“The Way of Wanderlust.” First off, we’ve got this watercolor thing going on, which screams, “Hey, look at me, I’m sophisticated and worldly!” You’ve got a nice little village, a serene river, a couple of quaint blue chairs, and some palm trees. It’s like someone took a travel brochure and decided to paint over it. There’s even a quote from Isabel Allende saying these stories made her fall in love with the world again. Sure, if your idea of falling in love is staring at a painting of a place you’ll never visit.

And look, there’s a winding road leading to who knows where—probably another generic picturesque spot. “The Best Travel Writing of Don George,” it says, with a foreword by Pico Iyer. The titles are all slapped on there like an afterthought, which doesn’t help this whole attempt to look profound.

Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆ (2/5)  Summary: A watercolor cover that tries too hard to look sophisticated with its serene landscapes and quaint village scenes, but ends up feeling like a generic travel brochure. The bold titles and high praise can’t quite save it from looking overly cliché.