TRAVELS FROM BROOKLYN TO BALI

Rahul Jacob, Picador, US$9.67

In this collection of articles, Indian-born Jacob of the Financial Times presents us with a travel potpourri. This is not merely in the sense of the range of destinations he visits, from Bali to Beirut, but in the expanse of his thoughts and musings, which range from the witty and whimsical to the anthropological and philosophical.

The real test of a book like this isn’t whether or not you share Jacob’s opinions about Hongkong or London – after all, every traveller has their own particular perspective on places they have already visited or know well. But on whether you can be intrigued and excited by other people’s encounters with places you haven’t yet gone to but somehow hope you might one day.

Jacob’s description of the Senegalese capital Dakar’s music clubs is one such piece, making you want to hop on the next plane and head straight out to a late-night concert.

In the end, everyone’s views and experiences of destinations are subjective but there are common concerns in the world of travel. One of the book’s sections is entitled Confessions of a Frequent Flyer and contains the kind of topics that every Business Traveller reader will be familiar with, the challenges of Economy Class, customs officials, visa applications and the impact of tighter security.

Jacob also includes some interesting vignettes of some of the many writers and cultural figures he has interviewed, the novelist Vikram Seth and the Indian cookery guru Madhur Jaffrey, to name two.

All in all, a fascinating read, certainly something to dip into and enjoy on the sofa to work up the wanderlust in all of us.

Kenny Coyle