Attention ladies and gentlemen the Captain has switched off the No Smoking sign. Keep your seat belts lightly fastened, order a double bourbon on the rocks, kick back and get comfortable. We are in for a long strange flight through the streets of Boston and Philadelphia, Philippine tribal villages, lush tropical islands, a storybook kingdom, and the State of Israel.p pIn this collection of curious short stories and odd little essays, C. L. Hoffman introduces us to a colorful array of square pegs and social desperados, kibitzers, criers, wild men and wise guys. Hoffman describes each of these types with rare insight and empathy, proving once again that it takes one to know one.p pMost of the sketches about life in today's Israel, to be found in the second half of the book, have been published previously in the Jerusalem Post.p