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delsim's review against another edition
4.0
First few stories are of the travel sarcasm ilk. More enjoyable after that.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
Some of the strangest things that have happened in my life have taken place while I've been traveling and these tales of the adventures of others validate my experiences. Some of these tales are just strange, some made me cringe, while others had me laughing uncontrollably. An interesting look into the unexpected situations in which travelers find themselves.
jazzlibrariansbookcase's review against another edition
4.0
Very funny short story collection about travel. I loved the heart warming stories, and the funny ones were great. I hadn't read travel before, so this was something quite different for me. It has kind of encouraged me to go traveling but also not at the same time. The more dangerous sounding stories kind of put me off, but the funny and great experience ones makes me want to go! It is a very short read and you do get through it quite quickly, would recommend if you like the Darwin Awards books as this kind of has the same tone to it
drifterontherun's review
3.0
Like any road trip, this book had its ups and downs. But unfortunately, there were more downs than ups.
I read one other Lonely Planet travel anthology earlier this year, "A Moveable Feast", and I found that to be infinitely better. The difference in quality between that anthology, in which almost every story was a winner, and this anthology, in which over half of the included stories are duds, is bizarre considering both books share the same editor.
There are some particularly egregious stories here, sadly too many to mention, that are little more than exercises in self-promotion, but there are also a few delightful stories that deserve highlighting. These are as follows:
1. "Wangara's Cross" by Joshua Clark
2. "An Idyll in Ibiza" by Karl Toro Greenfeld
3. "Left Luggage" by Jeff Greenwald
4. "An Award-Winning Performance" by Deborah Steg
5. "Coming to America" by Amanda Jones
6. "The Prince and I" by Kathie Kertesz
6 stories out of a total of 31. That's pretty sad.
I read one other Lonely Planet travel anthology earlier this year, "A Moveable Feast", and I found that to be infinitely better. The difference in quality between that anthology, in which almost every story was a winner, and this anthology, in which over half of the included stories are duds, is bizarre considering both books share the same editor.
There are some particularly egregious stories here, sadly too many to mention, that are little more than exercises in self-promotion, but there are also a few delightful stories that deserve highlighting. These are as follows:
1. "Wangara's Cross" by Joshua Clark
2. "An Idyll in Ibiza" by Karl Toro Greenfeld
3. "Left Luggage" by Jeff Greenwald
4. "An Award-Winning Performance" by Deborah Steg
5. "Coming to America" by Amanda Jones
6. "The Prince and I" by Kathie Kertesz
6 stories out of a total of 31. That's pretty sad.
honestlysean's review
4.0
By the Seat of My Pants: Humorous Tales of Travel and Misadventure by Don George: 8/10
As with any collection of essays, some are bound to resonate with certain readers more than others. And I'll be honest, the stories that didn't strike me were sometimes pretty difficult to get through. However, the stories I loved left me wanting so much more. Overall, this collection is a very entertaining read and I'm sure everyone could find at least one story that strikes their fancy.
As with any collection of essays, some are bound to resonate with certain readers more than others. And I'll be honest, the stories that didn't strike me were sometimes pretty difficult to get through. However, the stories I loved left me wanting so much more. Overall, this collection is a very entertaining read and I'm sure everyone could find at least one story that strikes their fancy.
goldseamedglass's review
3.0
I enjoyed most of the stories in this collection with a few exceptions. Some made me glad to be home, others made me long to see more of the world. But all contained thoughtful moments of humanity. And I think most of us can relate to the misadventures in travel that turn into our best stories once home.
thefourthvine's review
2.0
A mostly meh collection of short travel stories; a few stood out, but most were the kind that are readable but almost instantly forgotten. I’m deducting an extra star because, for reasons unclear to me, this supposedly humorous travel anthology ends on a depressing story about racism and death in Australia.
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