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Why not fall in love with a good book in 2014? Author and professional wanderer Joel Stratte-McClure’s fully interactive and cutting edge e-book, “The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness, and Magic on the Mediterranean,” is available online and in paperback.

Whether your passion is a romantic adventure, a mouth-watering diet, or just a thrilling read, “The Idiot and the Odyssey II” is the perfect primer on adventure travel, (the author is walking around the Mediterranean Sea), delicious dining (you’ll find a whole section on the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet), and – surprise! – classic literature (including many parallels with a particular well-known Homeric tale).

It’s also the most advanced e-book ever released, including several hundred informative hyperlinks, fully interactive maps, videos, audio of the author’s comments, and nearly 200 photos of Stratte-McClure’s epic journey.

Redding, California – 14 February 2013

Joel Stratte-McClure — a former foreign correspondent, columnist, and author of “The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean” — will release the second book in his “Idiot and the Odyssey” trilogy today. For those who are ready to fall in love with a new book and experience the absolute best that modern e-book technology has to offer, “The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness, and Magic on the Mediterranean” could come at no better time.

Facing a midlife crisis, Stratte-McClure made the ambitious and atypical decision to journey on foot around the entire Mediterranean Sea. This second installment chronicles his 4,401-kilometer footloose journey from Rome through the Greek islands to Turkey. It captures the humor as well as the hardships of his MedTrek as he completes twelve tasks assigned to him by the goddess Circe, travels to the depths of the Underworld and the top of Mount Olympus, and even sleeps with Helen of Troy, meeting a supporting cast of colorful characters along the way. The cutting-edge, fully interactive e-book version of the travel narrative includes nearly 200 photographs, several hundred informative hyperlinks, and scores of interactive maps that allow the reader to follow The Idiot’s adventures via GPS as he muses on life, meditation, literature, art, the environment, Greek gods and goddesses, history, and, of course, the art of walking.

“The Idiot and the Odyssey II” sets a new standard of interactivity for e-books, putting the reader directly in Stratte-McClure’s hiking shoes as he discovers the exact location of Homer’s birthplace (see it on the GPS), examines Italian fashion trends (check out the photos) and creates a soundtrack for his travels (watch video of the songs). The fully interactive design makes the book an immersive experience as well as a great read, allowing readers to join the adventure and fall in love with The Idiot’s journey.

“The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness, and Magic on the Mediterranean” retails for $9.99 and will be available in its fully interactive e-book format on iBooks, Amazon Kindle, and Nook (for the most interactive experience, download the iBooks version) beginning today. A PDF version of the book may be purchased for the same price on the author’s website, www.followtheidiot.com. In addition, a signed and limited collectors’ edition, printed on stone parchment and personally delivered by the author, is available for $9,999.99 while a print-on-demand copy may be ordered for $35.00.

Idiot-branded merchandise — from T-shirts, baseball caps and thongs to iPad cases, coffee cups and canvas totes — is available in the web store at followtheidiot.com.

About Joel Stratte-McClure

Joel Stratte-McClure, an American journalist/adventurer who lived in France for over three decades, has been writing about his global trekking and hiking adventures since the 1970s. His work has taken him to over 110 countries and his articles on a variety of subjects have appeared in Time Magazine, The London Times, People Magazine, The International Herald Tribune, Scientific American, Cosmopolitan and numerous other publications. “The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness, and Magic on the Mediterranean” is the second book in his “MedTrek” series, which began with “The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean.” The Stanford/Columbia grad is currently based in Redding, California, but travels regularly to the Mediterranean. While walking, he writes about his adventures on his blog, www.followtheidiot.com.

For more information about “The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness, and Magic on the Mediterranean,” please visit www.followtheidiot.com or contact Noble Creative at 530-276-8089.

MedTrek LIcense Today, Idiot Tomorrow?

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