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The laugh-out-loud true story of a harrowing and hilarious two-year
odyssey in the distant South Pacific island nation of
Kiribati--possibly The Worst Place on Earth.
At the age of twenty-six, Maarten Troost--who had been pushing the
snooze button on the alarm clock of life by racking up useless
graduate degrees and muddling through a series of temp
jobs--decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to Tarawa, a
remote South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. He was
restless and lacked direction, and the idea of dropping everything
and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. He
should have known better.
"The Sex Lives of Cannibals tells the hilarious story of what
happens when Troost discovers that Tarawa is not the island
paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after
another, Troost struggles through relentless, stifling heat, a
variety of deadly bacteria, polluted seas, toxic fish--all in a
country where the only music to be heard for miles around is "La
Macarena." He and his stalwart girlfriend Sylvia spend the next two
years battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large
critters, erratic electricity, and a paucity of food options
(including the Great Beer Crisis); and contending with a bizarre
cast of local characters, including "Half-Dead Fred" and the
self-proclaimed Poet Laureate of Tarawa (a British drunkard who's
never written a poem in his life).
With "The Sex Lives of Cannibals, Maarten Troost has delivered one
of the most original, rip-roaringly funny travelogues in years--one
that will leave you thankful for staples of American civilization
such as coffee, regular showers, and tabloid news, andthat will
provide the ultimate vicarious adventure.
The bestselling author of "The Sex Lives of Cannibals "returns with
a sharply observed, hilarious account of his adventures in China--a
complex, fascinating country with enough dangers and delicacies to
keep him, and readers, endlessly entertained.
Maarten Troost has charmed legions of readers with his
laugh-out-loud tales of wandering the remote islands of the South
Pacific. When the travel bug hit again, he decided to go big-time,
taking on the world's most populous and intriguing nation. In "Lost
on Planet China, "Troost escorts readers on a rollicking journey
through the new beating heart of the modern world, from the
megalopolises of Beijing and Shanghai to the Gobi Desert and the
hinterlands of Tibet.
"
Lost on Planet China" finds Troost dodging deadly drivers in
Shanghai; eating Yak in Tibet; deciphering restaurant menus
(offering local favorites such as Cattle Penis with Garlic);
visiting with Chairman Mao (still dead, very orange); and hiking
(with 80,000 other people) up Tai Shan, China's most revered
mountain. But in addition to his trademark gonzo adventures, the
book also delivers a telling look at a vast and complex country on
the brink of transformation that will soon shape the way we all
work, live, and think. As Troost shows, while we may be familiar
with Yao Ming or dim sum or the cheap, plastic products that line
the shelves of every store, the real China remains a world--indeed,
a planet--unto itself.
Maarten Troost" "brings China to life as you've never seen it
before, and his insightful, rip-roaringly funny narrative proves
that once again he is one of the most entertaining and insightful
armchair travel companions around.
With "The Sex Lives of Cannibals," Maarten Troost established
himself as one of the most engaging and original travel writers
around. "Getting Stoned with Savages" again reveals his wry wit and
infectious joy of discovery in a side-splittingly funny account of
life in the farthest reaches of the world. After two grueling years
on the island of Tarawa, battling feral dogs, machete-wielding
neighbors, and a lack of beer on a daily basis, Maarten Troost was
in no hurry to return to the South Pacific. But as time went on, he
realized he felt remarkably out of place among the trappings of
twenty-first-century America. When he found himself holding down a
job--one that might possibly lead to a career--he knew it was time
for him and his wife, Sylvia, to repack their bags and set off for
parts unknown.
"
Getting Stoned with Savages" tells the hilarious story of Troost's
time on Vanuatu--a rugged cluster of islands where the natives
gorge themselves on kava and are still known to "eat the man."
Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost
struggles against typhoons, earthquakes, and giant centipedes and
soon finds himself swept up in the laid-back, clothing-optional
lifestyle of the islanders. When Sylvia gets pregnant, they decamp
for slightly-more-civilized Fiji, a fallen paradise where the local
chiefs can be found watching rugby in the house next door. And as
they contend with new parenthood in a country rife with prostitutes
and government coups, their son begins to take quite naturally to
island living--in complete contrast to his dad.
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