In a very different style than Theroux's other travel books, in this one he returns several times to the very poorest areas in the southern US, focusing primarily on Alabama and Arkansas, with trips through the Carolinas, Georgia, and Mississippi on the way. One of his themes is to contrast his experiences with foreign aid efforts in Africa and Asia with the need in poor communities here, and the way they are generally overlooked by aid groups. It's an interesting book, but lacks much of the humor and interest found in his other travel works.