Review: 1000 Places To See Before You Die

Author: Patricia Schultz

ISBN: 0761104844

The following review was contributed by: NORM GOLDMAN: Editor of Bookpleasures. CLICK TO VIEW Norm Goldman's Reviews

Have you ever wondered what travel means to you? This is a question I have often posed to the many travel writers I have interviewed over the past few years and for most the reply was that travel takes you out of your ordinary routine, where “ordinary" people from all walks of life can engage with each other. In reality, it is an activity that is highly motivated by curiosity about the world and its people. As Patricia Schultz, author of the New York Times bestseller, 1000 Places To See Before You Die, states in her introduction, “the urge to travel-to open our minds and move beyond the familiar-is as old as man himself."

Schultz has written an ambitious compilation of one thousand places that she describes as her own personal short list of dream trips. She narrows the world into a tour of eight regions: Europe, Africa, The Middle East, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and The Pacific Islands, The United States and Canada, Latin America, The Caribbean, Bahamas, and Bermuda. These geographical divisions are further subdivided by country and within each country they are organized alphabetically by region or town. For example, if we refer to the USA & Canada, the reader is presented with a miniature map that is followed by short descriptions of “must see" venues within each state commencing with Alaska’s Mount McKinley and Denali National Park and ending with Quebec, Canada. In addition, there is a succinct wealth of information pertaining to each choice containing practical advice that will help you plan your trip such as hotels, sites, activities, events, outfitters or operators offering tours, treks, safaris, etc, lodging, costs, trips and/or excursions, restaurants, when to go, travel safety, and required travel documents.

Schultz’s writing style is crisp and clear as she reports with great depth on sites and venues that would suit all interests- from historic locations, to cultural attractions, and some that would enthrall you with their natural splendor as the Grand Canyon. Interspersed are numerous small black- and -white photos (typically one to a page) depicting places and people that exemplify the uniqueness of a particular venue. As a result, the reader can develop a sense of the areas being discussed and perhaps pinpoint which venues would be of particular interest to visit and further investigate. An added bonus are special indexes at the end of the book where readers will find entries for active travel and adventure, ancient worlds, culinary experiences, festivals and special events, glories of nature, gorgeous beaches and getaway islands, great hotels and resorts, living history such as castles and palaces, unrivaled museums, roads, routes and byways and sacred places.

Rich with research and personal insights, 1000 Places To See Before You Die is a fascinating voyage around the world that will appeal to every traveler, vicarious or otherwise, and deserves to be a fixture on home bookshelves as a valuable travel resource.