“Whatever You Do, Don’t Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide” is a collection of stories from author Peter Allison about learning how to lead folks around the bush the hard way: on the job. It’s what makes the book ($16.95, The Lyons Press) such a fun read; Allison doesn’t start off pretending he is a know-it-all pro, and he’s not afraid to let us know that he makes quite a fool of himself as he figures things out (for instance, early on he tells a starry-eyed teenager that noises in the brush are mice; they turn out to have been made by a rather cranky elephant that could have trampled them). By the end, Allison’s clients do know less than he does, which makes for even funnier situations, and the glimpses into a lifestyle spent surrounded by Africa and its abundant wildlife make this a must-read for fans of the genre.
Kyle Wagner
