BOOKS

BOOKS

Listed as one of the Philippine Daily Inquirer's 20 Favorite Books of 2022

Visit the links below to purchase your copies. Available in paperback only.

Shopee: bit.ly/3T53XlH

Lazada: bit.ly/3WyTBgJ


*Available only in the Philippines. Details on how to order from abroad will be shared soon.

*Now available in Malaysia in Sunda Shelves at 32A, Jalan SS20/10, Damansara Kim, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia.



FROM MANILA TO THE WORLD

10 STORIES, 10 CITIES, ONE ACCIDENTAL GLOBE-TROTTER



Paolo Mangahas has collected enough passport stamps and mileage points to last him a lifetime. Along with these, though, he’s also accumulated some pretty bizarre stories. He’s been stuck on an airplane between two sloshed Russian lovers, traveled in Fiji with a blind woman who could read his mind, shared a shower with a huge, hairy Ecuadorian spider, ran away from a vampire in the United States, and almost got run over while crossing the street with his eyes closed in Vietnam. And he vividly recounts all these, and more, in one funny and insightful book that will turn your idea of a travelogue on its head.


From Manila, to the world: 10 stories, 10 cities, one accidental globe-trotter is a compilation of stories from 10 different locations that are as much tales of self-discovery as they are adventures in new places. While it is a journey into rich cultures and landscapes, this book is also essentially a journey within, presented in Mangahas’ sometimes wry, occasionally hilarious, yet always authentic voice. 


These stories, which smoothly juxtapose Mangahas’ epiphanies on personal growth with observations of different cultures, will inspire readers to not just get up and go, but to be more introspective about life, people, and the world—and to discover the humor and wisdom always waiting in unexpected places.

HOW TO STOP AN ASTEROID FROM KILLING YOUR FAMILY
and other essays

The strangest things happen to Paolo Mangahas, maybe because, by his own admission, he’s a tad strange himself. There’s the friend who used to chase his school bus and scream his name, or the strangers at parties who end up telling him their deep, dark secrets. Then again, this is the same fellow who can’t abide by wrinkled sheets, who keeps the food on his plate separated by strict geographical borders, and yes, who actually wrote an entire essay on…saliva.

Still, absurd as his musings may seem, there are always life lessons in there somewhere, and Mangahas finds and imparts them with warmth, and without the baggage of pontification or drama. Thus does the crazy neighbor in “In the meantime” become a dear friend and a model for living in the moment; the neurosis he acknowledges in “Learning to live with dirty dishes” teaches him to somehow settle down and grow some roots. In the title essay, “How to stop an asteroid from killing your family,” it’s ultimately less about end-of-the-world childhood paranoia, and more of earned wisdom on trusting the process, acknowledging a higher power, and—gasp!—letting it all go.

In this book, Paolo Mangahas shares a collection of 18 wonderful essays—hilarious, candid, sharp, and totally engaging. But when all is said and done, the gems of insight offered up on life, love, and the human condition are precious beyond doubt.

Available internationally on Amazon (paperback and Kindle)
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