LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Beautifully, circularly structured — from the author’s seminal trip to New Zealand as a teenager, to the book being rounded off with a moving return to the country to pay tribute to the mother who encouraged him to travel — Ash Bhardwaj’s Why We Travel is an illuminating, inspiring joy.
At its heart are three principle questions — “Why do we travel? How do we do it ‘better’? Can it help us to live more fulfilling lives?” — explored and answered in the light of the fact that travel was the author’s “gateway to ideas and education”. Part moving memoir, part enthralling travelogue, it is, quite simply, an edifying must-read for readers who love to travel, and those who want to understand the world from alternate angles.
Bhardwaj’s personal passion is infectious from the opening pages, when he shares his first experience of travel on a school rugby trip to New Zealand: “There was something intoxicating about arriving in a place that felt subtly different to home, from the font on car number-plates to the way people greeted each other. By spending time in unfamiliar environments with a new social group, I uncovered skills and interests that I never knew I had.”
From here, Why We Travel presents answers to that question through twelve windows: Curiosity, Inspiration, Happiness, Mentorship, Serendipity, Hardship, Service, Empathy, Healing, Wonder, Eroticism and Hope, with the engaging narrative often framed in the broader context of cultural and evolutionary anthropology: “cultural evolution requires learning. Learning depends on curiosity. And curiosity makes us want to travel.”
Packed with lucid insights that cut to the core of human experience, Why We Travel will have committed travellers smiling and glowing in knowing agreement, and inspire all readers to think about travel in a fresh, life-changing light. As a taster, enjoy this glorious excerpt:“Travel allows us to encounter transcendent states of awe – when we stand on the side of a mountain, or look up at the Milky Way – and it develops the cognitive quality of wonder. This is a positive feedback loop: by tapping into wonder, and seeing the world in new ways, we become more consciously aware, and awe finds new routes into our lives.”
Joanne Owen
Find This Book In
| Primary Genre |
Travel
|
| Other Genres: |
|
| Recommendations: |
|
About
Why We Travel Synopsis
Why We Travel is a smart-thinking travel book, which uses travel as a window into human motivations. It explores what we can gain from venturing out into the world.
It threads together reflective memoir, evocative travelogue, research, conversation, advice and big ideas. Some of the travels are epic adventures; others are closer to home; and some are journeys of internal exploration.
Each journey is a window into one of 12 motivations for travel: Curiosity, Inspiration, Happiness, Creativity, Serendipity, Hardship, Service, Healing, Wonder, Empathy, Eroticism, and Hope. By unpacking these motivations, and digging into the science of where they come from, this book asks how travel intersects with the rest of our lives, answering key questions such as:
Why do we travel? How do we do it better? Can it help us to live more fulfilling lives?
Why We Travel will give you a fascinating insight into where your motivations come from and inspire you to think about travel from a new and exciting perspective.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781915798787 |
| Publication date: |
11th April 2024 |
| Author: |
Ash Bhardwaj |
| Publisher: |
Bedford Square Publishers |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
272 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Travel
|
| Other Genres: |
|
| Recommendations: |
|
Press Reviews
Ash Bhardwaj Press Reviews
'Ash is a great storyteller, whose book weaves together adventure, big ideas and inspirational tales from around the world. A must for any smart-thinking traveller.' -- Levison Wood
‘What a story! . . . We don’t often hear about the long and rocky road that separates a journalist’s dream from readers and listeners. Why We Travel will inspire and help others who would like to share their passion for discovery. It’s personal, adventurous and shines with curiosity’ -- Nicholas Crane
'It's a rare but important thing for us to reflect on how our motivations for wanderlust intersect with the rest of our lives' -- Alastair Humphreys
'If you like travel you must read this! A beautiful, insightful and thought-provoking book with the power to change how you see travel - and life. Ash is a thought-leader in the travel space and it’s not hard to see why. Simply brilliant.' -- Pip Stewart
Author
About Ash Bhardwaj
Ash Bhardwaj is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster and keynote speaker, whose work explores the intersection of travel, current affairs and human behaviour. He has reported from around the world for outlets including the BBC, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Times and Condé Nast Traveller.
Before travel writing, Ash was a ski instructor, science teacher and wannabe cowboy. He is an officer in the British Army Reserve, and a lecturer in travel journalism at City, University of London. Why We Travel is his first book.
Photo credit: Charlotte Broster
More About Ash Bhardwaj
