Product Description

Cahill, the author of Buried Dreams, Road Fever, and Jaguars Ripped My Flesh takes readers on journeys to areas as remote as the rivers of Honduras and the immense grassland of Mongolia to the stunning geysers of Yellowstone and the deepest jungles of Peru. Here Cahill dares readers to follow him into his world of danger and high-spirited zaniness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #518370 in Books
• Published on: 1998-03-31
• Released on: 1998-03-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Amazon.com Review
Travel writing has been popular since Herodotus first jotted down his observations while journeying abroad. Now Tim Cahill adds Pass the Butterworms to the genre, and a welcome addition it is. As in his earlier books Jaguars Ripped My Flesh, A Wolverine Is Eating My Leg, and Pecked to Death by Ducks, Mr. Cahill chronicles his trips to the far-flung corners of the world. Part of this author's charm is his resolute Everyman persona--he is neither remarkably brave nor extraordinarily competent. This is a man, after all, who capsizes his sea kayak in still waters and describes his rock-climbing experience as "hanging from a rope affixed to a diaper, which I am wearing in the place where diapers are most often worn. . . ."

Not all of Tim Cahill's essays in Pass the Butterworms are comic, however. Perhaps the most memorable in the collection is "A Darkness on the River," Cahill's account of the senseless murder of a friend's son in Peru and its aftermath. And even his funniest tales have a bittersweet quality to them--the inevitable by-product of an outsider looking in.

From Publishers Weekly
Cahill (Jaguars Ripped My Flesh) has a reputation for reporting his intrepid treks with wit and sensitivity, and in this collection, mainly from Outside magazine, he does not disappoint. Many of his 24 stories are perverse romps: in Mongolia, he pursues archeological data while surviving physical assaults (the locals think him a hated Russian), "operatic weather" and horses that practice "the Mongolian Death Trot." Recounting the history of his recurrent malaria, Cahill quips that he has adopted a steak-and-gin-and-tonic diet for health reasons. On the coast of Honduras, he makes such fast friendships with local children that he becomes known as "Se?or Wazoo." But Cahill has a more reflective side, one that recognizes that the wilderness is a place to test ourselves and that progress has its contradictions. Investigating the death of an idealistic young American in remote Peru, he captures a moment in which the local tribesmen finally recognize that the victim was not an enemy but a brother. On the undeveloped island of Bonaire, he realizes that scuba diving can still astonish him. And among the Stone Age tribe of the Karowai in Indonesia, Cahill finds himself regretting the advance of homogenizing modernity but discerning that his subjects, wanting new axes, "did not equate drudgery with any kind of nobility." Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
YA. A compilation of writings by an intrepid traveler. Cahill appears to have personally visited every imaginable place on Earth (and a few unimaginable as well), where he has eaten whatever has been served (equally unimaginable at times), and survived disastrous mishaps. Each chapter discusses one major excursion, usually supplemented with shorter but equally entertaining episodes. Precise and concise, the writing reads effortlessly, and is delightfully spiced with bits of humor and wit. Dealing with sites all over the globe, the author clearly describes the geography, flora and fauna, environment, and culture he encounters. Young adults can use individual episodes to learn about foreign cultures, exotic environments, and for the sheer pleasure and excitement. Read collectively, the stories capture part of the author's personality as well, providing insights into the man behind the words. Cahill has authored several other similar titles, also oddly named, including Pecked to Death by Ducks (Random, 1993).?Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

"Pass the Butterworms" to Your Favorite Friends
No butterworms, but plenty of reasons why not to live in Honduras, the joys of watching the international spear fishing competition (similar to watching the grass grow) and how to work the crowd of hostile natives (laugh a lot).

Tim Cahill is an unabashed delight. If I had to go all or any of these places, he's my pick of a companion. Funny, quirky, compassionate and I suspect a lot more competent than he lets on. An added bonus is his lyrical writing; his descriptions are magic. His analysis of bringing stone age people into the age of technology is thoughtful, insightful and all empathy.

In the essay, "On the River of Cold Fire" I have never read a better description of a totally cold, wet miserable journey. All the times, we have said "If I ever get out of here---" are summed up in this article.

I've decided I will forgive him for accusing Emily Dickinson of over-editing and even his titles. It is so difficult to tell your loved ones you want "A Jaguar Ripped My Flesh" or "A Wolverine is Eating My Leg" for your birthday. But be firm. Insist these are what you really want.

Tim Cahill gets thoughtful
I've been a big fan of Tim Cahill for as long as he has been compiling his articles into books. Years ago, he was fending off sharks armed only with a nail-tipped broomstick or avoiding the bite of poisonous sea snakes while drunken diving (sic) or evading mysterious armed intruders among the ruins of Peru's mountains. At least, that is what I was particularly drawn to as a testosterone-charged adolescent growing into adulthood. Back then, his spectacular piece, "The Shame of Escobilla," had less appeal for me because it was missing the feats of derring-do that I thought I read Tim Cahill for. Mr. Cahill is mellowing out with age, and it suits me perfectly. His stories still have the twisted humor that has always been a hallmark of Tim Cahill. But there is a lot more of the "why" around different cultures and different species. I find myself putting the book down often and wanting to share what I just read with someone else, rather than quickly getting to the next story to see what that wacky Tim is going to do next. And I find that I am enjoying it. My only complaint is that Tim Cahill does so much travelling around that he doesn't do enough writing. I wish he would publish a book every year instead of every three. Either that or begin to take me on his travels.

another Cahill success
How could anyone not like a chapter referring to Yogurt Riders? Tim Cahill's style is frank, entertaining and informal.

As with most of his other books, Tim has gone out and done a lot of interesting traveling. He's always willing to write about embarrassing himself if need be, and I doubt he embellishes much if at all. _Butterworms_ is a collection of stories of these sorts of travels, and is well worth your time and money.

A special note: Cahill books make superb gifts in my experience--anyone interested in new things and places tends to like them.