If you're about to go get in the know! (Before You Go - Tom Griffiths)

Member Name: emsi1984

Product:	Before You Go - Tom Griffiths
Date:	10/12/07 (128 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great Info on all aspects of travelling.

Disadvantages: none

I bought this book a couple of months ago when I finally decided I wanted to plan my gapyear/travelling!
I had heard about the book due to the fact that I use the website gapyear.com which is run by Tom Griffiths who happens to be the author of this book.

If you are a first time traveller and are worrying about the obvious things on your trip... Where to go? what to do? what injections will you need? should I volunteer? How do I get my visas? and so on then this book is definately worth it's original 7.99 price tag.
It begins with a foreward from the author himself as well as from renowned traveller Micheal palin. And the first section starts with a quote that all travellers will probably have heard... 'If you think you can, you can, and if you think you can't you're right!' By Henry Ford.
This is so true for planning your gap year.

Tom has thought of everything in this book from How the hell will this all fit in my backpack, how do I tell my parents that I'm heading off round the world with nothing but my backpack to the more serious points of health and safety, who you decide to travel with (remembering that you will be living together for a long period of time in often close environments) and with what budget. The book even has a section on how to cope once you get home, which I think is very useful at least from what I've heard from friends who have returned and been in shocked back to real life!
The great thing about the book is that it is aimed at the target audience of young people between the ages of 17 and 27 who are typically the first time gappers.

The book is done in a lighthearted way with jokes and amusing cartoons thrown in for good measure but it still manages to be very informative. If you are a girl travelling solo there is a great section on female travel with a do's and don't list written by ex gapper Cathy such as do be cynical of helpful strangers especially male ones and don't show any bare flesh as in some countries your bare flesh can offend.
All in all a great asset to a first time traveller. Well worth the money out of your travelling budget.

Publisher : Bloomsbury reference
Author : Tom Griffiths
Price : 7.99
Publishing year : 2003

Summary: All the information you will need for a gap year!