Accidental Enlightenment: The Extraordinary Travels of a Modern-Day Gulliver    by Stephen Banick Order:  USA  Can Synergy, 2007 (2007) Softcover Read an Excerpt     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Samuel Johnson said: 'The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality.' Stephen Banick tells us that 'Each of us has a Gulliver or 'Higher Self' that is guiding us on our life journey. My commitment to Gulliver and thus to the Universe, was to explain the nature of this journey to others, and to inspire them – you – to befriend their/your own Gulliver ... instead of getting stuck in the ruts of complacency, fear, regret, dissatisfaction ... all the life-sucking elements of our Ego-self that pull us back from experiencing our highest freedom, growth and joy.' Banick has traveled extensively, to six continents and over more than thirty countries. His goal? 'Helping others feel better, have more, and be more.' He's seen prejudice, poverty and civil war, and has also connected with others and experienced their cultures. He designed the Gulliver Project to 'give people hope, connect people's innate talents and virtues with the tremendous tools and resources that can enrich them and prompt them to empower themselves.' Along with a gentle but powerful shove to improve others' lives, with Accidental Enlightenment, he shares his own experiences as a traveler. Reading of his travels is the fun part of this book. Stephen and his wife Alexis do not travel in luxury. They prefer to get out into the heart of each country, meet the people, and absorb their culture. Taking back country roads on derelict buses, hitchhiking, climbing rocky promontories, or riding rapids on a raft, the author took his Project with him and expounded on it for the benefit of others -while traveling to the ends of the earth and back. His account of their climb up Mount Kilimanjaro makes one want to pack hiking boots and set forth. Not thinking I can't do that, but with the knowledge that one can at least try: 'The only Certainty is Uncertainty.' (Heisenberg's Law) Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Travel books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews