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Good Reading : December January 2011
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Bank Robbery for Beginners Anthony Prince Remember those two young Aussies who spent years in American jails for committing the most inept bank robbery in history? The guys who wore their work name tags and spoke in broad Australian accents although they were the only Aussies in town? Anthony Prince is one of those blokes. He and his mate Luke Car roll robbed a bank in the small American snow town in which they were working, and followed this with the brilliant escape plan of nonchalantly going snowboarding afterwards. How could they possibly fail? They were identified immediately and arrested within a day. The book documents the robbery and the subsequent years spent in various American prisons. The strongest aspect of the book is Prince's recounting of the robbery, and he acknowledges his monumental stupidity and accepts the blame. He doesn't feel sorry for himself or try to justify his actions. The book reads like a comedy. Despite being incarcerated in some pretty sobering institutions, Prince focuses on the funny occur rences and leaves out the brooding or depression that must have occur red. Read this book for the description of the robbery alone, which left me cringing with sheer embar rassment and disbelief. ★★★ Macmillan $34.99 Reviewed by Harvey Pearce Lost on Earth Steve Crombie Halfway through Lost on Earth I started bracing myself for the inevitable point in every travel memoir where the adventurer has their epiphany and begins preaching about the meaning of life, love, and the human spirit. Steve Crombie set out to ride his motorbike across the world. He hates the city, he seeks out adventure, he meets a girl, and surely here it comes ... What? He just has a great time and tells some good stories? Thank you, Steve! It is so refreshing to read a travel book about a bloke who recounts his stories simply because he enjoyed himself so much, and not because he now exists on a spiritual plane higher than everyone else. The stories of Steve's journey from South America to the Arctic Circle on his trusty bike, Wolverine, are told with humour and honesty, and he doesn't shy away from the darker side of the poor nations he rides through. He meets pirates, smugglers, presidents and hustlers and gets into some ridiculous situations. He also tells us a bit about his reasons for travelling, and these bring the stories together nicely. Steve might not be everyone's cup of tea (cocaine, anyone?) but he comes across as a genuine bloke who can tell a great yar n. ★★★ Macmillan $34.99 Reviewed by Harvey Pearce general non-fiction word of mouth Where will you wake up next? Wherever you travel, reward yourself with Best Western Rewards. Earn points at more than 4,000 Best Western hotels worldwide. For more information or to book, visit BestWestern.com.au or BestWestern.co.nz or call 131 779 (Australia) or 0800 237 893 (NZ) Join now for free at www.bestwesternrewards.com
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