Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter (2024)

Yes, this is a book written by the host of the Syfy show Destination Truth and yes, it does give you a behind the scenes look at the unique challenges that Josh and his crew face. However, if that is all a reader gleans from this memoir, then I would suggest a re-read, as you've missed the most important part.

Josh is an adventure traveler and one of a small percentage of people that truly understands the importance of exploring the world in all of it's beauty and wickedness. Not merely traveling TO a destination, but more times than not, taking the beaten, rarely used path, and finding out what a place and it's people are really about. He urges people to climb out of their comfort zone, stop bitching about the miracle of air travel, and do a little exploring of their own. As someone who considers themselves a traveler (and not a tourist), I couldn't agree more. Sometimes you find the greatest memories in the most unexpected places.

Also, Chapter 14 should be required reading for anyone wishing to leave the country. It should honestly be attached to every newly issued passport.

I picked this book up for two reasons: I am a fan of the show Destination Truth and it is this month's selection for a reading group to which I belong. I anticipated it being nothing more than a regurgitation of the episodes I've seen on TV, but that assumption was way off mark.

Anyone who has ever experienced even a fleeting moment of wanderlust should read this book. Gates takes the reader along on some amazing journeys, but he also provides some important lessons about the difference between being a tourist and being a traveler and reminds us that no matter how far we wander, there's no place like home.

Gates' writing style is conversational, well-informed, intelligent, and witty. He doesn't shy away from poking fun at his own insecurities, nor does he gloss over the seedier side of world travel. Still, he manages to relate the awe and amazement one experiences on seeing the wonders of the world - both great and small. His personal interactions with both ordinary and important citizens of the world are illuminating, entertaining, and often thrilling.

Buy the book. You won't regret reading it.

Anyone who talks to me for more than five minutes knows that I love Josh Gates, I love Destination Truth, and I fangirled so hard when I heard this was coming out. (Hell, I Preordered it at B&N.) It really didn't let me down. Gates writes about various explorations that they've done, and things that have gone wrong, and things that have gone so very right. Gates was a photographer before he started working on this show, and it's demonstrated here. He's got a way with words and setting the scene that you can feel as though you're there. He writes very much the way he speaks, sarcastic and snarky with a lot of intelligence. He encourages people to get out there and travel and get lost in a new city and just go explore. Plus, he mentions Tacoma twice. Which makes me fangirl so hard, because yeah...that's like right where I live. >.> I know. Fangirl.

Overall If you like the show, sarcastic, witty narration, or just like the idea of 'monster hunting' read it.

so, way back in the day when I was graduating from college my mom offered to take me to spain to celebrate. Now I didn't think it would actually happen because it wasn't the first time an offer had been made. But later I found out my stepfather had offered to pay, but he didn't want to go to spain. I offered some other options ireland, italy, you know europe. It turned out he was offering backpacking in indonesia. My response... "I don't sleep on the ground". Yeah I know people are suppose to like backpacking, I like beds and showers and countries where I can speak the language. I figured my graduation my present, it seemed weird to insist on taking me to a country I'd never expressed any interest in, and well that was the outcome. I still don't have a passport, I've still never left the country, and the last time I went camping I was in high school and I was hooking up with a guy. Basically I am not now and will never be a monster hunter. that's why I read books like this. I find the monsters fascinating. I want to know if yetis exist and I would really like josh gates to do the leg work for me. I love this book because it's not really about truth at least not western truth. It's about the fact monsters exist in cultures where truth isn't quite the same as it is here. in places where a monster can exist without existing. what we are seeing is artifacts, truths that run deeper than surface level science. There is a reason that monsters exist and here in america we don't always remember that since we know there is nothing under the bed, but it doesn't change it.

If you've ever seen the popular show, Destination Truth, on Syfy, you know what this show is all about. A man (Josh Gates) and his team travel throughout the world in search of the crytozoological and paranormal. And if you've watched the show, you know it's not just about finding the unexplained, it's about the meeting of cultures and beliefs, finding reality within the myth, and Josh Gates traveling the world as he falls, fumbles, and cusses at the always-failing broken-down transportation.

Written by Josh Gates, this book isn't filled with his early life. You will get a glimpse of what made him who he is but this story starts with the inception and creation of the show, Destination truth. You will get a behind the camera's look at his adventures with the show (and trust me, there's a lot you don't see – they film for days or weeks in foreign countries, just to come back and condense it into a 30-60 minute showing) and boy does this man have adventures to tell! Not only is this an excellent travelogue but it is hilarious. Gates is constantly adding in his sarcasm and humor that I find so endearing in the show. He also goes more into depth with his thoughts on the creatures he has been sent off in search of.

If you're looking for the exciting tell-all of this man's life before the show, you're not going to find it. But if you have enjoyed the fun and excitement that this show has offered for 4 seasons, there is no doubt that you will also enjoy this book.

I've watched all five seasons of Destination Truth, and whilst I loved the monster hunting element, I soon came to realise that what I really looked forward to in an episode was the narration of the host, Josh Gates.

So you can imagine how excited I was when I logged into Facebook one morning and caught a glimpse of this cover. He'd written a book about his adventures on the show back in 2011; I bought it off Amazon without a second thought.

The book arrived a few weeks later (due to being in Australia, everything takes a million years to cross the seas), and I dove right in. My hopes were answered; he was as good a writer as he was a host. This book is brilliantly written, and my only gripe is that it is too brief. You better keep writing, Mr Gates!

I recommend this to anyone who loves travel and foreign countries. I'm making my sceptical partner read it too, because the book focusses on the destinations and the people rather than the monsters. So now I'm surpressing the urge to take off into the desert right now, and instead forcing myself to wait for Italy next year (can't wait!!)

Fantastic read, easily achieved five stars. Perfect for anytime of day or frame of mind.

Great work, Josh!!

2020 bk 171. What a fun read. Josh Gates brings a refreshing point of view to television and to this memoir of his days as host of Destination Truth. His enthusiasm generates interest in subjects I would not normally be interested in, say, Giant Worms. I have read many books on cryptids and cryptid hunters (had to as a middle school librarian one does not want to look not in the know to 11-14 year old science geeks). Yes, many more people know Josh as the treasure seeking, ancient world archaeology host of Expedition Unknown - they need to take a look at the younger Josh and what it takes to create his shows. A fun read and not really scary (did you say bats?)

To say that this book was amazing and inspiring to me would be a very big understatement. I originally picked up this book because I am a huge fan of Josh Gates and the Destination Truth show, but I wasn't expecting it to be as good as it is.

This book is not just about the creatures the Destination Truth team studies and looks for, hunts shall we say but also about how lazy we've come, how obsessed with safety we are and how little we are willing to take an adventure as North Americans. It inspired me to travel and I think I will be widening the list of places I want to know now, largely in part to the way that they are described in this book.

Josh's written voice is just as amusing as the voice-overs he does for his own TV show.

So thanks Josh, I think I'm going to pull out a globe and decide where to go on my next adventure.

Its evident that Josh Gates is not only well versed in the Legends he hunts but also in life in general. His quick witty one liners that make the show so appealing, transfer straight across to the pages of his book. I was also very impressed with the level of writing that Josh has seemingly produced on his own accord with out the help of a co-author. Another point of interest was the fact the instead of recanting the first season of Destination Truth, like other in the same field have done, he instead chose a few episodes through out the shows four seasons and reminisced about them. Gates also brought in personal stories of his own adventures, reliving his nightmare of a trip to Mexico with his childhood friend,or his hike to the top of Kilimanjaro. All and all a great read for not only Destination Truth fans, but for others who have never watched the show as well.

I have been a long time fan of Destination Truth and was so happy when I bought this book. The enter time I'm reading it I can hear Josh's voice in my head and picture exactly what is going on. It's more then just a companion book to the show like he says; it's so much more. I have to say that by far the best chapters I've read are Ch.11: Worst. Vacation. Ever. for its hilarity at his misfortune, and Ch.15: Chernobyl; I wanted to cry throughout this entire chapter.
Even if you don't watch the show this is an excellent book none the less.
So pick up a copy and start reading, and start looking for the truth

If you’re a fan of Josh Gates and his TV shows you will enjoy this book a lot.

That was unexpected. I was obsessed with Destination Truth and love that we continue to have Josh on Expedition Unknown. I enjoy when he makes an appearance on Expedition X as I do miss the monster hunting days. So I was pretty excited to see this in my local library. And there is a lot of great behind the scenes for DT and the chaos of creating a show like that. But wow. This kind of ruined Josh for me. He's very likeable on TV and seems like a funny nice guy. The way he talks in this just kind of bummed me out. I lost track of times he talked about underwear models, and the way he talked about people being very fat and describing others as transvestites and whor*s. I kept thinking this must have been written quite a while ago, but it was 2011. Obviously we see a curated version of people on TV and social media. This was just kind of disappointing for me.

I am a HUGE fan of Destination Truth. One of my favorite shows, ever. I still am watching reruns. Josh Gates is my favorite TV host. I have fell in love with travel and cryptozoology through him. This book goes behind the scenes on some of the expeditions. It also gives some much missed details that I am so glad I now know. Also, this is my first non fiction novel. I’m proud to say it is my first. I hope he writes about more of his travels and experiences in the future.

As a long time viewer of Expedition Unknown, I was familiar with Josh Gates. My family went to his show when he was in town. I've been a fan of the show, him, and travel in general.
Reading about his early adventures on Destination Truth was like watching an episode in my head. I could hear Josh's voice the whole time. His chapter on the worst vacation ever had me laughing out loud. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of him, the shows, or travel. It's a light read with lots of moments that make you laugh, learn, or just say "hell, no."

Fascinating Travel Channel TV show and a terrific book. Josh Gates is smart, funny and cute and this book gives great insight into behind the scenes incidents. Josh is an excellent storyteller on TV and on paper.

4.5 but I rounded up because I love this show. I really loved the extra behind the scenes information on some of the ever first episodes. I did enjoy Josh’s side notes regarding travel but I feel like that could have been a whole separate book. Hoping for a book on his new shows as well!

Amazing book! If you are a fan of Destination Truth you will love this book! I could actually hear his voice as I was reading it. Great book!! ❤📚

A super fun, really exciting, very funny read.

A must read for fans of Josh Gates, Destination Truth, cryptozoology, and anyone who loves a good travel memoir. His writing style is similar to Anthony Bourdain, if Bourdain had a more jovial + classic New England childhood.

I love Destination Truth, I love Josh Gates, and I loved this book! Josh is hilarious and i love hearing about all of the places he's visited and crazy things that happened while making the show. He also shares a few stories from his personal life and how he got the job on Destination Truth. He offers a lot on great insight and advice about traveling abroad, and I actually feel like I learned a lot about how to be a better traveller from this book. I highly recommend this book to fans of Josh, his shows, or travel and adventure.

"Many people aren't aware that there was once a North American camel, which went extinct. Take that as a lesson, modern camel: we can survive without you, and you should really check your attitude."

Fans of the Destination Truth show will enjoy this book which has great travel insights and some information from expeditions of the show. This book helped show me that I definitely need to renew my passport.

Recommended by Meghan, Main Library, Children's Department (July 2016)

Meghan's Review:

I give it 5 stars. I couldn’t put this book down. Just reading about Josh’s adventures and near death experiences kept me on the edge of my seat. Josh’s sense of humor is wonderful and puts a great spin on his hair-raising adventures. I have the travel bug now since reading this book. A definite must-read for anyone who loves travel and adventure.

If you've ever seen Josh Gates' show "Destination Truth" this book is an excellent read. It was very entertaining and I found myself going to Netflix to watch the episodes he discussed after each chapter. Josh is funny and, after reading, I feel the need to go backpacking across Europe.

A truly enjoyable read, wonderful tales of travel and culture infused with Josh Gates humor. Let's you catch a glimpse of life behinds the scenes of Destination Truth and some of the critical moments of change with Gates' life.

Awesome book that lets you see more of Destination Truth. What happens while the cameras aren't rolling as well as when they are. Any fan of the show should really read this book!

Anyone that knows me is aware of the fact that I am a passionate fan of shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Hunter International, Expedition Unknown, and, obviously, Destination Truth. I love cryptozoology and feverishly believe in the paranormal, unexplained, and the potential for monsters everywhere and anywhere in the world. Life would be far too boring for me without that possibility. In addition to that, any episode from any of those shows, plus a few others I haven't listed, gives great ideas and inspiration for stories I have written and plan to write.

That being said, I've been looking for this book for a while and have been dying to read it for years. I'm a fan of Josh Gates and his shows. He's funny and informative and he's one of the few hosts who seems to really give a sh*t about what he's talking about. His breakdowns at the end of each episode are highlights for me. I've also been heinously jealous of the man's life and career for some time now.

Luckily, all of those factors were exemplified and amplified while reading this book. It gave me just as much as I hoped it would in every area I was looking for. In some ways, I wanted more but I knew that was inevitable when I cracked this open. I could read an entire f*cking series of these over and over again without getting bored.

I loved the list of cryptids and adventures shared within these pages, with the aforementioned caveat that I could have used a lot more. I'm also a big fan of the "behind-the-scenes" type things from shows I watch and love, so getting a whole bunch of that in this book was a lot of fun. The fact that not only do these people go monster hunting in remote locations but they also seem to have a pretty party-hard off-the-clock night life makes me even more envious of their career.

The book also did fill me with an intense wanderlust. I agree with everything Gates says about travel and exploration and know I want to do that. I want to go out and experience the world, new places, new cultures, and maybe hunt a monster or two. I'd love to more than just about anything. His passion was infectious and I felt myself filled with a desire to just go to the airport and pick a flight. Which led me to my only real qualm about the book and Gates's writing.

He makes it sound far simpler than it is. His insistence that its just possible to do it if you want to do it is a little absurd to me. It also was a little irritating, and had me mumbling "alright, f*ck you bud" a couple of times. Was it mostly just the jealousy? Probably. But some of it did come from a real place, a place of realizing I would if I could and if it was really as simple as the man makes it out to be. But what he seems to be forgetting is that he isn't paying for this, not monetarily anyway. This is his job. He is paid to travel, paid to explore, paid to monster hunt, and paid to experience all these different cultures and destinations. Does he truly think he'd have visited a fraction of the places he's been if he wasn't given a hefty paycheck to do so? That might be a more insane line of thought than chasing monsters through jungles and over mountains and across fog-shrouded lakes.

This remains a 4 (four and a half stars really if GR would allow that) book. I will revisit this, I already know that. If he puts out another book in a similar vein I'll buy and read that one too. Anyone else that loves cryptozoology or paranormal exploration, I recommend this novel highly. Anyone that wants a fire lit under their ass about travel, or wants to read an amusing and enlightening if unorthodox travelogue, I recommend this just as strongly.

In the meantime, in the 1-in a-trillion chance Josh Gates sees this; if you need someone to lug heavy sh*t around exotic and foreign locations or want someone gungho about chasing a monster or ghost through dangerous places, feel free to hit me up, man. I'm game.

Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Josh Gates is a terribly underrated book.

The book details various real life exciting adventures of Josh Gates, an archologist/actor who lands the dream job of every Indiana Jones fan--he travels the world, chasing down monsters and myths--and gets paid to do it.

You'll find a lot of what you expect in this book--adventure, history, culture, danger, humor, and maybe even a little exaggeration. Examine all the most popular travel writers from John Smith to Mark Twain to Josh gates. You'll be hard-pressed not to find exaggeration. For Josh Gates, as with Mark Twain, the exaggeration is used for entertainment purposes only, never with intent to deceive. The book is memoir, after all, and if you are a fan of Josh Gates' successful television shows, you understand his authentic voice includes descriptions such as the red, spit-stained ground in Papua New Guinea "as far as the eye can see" due to the locals continually chewing buai which "spills out" of their mouths and hits Josh and his crew "like a ton of bricks".

To be fair, Josh Gates warns the reader in the Foreword that he's taken some "geographical liberties" and "in one instance made something up entirely because it sounded very adventurous in his head." He never divulges what moment in his memoir is the made-up one, and I kind of love him for it. Afterall, isn't this book about discerning fact from fiction, myth from reality. It's like he sets us on our own kind of quest.

The author's vivid descriptions support the adventure and draw the reader into the curious, ancient, bizarre, and beautiful cultures, landscapes, and experiences Josh enjoys with his team. He wraps those experiences in a uniquely woven cloth of Hollywood references, literary allusions, and philosophical considerations.

As with all great memoirs, Destination Truth does more than relate interesting life stories. It also provides intriguing life lessons. As I close the pages, here are a few of my favorites:

"Adventure rewrites the routine of our lives and wakes us sharply for the comforts of the familiar."

"As travelers, it is our responsibility to adapt, otherwise we miss the whole point: the opportunity to gain a new perspective."

"Food is knowledge. An hour in a local market tells the story of a country."

"The truth is that travel changes us, irrevocably, and mostly for the better. It can nourish the best parts of ourselves like nothing else. Travel broadens our perspective, adds texture to our lives, and makes us more interesting at co*cktail parties."

My favorite part of Josh Gates' journeys might just be that he credits Ray Bradbury for sparking his imagination when he was just a kid and his parents for encouraging his curiosity.

If I may add advice to a book review, it's this--READ TO YOUR CHILDREN! Read all the books--including this one.

Josh Gates is the host of several TV shows on the Travel/Discovery/SyFy Channels. He's one of my favorite humans because I love his sense of humor and his curiosity. He always seems like he's having a good time on his travels, which makes them fun to watch.

This book is part travel guide, part memoir. Josh writes about the years he spent filming a monster-hunting show called Destination Truth. He traveled all over the globe to investigate sightings of strange creatures. I think I've seen every episode of Destination Truth, so it was fascinating to learn about life behind the scenes and how difficult it is to film in remote locations. There's even a perfect explanation for why I love Josh's TV shows so much:

"We traipsed through some of the planet's most harrowing environments and let the ensuing adventures dictate our story. It's supremely difficult to make television this way, to stake a narrative on the idea that interesting things will happen simply because the world is an interesting place. I'm just glad that it worked out and nobody lost a limb."

Josh's TV shows (and his book, honestly) are captivating because they're not overly organized. He just goes to a place and hopes to find interesting things. It leads to a lot of humor. One of the funniest moments in the book is when Josh's team finds a possible bigfoot footprint. They have no idea what to do about the print because they never expected to find actual evidence of the monsters they were hunting. They thought they were just making TV. They didn't believe in monsters.

Like most celebrity memoirs, this one is probably only worth reading if you're already a fan of the celebrity. You won't get much out of it if you haven't seen Destination Truth. If you're already a fan, I recommend the book!

This was a hard book to rate, at times I’d give it a 2 or a 3, but at other times I’d give it a 4.

Gates comes off as both a humbled traveler tearing to learn about culture and an insufferable elitist douchebag all within these pages, multiple times. I shouldn’t be shocked, as that’s how he comes across on his tv shows. There were times reading this when I wish I could be right besides him experiencing his adventures and the culture surrounding wherever he is (ESPECIALLY Nepal), and there were times where I wish I could just reach through the pages and punch him square in his smug mouth

He comes off as a spoiled rich kid with rich friends at the beginning and it almost turned me off. There’s also an entire chapter of him detailing how he’s basically better than us at traveling and Americans who wear shorts overseas are violating some unwritten rule and it’s faux pas to do (again, you just want to sock him right in the mouth). He also makes snide remarks are novice travelers throughout this book that is just nauseating.

But there are some amazing stories in this, not dealing with monster hunting mind you, and his adventures in Nepal and Iceland are fantastic stories. His time in Ukraine at Chernobyl could have been an entire book which I would have gladly read, in fact it’s made me want to get a book on that specifically (and I am! Thanks Josh!)

Overall I enjoyed the book, even when I “didn’t”, so it gets a 3 (3.5 on StoryGraph) because giving it a 2 wouldn’t be right, because I did enjoy most of it, and giving it a 4 just isn’t happening.

Btw - hey Gates, if you ever read this (which I doubt), it’s criminal you didn’t give Champy any love in your sea serpent rant while listing all the American ones. A genius monster hunter like yourself should know the most popular American lake monster after all.

I will make a confession before my review...I have never seen the show Destination Truth. Having said that, I know Josh Gates more through his show Expedition Unknown (which I LOVE and him in it).
In Josh’s book about his time filming his show Destination Truth, the message is clear, it’s not about the Destination, it’s about the journey. The book is chock full of his adventures, not all of which are pleasant, but all of which make for great storytelling. From spider infested sleeping accommodations to close call air travel to interesting characters met along the way, Josh’s signature humour, wit and ability to find something valuable in every situation make for a fun and engaging read. Truth be told it’s not about the monsters at all and more about the adventure and travel and amazing locations and people and that’s what I love about his show Expedition Unknown and also about this book. Yes the legends, folklore and myths are interesting and intriguing, but the adventure to find these things or to prove or disprove them is more rewarding than actually finding them. Josh’s infectious enthusiasm and personality bleed through the pages and I found I could not put it down, flying through the book in a couple of days. If your a fan of Josh Gates, Destination Truth or Expedition Unknown or just like o read about adventure travel then I highly recommend this book.