The Third Tower Up from the Road

The Third Tower Up From The Road

The Third Tower Up from the Road: A Compilation of Columns from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency’s Kevin Dolgin Tells You About Places You Should Go

“The Third Tower Up from the Road” by Kevin Dolgin a book, or more of a collection of writing, that spans the globe.  I found these travel essays to be a great look into multiple locations around the world.  Dolgin is the author of the popular McSweeney’s column.  Dolgin shares his travels and the method he prefers to do it in is the written word.  Dolgin says he does not take pictures but instead he writes notes during his travels.

I must say I am a picture guy but while I read this book I believe that pictures would only distract and take away from his writing which is very well done.  Dolgin has the ability to paint a very detailed and interesting picture with his words.  I was interested in many of the location he talked about and at the same time there were some locations that I skipped, and that is a nice feature for this book.  Like a travel blog you can focus on locations that you want to read about.

At the same time I got into the stories told by Dolgin and ended up hearing things about other locations that I never thought I would care to hear about like Nara, Japan once the capital city now no longer (page 139).  I liked the Rio De Janeiro, Brazil story (page 154) of the sand castle builders, but that is probably because I lived in Brazil and can easily imagine it.  I never went to the River of January (Rio De Janeiro), I primarily stayed around Sao Paulo, but after reading this story I want to.

The Third Tower Up From The Road

If you are looking for a travel guide this book is not for you.  Dolgin points out that he did not write these articles so you can find your way to a specific hotel.  He wrote them to motivate people to get out and make the world a smaller place.  Dolgin says in his introduction “I’ve tried much harder to portray the spirit of these places than to describe where one can get a good hot dog”.

So for me this is a great travel story book, that paints a great picture of different locations around the world.  I get carried away to a different location each time I read and I can finish a new story in a short time which is great because I have a busy life and it is hard to stop reading and come back to a novel.  To get the motivation you need to get out and explore the world I recommend getting this book, you will also find a great way to visit locations all over without leaving the comfort of your home.

Be sure to visit the author, Kevin Dolgin’s, website to read more about him.

Lord out.

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