as everyone mentioned Barbarian Days is a must read for any surfer, especially ones who like to travel. Really changed my perspective on things and have since made traveling a priority in my life. Another good one I didnt see mentioned was Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell by Chas Smith, it's about the north shore. His second book ,Cocaine + Surfing: A sordid History of Surfing's Greatest Love Affair, comes out tomorrow. looking forward to listening to this one.