Alain de Botton

This title takes us on a journey through the satisfactions and disappointments of travelling. Dealing with such topics as airports, exotic carpets and mini-bars it reveals the hidden motivations, expectations and complications of our voyages into the wide world.

The Art of Travel

Alain De Botton

An inquiry into the human desire to travel and the ways in which the travel experience is affected by anticipation and memory presents a series of thought-provoking and humorous essays on airports, museums, landscapes, holiday romances, hotel mini-bars, and master artists, offering suggestions on how to render travel more fulfilling. Reprint. 65,000 first printing.

“If our lives are dominated by a search for happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest – in all its ardour and paradoxes – than our travels. They express, however inaccurately, an understanding of what life might be about, outside the constraints of work and the struggle for survival.”

From the ordered streets of Amsterdam to the wilderness of the Sinai desert, Alain de Botton transports the readers to a wide array of sights with a unique group of guides consisting of artists, philosophers, explorers, and authors (leading the way of course by himself.)

A mix of travel memoir and philosophy with a dash of history, I thought that this book was made for travelers through and through. It is not just about the destination. De Botton reflects on everything from why we go traveling in the first place, to what our expectations of our journeys might be, and what we might end up facing in the end. It was a particularly enjoyable read for me, as I read it while traveling, not just while on vacation but during my long flight there. (Unfortunately, for some reason, the joys of traveling economy on a 9 hour transatlantic flight seated next to a mother with a toddler was NOT mentioned in the “art” of traveling.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this funny, gripping, reflective piece of writing.

A case of “the right book at the right time.”

“If our lives are dominated by a search for happiness, then perhaps few activities reveal as much about the dynamics of this quest – in all its ardour and paradoxes – than our travels. They express, however inaccurately, an understanding of what life might be about, outside the constraints of work and the struggle for survival.”

---------------------------------

From the ordered streets of Amsterdam to the wilderness of the Sinai desert, Alain de Botton transports the readers to a wide array of sights with a unique group of guides consisting of artists, philosophers, explorers, and authors (leading the way of course by himself.)

A mix of travel memoir and philosophy with a dash of history, I thought that this book was made for travelers through and through. It is not just about the destination. De Botton reflects on everything from why we go traveling in the first place, to what our expectations of our journeys might be, and what we might end up facing in the end. It was a particularly enjoyable read for me, as I read it while traveling, not just while on vacation but during my long flight there. (Unfortunately, for some reason, the joys of traveling economy on a 9 hour transatlantic flight seated next to a mother with a toddler was NOT mentioned in the “art” of traveling.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this funny, gripping, reflective piece of writing.
A case of “the right book at the right time.”

Fabio Bracht

Uma ótima leitura sobre a filosofia de como e por que a gente viaja ou sonha tanto em viajar.

Jeannette Ordas

When I put this book down, I immediately went to grab a pen and paper and started sketching, noticing and detailing the small things that get lost. This isn't a travel guide but more about what we bring of ourselves into travelling. I did take this out from the library 2 years ago and couldn't get through to the 2nd page. This time I read it all. While some essays are better than others, I'm so glad I stuck it out this time because right now, I really needed this book. Inspiring.

Safiya 

I was certainly in search of something new when I picked this one. At that time, I had the perspective of a calm summer spent in between my hometown and my city. And I decided to go on a literary journey until the pandemic ends, there was no reason for me to enforce the idea of traveling for leisure.
A week later, an urgent meeting emerges and I find myself a fes hours later queueing by the checking counter.
It was a good match, since traveling has always been a great escape for me yet an equal source of anxiety, especially when traveling alone to uncharted territories.
Between what to expect and what to accept all of my waiting time is spent as I wait for my turn to take my on-arrival pcr test.
I find myself every now and then opening this book and finding comfort as it validates all of the emotional turmoil inside. In any other circumstances, it would have been less stressful... But again, traveling obliges us to just accept and surrender to what is happening to you.
To me and according to this book too, we travel to be catapulted in a world full of unexpected possibilities. It's a non-judgemental space in time where, you're an outsider and in no place to enforce your expectations on a wide range of events.
I doubly traveled as I read this book, it was helpful to not feel alone when emotions of dread and fear hit you while for others you should only be happy and excited until you go back home. Social media has had a great impact on this perception as it curates what to show, the same process of simplification or selection happens intrinsically when once back we recount either to ourselves or others what we have seen, heard, smelled and done.
I think this pessimistic point of view is the closest to reality, but it doesn't omit however unrealistically splendid moments one witnesses even in the dullest journey.

Magdalene Lim

I found out about this book when reading an interview with the founder of wego.com, a travel aggregator website. Hit by the travel bug last year, I was keen to read a book that would influence my perspective of travelling and perhaps give me tips on how to be a better traveller.

There are tonnes of Lonely Planet books in the bookstore that cover a multitude of countries and cities but this is such a refreshingly different travel book— the first of its kind I've seen. To be honest, I was not taken in by the first few chapters but as I came to the second half of the book, I enjoyed it quite a bit and started highlighting things I agreed with, or could learn to do. For example, creating word paintings or sketches of things I've seen, to probe deeper and give things the time they deserve.

I like this book because it gave me insight on how to better appreciate the things I see when travelling. I particularly agree with "the notion that the pleasure we derive from a journey may be dependent more on the mind-set we travel with than on the destination we travel to." We could be in our own neighbourhood and still be amazed by what goes on if we look at them with a fresh pair of eyes.

Adam

Short take on enjoying the pleasures of travel.

An exploration of the human desire to travel presents a series of essays on airports, museums, landscapes, holiday romances, and hotel mini-bars, offering suggestions on how to render travel more fulfilling.

Les Reynolds

A bitt challenging to get through, and a bit esoteric sometimes. But he had lots of great thoughts, and reflections on how travel affects us, and how we can get the most out of the time we spend traveling.

The Art of Travel

Reviews