Reviews

The Vagabond's Way: 366 Meditations on Wanderlust, Discovery, and the Art of Travel by Rolf Potts, Rolf Potts

msdebbiebee's review

adventurous hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

bhsmith's review

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

gcornfield's review

informative inspiring relaxing medium-paced

4.0

austinbeeman's review

5.0

Rolf Potts newest book takes the form of a daily devotional. 366 short sections (one for each day of a leap year) each contain a nugget of travel wisdom.

Potts’ lifetime of travel could have resulted in a book entirely full of his personal reminisces, but instead he has written something both richer and more humble.

In an incredible act of curation, nearly every page has embedded insights from travel journals, novels, movies, and scientific studies.

The curated reading list for the traveler is worth far more than the cost to buy this book.

I’ve easily purchased a half dozen books and been exposed to many writers and thinkers that were unfamiliar to me before reading this.

As we fight the tsunami of content that floods our media landscape, expert curation is vital. Rolf Potts has created a generous and essential guide.

tendernesstour's review

adventurous informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

 

First things first.

I went into my reading of Rolf Potts's "The Vagabonds Way: 366 Meditations on Wanderlust, Discovery, and the Art of Travel" expecting it to include, well, meditations.

It doesn't.

Upon further investigation, I realized that while the title of the book uses the word "meditations" the description of the book uses "reflections." There is a difference and this difference has been seldom more evident than it is in "The Vagabond's Way."

Organized as a calendar year with a meditation/reflection for each day, "The Vagabond's Way" will most likely appeal to those familiar with Potts's writings which all seem to center around "vagabonding," travel, and this idea of wanderlust. As someone not familiar with Potts, this was a challenging introduction that would not encourage me to explore his other writings.

Potts starts each reflection/meditation with a quote and then a short reflection or story around that quote or about some aspect of the quote meaningful to Potts. While I expected a more personal and immersive experience, "The Vagabond's Way" is possessed more by the spirit of intellectual curiosity and only occasionally ventures into Potts's own experiences on any meaningful level.

This brings me back to my original discussion. What exactly is "The Vagabond's Way?"

"The Vagabond's Way" leans closer to the idea of reflections than meditations. It's difficult to fathom anyone expecting "meditations" to be satisfied by "The Vagabond's Way." According to Headspace, meditation "isn’t about becoming a different person, a new person, or even a better person. It’s about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective. You’re not trying to turn off your thoughts or feelings. You’re learning to observe them without judgment. And eventually, you may start to better understand them as well."

There isn't a single calendar day here that brought me into this meditation space. In fact, if I were to review "The Vagabond's Way" solely on the basis of it being a book of meditations it would easily be a 1-star experience for me.

Instead, however, I can't help but think some acknowledgement should be given that the book is also described as having "reflections." Reflective writing "documenting your response to experiences, opinions, events or new information; communicating your response to thoughts."

While not entirely successful, "The Vagabond's Way" is much more successful as a book of reflections and once I was able to transition into this space I found the book much more appealing.

To be fair, however, I never connected to "The Vagabond's Way." Despite being someone who has spent much of my adult life traveling the country by wheelchair, I struggled to identify a spirit or experience with which I could connect here. While I found reflections I could respect or understand, at no point did I truly connect with "The Vagabond's Way."

To be perfectly honest, this surprised me. In fact, I very seldom agree to review a book that I don't expect to experience in a positive way. With my reviews, it's always my goal to empower authors and to help readers discover books with which they will resonate.

I truly struggled here.

That said, I do believe that those who appreciate Potts's writing will find pleasure in this calendar year of thoughts, reflections, and insights into wanderlust, discovery, and the art of travel. While it certainly won't work for everyone, especially those expecting meditations, "The Vagabond's Way" offers enough insights to be a valuable read for those with a traveling heart and mind.