Thailand Confidential

"Wanna stand in the face of a charging elephant, get hit by a motorcycle, eat giant water bugs, blowtorch your mouth on some of the hottest chili peppers on earth, then go watch a sex change operation? Of course you don't, but, happily, Jerry Hopkins has done all that and more&#8212;lots more&#8212;in this darkly humorous, deeply affectionate, clear-eyed but never patronizing portrait of Thailand, his adopted home. Highly recommended."" &#8212;<b>Tim Cahill, author of <i>Lost in My Own Backyard, Hold the Enlightenment</i> and <i>Jaguars Ripped My Flesh</i></b><br><br>""After over a decade in the country, Hopkins knows and loves his subject dearly&#8212;that much is obvious&#8212;and his vivid portrait projects that love from every page."" &#8212;<b>Jann Wenner, editor and founder of <i>Rolling Stone Magazine</i></b> <br><br>""A loving expose of everything that's wonderful about Thailand, and much that isn't. Should be required reading for all newcomers."" &#8212;<b>Joe Cummings, author of the <i>Lonely Planet Thailand Guide</i></b> <br><br>Writer Jerry Hopkins came to Thailand for a visit in the 1980s, and ended up a permanent resident with a temporary visa&#8212;a big, white <i>farang</i> haunting the bars and back alleys of Bangkok. His essays explore the mystery and mayhem of «The Land of Smiles» to hilarious&#8212;and sometimes disturbing&#8212;effect. Travel with him to a place where whisky is rum, water buffaloes are gay, insects are dinner, dildos are lucky charms, and your wildest adolescent fantasies can come true (for a nominal fee).