Geniece - reviewed on 3/20/2009

Helpful Score: 3

The idea itself is fantastic: quit your job, sell your house and cars, then take your family on a trip around the world. While the concept is amazing, the real charm of this book lies in the story's telling. The format of the book is a series of emails received from the travelers while they are en route. This creates a very personal feeling. The writer allows us glimpses of what it is like to travel to remote areas of the Earth with young children (the youngest of whom is still in diapers). The honest and clear-eyed observations are not only appealing, but also quite humorous. Any parent can appreciate the devices used to minimize sibling rivalry. At one point, they literally pay the two oldest children to get along! Cohen's writing style is upbeat and evocative. The descriptions of the sights and sounds encountered on four continents kindle wanderlust in the reader. There are lessons to be learned on the road, both large (there really is a fine line between life and death) and small (some of the best experiences and places are found purely by chance). In the end, we feel lucky to have traveled vicariously with the Cohen clan and to have learned the greatest lesson of all: Live in the moment.

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