To hellholes and back : bribes, lies, and the art of extreme tourism - Chuck Thompson

This book was a surprise. I picked it up thinking it would be a cheeky look at how to get away with illicit behaviors in exotic places. It had nothing to do with that, but did not disappoint anyhow. The author (whom I had no previous experience with, but is supposedly famous) decided to challenge himself and travel to places that he never wanted to go. Africa, India, Mexico, and Disney World. As a travel writer, who consequently travels for a living, there weren't too many places that he wouldn't want to go. I enjoyed both his choices, with the exception of Disney World - lame, and his premise of challenging himself. As with most travel writers, there was the requisite philosophical admonition that traveling, especially to places you would be uncomfortable with, is good for you. I happen to agree. The African section of the book was the longest, and I found it the most interesting and informative as I have little experience with Africa and plenty of preconceived notions. Most of the sections on India and Mexico were pretty expected, but only because I am comfortable with both places.

Verdict: A great look on places not commonly visited. Read it.

Law of the jungle : the hunt for Colombian guerrillas, American hostages, and buried treasure - John Otis

I picked up this book because the subject of the FARC, the Columbian rebel group, seemed exotic and romantic in a dark and dangerous way. I get a yen for that every once in a while.  So this book was a pretty interesting look into a specific kidnapping event of some private contractors who were trolling the jungle in an airplane looking for drug kitchens.  They crash, are captured, and are subsequently taken as hostages. It is a rather meandering book, it goes into the past of the captives a bit more than I thought was necessary (see the opinions of the ex finance about one hostage's fishing habits), but it did provide a very interesting look into the daily lives of the FARC and some of their motivations. I felt that it was a pretty non-biased look at the interactions of the FARC and the government of Columbia and how the group rose to what it is today. There were parts that got a little slow, but the writing is pretty informal (language choices, tone, etc.) and keeps drawing you back in.

Verdict: Interesting - a good read.

Chef - Jaspreet Singh

A very interesting take on the Indian army from a Sikh perspective. The main character is a chef in the Indian army working in the house of a general. The book weaves together Indian cooking, a search for meaning in one's family history, a search for love, and a search for understanding of those who are almost exactly like you, but separated by a border and a war.

Verdict: Read it.