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Travel is a Political Act

What started as a career in tour guiding and teaching people how to travel Europe on a dime has taken a political turn for acclaimed travel expert and PBS series host Rick Steves. For decades, Rick Steves has encouraged Americans to travel outside of their comfort zones by choosing destinations that are both challenging and thought provoking over mainstream (fun in the sun) vacation spots. But his travel journalism has not overtly exposed his political views, until now. In a book published by Nation Books called Travel as a Political Act, travel guru Rick Steves wears his progressive politics on his sleeve. According to Steves, through travel we can learn why Europeans incarcerate fewer people than the US, how Muslims view the US and it’s wars, and why immigrants cross borders. “We travel to have enlightening experiences, to meet inspirational people, to be stimulated, to learn, and to grow” says Rick Steves. His book Travel is a Political Act also provides a powerful antidote to the fear and insulation that many Americans feel about the rest of the world. He recently traveled to Iran to produce a documentary about Iran’s contemporary social and cultural landscape in an effort to humanize Iranians for us Americans. Today we spend the hour with Rick Steves.

Thank you Gifts:

Travel as a Political Act – book – $80

Rick Steves Iran: Yesterday and Today – DVD – $80

Rick Steves Pack – book and DVD – $120