Book review: Getting Out

If you’re like me, you get inspired by personal stories. I want to hear the specifics; something that I can relate to—the internal debate, the rash decision, the unexpected twist. That’s what I like about the book “Getting Out.”

Published in 2006, “Getting Out” only caught my eye recently for the first time. It covers a lot of the same topics included in other inspirational travel books—visas, studying abroad, odd jobs, country-specific advice, transition—but largely makes its point with quotes from the personal experiences of travelers.

It’s easy to page through, with manual-style illustrations and clean design. But once you read more closely, you find out that the content and approach are just as honest and alternative—categories for each of the 50 countries listed not only include climate and life expectancy, but also attitudes towards cannabis, abortion, and homosexuality.

I was intrigured by travelers’ experiences with different visas—business and tourist, official and good enough. And in the Hungary listing, I got pulled into one traveler’s account of the limited expat community in Budapest—either a warning for others to set their expectations correctly, or a nod to the easy integration into local Hungarian life, depending on the disposition of the traveler.

Granted, it’s not comprehensive and the nature of the book is somewhat angry (it’s entitled “Getting Out” for a reason), but the uncommon advice and personal approach seem to go a long way.