A delectable collection of Theroux’s recent writing on great places, people, and prose In the spirit of his much-loved Sunrise with Seamonsters and Fresh Air Fiend, Paul Theroux’s latest collection of essays leads the reader through a dazzling array of sights, characters, and experiences, as Theroux applies his signature searching curiosity to a life lived as much in reading as on the road. This writerly tour-de-force features a satisfyingly varied selection of topics that showcase Theroux’s sheer versatility as a writer. Travel essays take us to Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Hawaii, to name a few. Gems of literary criticism reveal fascinating depth in the work of Henry David Thoreau, Graham Greene, Joseph Conrad, and Hunter Thompson. And in a series of breathtakingly personal profiles, we take a helicopter ride with Elizabeth Taylor, go surfing with Oliver Sacks, eavesdrop on the day-to-day life of a Manhattan dominatrix, and explore New York with Robin Williams. An extended mediation on the craft of writing binds together this wide-ranging collection, along with Theroux’s constant quest for the authentic in a person or in a place. "A portrait of an optimist with curiosity and affection for humanity in all its forms, as well as a ravenous appetite for the literary efforts of others . . . Theroux’s sweet spot happens to be spinning a convincing narrative through wandering conversations with any citizens who cross his path . . . Emotionally affective." — New York Times Book Review "Novelist and travel writer Theroux is at the top of his game with his third collection of essays, a magisterial grouping of intimate remembrances, globe-trotting adventures, and incisive literary critiques . . . A highly versatile, appealing writer, Theroux casts a wide net with pleasing and entertaining results." — Publishers Weekly, starred review “[Theroux’s] stories are less travelogues than well-curated meditations on some of the places, people, and moments he has experienced in a lifetime of rambles . . . His spare, unhurried prose style, which is rarely long-winded, betrays a novelist's relish for illuminating details and devastating turns of phrase . . . A masterfully simple and satisfying collection.” — Kirkus Reviews "Those who’ve missed these thirty pieces where previously published will be impressed by the breadth of his interests, the depth of his research, and the scrupulousness of his prose. A profile of Elizabeth Taylor . . . works a miracle, allowing us to view the icon with unjaded eyes. A lengthy profile of a dominatrix . . . offers genuine insight into both spanker and spanked. Appreciations of Conrad, Greene, Maugham, and Simenon show how book introductions ought to be done. And the closing, more personal pieces . . . add emotional heft and shape to this wide-ranging, thought-provoking, and eminently browsable collection." — Booklist "Theroux's observations are so keen and writerly skills so sharp that he butter-slices narratives with a razor-thin surgeon's scalpel, masterfully serving up both the world's dark underbelly and its gloriously uplifting sustenance of love, longing and  wonder -lust." — Forbes " In short, there is something for everyone . . . His talky, big-hearted book will make a heavenly companion at the beach." — Honolulu Star-Advertiser " His new collection of essays, like its illustrious author, is full of surprises ." — Forbes.com Paul Theroux  is the author of many highly acclaimed books. His novels include  Burma Sahib, The Bad Angel Brothers, The Lower River, Jungle Lovers,  and  The Mosquito Coast , and his renowned travel books include  Ghost Train to the Eastern Star, On the Plain of Snakes,  and  Dark Star Safari . He lives in Hawaii and on Cape Cod. My Drug Tour: Searching for Ayahuasca When I first read The Yage Letters, William Burroughs's cackling account of his drug search in Peru and down Colombia's Río Putumayo to find what he referred to in Junky as the grail of psychotropics ('Yage may be the final fix')'a trip in which he was rolled, robbed, starved, diverted, and endlessly bullshitted in his quest to find a high that towered way beyond your average stoner's dreams of doobage'I closed the book and thought: I really must repeat his trip sometime. This was in the 1960s, when the book first appeared, to cries of execration by the usual hypocrites. The book is an encouragement to any prospective quester, and very funny, too. "In all my experience as a homosexual I have never been the victim of such idiotic pilfering," he writes of a flirtation with a boy in Peru, then quickly adds, 'trouble is I share with the late Father Flanagan'he of Boys Town?'?the deep conviction that there is no such thing as a bad boy." Yage is yajé, Banisteriopsis caapi : vine of the soul, secret nectar of the Amazon, the shaman's holy drink, the ultimate poison, a miracle cure. More generally known as ayahuasca, a word I found bewitching, it was said to make its users prescient if