Small World: A Microcosmic Journey
Brad Herzog
Pocket, May 2004, $13.00
ISBN: 0743464702

Brad Herzog takes readers on a descriptive tour of "famous" locations such as Athens, Jerusalem, Moscow, Mecca, Congo, London, Cambridge, Baghdad, Rome, etc without crossing any ocean. One wonders how Mr. Herzog accomplished his feat of visiting these locales yet not transverse by air or sea the Atlantic or the Pacific (except to Hawaii). Simply, he stayed inside the United States where he went from Cairo to New Madrid, Missouri or searched for David in Jerusalem, Arkansas. Mr. Herzog makes a powerful case that the states have plenty of interesting locations so that the vacationer might not ignore feeling that there is as much culture and history to absorb in Moscow, Idaho as in Moscow, Russia. The author feels that to knee jerk abroad is cultural bias and makes the case that in deed there is plenty to see when one traces the three mile train from London to Cambridge, Illinois.

Small World: A Microcosmic Journey is a delightful insightful look at the vast treasures waiting for Americans within their own nation for a lot less than going overseas. The book is written in such a way so that the casual reader gets a taste of a unique locale while being able to put the book down and pick up this fine reference tome another day (I read the book over ten days). The audience will picture Kerouac and Kuralt touring together with Herzog as their driver places like Versailles and Paris.

Harriet Klausner