this book was a bit of a strange one.

it sometimes had a nice humor that was entertaining and just honest enough to be funny - and than a few sentences on it something was said that’s just not okay to think, say aloud or put into writing. 

so while he doesn’t hold back to pick fun of himself just as viciously, it wasn’t my kind of humor to hear him say that he’s surprised that after traveling as far as he did to come to australia from america to not find: 

excuse me?
just because different cultures live differently doesnt means they are dirty or unclean! 
and just because your immune system from another country might he not be equipped to handle the daily and typical environment of that country doesn’t make it so either. 
if that’s the case america is at least as other countries were just describe by the authors to anyone outside that country! 

it just doesn’t sit well with me when a travel writer says something like this and while it might be meant to be funny… i honestly just feel as if the author believes very deeply that some countries and ways to live are way superior than others. 
just because you don’t like living that way dienst give you the right to decide what’s safe, clean and sanitary. 

and it goes in with:

mhm. 

look i get that not all humor is for everyone and i hope this was meant to be humorous.

but there is poking fun and than there is actually being mean. 
this sounded to me very much like a privileged white guy feels uncomfortable outside his typically known USA lifestyle and comforts and is surprised if other countries have them OR don’t live that way and don’t want to either.


there were other aspects of the book i enjoyed thought.

i liked how he brought in historical facts, how he reminded the reader that just because at a certain time white men discovered australia doesn’t mean that’s the moment it started to exist or had it’s first humans on the land. 

it shares in a humorous tone the dangerous aspects of life in an area with too many poisonous animals and overall dangerous things and how utterly unprepared any outsider might feel faced with all those things that in other areas of the world are seen as horrifically dangerous and to avoid things/animals/plants and are just part of every day life in australia.



so this book had its good moments. 
it had an entertaining voice -for the most part- and shared interesting facts and information and was overall an entertaining read. 

i just wish the author wouldn’t try to be funny or humorous with some topics in a way he -hopefully- tried to be because that would have made the book better.