“None of it was meant to be: the stories and anecdotes that appear in this book, my travels to far-flung other worlds, being face-to-face with hundreds of strangers. Yet here we are, and there I’ve been, and somehow, strangers became friends.” From the Introduction Meet Tom Mattson’s friends including Maribel, on a park bench in Havana; Braulio, a silver miner in Bolivia; Chema, a Guatemalan fisherman —- and dozens more around the world. Discover the stories of their lives, their experiences, and their histories, so different from your own. Be charmed by the Minnesota storyteller who draws you into The Other Worlds with ease and who delights in sharing the sights, sounds, smells, and serendipities of his adventures with armchair - and active - travelers everywhere.