Philosophy Books

If you've ever felt that travel should be more than just ticking off bucket-list destinations, "The Art of Travel" will resonate with you. Alain de Botton elegantly dissects the reasons why we travel and offers thoughtful insights on how to deepen the experience. His blend of philosophy, art, and personal anecdotes might just change the way you approach your next journey.

You might enjoy "Fresh-Air Fiend" by Paul Theroux if you're drawn to vivid travel narratives that go beyond tourist veneers to scratch beneath the surface of diverse destinations. Theroux's candid reflections and encounters across continents offer a dose of adventure from the comfort of your reading nook, giving you not just places, but people and their stories, in his distinct, no-holds-barred style. It's a ticket around the world with a keen-eyed companion whose experiences range from the sublime to the sometimes startlingly raw.

Considering a trip to lush, vibrant Costa Rica? This thorough guide from 1996 might make for nostalgic reading or provide historical insights into how the country's sights and offerings have evolved. It details travel tips, accommodation overviews, restaurant suggestions, shopping spots,and cultural activities—everything you might want reviewed before embarking on a Costa Rican journey.

Any Baedeker will tell us where we ought to travel, but only Alain de Botton will tell us how and why. With the same intelligence and insouciant charm he brought to How Proust Can Save Your Life, de Botton considers the pleasures of anticipation; the allure of the exotic, and the value of noticing everything from a seascape in Barbados to the takeoffs at Heathrow. Even as de Botton takes the reader along on his own peregrinations, he also cites such distinguished fellow-travelers as Baudelaire, Wordsworth, Van Gogh, the biologist Alexander von Humboldt, and the 18th-century eccentric Xavier de Maistre, who catalogued the wonders of his bedroom. The Art of Travel is a wise and utterly original book. Don’t leave home without it.