This lighthearted send-up of the adventures of journeying in a state of matrimonial bliss (or misery, as the case may be) visits every aspect of traveling as a team. After all, "Because couples therapy is rarely available on vacation, it's important to be aware in advance of the special challenges associated with traveling while married." Weisman, a contributor to PRI's Savvy Traveler, begins with obvious sticking points—including what time to get to the airport and how to unite messy and neat factions in one hotel room—and then branches into more taboo territory. When is it okay to admit that a so-called dream vacation is quickly becoming a nightmare? What's the best way to discourage houseguests from tagging along on a summer beach house rental? And, of course, the "don't ask, don't tell" rule of travel: "Nobody wants to hear about your vacation unless you've had a terrible time.... Even people who like you can stand just so much of your gaseous descriptions of swimming in the warm Gulf of Mexico waters or strolling on the Ile Saint-Louis. After a few minutes their eyes glaze over and their smiles become fixed, indicating that you've used up their allotted quotient of niceness." Weisman's breezy humor may make for a quick read, but whether she's sand-boarding in Chile's Atacama Desert or snoozing through "American Diplomacy in the Twenty-First Century" at an Elderhostel, her get-up-and-go spirit is contagious. Drawings by New Yorker
artist Edward Koren enliven the text. (Apr. 25)
Correction:
In the Jan. 20 issue, we incorrectly stated that Joe Haberstroh in Fatal Depth
did not use primary sources when, in fact, he did. Our apologies.
