Travels
by Michael Crichton · first published 1988
67% recommend33% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Autobiography framed as short, thought-provoking stories, covering Crichton's path from medical school and early writing to his later fame; readers say it is entertaining and gives them ideas to think about.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Here is a record of Michael Crichton's astonishing adventures. It is a vision of travel not as escape but as exhilaration, as a testing of self, and as spiritual education. Crichton shows us travel as turmoil and as peace. All of this voyages, outward and inward, from his twenties to his mid-forties, have been journeys into awareness--leading him to the excitement and benison of direct expeirence undimmed by expectations, theories, or old assumptions. His remarkable book is in itself a fascinating realm in which the adventurous are invited to travel.
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Not sure if these books are unknown or fallen out of favor, but I've never spoken to anyone else who's read them without me passing them on first: Travels - Michael Crichton - a number of useful life lessons I'm only just catching up on https://www.amazon.co.uk/Travels-Vintage-Departures-Michael-... The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ragged-Trousered-Philanthropists-Wo...…
on “Ask HN: What are the best unknown books you have read?” ↗Travels, by Michael Crichton - a sort of autobiography with some excellent lessons on life. I've never met anyone else who's read it for some reason. Ishmael - recommended on here but doesn't seem well known…
on “Ask HN: What's your favorite book that nobody you know has heard of?” ↗…white, and can be debated/discussed all day. The part about being a mule etc, struck a chord. I read her book, it was good, though I wouldn't say its the best travel/autobiographical book I've read. "Travels" by Michael Crichton is very very good, he was a great guy and had traveled to many places. He was trained to be a doctor, but his heart was into writing, he talks about that a lot. You could take a…
on “Sprezzatura” ↗…Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! - Richard Feynman What Do You Care What Other People Think? - Richard Feynman Crime and Guilt: Stories - Ferdinand von Schirach Last Chance to See - Douglas Adams Travels - Michael Crichton Technical: The Unwritten Laws of Engineering - W.J. King Nonfiction: Legal Systems Very Different From Ours - David Friedman Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain…
on “Ask HN: What books should I read this summer?” ↗One of my favorite quotes regarding this is from Michael Crichton in one of his more obscure, autobiographical books called Travels: "Although knowledge of how things work is sufficient to allow manipulation of nature, what humans really want to know is why things work. Children don't ask how the sky is blue. They ask why the sky…
on “When Kids Start Doing Root Cause Analysis” ↗I always really enjoyed Travels by Michael Crichton. Considering how popular he is I've never spoken to anyone else who's read it. It gave me a lot to think about in my early 20s. I also enjoyed Jonathon Livingston Seagull, which seems…
on “Ask HN: What are the best books you've read that few others have?” ↗Travels - Michael Crichton, got me into travelling, the outdoors and an interest in inner travel The hobbit - came with the adventure game that my aunty had on her c64 got me into computers and reading aged…
on “Ask HN: What was the one book that you read and it actually changed your life?” ↗I can vouch for Travels - nice to see someone mention it! It is a great book. Crichton had a fascinating career - he was in medical school, but he was insanely productive writing novels and earning a living. He was a fantastic…
on “Ask HN: What's your favorite book that nobody you know has heard of?” ↗I generally recommend Thich Nhat Hahn's book fear, for pretty much all situations, it comes in useful for most situations relating to change. I like Travels Michael Crichton for discussing the ups and downs of life.
on “Ask HN: Books for Reevaluation of Life” ↗per point #1, Travels by Michael Crichton (who didn't need the money) is one of the best travel writing books I've read. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7665.Travels
on “Is Travel Writing Dead?” ↗Hobbit/Lord of the Rings x10 at least Travels - Michael Crichton x10 at least Fear - Thich Nhat Hanh x10 at least Tunnels and Trolls Rulebook x100 An Oracle Server v7 book I got on my graduate training course before everything was online and an…
on “Ask HN: Which book have you re-read the most times? how many times?” ↗I highly recommend Michael Crichton’s autobiography, ‘Travels’. It chronicles his time beginning in med school, where he began writing on a whim, to his post-fame struggles. Time periods are framed in short stories that are entertaining and thought provoking. I…
on “Michael Crichton, Science Studies, and the Technothriller (2015)” ↗One of my fav books is an autobiography: Michael Crichton - Travels It's a lighthearted journey through his career, physical and mental/spiritual experiences. I've read it a few times now.
on “Ask HN: Recommend a biography?” ↗Two come to mind. "Travels" by Michael Crichton, and "Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man" by Steve Alpert. Both are good, but neither is exceptional. But their different approaches to storytelling have been important.
on “Ask HN: Which books you have read till now that were worth investing time in?” ↗In my case, Fear - Thich Nhat Hanh and Travels - Michael Crichton
on “Ask HN: Books worth reading multiple times?” ↗