Hilarious, insightful and one hell of a wild ride, this is Bill Bryson for the new world.
‘I’d sleep on couches, beds, floors, kennels … If someone was kind enough to put a roof over my head, I was game enough to go meet them. And I’d just pray they were who they said they were.’
There's nothing like a blog post to inspire angry rants from anonymous readers: it’s the talkback radio of the digital age. So why is Australia’s leading travel blogger Ben Groundwater setting out to put faces to his readers’ made-up names?
Armed with a backpack, a laptop, and a cover story in case of emergency, Ben has a plan: to travel the world, relying purely on the kindness of his sometimes frightening, but always interesting, readers. After posting a cry for help on his blog, he has a globe-circling itinerary of apparently friendly strangers who have offered him their homes – not to mention their radio shows, hallucinogenic drugs, beachside eco-resorts and daughters’ weddings.
This is Ben’s chance to dig deep into the realms of his digital universe: Who’s out there reading his blog? Where do they live? What are their lives like? And how do you carry a goat home in Ethiopia? Over 14 weeks, 14 countries and about a thousand beers, he answers these questions and many more. Five Ways to Carry a Goat is the hilarious tale of putting virtual friendships to the test of reality.
'5 Ways to Carry a Goat is an incredibly funny book about an average guy’s journey into the unknown, recommended for gen-y readers who need a laugh.' Bookseller and Publisher
'Groundwater tells a great yarn.' Courier Mail
'… a rollicking book debut.' Courier Mail
'Ben took off and lived to tell the hilarious tale.' Brisbane News
'An easy and entertaining read.' Adelaide Advertiser
'An incredibly funny book.' crikey. com. au
'A light hearted read, enjoyable to any traveller or inquisitive soul.' dB Magazine
'A ripping yarn.' Rolling Stone
'Insightful and entertaining.' Sydney Morning Herald
'Groundwater has an appealing immediacy about his writing, and his observations,
mostly about the strange worlds inhabited by expatriates, are insightful and entertaining.' Age
'A quirky adventure. Funny.' Townsville Bulletin
'Freewheeling, bright and unencumbered.' Hobart Mercury