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The Flow: A Hedonist's Guide to Buddhism, Meditation and Travels in Thailand
What happens when a skeptical, comfort-loving, sharp-witted Westerner with an acute BS meter trades his daily grind for a Thai jungle monastery—and a shot at inner peace? In The Flow, A Hedonist's Guide to Buddhism, Meditation and Travels in Thailand, a dry-witted hedonist goes searching for something real in a world that prizes distraction, and winds up barefoot and meditating at 5 a.m. amidst the cacophony of the Thailand jungle highlands. What begins as spiritual curiosity soon becomes a heartfelt plunge into the rhythms of Thai life and culture, Buddhist practice, and the universal ache for connection, purpose, and grace.
With a voice that’s as sharp as it is tender, the author takes us from Bangkok backstreets to mountaintop temples, elephant sanctuaries, a legendary river and local wet markets, with some epic rush-hour street crossing and white-knuckle tuk tuk rides just for fun. Along his journey, he encounters a wry Tibetan monk, bartenders and chefs, a shop owner named Larry who loves the same cat he does, and Chalermwan, a quiet yet brilliant fruit vendor whose presence lingers long after the last mangosteen. Through it all, the memoir explores the tension between ambition and surrender, craving and contentment, Western cynicism and Eastern wisdom.
Blending Bourdain’s grounded honesty with the emotional clarity of Steinbeck and the cultural nuance of Pico Iyer, The Flow is not just a travelogue—it’s a love letter to imperfection and impermanence, an exploration of what it means to belong somewhere (or to no place at all), and a deeply personal meditation on how the world can crack you open in the best possible way.
With a voice that’s as sharp as it is tender, the author takes us from Bangkok backstreets to mountaintop temples, elephant sanctuaries, a legendary river and local wet markets, with some epic rush-hour street crossing and white-knuckle tuk tuk rides just for fun. Along his journey, he encounters a wry Tibetan monk, bartenders and chefs, a shop owner named Larry who loves the same cat he does, and Chalermwan, a quiet yet brilliant fruit vendor whose presence lingers long after the last mangosteen. Through it all, the memoir explores the tension between ambition and surrender, craving and contentment, Western cynicism and Eastern wisdom.
Blending Bourdain’s grounded honesty with the emotional clarity of Steinbeck and the cultural nuance of Pico Iyer, The Flow is not just a travelogue—it’s a love letter to imperfection and impermanence, an exploration of what it means to belong somewhere (or to no place at all), and a deeply personal meditation on how the world can crack you open in the best possible way.
466 pages, Paperback
Published August 19, 2025
About the author
Laurence Davidson
1 bookLaurence Davidson has spent his life chasing flavor, rhythm, and story—sometimes all at once. A longtime wine professional and globetrotting sommelier, he’s played music on festival stages across the world (and, once, to an audience of elephants in Thailand). When he’s not pouring, playing, or writing, you can find him leading weekly meditation sessions at a Walla Walla winery, proving that reflection pairs just as well with Syrah as it does with silence.
His debut memoir, The Flow: A Hedonist’s Guide to Buddhism, Meditation & Travels in Thailand, blends wit, wanderlust, and unvarnished honesty as he navigates temples, street food, love, loss, and the strangeness of spiritual practice through a Western lens.
Davidson believes the best stories come from curiosity, good conversation, and occasionally, a willingness to throw away the map.
He’s currently at work on his next book, exploring how meditation quietly shapes the lives of artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs.
His debut memoir, The Flow: A Hedonist’s Guide to Buddhism, Meditation & Travels in Thailand, blends wit, wanderlust, and unvarnished honesty as he navigates temples, street food, love, loss, and the strangeness of spiritual practice through a Western lens.
Davidson believes the best stories come from curiosity, good conversation, and occasionally, a willingness to throw away the map.
He’s currently at work on his next book, exploring how meditation quietly shapes the lives of artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs.
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