On the theory that an account of a pleasant journey is best not thrust upon friends, that a disaster makes for a more entertaining story, here is a gathering of quotes, commentary, and anecdotes about the travails of travel, the downright strangeness of foreign places, and rueful encounters on the road.

On the theory that an account of a pleasant journey is best not thrust upon friends and strangers, that a disaster makes for a more entertaining story, here is a gathering of quotes, commentary, and anecdotes about the travails of travel, the downright strangeness of foreign places, and rueful encounters on the road. Abetted by a parade of well-known curmudgeons, Jon Winokur offers a thousand reasons not to go there. "The Traveling Curmudgeon proves that travel and all things related to going from here to there--destinations, the locals, the tourists, the food, accommodations, and, oh my god, the souvenirs we drag home--are all grist for a very entertaining mill.