is about meetings and adventures with interesting people in Asia and Alaska. I followed the advice of a long-ago traveler named Pythagoras, who admonished us to "check your prejudices at every port of entry." As a result, I mostly traveled solo, merged with the locals, and got to see, experience, and understand things that would not have been otherwise possible. Plus, the locals can keep you out of trouble and get you out of trouble if you get into it! In Alaska, I sought out native elders and others in the far corners of this enormous state, street people, and the many interesting and famous people visiting or passing through. And high-level politicians-often at the opposite end of the political and social issues spectrum than me. I learned a lot, made new friends, and often got to see things from a different perspective. Encounters were overwhelmingly positive, and it is these people to whom I dedicate My Pursuit of the Axis of Evil. I commend you for your natural curiosity and desire to go out into the world and see for yourself. Pursuit of the Axis of Evil is a great primer on how to engage and interact with the incredible variety of people we meet on international travel - people that appear on the surface to be very different from you and me. Robert DeLaurentis, Polar and Equitorial Circumnavigator/Citizen of the World.