A Note From The Author

World Stompers was born from the idea that there should be more young people out there experiencing world travel. I set out to write a book that outlined the whole realm of world travel: from establishing travel objectives; the educational value; to what you will potentially encounter. Essentially, the whole world at a glance.

I started writing World Stompers (the book) the weekend after I was hired as an English teacher in Japan -- November, 1991. World Stompers took me over four years to research, write and illustrate. If you are planning your own world tour and don't want to spend alot of money, this book is an invaluable resource. The book is so popular it is now in its third edition.

I was inspired by a few San Francisco friends to develop my adventure stories into a Web site. This could be the perfect way to launch my book! The Web site brings you along as my companion on a 3-year world tour, but lacks the pertenient travel information contained in the book. I share with you all the memorable places and the twists and turns one encounters in foreign lands. I hope you enjoy reading the adventure tales as much as I did living them.

The Consortium of Collective Consciousness is located in a Techno-warehouse in San Francisco. I got the place with several of my travel buddies from India as part of an experiment. What could we do in regard to turning the world on to travel and techno? We developed a communal philosophy of "live and let live" and "lose your ego". We believe that a high-tech environment aids one on the path to spiritual enlightenment. Travelers from around the globe are taking part in our experiment, or anyone entering the energy field that is CCC. And, yes, there are aliens present.

I hope you have fun with World Stompers--both the book and the Web site!

Sincerely,

Brad Olsen

June, 1997

Greetings to you all, and a hearty thanks for your interest and ongoing support of World Stompers the book, and www.stompers.com the website. Since it went online in 1995, www.stompers.com has gotten over 200,000 hits. World Stompers the book is selling quite well in its Fourth Edition, and is now available in Barnes & Noble, Borders, and the Ingram's "mega-wholesaler" database. The book is accessible to every bookstore with a computer, just ask them to order it for you and they can--usually in 3-5 days. Better yet, you can buy any of my books on this web site. Please take a look at the signed copies by the author page.

Little history. The book World Stompers came out in 1995 as little more than a manuscript for friends thinking about long-term travel. That led to a few friends helping me out with this website. Which led the book straight into the Second Edition because the First Edition sold out within a month! Feeling pretty good as a travel writer, I decided to develop an idea for a series of guide books. In 1996 I was contracted by Hunter Publishing to develop a series of high-adrenaline travel guides called "Extreme Adventures." The first two books in this series, "Northern California" and "Hawaii" were published in Spring, 1998.

Life imitates art. The "Extreme Adventure" Guides are based on a Maui and Lake Tahoe adventure club called Comrades Of Radical Excursions, an adventure-loving group I hung out with when I lived in both of those places. C.O.R.E. members would go on multi-day or half-day outings to all the radical locations on the Hawaiian Islands and Northern California. We had so much fun I thought, "maybe it's time C.O.R.E. expanded its membership." Definitely fodder for a series of travel guides! Like "World Stompers" I did all the research, writing, maps, and illustrations. Hunter publishing is contracting me to do two more Extremes, "Southern California" and "Florida."

1998 was a great year. I found a reputable distributor (Independent Publishers Group) for my business (CCC Publishing), and came out with the new and updated Fourth Edition of "World Stompers." I'm now eagerly at work on my next book, a collection of great travel short stories entitled "In Search of Adventure: A Wild Travel Anthology"  which is due out Spring, 1999. I'm also working on a sequel to "World Stompers" entitled "Sacred Places: 101 Spiritual Sites Around the Globe" due out Fall, 1999. Also for 1999, I'm planning a cross-country speaking tour at college campuses and bookstores. Please email me if you can arrange a speaking event or book signing for me in your city.

Big plans for the future. As the millennium rapidly approaches, myself and a group of S.F. Bay Area "cybernauts" are planning for the biggest and most auspicious occasion of all -- The World Peace and Technology Tour. Please check out our website at www.peacetour.org for a complete description. Basically, we plan to acquire a few road busses and travel from SE Asia to Europe doing live net casts and spreading good will and free email all the way. This will be an event of huge proportions, and all who wish to participate are welcome.

Thanks again for stopping by my website (and hopefully picking up a book),

Your pal,

Brad Olsen

Jan., 1999

P.S. -- Continue to Collect Consciousness!