As a travel industry professional, I’ve watched the world shrink as access has grown. Karen Gershowitz’ lovely travel memoir is a look back at a time when faraway places really were far away, distant cultures were very different, single women travelling alone were an unusual sight, and travelers with open hearts had extraordinary experiences.  Travel Mania made me appreciate current travel opportunities even more.

A witty, insightful romp through a lifetime of travel that reads like a sit down with a friend. You’ll want to curl up in a comfortable spot and greedily gulp down Travel Mania in a single sitting — then read it again and feel like you are catching up with a dear old friend. If you like your wisdom laced … Read More

Alone or in the company of others, Karen Gershowitz navigates the world with an open heart and a sense of adventure. This collection covers impressive ground, and whether she’s rocking out with Moroccans to the Blind Boys of Alabama, struggling up the slopes of Kilimanjaro, or doing business in Asia, her sharp eye brings the wonders of the world in … Read More

Karen Gershowitz suffers from the only traveler’s disease it’s fun to have—and be around: the compulsion toward travel itself. The author of this wonderful book brings us with her on a staggering variety of journeys, trekking through jungles and deserts, climbing Kilimanjaro, exploring great cities and obscure villages across the world. The book is full of terrific stories, revealing with … Read More

This book is terrific. No “guided” tour here. Readers are invited to travel along and join in exotic adventures—a solo trip to Sulawesi based on an article in National Geographic? “Absolutely.” Climb Kilimanjaro? “Sure.” Ride an elephant? “Hmm, after some hypnosis therapy.” The only fitting description is: page-turner.  Karen gives us wondrous—whether white-knuckled or resplendent—nuggets. Her own growth as a global citizen winds through … Read More

Fasten your seatbelts, readers, and prepare to be swept around the world, in the capable and enthusiastic company of KG. As if she didn’t travel enough for work, Karen’s wanderlust kept her itchy feet moving. Go along with her, and you will climb Mt Kilimanjaro, “poli-poli”, eat the famous-for-its-revolting-smell durian in Malaysia, trek through a scirocco in the Sahara, eat delicious … Read More

I so thoroughly enjoyed Karen Gershowitz’s Travel Mania. What adventures across the globe! I loved the vignettes of her life in far flung places–Cairo, Singapore, a rodeo in Wyoming, climbing Kilimanjaro, on an elephant in Thailand–from business trips to excursions on a whim. I was there with her, as she struggled with misadventures or found unexpected friends or simply tested herself … Read More

“For someone like me, whose idea of travel is to reluctantly cross the George Washington Bridge and visit New Jersey—though never overnight–Karen Gershowitz’s Travel Mania is a godsend. It’s the perfect way to imagine I’m a seasoned traveler, without having to leave the comfort of my living room couch. Gershowitz who responds to the suggestion “let’s go” by packing her bags, hasn’t quite turned me … Read More