The Violet Shyness of Their Eyes: Notes from Nepal
Barbara J. Scot - 1993
Hers is a tale of sharing, and we are privileged to see through her eyes, understand through her exquisite sensibility.”—Margaret Randall“This provocative book deserves attention from anyone interested in cross-cultural communication and the complex issues of development work.”—Yoga Journal“Scot’s year in Nepal was extraordinary. What she discovered about herself, about Nepal and the Nepalis themselves is beautifully told.”—Seattle Times“While Scot never sugarcoats the hardships, she fulfills two of the travel writer’s most important tasks: evoking a deep sense of place and instilling in readers a desire to go there.”—BooklistThe Violet Shyness of Their Eyes is a moving account of a Western woman’s transformative sojourn in Nepal. Barbara Scot demonstrates insight into cultural difference while confronting the complex issues of development work and the status of women in Nepal. In vivid descriptions of mountain climbs, moving stories of the Nepalis and the retelling of her personal memories, Scot challenges readers with women’s global struggles while nurturing a deep empathy and respect for the Nepali people. Scot updates her travels in this revised edition.Barbara J. Scot is an avid climber, hiker and naturalist. She is the author of Prairie Reunion (Farrar, Strauss & Giroux), which received a New York Times Notable Book citation, and The Stations of Still Creek (Sierra Club Books). She lives on a houseboat near Portland, Oregon.
Stepping Wild: Hiking the Appalachian Trail with Mingo
Phill Grounds - 2015
How hard could it be? Having more experience than most, who attempt the over two thousand mile hike, Phill decided to go for it. Little did he know, trouble was waiting for him. He did not hike to “find himself,” nor out of inspiration nor desperation. The five month journey tested his strength, endurance, courage and caused more pain than expected. How hard could it be? The answer to that is here in “STEPPING WILD.” What could go wrong, did! The experience was exhilarating and terrifying. A hike, over two thousand miles, is filled with highs and lows, humor and grief, and obstacles that could break any man. The Appalachian Trail, a true American treasure, attracts thousands of hikers each year, like moths to a flame. Phill was drawn to that challenge. His troubles began before he ever saw the trail. With determination and grit, he made his way northbound from Georgia to Maine. New skill sets were acquired as Phill, trail name “Mingo”, faced dangerous situations and errors brought on by his own overconfidence. This was Mingo’s hike, one that should have never been possible. It was a hike that should not be forgotten.
Uncle John's Gigantic Bathroom Reader (Uncle John's Bathroom Reader #10 & 12)
Bathroom Readers' Institute - 2006
Make that pretty huge. No, wait--it's GIGANTIC! Presenting Uncle John's Gigantic Bathroom Reader, featuring two of our best-selling and hard-to-find titles: Uncle John's Absolutely Absorbing Bathroom Reader and Uncle John's Giant 10th Anniversary Bathroom Reader, now bound together in this omnibus hardcover edition for your reading pleasure. Tipping the scales at more than 700 pages, this massive missive is guaranteed to boost your IQ! Packed with fun facts, tantalizing tidbits, and intriguing information, this is no book for the faint of heart. This gigantic volume has it all: entertainment, humor, forgotten history, science, origins of everyday things, strange lawsuits, and a great big pile of pop culture. So don't go to your throne alone -- take Uncle John with you!
Inside Passage: Living with Killer Whales, Bald Eagles, and Kwakiutl Indians
Michael Modzelewski - 1991
He found it on Blackfish Sound ("Blackfish" is the Kwakiutl Indian word for the killer whale) in the Inside Passage, the rugged coastline between Seattle and Alaska. Leaving his home in Aspen, which had become a false Shangri-La for him, Modzelewski settled on a desolate island in the Inside Passage, a place which "after seducing you with beauty would shake you with fear. An unpredictable place that kept you always prepared, honed to the keen edge of life." Here he lived alone for months on end. Inside Passage describes his experiences in this unspoiled setting, where the sky is his ceiling, mountains are his walls, and physical challenges test him down to the marrow. He also forms unusual friendships with passing yachters, salmon fishermen, Kwakiutl Indians, loners, and the owner of the house he is staying at, Will Malloff, a man of oversized personality -- a healer, builder, woodsman, and thinker. Modzelewski writes with a love for nature and gentle humor about his interactions with the native animals (eagles, whales, wolves), local animals (cats, dogs, "tame" wild boars), and other settlers. Inside Passage is the powerful story of one man learning the ways of self-reliance in a soul-filled search through the northern wilderness.
Walking My Dog Jane: From Valdez to Prudhoe Bay Along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
Ned Rozell - 2000
WALKING MY DOG, JANE is Rozell's tribute to his adopted state and to the travel partner who carried Rozell's heart, and her own backpack, during a summer spent outdoors walking the 800-mile length of the trans-Alaska pipeline.
The Challenge of Rainier: A Record of the Explorations and Ascents, Triumphs and Tragedies on One of North America's Greatest Mountains
Dee Molenaar - 1971
Author Dee Molenaar covers geology, glaciology, and climate; early climbs dating before 1900; the pioneering efforts on over 35 routes in winter and summer; notable summit climbs; mountain tragedies on the steep slopes; and the guides who have led summit seekers over the years. For the 40th anniversary edition new information includes snowboarding and hang-gliding from the summit; more recent ascents, rescues, mountain guides, and climbing trends; updated statistics through 2010; and a new foreword by famed climber (and former Rainier guide) Ed Viesturs.
Lost on the Appalachian Trail
Kyle S Rohrig - 2015
Confront the terrain, severe weather, injury, dangerous wildlife and questionable characters as you grow and learn as Kyle did from start to finish of this epic adventure. Make some friends for life, learn the finer points of long distance hiking, and realize that what you take within your backpack is not nearly as important as what you bring within yourself... This exciting and often times humorous narrative does more than simply tell the story of Kyle and Katana's adventures on trail. You will be inspired, while learning what it takes mentally and physically to accomplish an undertaking such as hiking thousands of miles through mountainous wilderness while braving countless obstacles all determined to make you quit. Nobody said it was easy, but if you can make it to the end, your life will be changed forever. What are you waiting for? Adventure is calling...For more content from the Author, as well as to follow his past, present, and future adventures; check out the following pages!Website/Blog: BoundlessRoamad.comInstagram: @_roamad_Facebook: facebook.com/kyle.rohrig.7Youtube: youtube.com/c/NomadWisdom
The Cities Book
Holly Alexander - 2005
More than half the world's population now lives in cities, and for travelers they hold an endless fascination.
Packing Light: The Normal Person's Guide to Carry-On-Only Travel
Fred Perrotta - 2015
Packing Light contains 130+ pages of carry on packing advice in an organized, easy-to-read format.
The Story of Brutus: My Life with Brutus the Bear and the Grizzlies of North America
Casey Anderson - 2010
Little Brutus was destined to remain in captivity or, more likely, even euthanized due to overpopulation at the preserve. Anderson, already an expert in animal rescue and rehabilitation, just could not let that happen to Brutus, who looked like a "fuzzy Twinkie." From the beginning it was clear something special existed between the two. And so, Anderson built the Montana grizzly encounter in Bozeman, Montana, especially for Brutus, so that he, and others like him, could grow up "being a bear." And so the love story began.When together, Anderson and Brutus will wrestle, swim, play, and continue to act as advocates for grizzly protection and education, be it through documentaries like Expedition Grizzly, appearances on Oprah or Good Morning America, or in this inspiring book, which promises to be an intimate look into Anderson's relationship with Brutus and a call to action to protect these glorious animals and the natural world they live in.The Story of Brutus proves that love and friendship knows no bounds and that every care must be taken to protect one of nature's noblest creatures.
The Last Season
Eric Blehm - 2006
Blehm narrates this true account of the disappearance and search for Randy Morgenson, a National Park Service ranger who, one morning after 28 seasons on the job, failed to answer his radio call.The introverted Morgenson was more comfortable with the natural world than with people. A gifted photographer and a lyrical writer, he dropped out of college to begin a career that would send him into the remote parts of California's Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Passionate about the mountains, he excelled at his responsibilities, which ranged from clearing away garbage left by careless campers to rescuing injured hikers. Dedicated to keeping the wilderness undisturbed, he was proud of his ability to leave no trace of himself wherever he camped.That skill would prove costly when, at age 54, he went missing. Blehm seamlessly combines a detective story with a celebration of nature that calls to mind the works of classic American writers like Thoreau and Emerson. His gripping narrative will cause readers' hearts to ache at the disappearance of this undervalued soul. But their spirits will soar at the grandeur and mysticism of nature expertly captured in its most primal state.
Salt to Summit: A Vagabond Journey from Death Valley to Mount Whitney
Daniel Arnold - 2012
Anything manmade or designed to make travel easy was out. With a backpack full of water bottles, and the remotest corners of desert before him, he began his toughest test yet of physical and mental endurance.Badwater Basin sits 282 feet below sea level in Death Valley, the lowest and hottest place in the Western Hemisphere. Mount Whitney rises 14,505 feet above sea level, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Arnold spent seventeen days traveling a roundabout route from one to the other, traversing salt flats, scaling dunes, and sinking into slot canyons. Aside from bighorn sheep and a phantom mountain lion, his only companions were ghosts of the dreamers and misfits who first dared into this unknown territory. He walked in the footsteps of William Manly, who rescued the last of the forty-niners from the bottom of Death Valley; tracked John LeMoigne, a prospector who died in the sand with his burros; and relived the tales of Mary Austin, who learned the secret trails of the Shoshone Indians. This is their story too, as
Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World
Noah Strycker - 2017
In 2015, Noah Strycker set himself a lofty goal: to become the first person to see half the world’s birds in one year. For 365 days, with a backpack, binoculars, and a series of one-way tickets, he traveled across forty-one countries and all seven continents, eventually spotting 6,042 species—by far the biggest birding year on record.This is no travelogue or glorified checklist. Noah ventures deep into a world of blood-sucking leeches, chronic sleep deprivation, airline snafus, breakdowns, mudslides, floods, war zones, ecologic devastation, conservation triumphs, common and iconic species, and scores of passionate bird lovers around the globe. By pursuing the freest creatures on the planet, Noah gains a unique perspective on the world they share with us—and offers a hopeful message that even as many birds face an uncertain future, more people than ever are working to protect them.
At the Grave of the Unknown Fisherman
John Gierach - 2003
With an appreciation of the highs, the lows, and all points between, Gierach writes about the fishing life with wisdom, grace, and the well-timed wisecrack. As he says, “The season never does officially end here, but it ends effectively, which means you can fish if you want to and if you can stand it, but you don’t have to.” As any Gierach fan knows, want to and have to are never very far apart.
Road Swing: One Fan's Journey Into The Soul Of America's Sports
Steve Rushin - 1998
So he jumped into his fully alarmed Japanese S.U.V. and drove to American sports shrines for a year, everywhere from Larry Bird's boyhood home in French Lick, Indiana, to the cornfield just outside of Dyersville, Iowa, where Field of Dreams was filmed. Now in paperback, Road Swing is the story of his journey.