One part travel guide and one part documentation of a life-changing journey, Lisa Napoli's book about her love affair with the remote Kingdom of Bhutan is not a run-of-the-mill mid-life crisis memoir scenario. Fans of Eat Pray Love will find something to love here, but Napoli adds a bit more nuance and reportage to her effort.

This isn't surprising, especially since Napoli makes her living as a journalist for NPR's Marketplace a fact that gives her narration a warm quality that is particularly lovely to listen to. More than her technical skill on the microphone, getting to hear her own performance of this story is particularly helpful in passages that are deeply personal, of which there are a few. There's a real connection between Napoli's words and her life experience, something that her narration highlights.

Throughout the book, we learn interesting facts about Bhutan through Napoli’s multiple visits there, spurred by a chance new friend's offer to hook her up as a volunteer with a startup local radio station, Kuzoo FM. Bhutan, a country which has long been cut off from the rest of the world, has only recently allowed its citizens access to television and the web, which makes the place a window into the past. Of course, it's also got its own unique culture. Reincarnated lamas come to town to cleanse citizens and rebalance energy; phalluses are drawn on the sides of buildings to discourage evil spirits; the government measures something called Gross National Happiness instead of monetary wealth; and a $200 per-day tourist tax continues to keep most of world out.

Radio Shangri-La is a balanced account of two starkly different lifestyles and places. The first is Napoli's life in Los Angeles as a high wage-earning deadline slave. The second is Napoli's Bhutanese life, which is slower, simpler, and more rewarding, though not always in the ways she imagines. The idea that mass media and consumerism do not a happy community make is a trite sentiment. But Napoli makes sure to touch on the balance between Eastern and Western cultures. This is most evident when a younger Bhutanese friend, Ngawang, comes to visit Napoli in LA. Ngawang's infatuation with America and everything it stands for gives real weight to the “grass is always greener” argument.

What's most delightful about Napoli's experience are the human interactions she has and the friends she makes through her numerous trips to the country. Stark cultural differences abound, but deep connection is a major theme. The Bhutanese welcome her. They are eager to learn from her and show off their country. They also teach her what true happiness is giving and experiencing life. Gina Pensiero