A Fortune-Teller Told Me: Earthbound Travels in the Far East

I cannot express in mere words what this book has done to me. I am about 2/3 through it and really do not want the journey to end. It's not so much the fortune telling but Tiziano's perspective of people and his sorrow over the loss of traditions that are being replaced by "modernization," or Westernization. And what a shame, as he states in the book, losing these ways is like removing a page or chapter from the book of human knowledge, gone forever. He shows through the many shamans he meets, the rulers, the "common" people (like you and me), how these traditions are "weathering" as the West collides into the East, and it's not faring well. Those he meets are still practicing the ways of the earth, they still know our place in this world, this life, and how we fit within it rather than reign superiority over it, but many are dying off and their descendents are taken by westernization and are not interested in carrying on these traditions. The west has lost its ability to perform magic if you will, instead we cure illnesses with drugs that make companies rich rather than through meditation, herbal remedies, spiritual manipulation, knowledge we all once knew. And here in Asia, and in Africa, through the native people of the Americas, Australia, etc. where our old ways are still being practiced, we still have something we could take and bring back if we'd just recognize its value, a real treasure we are so fortunate to still have and one we must grasp before it is too late!One reviewer here mentioned how all of the fortune tellers the author met predicted that he would live a long life, often stating he'd live well into his eighties, but he died a few years ago at the age of 65 from a brain tumor.This is not the first time I've heard fortune tellers predict long lives only to be proved wrong when their subjects die much younger. I had a friend who visited a fortune teller for his 25th birthday. She was extremely accurate about his past and present as well as what she believed would be his future, much of which he had planned but never told her. She told him he would have a very long career in politics. My friend was killed in a car accident while riding in a taxi only 2 months later. Another friend told me while stationed in Haiti many years ago that he had his fortune told with a few of his army buddies. The fortune teller told everyone's fortune but when she got to one of the men, she refused to tell his fortune. He was killed a week later.I don't know, perhaps it's all bunk or perhaps there are folks who can truly see into the future. It's just that maybe they see the future, but not all of them want to tell the truth about when that person will die. Why tell someone they will die young when you can give them hope that they will die old?Tiziano does not have a specific perspective, he's open minded, but he pines for the old ways that he sees were more human, and contrary to what others have written here, he never states he either supports or opposes communism, he simply observes, loves individuals and people, wishes for the days when we could all be connected to the earth again, and each other in a spiritual way, and not for business. And he's open to all possibilities when it comes to spirituality, true spirituality, not the kind that too often is used to control people. He does not dismiss these religions outright, he only notices they always seem to appear as either a way to westernize a country (Christianity) or fight against that westernization (Islam), like polar opposites, but no real balance or the recognition of a people's true will.Whatever your perspective, open your mind and take a wonderful journey with this man. You'll long for a time you may know or remember, or have heard of but wish you could experience too, a time that even existed here in the US for a spell.

i would reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys travel narrative and is interested in magic and fortune tellers in asia. Although i can't agree with the author on all his opinions, as he seems to be against the modernization of Asia, i do agree that with the modernization there is a great loss of knowledge of nature. The author seems to have a love/hate thing going with china, doesn't seem to keen on thailand, and seems sad at the loss of how burma used to be. The book is well written and gives some great anecdotal history of asia, as well as illustrates, in part, the difference in the asian mindset when it comes to fortune tellers and magic.

Buckle up, buttercup. But not on a plane.The second best decision Tiziano Terzani made in 1993 was to not travel by air. The first was to write about that year and share it with the world. Terzani takes us into the magical underworld of Asia like no one else. He visits with fortune tellers from Laos to Mongolia and delves into the varying ideologies of so many Eastern societies. He examines deeply rooted habits, traditions, religion and superstition. Nothing is off limits and so many of his experiences are terrifying and enticing simultaneously. What a master writer and explorer!"For some strange reason we tend to think of human events as taking place on land. We see the past in the physical solidity of monuments, in things that have been built, in the remains of things destroyed, in tombs. But much of history - often the most dramatic part - is written on the seas, where men have left no record of themselves, where everything has sunk without a trace, and the water is just as it was a thousand or a hundred thousand years ago: illegible."

It’s amazing how relevant and impactful this book written in 1997 continues to be. I just read it while traveling in Hanoi and Tokyo. Terzani’s descriptions of these two places were wonderful to read while I was in both cities. Tokyo hadn’t changed much from his time, but Hanoi was like night and day and told me just how far the city and the country had come in a quarter century. But the real meat of this book is the insights into who we are as humans and what it means to face our own mortality and the meaning of life. I loved this book and feel it’s a great read for everyone - whether you’re an armchair traveler or a National Geographic explorer!

This is a facinating travel story which details those accounts that one may not encounter without traveling with locals. However, parts of the story make me wonder if this is all a true journey or is it mixed with fancy fabrication. Besides, as an Asian I found a few parts of the culture story-telling is not totally true to local customs. Perhaps the author didn't learn it correctly at the first place. However, those are the very tiny parts of the story which itself offers exiting readings.

I gave this book a 4 star rating as it was easy to read and kept me interested the whole time. Having travelled to many of the same places by land, I could relate the story and it brought back many memories.I would recommend it to people who want to remember past asian trips and to those who wish to get an insight in to what lies ahead if they plan to traven overland through asia.

Maybe having a girlfriend for several years halfway across the planet, and the end of that relationship, maybe that's why I stopped travelling. This book suspiciously landed in my hands right about the same time, after being recommended by some Italian friends of mine. A year later, they asked me 'why not come to Italy for the summer, so much is happening here, and we'd love for you to be part of it." I gracefully declined and told them that I read this book that they recommended, and now I've stopped travelling too, and am trying to work out things in my own home town.And the work continues.....

Me lo recomendó un amigo italiano. Como no leo en ese idioma, lo busqué en español, pero no lo encontré. La traducción inglesa es muy buena, con un texto muy atractivo y que fluye fácil. Está muy bien escrito.Trata de un periodista italiano que lleva 20 años en Asia. Un adivino le dijo en el año 1980 que todo bien, pero que en 1993 no tomase ningún avión. Terzani decidió hacer caso y estuvo un año viajando por Asia en tren, barco, autobús, coche o a pie. Eso le dio acceso a ver, y contarnos, un mundo que desconocemos (y un poco despreciamos) los que nos movemos en avión. Y esto es especialmente verdad en Asia. El libro es el relato de ese año.Terzani describe sus experiencias de ese año maravillosamente bien, de forma muy atractiva, con muchos relatos muy interesantes. Ayuda a entender Asia, que sigue siendo muy desconocida y estereotipada. Trata temas variadísimos, entrevistando a productores de drogas, conocedores de la meditación, adivinos, políticos, y mucho más. Con muy lúcidas reflexiones, estupendas descripciones, y mucho humor cómplice. Muy buena explicación del rol de los chinos en Sudeste asiático. Estupenda descripción del budismo.Es un libro maravilloso, delicioso. Altamente recomendable.

Es un libro interesante sobre todo si gustas de la historia de países asiáticos. Me pareció algo pesado y difícil de seguir de vez en cuando...es un buen libro para empaparte de la cultura y misticismo asiático en general.

Beautiful story, worth reading...

A nice book, makes you think on Asian tradition and westernisation, it's impact, boring definition of development (concrete jungle).

amazing book, easy to read, well written and eye opening, gives interesting insights to all asian lovers of how the regions has changed in the past decades through a very original lents