Cowboys, Fishermen, and Monks: Bitten by 3rd World Wanderlust

by Tom Mattson

Forced to not speak a word for 10 days straight, watching a stranger die while ice climbing, pulled off the street to officiate a beauty pageant, hanging from the outside of the TranSiberian Express as it sped across Siberia, and more ... 700 days, 39 countries. Tom Mattson traveled extensively. He was a cowboy in Australia, a fisherman in Alaska, and a monk in India. And that was only the beginning. Over the course of time, he became skilled at negotiating with Indians, able to feel the ecstasy of light passing through his body, and rode more than 7000 miles on his motorcycle, almost killing himself several times. The journey evolved into a quest for how to attain permanent happiness and fulfillment in life. A question he finally learned the answer to ... These stories, high-altitude and intimate, will take you into escape, the wilderness, and the wide glittering world. It will kickstart your travel lust and put the winds of change at your back once again.

404 pages, Paperback

Published July 30, 2019

About the author

UCLA graduate. Writer. A biker at heart. Tom Mattson traveled extensively. He was a cowboy in Australia, a fisherman in Alaska, and a monk in India. "Cowboy, Fishermen, and Monks: Bitten by 3rd World Wanderlust" is his first novel.

Reviews

[Antonin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some says the author is a gross american always talking about his sexual desires or an unconscious tourist doing whatever he wants. Does it make a bad book ? Absolutely not !
I'm a big traveler too and never really wanted to read book about others' travels. But this book changed my mind.
The author knows how to retain readers' attention ! It's a clever mix of adventure and discovery, action and spirituality. The whole wrapped up in a cinematic style !
What a pleasure !

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I knew Tom in a previous life, so maybe I am not the most objective reviewer. But then again I am free to be honest, because I am not sure where he is in the world right now, so it's not like if I gave this a bad review, there would be some awkward silence at some party a few weeks from now. I may be one of those "so-called friends with gossamer-thin alliances" mentioned on Page 388, but I'd like to think not, as we shared a passion for travel (my tastes are decidedly tame first world compared to the authors) and a passion for writing about our travels, noting the absurd and the humorous interactions one can have on the road. While my drive to write petered out after some entertaining e-mails while in Europe, I am glad to see Tom put together his experiences in this collection. He has real talent, and he talks about things in a real way, not like the boring brochure speak that many travel writers engage in. The kangaroo story was worth the price of the book alone, and the India chapter was hilarious. I do really think this book deserved a release from an established publisher, and there are some sections that could have used an experienced editor's eye (some paragraphs are basically repeating the same information just pages apart as the author follows a tangential thought between the two, he sometimes spends too much time explaining philosophies that the reader might be familiar with or should really research on their own rather than slow down the book too much). But there are so many positives about this book that I can't give it anything but 5 stars. Even in the last section, where I feared Tom had gone off with a Keith Ranieri type cult, he stays true to himself and his voice. It is seriously the most entertaining travel book I've read in a long time.
P.S. the negative review below is ridiculous. Although I would not call Tom "woke" and I am sure some delicate sensibilities might be disgusted by some of his hot takes on women, the amount of space devoted to his "sexual exploits" would probably fit on one page. Also, he only mentions once being 29, and another time being 30. Hardly someone who is middle-aged, which makes me think that the negative review is from someone in his personal life, or an 18 year old who can't tell the difference between a 30 year old and a 45 year old.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a pure chance that I found this book on amazon. I liked the cover, so took a chance and purchased it. It was an unexpected hit. I read it in three days and couldn't put it down. The author describes various incidents around the world in a unique and vivid way that makes you fully immersed. Especially Alaska! A must read. I also liked the Nepal, Cowboy and the Enlightment chapter a lot. The book was an atmospheric one. I'm very glad I found it.

[E · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointing. A middle aged American staying in hostels (?) and detailing his sexual exploits around the world. Did not finish. Gross.