Category: Travel

  • Notable books on Haiti

    Several friends have asked me for recommendations on books about Haiti. The following are books that I have read and would recommend. I have divided them into four categories (fiction, non-fiction, dubious but interesting, and coffee table books). I thought about leaving out entirely the books that I consider a bit dubious, but the all have facinating information. (Note all links are amazon affiliate links)

    Fiction

    The Comedians  by Graham Greene: Classics just never go out of date. This is still a great book about Haiti.

    Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende: a moving portrayal of the Haitian revolution told from the point of view of a slave, her owner, and people both sympathetic to the revolutions and fighting against it. Note that the second half of the book takes place in New Orleans.

    The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat: the story of the massacre of Haitians in the Dominican borderlands in 1939.

    Breath, Eyes, Memory also by Edwidge Danticat: fictionalized story of growing up in Haiti.

    Non-Fiction

    Notes From the Last Testament: The Struggle for Haiti by Michael Deibert and Raoul Peck: a great overview of the collapse of the second Aristide government.

    Rainy Season: Haiti-Then and Now by Amy Wilentz: a fascinating look into Aristide's role in the downfall of the Duvalier Government. It was written before Aristide's government collapsed and does not look into the darker side of what later happened.

    The Immaculate Invasion by Bob Shacochis:  the story of the 1994 US occupation told by an embedded reporter. This nicely brings out the rambling, lack of focus that characterized the occupation.

    Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle-Class American ;the autobiography of Jean-Robert Cade. Tells the story of the abuses that he faced as a child slave in Haiti. Knowing how many kids never escape form this fate makes it a painful read.

    Mountains beyond Mountains : Tracy Kidder the fascinating story of Dr. Paul Farmer and the start of Partners in Health.

    Dubious facts, but interesting reads

    Anything by Paul Farmer: Dr. farmer is a hero for the work that he has done in Haiti and around the world. In his books, he plays fast and free with the facts to back up his own point of view.

    The Serpent and the Rainbow: A Harvard Scientist's Astonishing Journey into the Secret Societies of Haitian Voodoo, Zombis, and Magic by Wade Davis: A supposedly scientific investigation into voodoo. I don’t believe the insights into how voodoo works, but it does have good insights into Haitian rural life.

    Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola by Michele Wucker: provides a great, east to read overview of the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. However, the central thesis that the island is too small to allow for strong presidents to govern in both countries doesn't really hold up.

    Coffee Table/gift books

    Paroles et Lumieres-Where Light Speaks: Haiti (English and French Edition), by Hiebert; Phelps; Yates; Cav: A beautiful look at Haiti by two people who love it well.

    Hispaniola: A Photographic Journey through Island Biodiversity  by Eladio Fernández: A beautiful catalog of the animals on both sides of the island.

    What other books would you recommend on Haiti?

     

  • How to keep your New Year’s Resolution to travel more without breaking your budget

    Chris-about-image[1]

    How much would it cost to visit every country in the world?

    Earlier this year, I met a very remarkable person who is out to visit all 192 countries. Perhaps even more remarkably, Chris Guillebeau is doing it without corporate sponsorship or a trust fund. Although my travel goals are far more modest, I have been a regular reader of both his blog and his "Unconventional Guides" in which he shares his secrets to creating a micro-business, using the social web, and traveling cheaply.

    The newest of these guides is the Frequent Flyer Master. I purchased this guide the first day that it was available, based on how much I liked his previous guides. I was also intrigued by his guarantee–that if you don't earn enough miles in your first year, that he will buy the book back from you. At $49, I wanted to be sure that the purchase was worth the investment. Sure enough, within  a day of reading the book, I had signed up to receive 50,000 miles plus elite status with a car rental company. However, the add-ons would be worth the $49 price. Based on what I had learned through the report of Priceline booking (the name your own price hotel website), I was able to book a 3+ star hotel in downtown NYC for $99/night. This guide has saved me hundreds of dollars already. I highly recommend it.

    Purchase Frequent Flyer Master

     
    Chris also writes a wonderful blog and has two free ebooks: "279 Days to Overnight Success," and  "A Brief Guide to World
    Domination    ." All three are excellent resources and and should keep you motivated to travel the world regardless of your budget.

    Although I purchased each of these guides, I have since become an affiliate for Chris. This means that if you click on the links above and purchase any of these products, I will receive a commission.  However, I am not blogging to make money. As long as I am in my current position, I will donate 100% of the money that I receive from this blog to the my current non-profit. If you are not comfortable with this arrangement, feel free to Google "Chris Guillebeau ." He is easy to find!