Customer Reviews

Unlikely Destinations: The Lonely Planet Story

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm not a person who generally reads armchair travel books. For the most part, I stick to fiction. But when my sister handed me this book and I started reading it (on the train, I was *really* bored), I just couldn't put it down!
Unlikely Destinations is more than just a travel story, although the places the Wheelers have been, how they got where they were going and what they've seen & experienced are incredibly thrilling in and of themselves. But this is also a love story between two people and between a married couple and travel, and eventually, a family of four and travel. It's a business adventure and cautionary tale, about starting your own business from nothing and turning it into a multi-million dollar company, despite or perhaps because of the many bumps encountered along the way. This is not a story about an overnight phenomenon, but rather it's about how much dedication, hard work, sacrifice and yes, love, it takes to follow the road less traveled.
I had a few minor gripes with the book, but nothing too serious. I would really have liked to have more of the story told by Maureen, and there were a few sections I felt like Tony was glossing over too much, but over all, this book just grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go until I finished the last page. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I am an avid traveller who has used Lonely Planet books from Bangaldesh to Nambia. When I'm not traveling, I'm often reading about traveling.

This book about how Lonely Planet (LP) began and grew was great. I enjoyed reading about the overland travel from Europe through Asia in the early 70's and how Maureen & Tony started LP.

The book is a mix of travel, personal relationships, and business. I thoroughly enjoyed all parts. Great book for entrepreneurs & travellers alike.

If you love to travel and love the idea of making your passion pay for itself, then this is a must read. An open and honest look at the creation and evolution of Lonely Planet!

First, I must start off by saying that I'm an avid traveler, aficionado of LP's guides, and have a taste for off-the-beaten-path trips. I've also had the pleasure of being acquainted with one of the individuals appearing in the Wheelers' tell-all. I know that LP guides are written by real people. I read this book based on the fine recommendations here.

Disappointed is too mild a word for my opinion of this book. I found Tony Wheeler to be narcissistic and petty. I found his recanting of employee relationships and friendships gone sour painful. He blamed his business errors on outside forces, rarely accepting that sometimes things don't go as planned. His decision making process was entrepreneurial and often quite irrational, which likely made LP what it is: the hands-down world leader in travel guides. But he didn't really seem to understand is the other side of entrepreneurship: what can create success can also lead to failure.

His desire to give us too much information pervades the book. I honestly didn't want to know about his marital problems and his rebellious teenagers. I was interested in LP's views of the world and its cultures, and his take on the difference between writing, pleasure, and business travel. My chief complaint of LP guides is that they tend to be somewhat dry, as if the author was being paid to travel (which is true of course), and really didn't enjoy it all that much.

In all, if you're an avid traveler and frequent user of LP guides, this book could have a very different effect on you that the author may have intended.

I didn't quite finish this book.
It's a fairly interesting story of how Tony & Maureen Wheeler founded Lonely Planet. :)
It was a little slow for me, though.

Way too much info on the personal life and adventures of the founders of Lonely Planet Publications. They should have culled 1/2 the story, so that the reader does not loose interest: Worth buying if planning a long trip or hospital stay.

It is hard to believe that writers actually produced this text. It is so poorly written, you'd think this was a long essay written by a high schooler. I'd hate to see the earlier versions of LP books when only Tony and Maureen were doing all the writing.

And then there are pointless sentences giving us background on people who are not major actors in the book. Here is an example from the first chapter:
"We were looked upon as unwanted guests...I guess we were not the only ones she didn't like because she and Paul were eventually divorced." What's the point of telling us this exactly?

After reading this painfully bad writing, I'd have to agree with the post that picks on Tony's personality. He does not seem particularly likable. He doesn't even sound that nice to his wife--she gave up a career in social work because she feared for her marriage.

I give this 2 stars rather than 1 because some the travel stories are fun. It's nice to revisit or dream of new places when you're stuck at home.

This book tells of Tony and Maureen's adventures over the years from when they married in England, to how they set up Lonely Planet in Australia and all many, many years of travel and adventures they have had as a couple. I found this book to be incredibly inspiring, as one half of a married couple who loves to travel. It reminded me that we can find ways to travel more and not to be afraid to dream big and to travel far and wide!

To see my full review and more please visit my travel blog at [...]

I'm not actually a follower of Lonely Planet guide books. I picked this up from the travel essay section of the bookstore on a whim. I'm glad I did! I prefer to travel in a completely different way than the Wheelers, but I was fascinated by their journeys. They seem to have lived their lives to the fullest and with no regrets. The story of the business creation and sucess was just icing on the cake.

Lonely Planet Publications began in 1973 when the authors self-published a unique travel guide ACROSS ASIA ON THE CHEAP. What began as a one-time publication evolved into an entire publishing company specializing in places where few conventional tourists traveled. UNLIKELY DESTINATIONS is a wonderful addition to any travel library: it blends autobiography, business history and travel and covers the authors' personal story and the evolution of their budget travel guide business. Armchair travelers and any familiar with the Lonely Planet lineup of excellent independent-travel guides will relish this expose of how they came to be.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch