Seen any good best-of-the-year book lists lately?
I have, but this isn’t one of them.
Instead, I’ve created a much different kind of list. First, it is a collection of book titles—for cross-cultural workers—but there aren’t real books to go with the names. Second, these titles aren’t any kind of best, and probably shouldn’t even make it to the printing stage.
While compiling a list of made-up titles may not seem like much of an accomplishment, I do want to point out that, slowly but surely, I am moving up in the publishing world . . . sort of. Three years ago I created some clickbait headlines for expats that only lacked people to fill in their stories. Now I’ve come up with titles for whole books (see the progress?). This time, though, the stories don’t need to be filled in.
Solomon writes that “of making many books there is no end.” Let’s leave these books unmade:
Ethnocentrism, Ethnoshmentrism: Incontrovertible Proof that Your Customs Really Are the Best
How I Arrived in Country, Lost My Passport, Got Arrested, Wrestled a Crocodile, Built a Clinic, Organized a VBS . . . and Then Got Ready for My Second Day Abroad
This Airport’s Not My Home, I’m Just A-Passin’ Through: Wild and Wacky Tales from Gate C38
Go see the rest of my list at A Life Overseas. . . .
[photo: “Piles of old books,” by veronica_k, used under a Creative Commons license]
Clearing Customs 