Ben Neynens

This is not your usual travelogue of the Middle East. In fact, Ii've been to some of the same countries and made different choices of where to go, what to see, etc. However, his vivid descriptions of the places he does get to are accurate and entertaining. The real issue here is do we like the author, and I most certainely do. He has a great sense of humor, laughs even at himself, and, despite the huge generaton gap, definitely someone I would welcome as a friend. He has a lot ot say for himself, so pick up the book and meet a really interesting guy.… (altro)

I received this book free from Library Thing to read and review. If you are looking for a good way to view the Middle East through the eyes of a seasoned traveler, this is a good book to accomplish this feat. Frankly, I seldom read travel books or sagas of journeys others have made in various areas of the world, so this was a real different read for me. The author obviously can write well and has provided some wonderful verbal pictures of places I never would have thought of traveling through or of reading about. This is a real insider’s view of the area, along with often humorous details and descriptions of the locale and natives. Some of the verbiage is rather formal, making me feel as if I had signed on for a travelogue. I wondered, as the book became very conversational, flowing richly into descriptions and stories of encounters why it had not all been written like this. It was interesting and refreshing to note how nice everyone and everything was, with few deviations into the nastiness a seasoned traveler generally comes to expect. I learned a lot about the region and the people who live therein, which will become quite useful to me as I listen to the daily news casts about that part of the world. I will at least know that there aren’t terrorists waiting to kidnap you or worse still, kill you, waiting around every corner or in each small town. Instead, as a seasoned traveler also knows, there are wonderful people to meet, sights to see and experiences to be had. This is a different book from all the ones I generally pick up to read, and I am glad I did go through it because the story is richly done and wonderful to read while, at the same time, illustrating that people and places everywhere are, at heart, genuinely welcoming and good, if you just let them show it.… (altro)