Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
The Lyons Press (2007), Edition: 1st, Paperback, 264 pages
Description
Travel. Nonfiction. HTML: A hilarious, highly original collection of essays based on the Botswana truism: "only food runs!"In the tradition of Bill Bryson, a new writer brings us the lively adventures and biting wit of an African safari guide. Peter Allison gives us the guide's-eye view of living in the bush, confronting the world's fiercest terrain of wild animals and, most challenging of all, managing herds of gaping tourists. Passionate for the animals of the Kalahari, Allison works as a top safari guide in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta. As he serves the whims of his wealthy clients, he often has to stop the impulse to run as far away from them as he can, as these tourists are sometimes more dangerous than a pride of lions. No one could make up these outrageous-but-true tales: the young woman who rejected the recommended safari-friendly khaki to wear a more "fashionable" hot pink ensemble; the lost tourist who happened to be drunk, half-naked, and a member of the British royal family; establishing a real friendship with the continent's most vicious animal; the Japanese tourist who requested a repeat performance of Allison's being charged by a lion so he could videotape it; and spending a crazy night in the wild after blowing a tire on a tour bus, revealing that Allison has as much good-natured scorn for himself. The author's humor is exceeded only by his love and respect for the animals, and his goal is to limit any negative exposure to humans by planning trips that are minimally invasive�??unfortunately it doesn't always work out that way! Peter Allison is originally from Sydney, Australia. His safaris have been featured in National Geographic, Conde Nast Traveler, and on television programs such as Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures. He travels frequently to speaking appearances, and splits most of his time between Botswana, Sydney, and San Francisco.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member PGAllison
Funny! Exhilarating! Not as cruel as Hemingway (or as well written, I admit)!True! I wrote it!
LibraryThing member skrouhan
Quick, lighthearted read, with many funny stories. Good for an airport/trip, or if you are just in between books.
LibraryThing member nandadevi
This is an account of a novice, then later experienced, safari guide in Africa. Allison has a particular talent for telling a tale that gets inside the head - and soul - of his subject. It's mostly the animals of course, but it is also the tourists and his fellow guides. In these short stories
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Allison tells the story of modern safari tourism as well as I've ever seen done. There's humour there, but also great affection, and some very reflective thinking about the nature of the business, and human nature in general. Very highly recommended for anyone with an interest in wildlife in Africa, and essential reading for anyone who is considering travelling there. Show Less
LibraryThing member Whisper1
I have been enthralled with African animals since my first visit to the Natural History Museum in New York City when I was a child. I loved this book! I especially appreciate Allison's honesty and candor re. his inexperience when first starting as a guide. I felt as though I took a safari and never
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had to leave the comfort of my living room. The descriptive, humorous writing style kept me reading and wishing the book didn't end. Show Less
LibraryThing member akreese
Peter Allison's stories about being a safari guide in Africa are pure entertainment. Whatever You Do, Don't Run is filled with fun-to-read stories ranging from idiotic things that tourists do, to dangerous face-to-face encounters with lions.
He has a knack for relating the humorous happenings around
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to go on safari in Africa, then I would recommend this memoir. It was so much fun to read that I still find myself chuckling at some of the stories a couple of weeks after reading it.
He has a knack for relating the humorous happenings around
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camp, including being overrun by mice and a college-like party atmosphere when the guides are off duty. He is also honest about the less glamorous aspects of the job, yet manages to still make them sound interesting.If you have ever wondered what it would be like to go on safari in Africa, then I would recommend this memoir. It was so much fun to read that I still find myself chuckling at some of the stories a couple of weeks after reading it.
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LibraryThing member AngelaB86
Has just the right mix of hilarity and seriousness. I enjoyed that the stories were generally stand-alone, so you can set it down when you're ready for a break.
LibraryThing member meltonmarty
Easy read; entertaining; a few good wildlife observations; good detail of Botswana geography
LibraryThing member TadAD
This book is a series of anecdotes from drawn from the author's career as a professional game guide in Africa. The stories are told with a light touch, a bit of humor and, quite clearly, a deep love of animals. The book is not a naturalist's study of animals, but we get a nice series of vignettes
Though he does not hesitate to skewer the rude or stupid tourist (such as the individual who almost crashed the bush plane because he insisted on lunging over the pilot to take pictures), by far the most common target of his stories is himself. He applies a great dollop of self-deprecation as he talks about running his Land Rover underwater, trying to drive an elephant out of camp by standing in front of it while yelling, becoming one of "those" bird-watching people.
About the only regret one can feel is that Allison doesn't have a greater gift for comic writing. Many of the stories are inherently funny and I found myself smiling quite a bit. However, in the hands of another author, I probably would have been guffawing.
If you're interesting in a quick, pleasant, mildly humorous read and have any interest in African wildlife, I would recommend this book.
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of the wildlife in Botswana.Though he does not hesitate to skewer the rude or stupid tourist (such as the individual who almost crashed the bush plane because he insisted on lunging over the pilot to take pictures), by far the most common target of his stories is himself. He applies a great dollop of self-deprecation as he talks about running his Land Rover underwater, trying to drive an elephant out of camp by standing in front of it while yelling, becoming one of "those" bird-watching people.
About the only regret one can feel is that Allison doesn't have a greater gift for comic writing. Many of the stories are inherently funny and I found myself smiling quite a bit. However, in the hands of another author, I probably would have been guffawing.
If you're interesting in a quick, pleasant, mildly humorous read and have any interest in African wildlife, I would recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
"Whatever you do, don't run." This was the solemn counsel of the three guides who worked at the camp. "Food runs," added Alpheus, the tracker, his rough face split by an enormous grin. "And there is nothing here that you can outrun anyway."
Summary: When he was 19, Peter Allison left his native
Review: This book is not a memoir per se; it's more of a collection of stories, the sort that get told when you're sitting around after work with drinks and somebody breaks out with "Hey, remember the time that ______?" I can say this with some authority, since the day after I started reading this book, my coworkers and I were having drinks, and we started telling exactly these same kinds of stories. Ours had a less-dramatic cast of animal characters, admittedly, but the gist was the same. Honestly, I think any biologist, park ranger, nature guide, or zookeeper - anyone that works out of doors, with animals, and/or with tourists - probably has enough equally funny and/or death-defying stories to fill a similar book.
This cuts both ways. On the one hand, Allison's stories are undeniably entertaining, he's got a good sense of comic timing, and his love for his job and the wildlife comes across loud and clear from every page. On the other hand, the fact that it was a loose collection of stories rather than a more ordered memoir meant that it was not really organized in any cogent manner, so that the stories skipped back and forth in time, people were constantly referred to without any introduction or context, and some bits of Allison's life (a crappy childhood in particular) were brought up from time to time without ever being explained. This gave the collection a somewhat unfinished feeling that was reinforced by the occasional roughness of the prose; Allison is clearly a safari guide first and a wordsmith second. But, as long as you're willing to treat this book the way you would a friend that's shooting the shit over drinks, and not as anything more formal, the stories are an entertaining diversion for a few hours. 3 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: It's not a must-read, but for fans of nature documentaries and African wildlife, it's a quick and humorous look into what it's like for the humans that live with such things every day.
Summary: When he was 19, Peter Allison left his native
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Australia and moved to Africa to become a wildlife safari guide in South Africa and Botswana. Whatever You Do, Don't Run is a collection of some of Allison's stories from his experiences working in a safari camp, stories that involve charging buffalo, a plague of mice, misbehaving royalty, waterlogged Land Rovers, hungry honey badgers, lion pride drama, German tourists, and baby elephants.Review: This book is not a memoir per se; it's more of a collection of stories, the sort that get told when you're sitting around after work with drinks and somebody breaks out with "Hey, remember the time that ______?" I can say this with some authority, since the day after I started reading this book, my coworkers and I were having drinks, and we started telling exactly these same kinds of stories. Ours had a less-dramatic cast of animal characters, admittedly, but the gist was the same. Honestly, I think any biologist, park ranger, nature guide, or zookeeper - anyone that works out of doors, with animals, and/or with tourists - probably has enough equally funny and/or death-defying stories to fill a similar book.
This cuts both ways. On the one hand, Allison's stories are undeniably entertaining, he's got a good sense of comic timing, and his love for his job and the wildlife comes across loud and clear from every page. On the other hand, the fact that it was a loose collection of stories rather than a more ordered memoir meant that it was not really organized in any cogent manner, so that the stories skipped back and forth in time, people were constantly referred to without any introduction or context, and some bits of Allison's life (a crappy childhood in particular) were brought up from time to time without ever being explained. This gave the collection a somewhat unfinished feeling that was reinforced by the occasional roughness of the prose; Allison is clearly a safari guide first and a wordsmith second. But, as long as you're willing to treat this book the way you would a friend that's shooting the shit over drinks, and not as anything more formal, the stories are an entertaining diversion for a few hours. 3 out of 5 stars.
Recommendation: It's not a must-read, but for fans of nature documentaries and African wildlife, it's a quick and humorous look into what it's like for the humans that live with such things every day.
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LibraryThing member nemoman
I read this while enjoying my first safari at Mala Mala in South Africa. The book echoed my experiences there. It is a lighthearted and enjoyable read.
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
This is a super fast read. Only 245 pages long (and faster if you read at the same time as listen to the audio like I did), you'll get through this in no time. Which is good because that will give you time to read it again and again. I know I wanted to! Allison can be hilarious but he can also be
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extremely poignant. What comes through the strongest, though, is his love for the wildlife in Botswana. Whether its wild cats or beautiful birds, Allison has a deep respect for all creatures he may take a tourist to see. The audio has the narration of Antony Ferguson. Not to be missed! Show Less
LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
This is a super fast read. Only 245 pages long (and faster if you read at the same time as listen to the audio like I did), you'll get through this in no time. Which is good because that will give you time to read it again and again. I know I wanted to! Allison can be hilarious but he can also be
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extremely poignant. What comes through the strongest, though, is his love for the wildlife in Botswana. Whether its wild cats or beautiful birds, Allison has a deep respect for all creatures he may take a tourist to see. The print has some amazing photographs. Show Less
LibraryThing member cygnet81
Very entertaining! This is basically a collection of short stories about Allison's time in Africa as a Safari guide. It made me wish I could go on a safari. I'm only giving it four stars because I wish we had learned more about the cultures he lived in.
LibraryThing member bblum
Fun anecdotal stories from a young safari guide in Botswana. I learned about what not to do as a guest on safari.
LibraryThing member dreskco
One of the least enjoyable books I have read around life in Africa. The story never really kicked in for me. Despite what the author says, I walked away with the idea that he went to Africa so he could write this book. All in all - rather mundane.
LibraryThing member verbafacio
A light, entertaining glimpse of life among the wild animals of an African Safari. Peter is likeable and interesting, but the tales of constant drinking and idiocy wear a little thin.
LibraryThing member dreskco
Quick easy read...somewhat interesting, but didn't feel there was enough interesting stories
LibraryThing member azzie6
Absolutely hilarious! Allison is a great writer, with beautiful descriptions of the various people and animals in his life. The life of this African safari tour guide is filled with hijinks, accidents and quick thinking as he encounters lions, Japanese tourists and deceptively shallow watering
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holes. Living the life of a safari tour guide is a dangerous and frustrating one but Allison survives with wonderful grace and a sense of humor. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaitanya64
I'm not sure whether to call this memoir or a travel book. It's an entertaining reminiscence of the author's work as a safari guide. The stories are funny and the tone is light. You won't learn much about history or culture from this book, but it may inspire you to plan a safari.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007
Physical description
264 p.; 7.9 inches
ISBN
0762745657 / 9780762745654