It was the dream of a euphoric young traveler awed by the crystalline silence of Afghanistan’s Hindu Kush: “Someday, when I am rich, I am going to invite someone from my travels to visit me in America.” Twenty-five years later, Brad Newsham set out from his home in San Francisco to make good on his youthful vow–and this irresistibly charming, deeply humane book is the chronicle of what happened along the way. Giving himself one hundred days to journey around the world, Newsham began in the Philippines and immediately found himself embroiled in serendipitous adventures and unexpected relationships. An affable young Filipino father led him on a challenging hike into the secret green heart of Luzon. He savored the panorama of the Himalayas from a two-dollar hotel room in Darjeeling, drank tea with an Egyptian family in the Valley of the Kings, and struck up an impromptu friendship with a Tanzanian shopkeeper on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. And through all the exotic encounters, Newsham kept an eye out for that special person, the one stranger he would invite back to America. As engrossing as a novel, Take Me With You is an enchanting account of one man’s mission not only to see the world, but to leave it just a little bit different. “Newsham brings back treasures that every wanderer might envy. His journey, at heart, is into humanity.” –PICO IYER “ TAKE ME WITH YOU IS NO LESS THAN A PAGE-TURNER OF A TRAVEL MEMOIR.” –MSNBC.com “What gives this offbeat travelogue its interest is . . . the spirit of innocent generosity that inspires it, and that generally infuses Newsham’s experiences of people and places.” – The Boston Globe “UNFAILINGLY ARRESTING AND PROVOCATIVE.” – San Francisco Chronicle It was the dream of a euphoric young traveler awed by the crystalline silence of Afghanistan?s Hindu Kush: ?Someday, when I am rich, I am going to invite someone from my travels to visit me in America.? Twenty-five years later, Brad Newsham set out from his home in San Francisco to make good on his youthful vow?and this irresistibly charming, deeply humane book is the chronicle of what happened along the way. Giving himself one hundred days to journey around the world, Newsham began in the Philippines and immediately found himself embroiled in serendipitous adventures and unexpected relationships. An affable young Filipino father led him on a challenging hike into the secret green heart of Luzon. He savored the panorama of the Himalayas from a two-dollar hotel room in Darjeeling, drank tea with an Egyptian family in the Valley of the Kings, and struck up an impromptu friendship with a Tanzanian shopkeeper on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. And through all the exotic encounters, Newsham kept an eye out for that special person, the one stranger he would invite back to America. As engrossing as a novel, Take Me With You is an enchanting account of one man?s mission not only to see the world, but to leave it just a little bit different. It was the dream of a euphoric young traveler awed by the crystalline silence of Afghanistan's Hindu Kush: ""Someday, when I am rich, I am going to invite someone from my travels to visit me in America." Twenty-five years later, Brad Newsham set out from his home in San Francisco to make good on his youthful vow-and this irresistibly charming, deeply humane book is the chronicle of what happened along the way. Giving himself one hundred days to journey around the world, Newsham began in the Philippines and immediately found himself embroiled in serendipitous adventures and unexpected relationships. An affable young Filipino father led him on a challenging hike into the secret green heart of Luzon. He savored the panorama of the Himalayas from a two-dollar hotel room in Darjeeling, drank tea with an Egyptian family in the Valley of the Kings, and struck up an impromptu friendship with a Tanzanian shopkeeper on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. And through all the exotic encounters, Newsham kept an eye out for that special person, the one stranger he would invite back to America. As engrossing as a novel, "Take Me With You is an enchanting account of one man's mission not only to see the world, but to leave it just a little bit different. One Hundred Days When it is a question of money, everyone is of the same religion. — Voltaire T he cab driver glanced back at me. “You...” he said. “America?” It was a Wednesday evening in early November—the pleasant, dry season in the Philippines—and a breeze with the feel of warm coconut milk was pouring through my open window. I’d studied a map on the plane: the blackness beyond the row of palm trees to our left would be Manila Bay. To our right a congregation of burlap lean-tos overflowed onto the sidewalk, and, between two of them, a woman was cooking something over a smoky fire. “Yes,” I said. “America. San Francisco.” “Ah, Cah-lee-for-nee-ah!” said the driver. “California best.” He slowed to acknowledge a red traffic signal