108 Beloved Objects [PAPERBACK]: Letting Go of Stuff, Keeping Our Stories

by Jeff Greenwald

We live surrounded by the objects we've acquired - in our everyday lives, as gifts, and during our travels. But why are these objects important to us? Why do we hold on to them? Mainly, for the memories they stories of adventure, connection, friendship, love, and loss. After a 40-year career as a travel journalist, author Jeff Greenwald ( Shopping for Buddhas and The Size of the World ) tells the tales of 108 of his beloved objects-before letting them go. This beautiful and unusual photo-memoir is divided into six realms-Travel, Gifts, Love, Earth Moon & Stars, Endings, and Spirit-with 18 "flash non-fiction" chapters in each. The total number of objects is 108, a number considered spiritually significant in Hindu and Buddhist cultures (there are also 108 stitches on a baseball). Photography by tribal art dealer Zena Kruzick.

248 pages, Paperback

Published July 15, 2025

About the author

Jeff Greenwald has published six books, including Shopping for Buddhas (just out in 25th Anniversary edition) , The Size of the World (for which he created the first Internet travel blog) and Snake Lake. His tales and essays appear in many print and online publications. Jeff’s first voyage abroad, at 17, ended in utter disaster, and a host of subsequent mishaps have provided rich fodder for his storytelling career. His critically acclaimed one-man show, “Strange Travel Suggestions,” premiered in San Francisco in 2003. Jeff is also the Executive Director of Ethical Traveler (www.ethicaltraveler.org), a non-profit dedicated to human rights and environmental protection.