Books
Dr. Anu speaks about her book “Beyond Guilt Trips" at the launch event.
As an author, I write to engage and inspire curiosity. I weave critical social analysis with accessible storytelling. What's your story? How might it connect with mine?
Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World
Through engaging personal travel stories and thought-provoking questions about the ethics and politics of our travel, "Beyond Guilt Trips" shows readers ways to grapple with their discomfort and navigate differences through accountability and connection.
"Beyond Guilt Trips" was published in 2019, and has garnered many awards and honors:
-
Washington State Book Award in Nonfiction, 2020 (Shortlisted)
-
Fodor’s Travels best “13 Books to Inspire Your Travels”
-
Oprah Magazine’s “26 Best Travel Books Of All Times”
-
Foreward INDIES Book of the Year Prize (Bronze Prize Winner)
-
Wishing Shelf Awards in Nonfiction (Shortlisted)
-
Next Generation Indie Award in Social Justice (Shortlisted)
"Beyond Guilt Trips" has been featured in national media, including The Washington Post, YES!, AFAR, Mindful, Bitch and National Geographic magazines, the national podcast “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” and “Travel with Rick Steves” radio program.
The book is illustrated by Ronald "Otts" Bolisay (pictured left with Dr. Anu at our
fabulous book launch party).
Book Review: "Taranath’s writing moves away from shame/blame tactics that I often find in books or articles about our unequal world. Instead, she surfaces big-big topics through small-small stories, helping me imagine a healing and loving approach to social justice work. She invites my curiosities about taboo topics (race, privilege, whiteness, stereotypes, colonization, etc.) and makes them accessible through her honest and funny storytelling. This is a book that is relevant to those who are global travelers AND those of us who feel like we travel long distances simply through the contexts of our daily lives--as educators, community organizers, people of color, holders of many identities."-- Educator and Amazon reviewer
Who's Reading Beyond Guilt Trips?
A book is certainly nice to write, and even nicer when people read, engage and resonate with it!
The founders of Vega Mala Consulting
High school teachers & their students
Dave Matthews from Dave Matthews Band
Travel guru Rick Steves
Longtime racial equity consultants Donna & Andy
Univ Washington community
My friend's 10 year old son
Global Visionaries program
Friends from Accra, Ghana
World Affair Council educators from around the US
Peace Development Fund and
Mt. Holyoke community
Zuri co-founder Sandra
Univ of Dayton community
Friends and colleagues from UW's CHID Dept.
Riverways Rural & Tribal Program
students at UW
Graduate students in Rehabilitation Medicine
Friends at Asian American Writers Workshop, NYC
Visit with Western Washington Univ students
and In-Place Ecocultural Learning Institute colleagues
A dog rests comfortably on "Beyond Guilt Trips" in Merida, Yucatan in Mexico on a Centre College (KY) study abroad program
Dr. Shazia, author of "Place and Postcolonial Ecofeminism: Pakistani Women's Literary and Cinematic Fictions"
Book club
Send Dr. Anu a photo of you and your group (or your pet!) with Beyond Guilt Trips for a chance to be featured here!
Teens from around the US
Other noteworthy published works by Dr. Anu
TIPS to Study Abroad: Simple Letters for Complex Engagement
This collaborative book project helps travelers reflect on how moving from one culture to another sparks questions about identity, society, and the meaning of travel itself.
Let's WOW it Out: Simple Drawings to Explore Big Ideas
If you are looking for a simple way to approach complex ideas, this book offers a fun and effective method of artistically engaging with the world and understanding big ideas.
The Q-SAR: Queer Study Abroad Resource
A collaborative magazine project, The Q-SAR explores the connections between LGBTQ movements, identities and politics in the United States and Mexico. Contact me and I'd be happy to send you a copy.
