Welcome to the July 2014 issue of online magazine Perceptive Travel, the home of great travel stories from book authors and the latest notable travel book and world music reviews. Here's what we've got in store for you:
Blood Rites in a Taiwanese Temple - Steven Crook
In the most popular temple of Taiwan, self-mutilation to please the gods is considered a an honor and a duty.
Chasing Butterflies Through Time - Luke Maguire Armstrong
Following in his great-grandfather's footsteps, an amateur scientist travels up a volcano in Guatemala to find an extremely rare butterfly that had only been spotted 3 times in 140 years.
One Step Across - Carolyn B. Heller
During an unexpected encounter on the North Korean border, a travel writer — and mom — straddles the boundary between safety and adventure.
World Music Reviews - Graham Reid
A wonderfully helpful introduction to Indian classical traditions (and beyond), refugees come home to Sierra Leone, griots get political but polite, and klezmer from Britain to make you dance and smile.
Travel Book Reviews - William Caverlee
Frances Mayes long before Tuscany, 30 years in Venice, and an "urban nature diary" from gray northern Scotland.
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Enjoy!