Lopatin tells you all about his most harrowing, and life-threatening travel experiences to fifty-three countries and thirty-five states. For example, he speaks about how he reacted to an imminent plane crash, about the five masked bandits who carjacked his Mexico City taxicab, and about the terrorists shooting at his tour group at a Middle East border crossing. Lopatin tells you what he learned from his travel experiences and provides important travel survival strategies including, but not limited to: - Reading and adhering to relevant travel advisories before you leave; - Leaving healthy and getting ready for the germs you find overseas; Buying travel insurance (you might need it); -Avoiding pickpockets, burglars, and unscrupulous merchants; -Learning the culture and language of the country you are visiting;and -Making sure your luggage arrives when you do. Each chapter contains one or two stories about the adventures, lessons-learned and interesting persons Lopatin met along the way. For example, Lopatin describes, with embarrassment, how Hibah, the Istanbul jeweler, cajoled him into buying overpriced bracelets that he really did not want or need. He writes about how he felt so totally alone in Tokyo, perhaps the most crowded city in the entire world. Certainly, the most colorful character he met along the way was Miguel, the overweight, charasmatic Mexico City taxicab driver, who drove him to the pyramids outside of Mexico City, and then negotiated his way out of a hostage misadventure when the taxicab was later ambushed by those five masked bandits on a scarcely used Mexican roadway. Lopatin will show you how to plan your next vacation to make sure you have a great time and come home in one piece.