Publisher's Synopsis
3 COMPLETE BOOKS TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME! INCLUDES ALL-NEW MATERIAL FOR 2014! "AN AMERICAN TEACHER IN TAIWAN" (Amazon #1 Best-Seller) One writer's experience about living, working, dating, finding love, and raising kids in a foreign country. If you've ever thought about teaching English in an Asian country, then this book is for you. You'll learn what to expect when you arrive, how to pick a good school, what qualifications you'll need, how to come up with interesting ways to teach foreign kids, and much more. But this book goes much deeper than just teaching. The writer shares some very personal information about dating and finding a deep and meaningful relationship while living abroad. What starts out as a helpful guide to help newcomers arriving in Taiwan turns into a very heartwarming love story, as marriage, children, bizarre customs, and overbearing in-laws enter the picture. Filled with dozens of pictures, the author pulls no punches in his description of life in Taiwan. It's not always pretty, but it's always entertaining. "FROM TAIWAN TO TEXAS: LIFE IN MID-AMERICA" (Amazon #3 Best-Seller) Based on the popular blog, "From Taiwan to Texas: Life in Mid-America" is the follow- up to the author's previous book, "An American Teacher in Taiwan." After living in Taiwan for over 4 years, getting married, and having two children, "From Taiwan to Texas" tells the next chapter, when the family decides to move back to America...in particular...Austin, Texas. Unlike the first book, where the author experienced strange customs and bizarre in-laws, now the roles have been reversed, as the author's Taiwanese wife and kids truly experience America for the very first time. Against the odds, and with little cash, they decide to move back in May of 2008, when the Great Recession is at its peak. Jobs that were promised fall apart, and the family finds themselves struggling to survive. With every success, there are also setbacks: homelessness, suicide, family struggles, and an unexpected trip to a prison in Thailand are covered with sometimes brutal honesty. "From Taiwan to Texas" also contains more of the author's humorous and light-hearted observations on life, and no topic is off-limits. While the subject matter may get dark at times, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, and in the end you may just find yourself truly inspired. "THE RELUCTANT AUSTINITE" The Reluctant Austinite is the third (and final!) in a trilogy of non-fiction books by Ken Berglund. Starting with "An American Teacher in Taiwan" and continuing with "From Taiwan to Texas: Life in Mid-America," "The Reluctant Austinite" interweaves stories about the author's life in Austin, Texas with more personal stories and anecdotes on life in general (with an occasional story about Taiwan thrown in here and there.) The book is a much more light-hearted read than the previous books, with a lot of focus on the sights and sounds of Austin, Texas. As a father of two young children, the author gives his blunt opinion on a large variety of Austin attractions, and whether or not he thinks they are worth your (or your children's) time. However, the book goes much deeper than just your usual Austin travel guide: Chapters on dating, healthcare, Governor Rick Perry, education, high-school reunions, "The Russian Girl," and much more are all thrown into the mix to make for a very odd, random, and humorous experience. You may laugh. You may even get angry. But you will always be entertained!
