The Melbourne-based travel writer Paul Manser has written for major newspapers and magazines that demand a sort of glossy sheen to stories. Real-world travels, and life in general, rarely reflect the glow of a mainstream travel story. Those tales may not make it into Manser’s typical outlets, though they did make into his book, “Life Plans on Dive Bar Napkins” (Hardie Grant).

The book is for travelers who aren’t afraid of the messier side of travel, and who embrace the uncomfortable, occasionally dangerous, and often humorous (at least when looked back at after a generous passage of time) things that come along with seeing the world.