Quests

QUESTS ENRICH OUR LIVES

Quests are the backbone of all the great fables. And they are key elements in leading a satisfying and enriching life.

This volume of 24 quests - at times audacious, touching, and ridiculous - are some highlights of Paul Spencer Sochaczewski's purposeful investigative travel.

He...

• seeks out, and meets, a female vampire ghost in Borneo who wants to follow him home
• is invited on a date by the Mermaid Queen of Java
• interviews the last elephant hunter of Vietnam
• travels to meet the humble villager in Laos who captured a precious white elephant that was then hijacked by the country's First Lady
• visits the purported "lost Jews" of an isolated Indonesian island
• meets a homeless Hawaiian-wannabe Chinese emperor
• conducts the first comparative taste test of civet-dung coffee
• investigates his own family's history and finds one aunt from Transylvania who told bold, self-serving, perfectly understandable lies about her background

"Within each of us lies the power to transcend our limitations and shape our own destiny. It is not the size or scope of the quest that matters, but the courage and conviction with which we embark upon it. This is why Quests, the new book by Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, is so vital, important, and inspirational."

"From the epics of Homer to the mytho-poetics of modern adventure, one motif stands tall and unwavering - the Hero's Journey - a reminder that within each of us lies the power to transcend our limitations and shape our own destiny. It is not the size or scope of the quest that matters but the courage and conviction with which we embark upon it. This is why Quests, the new book by Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, is so vital, important, and inspirational."

- Richard Bangs, author of The Art of Living Dangerously: True Stories from a Life on the Edge, co-founder of Sobek Expeditions, named by Explorersweb as one of the "100 Great Explorers of the Last 100 Years"

"Quests is personal travel writing of the highest quality - a model of journalistic skill. He pounces on often-obscure themes and concepts that surprise, challenge, and delight us. He reveals rarely imagined insights and sees the world through a startlingly refreshing and insightful prism. He joins a fraternity of skilled chroniclers and explorers, some from the past, like Joseph Conrad, and other more contemporary writers, including William Dalrymple and Paul Theroux."

- James Clad, author of Behind the Myth: Business, Money, and Power in Southeast Asia; co-author of After the Crusade: American Foreign Policy for the Post-Superpower Age; former staff correspondent for Far Eastern Economic Review; former US deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asia

"Full of 'good heart' journalism and surprising insights. There is much to be learned from these finely wrought personal tales of quests in search of ... well, just about everything that is mysterious, thought-provoking, exotic, and sometimes just plain bonkers. This book is a blueprint for other would-be idea explorers who want to finally (it's never too late) chase the end of the rainbow."

- David Hallmark, fellow, Linnean Society and Royal Geographical Society, co-author of Alfred Russel Wallace: On the Origins of a Theory

"Cosmically curious, Paul Spencer Sochaczewski is always a surprising guide into strange encounters and lingering mysteries. If you are interested in stories about the gods, poking into family history, adventuring across the globe or around your living room, you will want to read this book."

- Thomas Bass, author of The Eudaemonic Pie, The Spy Who Loved Us, and Return to Fukushima

"Paul Spencer Sochaczewski is a remarkable traveler, exploring exotic places and discovering memorable, unheralded people. In this latest recounting of his fascinating physical and mental journeys, he combines his insights of worldly wisdom with sardonic humor about life's absurdities. A most enjoyable and challenging book; a wonderful voyage with a very special guide."

- Daniel Warner, author of An Ethic of Responsibility in International Relations

"Paul Spencer Sochaczewski never travels in straight lines. He goes where his imagination and curiosity lead him, which is to places, people, books, and stories that fill him with wonder. He writes with grace and purpose. The winners are his readers, who in a book such as this one can grasp his fine mind and endless energy to reinterpret the known world."

- Matthew Stevenson, contributing editor for Harper's Magazine, author of Biking with Bismarck and Donald Trump's Circus Maximus and Joe Biden's Excellent Adventure

Bestselling author Paul Sochaczewski's highly acclaimed nonfiction books of personal travel include the five-volume Curious Encounters of the Human Kind series, An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles, The Sultan and the Mermaid Queen, Soul of the Tiger (with Jeff McNeely), and Searching for Ganesha. Gary Braver, bestselling author of Tunnel Vision, said Paul's work is "in the great tradition of Asian reporting. The humanity of Somerset Maugham, the adventure of Joseph Conrad, the perception of Paul Theroux, and a self-effacing voice uniquely his own." Paul's handbook for people who want to write their personal stories, Share Your Journey, is based on the personal writing workshops he runs in more than 20 countries. Redheads and EarthLove are fictional eco-thrillers, set in the rainforest of a mythical sultanate in Borneo.Paul is an American-French writer, writing coach, conservationist, and communications advisor to international non-governmental organizations. He lives in Geneva, Switzerland, and has lived and worked in more than 80 countries, including long stints in Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand.Paul served in the United States Peace Corps from 1969 to 1971, working as an education advisor in Sarawak, Malaysia. This exposure to Asia informed his writing, and as a result most of his work has a Southeast Asian theme. He was also founding creative director of J. Walter Thompson advertising agency in Indonesia and Singapore.As head of creative services at WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature, 1981-1994, he created international public awareness campaigns to protect rainforests, wetlands, plants, and biological diversity, and managed the WWF Faith and Environment Network. With a MacArthur Foundation grant, from mid-1992 to mid-1993 he took a leave of absence from WWF to research environmental problems in the Pacific for the Environment Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu. He then worked for ten years as global communications director of the International Osteoporosis Foundation.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.