Lost on Planet China

Troost charmed listeners with his humorous tales of wandering the remote islands of the South Pacific in The Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned with Savages. When the travel bug bit again, he took on the world’s most populous and intriguing nation.

As Troost relates his gonzo adventure—dodging deadly drivers in Shanghai, eating yak in Tibet, deciphering restaurant menus (offering local favor...