Jim Soliski, an Edmonton writer, is one of those people who thinks travel should be fun.

And Soliski obviously enjoys himself, as shown by his collection of travel pieces. Does Your Meter Work (the second question one should always ask a taxi driver in a foreign country, following “Do you speak English?”)

Soliski, who has had his articles printed in many newspapers and magazines, roams the world looking for the offbeat. Included in the collection are stories of attending a cock fight in the Philippines, white-water rafting in the Himalayas, getting caught up in insurgency in Sri Lanka and hitch-hiking from Brunei to Bangkok.

Soliski is always good-humoured, and this collection of short, entertaining stories is ideal bedside reading.

Paul Carbray
Montreal Gazette