. It also provides rich insight into how the little things in life provide meaning for life.
Budd's humor and detail make Voluntourist a quick-reading, thoroughly enjoyable book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
It is waiting on my bookshelf to be picked up and started.
Since I haven't started this book yet, I don't know what kind of a read it will be, but I'll definitely get to it soon, now that I've finished some library books.
Published 3 months ago by Joan M. Weisensel
3.0 out of 5 stars
Eat, Love, Pray it's not
Although taking on the volunteer work in other countries is an amazing thing to do, felt the book was missing something. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Anachen
5.0 out of 5 stars
A profound and entertaining read
The Voluntourist is a touching tale of honest self-examination. Memoir can be difficult, because while our lives are important to us, it is challenging to write about our lives in... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Todd F. Cullop
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book!
The book was very interesting. The author had a great sense of humor that combined well with the more serious mission that he was on by volunteering all over the world. Read more
Published 12 months ago by mcgil
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Read esp. for Dads!
The Voluntourist is not just a book for those interested in volunteerism, it is a book for parents with kids and those who are wondering about their own legacy on this planet. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Team Richmond
5.0 out of 5 stars
So worth reading!
Very funny, engaging, lively, thoughtful, and yes, heartwarming. The writing is terrific. Ken Budd gives us a real feeling for the places he goes and people he meets in his... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Holly Zimmerman
5.0 out of 5 stars
a smart, thoughtful, moving book
This is a deeply personal, well-written account. The writer had a crisis after the death of his father and found a way to heal himself while helping others. Read more
Published 13 months ago by JCB
