Starting Out In the Afternoon


Jill Frayne - 2002
    She decided to pack up her life and head for the Yukon.Driving alone across the country from her home just north of Toronto, describing the land as it changes from Precambrian Shield to open prairie, Jill finds that solitude in the wilds is not what she expected. She is actively engaged by nature, her moods reflected in the changing landscape and weather. Camping in her tent as she travels, she begins to let go of the world she’s leaving and to enter the realm of the solitary traveller. There are many challenges in store. She has booked a place on a two-week sea-kayaking trip in the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia; though she owns a canoe, she has never been in a kayak. As the departure nears, she dreads it. Nor does it work any miracle charm on her, as she is isolated from her fellow travellers; yet the landscape and wild beauty of the old hunt camps gradually affects her. Halfway, as she begins to have energy left at the end of the day’s exertions, she notes: “This is as relaxed as I have ever been, as free from anxious future-thinking as I have ever managed.”From there she heads north, taking ferries up the Inside Passage and using her bicycle and tent to explore the wet, mountainous places along the way. Again, she feels self-conscious when alone in public, but once she strikes out into nature, the wilderness begins to work its magic on her, and she begins to feel a bond with the land and a kind of serenity. Moreover, she comes to realize that this self-reliance is an important step. Many travel narratives involve some kind of inner journey, a seeking of knowledge and of self. Set in the same part of the world, Jonathan Raban’s A Passage to Juneau ended up being “an exploration into the wilderness of the human heart.” Kevin Patterson used his months sailing from Vancouver to Tahiti to consider his life in The Water in Between, while the Bhutanese landscape worked a profound transformation on Jamie Zeppa in Beyond the Sky and the Earth. In This Cold Heaven, Gretel Ehrlich chose not to put herself into the story, but described the landscape with a similar hunger and intensity, while Sharon Butala has written deeply and personally about her physical and spiritual connection with the prairies in The Perfection of the Morning and other work.In Starting Out in the Afternoon, Frayne struggles to come to terms with her vulnerabilities and begins to find peace. In beautifully spare but potent language, she delivers an inspiring, contemplative memoir of the middle passage of a woman’s life and an eloquent meditation on the solace of living close to the wild land. Eventually what has begun as a three-month trip becomes a personal journey of several years, during which she is on the move and testing herself in the wilderness. She conquers her fears and begins a new relationship with nature, exuberant at becoming a competent outdoorswoman. “Despite a late start I expect to spend the rest of my life dashing off the highway, pursuing this know-how, plumbing the outdoors side of life.”

Ronaldo: Rise Of The Legend. The incredible story of one of the best soccer players in the world.


Roy Brandon - 2016
    On an almost daily basis we see hear his name on the news, see his face on any number of TV commercials, and marvel at the magic show he puts on every weekend when he takes to the field. He is a celebrity whose image and influence affect our popular culture and a soccer star that has been compared with some of the world´s best athletes. But Cristiano was not always the popular, mega-celebrity, soccer superstar that he is today. The success that he enjoys has come from years of hard work and sacrifice that have helped him overcome many obstacles and difficulties in his pathIn this book, we´re going to take a look at the life of Cristiano, beginning at the time he was rising star whose career was threatened by a strange heart condition, right up until his third Ballon D´or recognition. We will also follow Cristiano off of the field to see his impact on popular culture and his life beyond soccer.

Summary: Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari


ExecutiveGrowth Summaries - 2019
     Sapiens became a #1 international bestseller and a New York Times bestseller for simple reasons… Unlike other macroscopic reviews of human history, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind combines the best research into history with recent discoveries in biology and archaeology and complementary disciplines of science. It provides a unique point of view on how we got to where we are today – and what that means for us as a species. Dr. Yuval Noah Harari traces the development of consciousness, above all else. 100,000 years ago Homo Sapiens were an insignificant animal – but today we dominate the planet. At some point, the evolution of thinking superseded biological evolution. Much of our 'success' hinges on the importance of the myths and legends – the fictions of our imagination that have played such a vital role in the development of culture, ideology, religion, economics, science – instead of our pure biological traits. Reading our summary is the perfect way to cover the full material and grasp the essential insights of Dr. Harari’s research in a fraction of the time. If you find Dr. Harari’s concepts enticing, we highly advise you to buy the full book! Why read ExecutiveGROWTH Summaries: The best-quality summaries on Amazon, guaranteed. Team of professional native-English writers and editors (a huge issue on Amazon; check the reviews of ANY other summary book company to see for yourself). Engaged CEO and a responsive team committed to your personal growth and making your reading experience superb. Bonus Power Insights gives you the main takeaways to keep top-of-mind. Bonus Guided Challenge to immediately implement the book’s knowledge to your daily life. We craft our summaries for busy high-achievers who still have the insatiable appetite to keep learning and growing. Our summaries provide the fastest way to increase perspective and productivity, guaranteed. We only curate summaries whose original books we absolutely love and are convinced have the highest potential for personal growth. Our team has singled out the key concepts and trimmed out all the rest, allowing you to digest the author's core message in a fraction of the time. It's easy to read the entire summary in a little over one hour without needing highly developed speed-reading superpowers! DISCLAIMER: We are convinced that our professional summaries will introduce more readers to the full book who otherwise would have turned a blind eye by the sheer commitment. Our intention is sincere in that readers could use this summary as an introduction or a companion to the original book, not as a substitute.

Bernedoodles: A Head to Tail Guide


Sherry Rupke - 2013
    Sherry Rupke of SwissRidge Kennels was the first breeder to deliberately cross Bernese Mountain Dogs and Poodles. Rupke loved everything about the Bernese, except for the short-lived breed’s genetic propensity for cancer. Plus it sheds. And it can be a little stubborn. Rupke decided to add Poodle to the hybrid equation to create an intelligent, lively, healthy and low- to non-shedding dog. Over the past decade, she’s built her Bernedoodle program with care to ensure that each scrupulously health-checked breeding dog has an impeccable pedigree, a calm temperament, and great conformation. Bernedoodles: A Head to Tail Guide takes readers on a journey from Rupke’s early days of breeding purebred dogs to establishing her highly successful hybrid program. This comprehensive, easy-to-read and entertaining book also covers everything you need to know about finding the right breeder and puppy, to caring for your Bernedoodle. You’ll discover the best training techniques for Bernedoodles (and any dog) from Rupke’s partner, Lucas Mucha. Anecdotes from owners of SwissRidge Bernedoodles, along with stunning photos, are likely to convince you that this fun, fun, affectionate, and allergy-friendly hybrid is the perfect companion dog.

Casket Chronicles: Living and Working in a Funeral Home is not What You Might Think


T.A. Walters - 2020
    Some of the stories are hilarious. Some of the stories are heartbreaking. All of the stories are true.Most people think of the funeral business as being very subdued where words are spoken in hushed tones and those who work in it are best described as “somber.” Like almost everything else in life, you never really know what goes on behind closed doors.How could the station wagon used to pick up bodies just vanish? What did the waitress at the drive-in really think was in the back of the car? Why did the woman driving a Cadillac stop in the middle of the busy street in front of the funeral home and start screaming obscenities? How did a woman’s panties end up inside a casket?The answers to these questions and other interesting tales are found on the pages of Casket Chronicles.

Travels of an Ordinary Man Australia


Paul Elliott - 2013
    Heading to Australia after selling everything that he owns, apart from the contents of his rucksack, the story follows Paul Elliott’s four month journey around the continent.It chronicles his adventures and the myriad of people that he encounters in a humourous and entertaining way. Not only does he begin to find a direction for his life, he also begins to find his true self in an ultimately uplifting adventure.

On Wet Foundations


Mary Cassells - 2011
    The amusingly told story of how and why a British couple escaped from noise, traffic and junk mail and built their home and their dream on water. An embarrassingly mouthy parrot, a cat that wants to walk on water and an antique toilet that swallows buttocks are just a few of the ingredients in what becomes a far from normal life.

Finding My Feet CLAIRE LOMAS


Claire Lomas - 2014
    I was being brave, although inside I felt very scared; absolutely petrified. My body felt battered, well the bits I could feel did. The rest felt dead. Two thirds of me was dead." This is the incredible battle to rebuild a life that was shattered in a split second. When Claire was 27 she suffered a devastating spinal injury in a freak accident whilst eventing. In April 2012 Claire made worldwide headlines when she walked the London Marathon in a pioneering robotic suit taking 17 days. 'FINDING MY FEET' is the moving true story of how one determined, courageous young woman had to fight through the darkest days to go on and have the best days of her life. Claire has already raised over £300,000 to help find a cure for paralysis, and this book will help provide more vital funds for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. "Claire is a distillation of all that we should find motivational- intensely driven, positive and an achiever despite the horrendous times which she has had to endure" Sir Matthew Pinsent "Claire has to be the most incredible person I have ever met. She simply lights up a room. To think of the difficulties she has had to overcome is mind blowing. She is an absolute inspiration to us all" Melanie C "Claire is a force of nature. Give her a challenge that seems impossible and she will smash it to bits. She knows no limits, sets no boundaries and never takes 'no' for an answer. Unless you ask her 'have you finished?' In which case, 'no' is the answer because she is never finished." Clare Balding

1,077 Fun Facts: To Leave You In Disbelief


Charles Klotz - 2020
    

Half Past Noon In Cuba: a Novel


Maximiliano Febles - 2015
    Febles has written a gripping tale that presents the tragic impact that the Castro Regime had on all aspects of life, for so many families – both then and now. Highly recommended!" The Columbia Review.

IGOR (Global War On Terror Book 1)


Raymond Hunter Pyle - 2017
    For an intelligence analyst without SEAL training, it can be traumatic. Navy Lieutenant (JG) Lee Toliver, Naval Academy Graduate, Linguist and Middle East Polyglot, is assigned to Trident, an Office of Naval Intelligence group dedicated to Naval Special Warfare Command. Having survived injuries from a suicide bombing in London, and almost a year in and out of Brooke Military Burn Center in Texas, he is ready to get his career back on track and anticipating his introduction to the SEAL Team he will support. American born linguists fluent in Middle East languages are in short supply and always in demand. His fluency in Pashto brought him to the attention of Detachment Bravo of SEAL Team 2 deploying to Bagram, Afghanistan. But Lee was also fluent in several dialects of Arabic. Seal Team 3 was raging across Anbar Province in Iraq, and in 2006, Ramadi is back on the radar for a major operation. Lee is about to find out that deploying with a SEAL Team has only a passing acquaintance with intelligence office work. In SEAL Team direct action ops, interpreters and interrogators are needed outside the wire as much as inside. Going kinetic, is a term he will come to understand intimately.

A Gallery of KNOTS!: A Beginner's How-to Guide (Tiger Road Crafts Book 10)


Tara Cousins - 2014
    From traditional sailor’s knots to the trendy friendship bracelets of the 90’s to the modern craze of paracord crafts, knot tying is a fun and valuable skill. Guys, gals and even young kids can learn the principles of knot tying to create a huge variety of projects. This ebook will teach you a selection of the most widely used, best loved knots and a variety of accompanying projects. The step-by-step photo instructions make it easy to learn, even for the beginner!

We Always Had Paris


Templeton Peck - 2020
    She was a New Yorker, had just turned forty, and was about to put her youngest child in college. He was pushing 50 and relishing a sabbatical from his San Francisico law practice. Opposites attracted. A few weeks later they were engaged. A year later they were honeymooning on bicycles in Burgundy, after a wedding in a chapel at JFK. And after five years in San Francisco, they sold their house, quit their jobs and moved to Paris -- “permanently,” they said. For seven years their home was in a foreign country, in a foreign culture, bathed in a foreign language, on the rue des Marronniers in the 16th Arrondissement of the most beautiful city in the world. We Always Had Paris is the story of their adventure. It really happened. It is also a love story.

1000 Shocking Facts You Might Not Have Known


John Brown - 2015
    The facts range from strange historical events to breakthrough scientific discoveries. The book is also a continuation of my previous works, 1000 Things You Might Not Have Known and 1000 More Things You Might Now Have Known. 1000 Shocking Facts You Might Not Have Known is packed with interesting, entertaining, educational and fun things to read. You'll get everything from the weird to the wonderful and from the horrible to the hilarious. Facts such as: Starbucks spends more money on health insurance for its employees than on coffee beans. Walt Disney lost the ability to speak and used pen and paper to communicate before passing away. The last words he wrote on pen and paper was the famous actor "Kurt Russell".

Hong Kong and Macau: A 3D Keepsake Cityscape


Kristyna Litten - 2012
    Visit the Tian Tan Buddha, Tai O, Victoria Peak, Chi Lin Nunnery, Victoria Harbor, Statue Square, the ruins of St. Paul’s, Guia Fortress, and other famous spots.