If There's One Genre You Have to Read Before You Die It's The Travel Book

That's the title of a new story in The Guardian.

From the piece...

Lonely Planet Publications was set up in 1972 by Tony and Maureen Wheeler, who trekked across Asia during a time when trekking and Asia were perilous and terrifying in equal measure, parlayed their experiences into a bestselling book and parlayed that success into a publishing empire of guides for the miserly and dreadlocked.

That empire recently sold its 100-millionth copy: proof of the ferocious grip travel has on the books market. It has somehow established itself as an entire genre, rivalling chick-lit, self-flagellating memoirs and plodding thrillers about Vatican conspiracies in the hearts of undiscerning readers and end-of-year publishing house balance sheets. In common with those, most travel books are superficial, solipsistic and as artistically accomplished as the average dog fart. They are not, however, all the same. Here's how they break down...

Photograph by Ar'alani