Deputy editor of Idler magazine Dan Kieran follows up Crap Jobs: 100 Tales of Workplace Hell with Crap Vacations: 50 Tales of Hell on Earth. The stories, collected on the Idler website, are tales of Britons' vacations gone awry - dysentery, landmines, peeping toms and broken bones; many of these stories may be quite reminiscent of the personal experiences of some readers. The goal of Crap Vacations is obviously to make us laugh, but also, sometimes finding the humor in a bad situation is the best medicine.

While much of what's in the book is unsuitable for a family-friendly audience, here is a sampling. Lee Fisher writes of Swindon, England:

I do remember the chilling moment we realized that the best the evening offered was a Specials covers band at the pub near our hotel. We stuck it out in the upstairs bar, just able to make out the sound of 'Too Much Too Young' being murdered through the floorboards until we gave up and headed back to the hotel. We would have to make our own entertainment, but ten hours in Swindon could dampen Colin Farrell's libido. We left by 9 a.m. virtually running to the station. I've never been so pleased to see West London.

Each "crap vacation" is rated on a scale of one to five, (five being worst) in terms of stress, sickness, boredom, danger and exploitation. Each trip has at least four of these characteristics in spades. Also included are crap trivia facts — per capita more Spam gets eaten on Hawaii than any other place on earth — and the five most dangerous vacations on earth.

As summer approaches, and you get ready to trek out on a new adventure, take this little book of 'Crap Vacations: 50 Tales of Hell on Earth' for a laugh when you're stuck in an airport, train station or waiting for a bus. You'll be glad you did.