Ever dreamed of changing the world? Daniel Simpson shows how not to do it. His memoir charts a gonzo career at The New York Times. Ambitious and idealistic, he was hired to report on the Balkans but quit within months, freaked out by his editor s zeal for starting wars. Disillusioned, he went native in Belgrade. Together with the charismatic G, who had appeared one night in lavish puffs of dope smoke, he decided to organize a Serbian version of Woodstock: a festival on an island in the Danube.Music could revolutionize the country. It was run by a wartime mafia, and most young people dreamed of leaving. But what if they made it Ibiza crossed with Glastonbury?To fund this transition, they hustled his contacts. But shady local businessmen had other ideas. Mr Big muscled in, and embroiled them with his henchmen.Why do good intentions go awry? With brutally honest humor, Daniel recounts his journey to the edge, and a desperate drug-fuelled quest for the truth. A Rough Guide To The Dark Side is a real-life trip through Balkan organized crime. More irreverent than McMafia, it has the vicarious kicks of Mr Nice and Shantaram, plus the travelogue style of a Bill Bryson or Tony Hawks, but with added bile and an overdose of drugs. http://www.roughguidedarkside.com
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About the Author
Daniel Simpson was born in England in 1974. He read history at Cambridge then trained as a foreign correspondent with Reuters, before joining The New York Times to report on the Balkans. He resigned after learning that news promotes the interests of the powerful. Profits trump people and planet, whatever the costs. To challenge that bias with sustainable alternatives, Daniel published a fake Financial Times, depicting a world less addicted to economic growth. Its editorial was reprinted in the British Journalism Review. His recent work focuses on yoga, which he practices. He lives in London when not travelling in India.
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4.8 out of 5 stars
4 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
How to quit your job and save your soul
Aug 22 2012
By Avid_Reader
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
Remember principles, values, and the truth? Are they simple illusions or are they the very essence of your existence? And what do you do when they are challenged? This book will tell you, with incredible lucidity and very high-quality, often self-deprecating humour, what one high-flying journalist did: quit the New York Times - after living for a brief period the coveted, glamorous life of a foreign correspondent thousands of journalists would die for - and threw his soul (and his savings) into organising a music festival to heal the spiritual wounds of the people in the Balkans.
Did he succeed? Some readers believe he did, others think he failed. Whichever view you take, this is a gripping tale of disillusionment, enthusiasm, ecstasy (in all senses of the word) and agony. It's a story about Western naivety and arrogance clashing with Balkan cynicism and bluntness but, above all, it's a story about how to remain yourself when everything around you is smoke and mirrors. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I am looking forward to the film :-)
Did he succeed? Some readers believe he did, others think he failed. Whichever view you take, this is a gripping tale of disillusionment, enthusiasm, ecstasy (in all senses of the word) and agony. It's a story about Western naivety and arrogance clashing with Balkan cynicism and bluntness but, above all, it's a story about how to remain yourself when everything around you is smoke and mirrors. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I am looking forward to the film :-)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An exciting ride filled with brilliant insight along the way.
Nov 16 2012
By Kurt
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
If you liked Robert Anton Wilson's Cosmic Trigger. or Hunter S Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, you will love this book. Simpson describes a journey similar to one of these rebellious stalwarts yet something much more, an insight into the modern day corrupt machine that absorbs all once respected institutions in a snow ball to hell. Simpson leaves you wanting more, as in more books by him. It will take a voice like his to make a difference in humanity's march towards self-destruction. Our leaders must own and vocalize the corruption within them. Simpson does this with ferocity. A must read. You will never view the media the same again.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great writing, thought-provoking story
Oct 6 2012
By avidreader
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
An incredible writer - the language is cutting, lively, concise and human all at once. Simpson plunges from the ivory tower of his Cambridge elitism into the throes of Serbian corruption and cynicism. He lets us laugh at his misadventures as he progresses from bumbling novice to professional con-artist. And with the final touch of turning the whole travesty into a news-worthy story, Simpson's developmental arc seems to have come full-circle. This is a brilliant coming of age story for our times. Neither heroic nor nihilistic - it hovers easily over its dark subject matter with a unique and very refreshing sense of balance.
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4.8 out of 5 stars
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