A Humorous Look at Traveling and Living In Southeast Asia

Review By Lauren S. Smith

Tom McLaughlin's new book, Borneo Tom, could be a travel guide through Southeast Asia - but it's also much more than that. You'll get the entire scoop on what it's like to travel through Borneo, Malaysia and Southeast Asia, live among the orangutans and develop a serious relationship through it all.

The sketches in Borneo Tom help to tell the tale of how a middle-aged, retired science teacher decided to take off and blaze new and never-before tried experiences. After caring for his parents during the years before their end of life, Tom impulsively decided to move to Borneo and travel through Southeast Asia. What happens next will captivate you.

His daring may seem a bit radical to some, but to Tom it's part of his personality and adventurous spirit. After getting to know people of the Islamic faith in Southeast Asia, McLaughlin decided to write Borneo Tom to try and educate people and reduce the bigotry and prejudice against them. Tom writes about his experiences with people of the Islamic faith and portrays them in a different light than the mainstream media.

The plight of the orangutan is also featured in Borneo Tom. Efforts to help these magnificent creatures are mentioned in the book, and McLaughlin has even designated a portion of the proceeds from the book to benefit this worthy cause. The illustrations of orangutans in Borneo Tom portray them and how they interact with humans in a hilarious way that will endear them to readers and make them want to learn more.

Illustrations sometimes make a book and the ones in Borneo Tom will make readers smile and create a true picture in their own minds about the life McLaughlin lived during his time traveling through Southeast Asia. A man called Waterfront Niki created the sketches. Niki lives near the Sarawak River in Borneo and on the walkway there, he sketches portraits for tourist of all nations and has gained fame throughout the region for his work.

Borneo Tom is for anyone who always wanted to escape the norm and try something new - a new culture, new relationship, scenery and way of life. It took courage and determination to make such a lifestyle change work, and Borneo Tom proves that Tom McLaughlin succeeded in his quest.

McLaughlin found love with a local girl in Southeast Asia and a miracle occurred when she became pregnant in spite of the vasectomy Tom had gotten a few years before. The story of their newly found love permeates the book and turns Borneo Tom into a travel guide/love story/life changing tale.

Lauren Smith is editor for the Virtual Book Review Network - reviews books by well known bestselling authors and books by soon to be recognized names. For more information, visit: http://VirtualBookReviewNetwork.com. This review covers "Borneo Tom," by Tom McLaughlin.

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