WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT BUMBLING THROUGH BORNEO:
SELECT MEDIA & INDUSTRY REVIEWS:
“… A travel book with a difference. Engagingly written and amusingly illustrated in comic book-style format, it combines a rollicking backpacker’s adventure tale in the heart of Southeast Asia’s disappearing jungles with an increasingly serious environmental message.” — South China Morning Post CLICK HERE to download the full SCMP Article: [download id=”8″]
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“… You can expect the usual — longhouse, river, jungle — in the next few pages, but it is the way Schmidt tells the story which makes it so interesting. His black and white illustrations help you visualise everything: the book’s layout is graphic and neatly presented so you get a cross-section of a longhouse, a cargo express, maps, etc. This is accompanied by fact boxes of the places Bob visits so you learn a lot about Sarawak, the people and its natural wonders. I wish my school geography books had been this well put together. Most of all, Schmidt tells a good story. It is simple but never simplistic and he taught this Malaysian a thing or two about Sarawak.” — Joan Lau, The Malaysian Insider CLICK HERE to download the full The Malaysian Insider Article: [download id=”9″]
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“Bumbling Through Borneo is loads of fun and laughs but at the same time, by cleverly weaving in the facts of Borneo into the main plot, readers are unwittingly enlightened on environmental and social issues such as logging, deforestation and population displacement … In all, this delightful book is informative and so much fun. It would appeal to the mature reader, perhaps the traveler who is planning on discovering Borneo, as well as young children. Definitely one for the personal library!” — S. Mohala, Malaysian Naturalist, Malaysia Nature Society CLICK HERE to download the full Malaysian Naturalist article: [download id=”16″] (The Malaysian Naturalist is the quarterly magazine for the Malaysian Nature Society, one of Malaysia’s leading organizations promoting conservation and environmental education)
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“… a sense of respect and awe for Sarawak and her people underpin this cartoon novel … This is not a guidebook, but it does give snippets of useful information on current issues including the controversial Bakun Hydro Electric Dam, changing land use patterns, cultural information on topics ranging from the construction of longhouses to beads and tattooing, and historical notes on towns and cities. A lighthearted approach increases the accessibility of this information and encourages a quest for more knowledge about Sarawak and the rest of Borneo.” — MM Ann Armstrong, Borneo Research Bulletin
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“The book provides an extraordinary look into a place I would venture to say that few of us in western civilization have travelled or with which we are remotely familiar. It is filled with enchanting stories of kind and generous people formulated by three different cultures inhabiting Borneo – Malaysian Chinese, Ibans and a variety of Malay ethnicities – whose customs, though a bit unusual by our ‘standards’ provide a richness of life experiences we may never know within our hermetically sealed ‘bubbles’ of existence. An adventure like the one described of our bumbling explorers is not for the faint of heart. There is no spa, no martini, no soft feathered bed and no valet service in a journey such as this. But, I daresay, that if you choose a route and quest of a similar nature, you just might be changed forever, seeing the world with brand-new eyes.” — Michel Borg, AIA, American Institute of Architects Young Architects Forum CLICK HERE to download the full AIA YAF Book Review: [download id=”17″] ————————————————————————————————————————————————–
“Encouraging anyone to have an interest in exploration and the natural world can never be a bad thing, so Bumbling Through Borneo, which is set to entertain while imparting information, is a welcome blend of narrative with an underlying conservation message … the underlying message is excellent — adventure mixed with fact and just thing to hook a youngster into wanting to explore the world.” — Descent Magazine
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“Interesting! Recommended reading for backpackers to Borneo.” — Dato’ Dr. Dionysius Sharma, Executive Director / CEO, WWF – Malaysia
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“This book is a unique approach to share stories of disappearing plants, animals, lands and waters local people need to survive. A good blend of a tourist rough guide, conservation notes and a comic book. A good treat for eyes and mind.” — Ahmad Fuadi, Director of Communications, The Nature Conservancy – Indonesia
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“Bumbling Through Borneo is a classic Backpacker Yarn. Enlightening regional info digressions from the travelers’ tale highlight environmental devastation of a global treasure. Splendid comic book-style ink drawings illustrate the journey. Old travelers will chuckle at the wanderers’ jams, and young ones will be inspired to hit the road.” — Judith Mayer, Coordinator, The Borneo Project
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“Bumbling Through Borneo is an adventurous tale of backpacking through Borneo that will have you packing your bags and resigning from work without a second thought.” — BC Magazine, Hong Kong, April 2009
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“Part of ‘The Bumbling Traveller Adventure Series,’ Bumbling Through Borneo is a novel based on a true story, about an American architect on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through the depths of Borneo, along with a dedicated troupe of backpackers. Set in the 1990s, Bumbling Through Borneo has a strong environmental message amidst its exciting narrative of exploring a virgin rainforest and encountering diverse cultures. Cartoon-sketch style illustrations on every page add life to this enthralling adventure, told in day-by-day journal format.” — Midwest Book Review
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“As I began reading, I realized that ‘Bumbling Through Borneo’ was nothing like I had expected. Most backpacking stories are a diary of sorts of the events and circumstances that the writer experienced on his or her travels. Although, we do have an account of the adventures in this book from the author, we also get something more. This is a short book about a man and the companions he picks up along the way as they backpack through Borneo and make their way up the Rejang River. It integrates an adventure story, with historical facts, country information, and a keen sense of the effects from deforestation and climate changes all in a comic book-like format …” — Melissa Koltes for RebeccasReads
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“Part of “The Bumbling Traveller Adventure Series”, Bumbling Through Borneo is a novel based on a true story, about an American architect on a once-in-a-lifetime journey through the depths of Borneo, along with a dedicated troupe of backpackers. Set in the 1990s, Bumbling Through Borneo has a strong environmental message amidst its exciting narrative of exploring a virgin rainforest and encountering diverse cultures. Cartoon-sketch style illustrations on every page add life to this enthralling adventure, told in day-by-day journal format.” — Small Press Bookwatch, May 2009
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“Part light-hearted travelogue, part graphic-novel, part responsible-travel treatise; this idiosyncratic tale of one man’s calling from his day-job in Hong Kong to the longhouses and rainforest of Sarawak, engages all senses in telling its author’s story. Packed with witty anecdotes, information on how to stage your own ‘bumble’ and unpretentious environmental advice, by the time you get to the last page you will have been persuaded to quit your own job in favour of a Bornean adventure.” — Peter Adkins, “Borneo in Books, a Countdown of Ten of the Best Books on Borneo,” Borneo Insider’s Guide, Apr-Jun 2012
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SELECT READER REVIEWS:
“What a unique book all ages can enjoy. It is a wonderfully light hearted story that is told in a comic book style of backpacking travel. Made me laugh out loud!” — P. Trail, Graphic Designer, USA
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“This book chronicles the journey of the main character, Bob, on his month-long trek through Borneo, in search of the answer to a secret message. He meets fellow travelers and local people along the way, encountering unusual, and often humorous, situations as a stranger in a strange land. I felt like I was tagging along with the hapless travelers as they made their way through the Borneo rainforest, along the way noting the effects of modernization and globalization on the natural environment. It was so engaging, I read the book in one evening, but could spend hours looking through the hundreds of detailed pen and ink illustrations. The book offers useful tips and travel information for those visiting Borneo and for world travelers in general. It’s a combination travel guide, vacation journal, and graphic novel, with an emphasis on eco-tourism and being a responsible traveler. The book ends with Bob starting a new adventure to solve the mystery. I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment! ” — R. Totel, Architect, China
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“This is a very enjoyable reading experience. The story unfolds in a casual way which effectively brings the reader into the adventure alongside of the story teller. The main story is augmented with lots of travel notes and quick character studies and descriptions of people which add richness to the travel experience. The illustrations are profuse and very effective at capturing the sense of place and mood of the story.” — WG Hook, Architectural Illustrator, USA
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“The most ENJOYABLE and FUN travel writing book I have ever read. The book is unique on its own way by showing illustration and sketches! This book is not all just about going for holidays/trip, by putting issues such as environmental and culture awareness, it able to open our eyes and put more responsible on preserving nature and local cultures.” — Roland Rengga Jemie, Malaysia
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“Schmidt’s work bumbles through the veins of the disappearing rainforest of Borneo. His beautiful illustrations fill literally every page, and his accessible and vivacious prose fits all walks of life. The author also made an effort to provide socio-geographical details that are of great educational value. Bumbling Through Borneo is a must-read for those who desire to experience beyond city life and human civilizations. In sum, a beautiful and a meaningful work – I am looking forward to its sequels!” — Selina Lai, Hong Kong
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“Bumbling Through Borneo, by Tom Schmidt, is the story of an American architect named Bob, who has received a mysterious note in his mail inviting him to travel to Borneo in search of a “great reward”. Perhaps against his better judgment, Bob does so, and soon meets up with a myriad of unexpected traveling companions to help him on his quest. They find themselves traversing through an unknown country, hacking through thick jungles, fighting blood-sucking leeches, and more, while they come to the realization that all around them, this seemingly pristine jungle ecosystem is coming apart at the seams. I really enjoyed this book. It combined humor, interesting travel stories, and environmental issues into a quick and satisfying read. The characters were funny and likable, and the facts about Borneo scattered throughout this book were very informative. Definitely an enjoyable read for anyone interested in travel/adventure books.” — Annie, Canvas of a Billion Suns
