Off the Beaten Path

Autobiography of an Urban Planner's Sojourn Through Fourteen World Cities

Dr. John Taylor’s compelling memoir illustrates the life most people only dream of: traveling and living abroad while working in a profession that creates real change in the world. Off the Beaten Path tells the story of Taylor’s evolution from his Quaker upbringing to a multi-faceted career as an urban planner and consultant. After spending several years working in poverty-stricken Calcutta and Patna during times of calamity, Taylor examines the lessons from his five-decade career and forty years working in Asian countries, including India, Thailand, Malaysia and Kazakhstan. Throughout the book, he effortlessly weaves together vignettes of family life, adapting to new cultures, the tensions between his personal and professional values, and his post-career identity. Ultimately, for this transcultural nomad, the question of "where is home" resonates throughout a life rich with experiences.