Brad Olsen has four recommendations for today's college graduates: work abroad, study abroad, volunteer abroad, travel abroad. Olsen took his own three-year, self-financed, solo journey to 28 countries on 5 continents after his graduation from business school, and
World Stompers, now in its fifth incarnation, is his travel manifesto for other intrepid young people willing to travel for extended periods on the cheap. His is a candid book: while he waxes prolific on the benefits of freestyle traveling, he also lays out the inevitable setbacks and hardships. And while Olsen clearly likes to party while he travels (hence the chapters "Stoner's Trail" and "Partyer's Trail"), he's clear about the need for self-confidence and discipline. The book's best chapters discuss setting goals for the three elements essential to planning a stomp: time, money, and desire, with an emphasis on disciplined savings habits, achievable objectives, and old-fashioned hard work; how to deal with setbacks by making backup plans for such mishaps as getting injured, ripped off, or finding yourself plain lonely; and keeping expenses down. The "Stomping Grounds" section scans the various travel circuits (Far East, Europe, etc.) with brief and candid descriptions of each country (in Algeria, "Just the color of your skin may be a one-way ticket home...in a body bag. Bad scene, don't go.") and visa requirements.
"Traveling," says Olsen, "should be an individual statement; don't rely on a guidebook too much." This holds true for World Stompers. While it's an excellent primer, there are some glaring problems. The "Staying Well" chapter includes some very important advice, but never mentions AIDS, a rampant problem in many of the countries discussed. The information on some countries has clearly not been updated--Zimbabwe, for example, which has seen serious interracial violence for well over a year, is described as mostly harmonious. Most disappointing, however, is Olsen's attitude towards locals in the poorer countries. While he raves about meeting people, he's mostly referring to other travelers. He's cautious about befriending locals, an unfortunate attitude of even some budget travelers from affluent nations. Take it from this veteran world traveler, most locals are far more interesting--and interested in you--than Western travelers. Olsen is otherwise gung ho on taking risks; it's a tragedy he missed out on this one. --Lesley Reed
