Dear editor

Precisely three and one half years ago I stood up in front of a classroom full of friends and peers and announced, quite confidently, that immediately upon graduating from university I would backpack around the world and write a book of my adventures. Well, they didn’t believe it any more than I did. And yet, “Vagabond Zoo” was published last month. To commemorate the occasion I’m giving away 1000 free e-books at my website.http://www.vagabondzoo.com

One night I was in Denver watching a basketball game on TNT and the next I was choking on pollution in Delhi, India, and I remember thinking, “Oh Jesus God shit, what have I done?” I had clearly gone off my nut. How else could I explain buying a one-way ticket to India? But then I ended up in Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Nepal, Spain, Morocco and Korea. I met whackos and drunks, the morally challenged, the worst of the lot. Friends, I call them. And we did everything and nothing and whatever we wanted because we were free in the best possible way.

There is much to gain by taking some time off and traveling overseas. You learn about perspective and priorities, you learn that we humans are much more alike than we are different. In Australia and New Zealand it’s called a “gap year” – one year away from university to backpack around a favorite continent. It’s as much a part of college life as selling your books for beer money. In Britain, Ireland, even Canada, college students are making time to bounce around the world. It’s part of their culture. Now I’m trying to make it part of the youth culture in the U.S. And being that it’s spring break season the topic of travel is … well, topical.

If you send me an email with the words “free e-book” in the subject I’ll send you a complimentary copy of “Vagabond Zoo.” Thanks for your time.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Mistretta

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx BOOK INFO xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Title: Vagabond Zoo

Author and URL: Nicholas Mistrettahttp://www.vagabondzoo.com

Publisher and URL: iUniversehttp://www.iUniverse.com

Publisher address: 2021 Pine Lake RoadSuite 100Lincoln, NE 68512

Publisher e-mail:[email protected]

ISBN: 0-595-75506-2

Formats available: paperback and e-book

Price: paperback – $16.95 e-book – $6.00

Available for purchase at: amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, iUniverse.commany other online book sellers

Number of pages: 200

Genre: travel memoir

Blurbs: “This is why it was so hard to explain to folks back home what I did with all those hours not working or going to school. We didn’t DO anything. Nothing you can properly sum up in a quick email, anyway. “Yes, and today we got stoned and watched an ant jump over a hole in the ground.” Who the hell’s going to believe that this is what backpackers really do? While others were killing time, we were savoring it. No agenda, no responsibility. We could do whatever we wanted but felt no pressure to do anything. No guilt in doing nothing.”

“No amount of planning can prepare you for India, its hassles and endless bothers. THE GODDAM POVERTY! Back home I would have turned to those kids and said, “Get the fuck off me!” But in India I felt unusually timid. My voice got higher, my balls even shrunk. And the whole country caught a whiff of that. Smells like green ink. Currency.”