The Flow: A Hedonist's Guide to Buddhism, Meditation and Travels in Thailand

by Laurence Davidson

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.

390 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 18, 2025

About the author

Laurence 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 two books. One is an exploration of how meditation quietly shapes the lives of artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs. The other is his first attempt at a novel - and it's the hardest writing he's ever attempted. Stay tuned for more.

Reviews

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

* please be aware that this book uses AI generation for its artwork. i didn't know this before i brought it. i am highly against the use of AI both as an artist and a writer, although no AI was used in the creation of the writing in the book itself. it is quite a shame since you can absolutely tell with a trained eye that the images are AI. i might not have brought the book if i knew, and i'm putting this here for transparency's sake because i believe transparency on this is important - even if it's at the beginning of the book. however, seeing as i bought and have read the book, i will be writing this review solely based on the quality of the written content.

out of the 60 written reviews i have carefully left on this site known as goodreads, i have become very fond of critiquing all of the literature i read. however, out of all those 60 reviews, laurence is the only author i am actually familiar with on a personal basis. he has been a very laid-back and awesome person to be around, even gave me advice with where to go with self publishing (because i fucking hate the publishing industry). needless to say, i wanted to support him and buy his book. adulting! networking! connections! the stuff you're supposed to do in adulthood!

so let's get this out of the way- larry is a great guy. that being said, i didn't enjoy this as much as i hoped i would.

to start, i am completely unfamiliar with thailand. i really loved the parts of the book that were an introspective into buddhism, monk life, and spirituality. it's always amazing to take a peek into other religions, especially when christianity dominates so much of the western world. and the tone of which it is approached...like i said, larry is a great guy. it can be so easy to write off something as weird from a eurocentric perspective, but he never does that. laurence is full of compassion and love for everyone regardless of who they are and where they come from. and it's that loving nature, that unique perspective that makes it so great. it's not fetishistic, it's not appropriation, just pure observation.

larry is a no-nonsense, no BS kind of guy, and it's very refreshing in the wake of things. like, i hate a lot of social media that is unproductive scrolling too. but his ragging on tourists sometimes becomes a little...excessive. sure, you can call out the exploitative practices of tourists and how people take advantage of the locals, that's totally a real problem. but complaining about people using their phones for instagram and tiktok feels...strange, almost as if hating the privileged background that you yourself come from. it is also just how some people enjoy things. if they're not being rude, then well, not anyone's business. i can't lie.

also - say it with me...too much food!! now, it's no secret by any stretch of the imagination that i have an eating disorder (ARFID). i have lived with it my entire life. eating is not a joy for me. it is a chore. i accepted early on that i would not connect with this material - sure. okay. other people will, it's not ruining the book or anything...but when i say there are dozens upon dozens of pages solely about food and nothing else, i really am not joking. and then it gets to a point where i have trouble imagining most people connecting with the content. and despite larry being "woke", he oddly rags on picky eaters...which, i think he has some research to do. being "picky" is not something i choose to live with. it is something i am forced to live with. many other people are in my position. i could never, ever travel to thailand due to my autism or eating disorder - which is why i wanted to read this memoir. needless to say, it's not *great* to demonize people who could possibly be in your reading audience and pose no threat.

there were a little bit of excess details about his personal relationship that feel a little disrespectful to the woman he met in thailand - like, seriously, unless she gave expressed permission about writing about intimate moments...i think it could've been left out. especially considering what happened. though, i do sincerely hope that larry is healing from the situation. it is completely and utterly heartbreaking and, no doubt, writing this book helped him cope with a lot of those complex emotions. i really feel for him.

the editing job also could've been better - the book could've been shortened by at LEAST 100 pages, in my honest opinion. there are also phrases larry repeats so many times that it does unfortunately become noticeable (he loves to use the expression of "it's not just [blank], it's [blank]"). font could've been enlarged with proper paragraph formatting, instead of crowding the pages with (what i consider to be) rather small text. and unfortunately, it gets to a point - especially in the later half - where it becomes less of a memoir about cultural experience and more about hopping from place to place trying different food.

when writing a memoir, there is something meaningful that has to be the takeaway. it's the point and message of memoirs. you write your life story and condense it into a lesson that can be taken from the story. the lesson here is obvious - treat everyone and all cultures with compassion, and explore the world with an open mind. unfortunately, it is bogged down by a ton of unnecessary scenes and detail that can be a slog to get through at times. but if you're a food fanatic and someone who actually wants to travel (absolutely not me)!!, this is definitely the book for you.

larry, if you're reading this - debut novels are HARD. and i'm sorry. but critique is how we all grow, and i don't want anyone to shy away from buying your book because of this review. i hope that it doesn't ruin anything for you. and i am glad to hear that you have more books planned, because i seriously think there is potential here with a lot more editing and polish, as well as some more experience. good luck out there. do not give up because of my opinion! that is the LAST thing i want!!