Usually I review and recommend children’s books in this monthly column. However, during the summer months I like to also throw in some favourite titles for adult reading. And since you likely work at an International School and enjoy traveling (like me!) you might enjoy these books I recently discovered and loved.

On The Hippie Trail is written by well known travel writer and tour consultant Rick Steves. This enjoyable read describes one of his first travel adventures, in the 1970’s, via Istanbul to Kathmandu. Rick was 23 years old when he set out, with a friend, to travel from America through Europe and the Middle East to Asia. It’s fun to read about the early travels of this adventurer who was to become a well known world traveler – from experimenting with pot to making friends in many different cultures.

I love this quote, when Rick expressed his frustrations with the unreliable train schedules in India as compared to those of Europe: “I treat time like money, I even talk about it like money: I spend it, save it, waste it, and invest it. But in India, time is like bubble gum… it’s a mix of worthless and forever. You just fiddle with it. “

Besides learning about his specific travels, it’s a good book to learn about ethics and how to handle new situations.

The same is true for his earlier book, Travel as a Political Act. This is not one of Rick Steves’ many travel guides. It does not mention best hostels or affordable hotels. Rather, this is a philosophy of how to travel respectfully and in such a manner that you become a better world citizen. The book is largely aimed at encouraging Americans to expand their horizons and broadening their perspectives by traveling and seeing how their nation fits in to today’s world.

For this purpose, he selected seven destinations around the world and explains that country’s geography, culture, economy and political system, comparing it to the USA and showing its connections to that country. Also for non-Americans, this book can be quite an eye-opener to the interconnectiveness of economies and politics in different countries and how travel effects us all.

On the Hippie Trail, ISBN 978-1-64171-643-7, Avalon Travel, Hachette Book Group

Travel as a Political Act, ISBN 978-1568584355, Nation Books, Perseus Books Group

Margriet Ruurs is the writer of over 40 books for children. She travels extensively and shares her adventures and books here: www.globetrottingbooklovers.com