The Voyages of Sir James Lancaster, Kt., to the East Indies Book

This is one of those books that gives me intense wanderlust. Tahir Shah is either a man with an incredible knack for stumbling across the bizarre, a fabulous liar, or some combination of the two. His story is absolutely outlandish, and sometimes I wondered if he was playing tricks on me just as the Indian godmen he visits perform illusions for rapt audiences. Several of the events in the book are just too coincidental, too good to be true. But in the end, I don't even care—his performance was so much good fun that it doesn't matter how much of it was real.

The book is about Shah's quest to complete a course in the art of illusion under the guidance of Hakim Feroze, an obsessive-compulsive and sadistic instructor whose skills border on the supernatural. After forcing him to study countless illusions and the work of incredible performers like Harry Houdini, Shah's teacher directs him to examine people throughout India and collect "insider information," which Shah accomplishes in ways you will definitely enjoy reading about. If you ever wanted to learn about India's skeleton dealers, questionable pharmacies, holy men, baby rental services, or a huge variety of other curiosities, this book is for you. Descriptions of unpleasant aromas, flea-infested hostels, and questionable dining experiences also make the stranger side of India come to life. This book made me want to hit the road and seek out "insider information" of my own.

One of the best things about Shah's work is that, no matter how gross or irritating his situation is, he describes it with obvious affability and good humor. Although he is a highly learned man and is occasionally prone to some high-falutin' prose, he never shies away from poking fun at himself. It's very easy to travel vicariously through him, and to feel like you've learned a lot by the end of the journey.