badlands tony wheeler Book
by tony wheeler

Book Comments & Discussion (2)

UnknownOPJan 2013

juha rated it 3 stars his partial critique

Towards the end, Tony Wheeler introduces his Evil Meter™ that he then applies to the countries that he has visited. The tool measures countries on three basic scales: how well they treat their own citizens, whether they promote terrorism, and whether they pose threats to their neighbours. He then doles out one extra point to countries with significant personality cults. Rated on this scale, North Korea emerges as the worst of the lot and Cuba scores hardly any points. The book was published in 2007 and does not therefore reflect some of the more recent events (for example the Iranian election debacle of June 2009 or the hero's welcome to Al-Megrahi, the alleged Lockerbie bomber, to Libya). Whether these would change the results in any way is debatable. One could also criticize the Evil Meter for paying too much attention to terrorism and threats to neighbours (after all, these two are arguably related) and too little to, say, oppression of women. Despite its appalling performance on the latter front, Saudi Arabia emerges almost unscathed!

In the final chapter, Wheeler discusses other bad-lands candidates and, rightly, lists many a country that could be perhaps worse than those visited by him for this book. Somalia, Sudan, Zaire/Congo and Zimbabwe in Africa range from failed states to dictatorships where citizens' human rights are routinely violated. Others, such as Haiti, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea, are pretty bad and Wheeler also lists Pakistan as a noteworthy contender for the status. He also speculates about what scores would the United States of George W. Bush and d*ck Cheney acquire, but unfortunately doesn't provide a rating. Finally, and in my mind correctly, he concludes that there is "the combo that is arguably the baddest Bad Land of them all": Israel/Palestine.(less)

mtncabingirlOPJan 15, 2013

this includes his "evil meter" as well.the author writes for Lonely Planet which at least as a sponsored tourist he is more savvy.and in part may have influenced the tone.

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Storyline

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher*

A tourist on the Axis of Evil.

'You guys really are the axis of evil', our guide splutters over his stein of beer in the Pyongyang duck restaurant. 'You're always leaning out of the windows and taking photographs when I tell you not to.'

In an age of plastic knives on planes, Tony Wheeler can make the extraordinary claim of having visited all the rogue countries currently on newsreaders' lips. Bad Lands is a witty first-hand account of his travels through places often perceived as having some of the most repressive and dangerous regimes in the world: Afghanistan, Albania, Burma, Cuba, Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea and Saudi Arabia. Taking into account each country's attitude to human rights, terrorism and foreign policy, he asks 'what makes a country truly evil?' and 'how bad is really bad?' - all the while engaging with a colourful cast of locals and hapless tour guides, ruminating on history and debunking popular myths.

Written by the founder of Lonely Planet, this fascinating account of life in these closed-off countries will appeal to anyone with an interest in the state of the world today.

With additional excursions to places that are slightly misguided, mildly malevolent, seriously off course, extraordinarily reclusive and much misunderstood. The second version of this popular title is well worth a read!

Author: Tony Wheeler

About Lonely Planet: Started in 1973, Lonely Planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, and a dedicated traveller community. Lonely Planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places where they travel.

TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards 2012 and 2013 winner in Favorite Travel Guide category

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