Wicked Greek (Wicked Travel Series) [Paperback]

Howard Tomb (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wicked Travel Series | Publication Date: January 6, 1995

For two thousand years visitors have been touring the rugged glory of Greece. But with a difference--when the early Romans went visiting, those wacky Greek gods were still holed up on Mount Olympus. Today they've come down, and they're driving taxis, tending bar, dancing and yelling and throwing plates around restaurants. All of which spells adventure for the unsuspecting tourist, and wonderful opportunity for Howard Tomb.

From the sneakily successful series of travel books with over 1 million copies in print, Wicked Greek is the phrasebook that takes the chaos out of the land that invented it. Here are pithy comments on retsina: "My wine tastes like a handful of pine needles." Tips on consulting the Oracle of the Ferry Schedules, including the Mystery of the Next Departure to Patmos. More than you ever dreamed possible about olives-including black, green, purple, briny, cracked, and this-makes-the-retsina-taste-good. Trojan War stories. Zeno's Paradox, Aristotle's Boo-Boo, Plato's Cave, and other philosophical conundrums that put us in the fix we're in today. Motorbike survival tips. Ella, word of a thousand meanings. And how to pursue romance with the natives.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Howard Tomb is the author of the Wicked Travel books. He also writes for the Sunday Travel Section of the New York Times.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (January 6, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563057077
• ISBN-13: 978-1563057076
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,268,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #16 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Greek
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Foreign Language > Greek

More About the Author

I enjoy travel, as you might expect from the books I've written. When I go abroad I prefer not to have a lot of plans or even hotel reservations. Many of my favorite experiences on the road -- and the ones I remember best -- have been in situations where I'm out of my element. That often leads to physical or emotional discomfort, but it's almost always worth it.

For example, the first time I set out to scuba dive with sharks, in a place called Palau in the western Pacific, I felt scared. The water was 900 feet deep and I didn't have a weapon. But when they swam lazily over to check me out, my fear turned to awe. Their incredible beauty, curiosity and caution surprised me. (Yes, I would get out of the water if I saw a tiger or great white.)

My brother and I once walked into a tough little biker bar in New Richmond, a small town in southern Ohio. Everyone stopped talking and stared at us. We're city boys; they probably thought we were lost. But we ordered Bud longnecks and shots of Maker's Mark and punched some Patsy Cline into the jukebox, and pretty soon everyone was back in conversation. Within half an hour the owner was introducing us to her daughter and we were shooting pool with the bikers, even though we didn't agree on all the rules. They found out we were people, even though we live in New York and L.A., and we were able to see them as individuals through their beards and leather.

That, to me, is the point of travel: not just to "see things" but to make the world a bigger place.

Although my travel books are meant to be funny rather than practical, my hope is that they help people appreciate other perspectives better and take themselves and their frustrations a little less seriously.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious for the insider!, March 12, 2001

By 

A Hellenophile, former expatriate (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wicked Greek (Wicked Travel Series) (Paperback)

This witty little book does an excellent job of translating Greek phrases into English that will almost never be of use by the every day traveler. But the brilliance of it is in its insight: its ability to poke fun at the 'Greek way,' elevate the Greeks to the pinnacle of civilization, and relate every day American views to ancient or modern Greek custom. This is a must for any American who has been immersed in Greek culture, as only a person experienced with Greece can fully appreciate this book. I TREASURE my copy.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great, well, unless if you're Greek..., February 18, 2001

By 

"tommacom" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wicked Greek (Wicked Travel Series) (Paperback)

This book is great. It's full of phrases and information on the Greek culture. It gives great suggestions on how to dine, such as:

"Feel free to visit the resturant's acquarium and mark a creature for death. Agree on a price before cooking. For the freshest possible seafood, choose a live squid from the tank and have the staff beat it to death on the floor while you watch."

Wow, that was the best seafood I'd ever had! This book also has great suggestions on how to talk to your Greek taxi driver: "Yes, you're right. I am a godess. I do not wish to ride with other passengers. Nor do I wish to visit your cousin's jewlery shop. Slow down or I'll turn you into a sow/lizard/chicken kabob. Make me an offering of your worry beads. Maybe I'll tip you/let you live." Plus the question we have all wanted to know, "Will your plastic saints protect us?"

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hillarious, November 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Wicked Greek (Wicked Travel Series) (Paperback)

I laughed out loud in the bookstore and had a bunch of people looking at me when I read this one. The book is a small 64 page offering in good humor that teaches you phrases the other books don't, like "Slow down or I'll turn you into a kabob", "Is this motorbike equipped with a Virgin Mary?", "This Bacchus corkscrew is a classic" and "To ancient Troy, may we reclaim it from Turkish dogs." Pure fun.