The Wayfarer's Handbook: A Field Guide for the Independent Traveler

by Evan S. Rice

An inventive and visually-appealing passport to the wide world of travel, The Wayfarer's Handbook doesn't tell readers to go anywhere, it shows them how to go everywhere.

The Wayfarer's Handbook is a treasure trove of information about the art of travel that is specifically crafted for the modern adventurer. The book is an offbeat guide full of actionable advice, a worldwide exploration reference work, an unconventional collection of world trivia, and an exciting resource of inspiration, all designed for use in a great global adventure.


With a visual aesthetic inspired by the look of vintage field guides, The Wayfarer's Handbook is tailor-made for modern readers, providing the distilled essentials of hundreds of interesting topics, presented in a direct and precise but stylish way. This twist on traditional travel genres covers everything from the world's 33 most common travel scams and the fascinating history of hot air balloons to everyday gestures that are offensive in foreign cultures and how to avoid a hippopotamus attack. Sketches, infographics, small maps, and illustrative charts appear throughout, allowing readers to open to any page and discover fascinating new insights into the art of travel.


Though The Wayfarer's Handbook is compact enough for the road, it is equally suited to be a gem in the library of anyone interested in exploration.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 25, 2017

About the author

Evan S. Rice has spent more than two years on the road, traveling alone through 32 countries on six continents. He is well-versed in the contemporary independent travel culture and brings a unique, modern perspective to the travel genre. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good information on a wide variety of topics related to travel and geography, but this reads like a trivia book as there is no apparent organization of topics covered. It's a small book that is easy to take with you on your travels, but not sure it would be useful due to lack of organization. I would have appreciated a table of contents, topics arranged into chapters, and bigger print.

[Paula Horstman · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot of travel guides out there. This one in particular is a general guidebook with substantial variety ranging from useful tips to odd and curious information. (One section devotes itself to describing extinct animal species). This is not a regular read-every-page type of book, and Rice probably meant for his readers to be able to jump and skip to sections deemed relevant. You can essentially open the book to any page and easily jump into a new topic and not feel like you need context: new ‘sections’ are as short as half a page and as long as a few pages. On one page you’ll be reading about the art of declining street offers, and on another you’ll learn about weird linguistic origins of words regularly used by world travellers.
The Wayfarer’s Handbook puts a modern twist on travel guides, occasionally offering information any traveller would appreciate. Take note that this book focuses on covering a wide variety of small things instead of focusing extensively on any one particular element of travelling. It is a general travel guidebook.
This is a fun, generally useful and interesting book full of knick knacks.

[Pam Cipkowski · Rating 3 out of 5]

This little compendium is chock full of travel facts, lists, quotes, and other little tidbits. From a general countries of the world directory, information on languages, currencies, flags, writing systems and more, to way-out-there topics such as locations on the moon, what to do when animals attack, and how to deal with bribes and pickpockets, it's got a little of everything. No table of contents, so it's hard to really get a sense of how it's organized, although there is an index. Type is a little small. A fun read, though, overall.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for anyone. It is chock full of information for any traveller and is also an interesting read for "the armchair" traveller. This is not a "once and done" book. I highly recommend it to anyone hoping to be a Jeopardy contestant. Study this book and you will be well informed. The compact size makes it a perfect book to slip in your briefcase, backpack, pocketbook or pocket. Watching the news on TV can instill fear in any viewer. Turn off your TV and read The Wayfarer's Handbook - I bet you will be a happier person. I look forward to reading it out loud within a group, as a great way to start conversation.

[Matthew Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was easily the best, and most comprehensive travel book I have read. Not only is the content great, but it's functional. It easily fits in your back pocket, so it can join you on the journey.

There are some books that advertise as travel books, but simply tell you to go to played out locations, and are impossible to take with you anywhere. You can keep your coffee table book. A real traveler wants The Wayfarers Handbook.

[Kali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, useful little facts, tips and trivia interspersed with some boring uninteresting facts and trivia as well. Also some common sense thrown in for good measure - “don’t vandalize monuments and landmarks”.

The print is way too small - I get that the author and publisher probably wanted to make a compact book that one could travel with, but the print is minuscule.

There is something for everyone, so you can pick and choose your way through it all. There’s no real organization of the material to speak of, it’s random with no table of contents. So, take what you need and leave the rest behind - just like packing for a trip.

[Patrick Cumby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I have no idea from what store I purchased it, nor what city or country I was in. It is a book of totally random miscellany with absolutely no order or plot, just random information and bits of inspiration concerning world travel. If you want to know how to negotiate a bribe in Tanzania or how to relieve the heat of too much chili in your Thai food, or the difference between flotsam and jetsam, or the proper word to use when offering a toast in any nation, this is the book. It’s always lying around somewhere in my house, and any time I’m bored or blue I pick it up and flip to a random page and every single time I find delight.

[Alek Zayas-Dorchak · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent, excellent trove of information, history, and trivia for the travel buff.
The one thing that holds this book back from a perfect 5-star rating is its lack of a table of contents. While it was fun to read and while it taught me very much, I wouldn't go so far as to call this a "field guide." There's no way to actually consult this in the field.
I'm sure that he was going for the *aesthetic* of an old school field guide without actually intending to make one. But imagine how much more useful this book would be if it had the aesthetic AND the functionality of a real field guide?

[Julia Haas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful, hilarious, informative, and encouraging. Any book that reaffirms traveling and acknowledges it’s moments of joy and difficulty strongly resonates with me. The format was fun too- quick to read and easy to keep learning more fun facts.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pocket sized. Good quotes and entertaining facts.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful. Informative. Creative. Just plain fun.

[Rebecca Hodgkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

A strange and fascinating little book. Essential reading for all travelers.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tidbits to help all travelers. Some information will be out of date as this was published in 2017. If you like trivia, this is a good book to read.

[Nicole Harkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute and interesting quick read. Tons of interesting nuggets.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an interesting little book to encourage curiosity! Sadly, not much travelling can be done at this time with COVID 19, but hey, we can all dream, can’t we?

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would go with 3.5 stars. Lots of random information in it and more so for those that want to wander the world. But still helpful for a chronic vacationer.

[Key · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean idk?? What would I review it otherwise?

[Ben Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a page turner, just a random assortment of tips, information, and amusements regarding travel. I'm not possessed by a desire to travel the world, but it was a fun and informative read.

[Ru · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite book! If you like to travel and curious about everything happening around the world, you will love this book! This is a tiny hardcover book easy to carry around with you. Random topics are written in bite size - it can be as short as in one paragraph, or longer one in few paragraphs. This is not a guide book that telling you which destination to go or what to see or visit, but it is more like a knowledge kind of trivia book - telling odd information that a traveler might not aware of, eg there are two double landlocked countries in the world; Ramses II has a passport and his occupation is: King (Deceased). Very interesting facts!

[Barb Meso · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book ! It is full of interesting information for anyone traveling for business or pleasure. The novice and the seasoned traveler alike will both enjoy it. Many will want to carry this handbook with them. I'm planning a big trip soon and I will definitely be packing this book with me!

[Learose Mc · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent travel guide for any traveler looking to expand his/her horizons and see the world. Mr. Rice's helpful facts and interesting anecdotes make this book as easy to read as it is functional. I look forward to utilizing his guide in my future travels!