<p>Going Abroad: Traveling Like an Anthropologist is a treasure-trove of valuable information provided by a true expert. Whether your destination is an encampment on the outskirts of Lagos or a sophisticated European city or a tangled Amazonian jungle, you will get vastly more from the experience (and survive it, too, if you're going somewhere risky) if you read this book before setting out. I wish I'd had the benefit of Gordon's information before, rather than after, I went naively overseas and managed to get myself involved in a couple of civil wars. And if splendid, well-considered information isn't enough, this book is unfailingly fun to read. I recommend it very strongly. <br />-Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, Author of The Social Lives of Dogs and Tribe of the Tiger <br /><br /><br />“Full of pithy quotations, unusual observations, and culturally sensitive <br />wisdom, Going Abroad is a great resource for the armchair traveler. But <br />it’s essential reading for those who want to learn about themselves and <br />others as they venture into foreign lands. Packed with practical advice on <br />everything from the multiple uses of condoms to boxing muggers ears, Gordon’s <br />book surprises, delights, and educates. Don’t leave home without it!” <br />-Mark Pendergrast, author of Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World <br /><br /><br />“Part Philosophical primer and part practical guide, Going Abroad is a truly unusual and wonderful book. Written for those interested in “deep travel,” it brings a highly imaginative anthropological sensibility to the experience of modern tourism: to encounters with other places and other peoples that seek to go beyond the superficial, the stereotypical, the sugar-coated. Robert Gordon urges us to go abroad not just to consume “otherness,” but to engage – with the proper mix of critique and humility – in the sorts of exchanges that enable us to know both ourselves and others in new ways. This is a compelling read for anyone seriously interested in acquiring a deeper knowledge of the world at large.” <br />-John Comaroff, Professor of Anthropology, The University of Chicago </p>