Michael Booth Book order (chronological)

Michael Booth sets off on a journey by car, boat, train and plane through three countries ending up in a fourth, Taiwan. He blends popular anthropology, history, politics and travel

Embarking on a journey of Japan to explore its dazzling food culture, the author and his family discover future food trends and meet a cast of food heroes, from a couple lavishing love on rotten fish, to a chef who literally sacrificed a limb in pursuit of the bowl of ramen.

"Journalist Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians for more than ten years, growing increasingly frustrated with the rose-tinted view of this part of the world offered up by the Western media. In this timely book he leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success and, most intriguing of all, what they think of each other. Why are the Danes so happy, despite having the highest taxes? Do the Finns really have the best education system? Are the Icelanders really feral? How are the Norwegians spending their fantastic oil wealth? And why do all of them hate the Swedes? In The Almost Nearly Perfect People Michael Booth explains who the Scandinavians are, how they differ and why, their quirks and foibles, and explores why these societies have become so successful and models for the world. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterized by suffocating parochialism and populated by extremists of various shades. They may very well be almost nearly perfect, but it isn't easy being Scandinavian. - For readers of Bill Bryson, Sarah Lyall, and Euny Hong"--

'The next Bill Bryson.' New York Times World-weary, distracted and more often than not the worse for wine, Michael Booth really needed to make some major changes to his life. Instead, he embarks on an over-ambitious, self-indulgent attempt to write the definitive book on Indian food, taking his wife and two young children in tow. They criss-cross India, from mist-shrouded Delhi to Mumbai and the slums of Dharavi, meeting the locals and samplying different cuisines along the way. However, his plan is derailed as he spirals deeper into his metaphysical middle-aged malaise, finally unravelling amid the sweltering heat of the Keralan backwaters. Fortunately, his wife takes control and enrolls her disintegrating husband in a hardcore yoga boot camp, enlisting a wise meditation guru who helps him chart a path towards enlightenment. But will Booth's cynicism and untrammelled appetites prove his undoing? Can he regain his balance, conquer his anxieties and face up to life as a husband and father?

Japan is the pre-eminent food nation on earth. The Japanese go to the most extraordinary lengths and expense to eat the finest, most delectable, and downright freakiest food imaginable. Their creativity, dedication and ingenuity, not to mention courage in the face of dishes such as cod sperm, whale penis and octopus ice cream, is only now beginning to be fully appreciated in the sushi-saturated West, as are the remarkable health benefits of the traditional Japanese diet. nspired by Shizuo Tsuji s classic book, Japanese Cooking, A Simple Art, food and travel writer Michael Booth sets off to take the culinary pulse of contemporary Japan, learning fascinating tips and recipes that few westerners have been privy to before. Accompanied by two fussy eaters under the age of six, he and his wife travel the length of the country, from bear-infested, beer-loving Hokkaido to snake-infested, seaweed-loving Okinawa. long the way, they dine with sumos; meet the indigenous Ainu; drink coffee at the dog cafe; pamper the world s most expensive cows with massage and beer

Providing coverage of Danish history and culture, this guide also includes: an extended cycling section to get around this bike-friendly country; coverage of the crowd-pulling summer music festivals; details of a 1000-year old Viking fortress and Legoland; and a Copenhagen map section

What Will Your Copenhagen Encounter Be?...taking a late-night trip to Tivoli for fireworks and fine views...getting hygge (cozy) with the locals at a candlelit outdoor cafe...being dazzled by the crown jewels at fairytale royal palace Rosenborg Slot...savoring Faroese Langoustines in an emulsion of oysters at Michelin-starred Noma...admiring picture-postcard streets on a canal tour of colorful Nyhavn...basking in the Scandinavian sunshine on the beach at Amager StrandDiscover Twice the City in Half the Time......full-color pull-out map and detailed neighborhood maps for easy navigation...our expert author recommends the very best sights, restaurants, shops and entertainment...unique "Snapshots" help you get under the skin of the city...locals divulge Copenhagen's a well-known singer reveals the best spot for live jazz and a top jeweler tell us where to shop for bling

"Eat, drink, shop, sleep, explore, enjoy"--Cover.