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Armchair TravelDecember 2015 |
"A traveler am I, and a navigator, and every day I discover a new region within my soul." ~ Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931), Lebanese-American artist and author |
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Dancing with the Devil in the City of God : Rio de Janeiro on the Brink
by Juliana Barbassa
Juliana Barbassa moved a great deal throughout her life, but Rio was always home. After twenty-one years abroad, she returned to find the city that was once ravaged by inflation, drug wars, corrupt leaders, and dying neighborhoods was now on the precipice of a major change. Rio has always aspired to the pantheon of global capitals, and under the spotlight of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games it seems that its moment has come. But in order to prepare itself for the world stage, Rio must vanquish the entrenched problems that Barbassa recalls from her childhood. With a cast of larger-than-life characters who are driving this fast-moving juggernaut or who risk getting caught in its gears, this kaleidoscopic portrait of Rio introduces the reader to the people who make up this city of extremes, revealing their aspirations and their grit, their violence, their hungers and their splendor, and shedding light on the future of this city they are building together. (Simon & Schuster)
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In the Footsteps of Alexander Mackenzie : Archaeology and the Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail
by Carol Blacklaws
Canadian. Trails, horses, people and adventure along the Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail. In the late 1970s an archaeological team was sent into a remote region of British Columbia to document the Nuxalk-Carrier Grease Trail - part of explorer Alexander Mackenzie’s 18th century crossing of North America. Mackenzie’s journey was the first documented crossing of the North American continent, predating Lewis and Clark’s expedition by 11 years. In the Footsteps of Alexander Mackenzie tells the fascinating story of the archaeological field assistants who walked, traveled by horse-drawn wagon and lived among the Lhoosk’uz Dene - a people whose origins in the area go back 4,000 years. This book is for everyone who has been drawn into the grandeur of vast landscapes and intrigued by the legends that lived there.
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Better Than Fiction 2 : True Adventures from 30 Great Fiction Writers
by Dave Eggers
Varied in place, plot and voice, these are stirring and evocative pieces that all share one common characteristic-they manifest a passion for the precious gift of travel, from its unexpected but inevitably enriching lessons about other peoples and places, to the truths, sometimes uncomfortable but always enlarging, it reveals about ourselves. By turns comic, dramatic, and moving - from Francine Prose's confrontation of the mysteries of India to DBC Pierre's search for Hemingway's muse in Italy - these 30 short tales reveal the joys, perils, and surprises of travel? and that truth can often be stranger (and better) than fiction. Whether on a plane en route to your own travel adventure, or at home settling in for a vicarious experience of world adventures, embark on this literary journey around the world and explore your passion for travel now! (Lonely Planet)
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Across Canada by Story : A Coast-to-coast Literary Adventure
by Douglas Gibson
Canadian. Canada is a country rich in stories, and few take as much joy as Douglas Gibson in discovering them. As a literary tourist he discovered even more about the land and its writers, and harvested many more stories, from distant past and recent memory, to share. Now in Across Canada by Story, Gibson brings new stories about Robertson Davies, Jack Hodgins, W.O. Mitchell, Alistair MacLeod, and Alice Munro, and adds lively portraits of Al Purdy, Marshall McLuhan, Margaret Laurence, Guy Vanderhaeghe, Margaret Atwood, Wayne Johnson, Linwood Barclay, Michael Ondaatje, and many, many others. Whether fly fishing in Haida Gwaii or sailing off Labrador, Douglas Gibson is a first-rate ambassador for Canada and the power of great stories. (Perseus)
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| Rice, Noodle, Fish: Deep Travels Through Japan's Food Culture by Matt GouldingIn Rice, Noodle, Fish, Matt Goulding, an editor/publisher for the digital travel and food magazine Roads and Kingdoms, takes a wide-ranging gastronomic tour of Japan, eating ramen, sushi, and things you may never have heard of. Exploring seven key geographic regions, he combines delicious descriptions of food with a detailed travel narrative in this "glorious account" (Publishers Weekly) that includes almost 200 color photographs as well as his correspondence with Anthony Bourdain, which discusses the origins of the book. |
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Under Another Sky : Journeys in Roman Britain
by Charlotte Higgins
What does Roman Britain mean to us now? How were its physical remains rediscovered and made sense of? How has it been reimagined, in story and song and verse? Sometimes on foot, sometimes in a magnificent, if not entirely reliable, VW camper van, Charlotte Higgins sets out to explore the ancient monuments of Roman Britain. She explores the land that was once Rome’s northernmost territory and how it has changed since the years after the empire fell. Under Another Sky invites us to see the British landscape, and British history, in an entirely fresh way: as indelibly marked by how the Romans first imagined and wrote, these strange and exotic islands, perched on the edge of the known world, into existence.
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National Geographic Rarely Seen : Photographs of the Extraordinary
by Susan Tyler Hitchcock
In this dazzling book of visual wonders, National Geographic reveals a world very few will have the chance to see for themselves. Shot by some of the world's finest photographers, Rarely Seen features striking images of places, events, natural phenomena, and man-made heirlooms seldom seen by human eyes. It's all here: 30,000-year-old cave art sealed from the public; animals that are among the last of their species on Earth; volcanic lightning; giant crystals that have grown to more than 50 tons; the engraving inside Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch. With an introduction by National Geographic photographer Stephen Alvarez, whose work has taken him from the Peruvian Andes to the deepest caves of Papua New Guinea, Rarely Seen captures once-in-a-lifetime moments, natural wonders, and little-seen objects from the far reaches of the globe.
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Life and Death in the Andes : On the Trail of Bandits, Heroes, and Revolutionaries
by Kim MacQuarrie
Unique portraits of legendary characters along South America’s mountain spine, from Charles Darwin to the present day, told by a master traveler and observer. The Andes Mountains are the world’s longest mountain chain, linking most of the countries in South America. Emmy Award–winning filmmaker and author Kim MacQuarrie takes us on a historical journey through this unique region, bringing fresh insight and contemporary connections to such fabled characters as Charles Darwin, Pablo Escobar, Che Guevara, and many others. Through the stories he shares, MacQuarrie raises such questions as, where did the people of South America come from? Did they create or import their cultures? What makes South America different from other continents? Why did Peru’s Shining Path leader Guzmán nearly succeed in his revolutionary quest while Che Guevara in Bolivia so quickly failed? Life and Death in the Andes shows us this land as no one has before. (Simon & Schuster)
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Destinations of a Lifetime : 225 of the World's Most Amazing Places
by National Geographic Society (U.S.)
National Geographic takes you on a photographic tour of the world’s most spectacular destinations, inspiring tangible ideas for your next trip. Hundreds of the most breathtaking locales—both natural and man-made—are illustrated with vivid images taken by the organization's world-class photographers. These images, coupled with evocative text, feature a plethora of visual wonders: ancient monoliths, scenic islands, stunning artwork, electric cityscapes, white-sand seashores, rain forests, ancient cobbled streets, and both classic and innovative architecture. Loaded with hard service information for each location,Places of a Lifetime has it all: when to go, where to eat, where to stay, and what to do to ensure the most enriching and authentic experience.
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Revelation Road : One Man's Journey to the Heart of Apocalypse and Back Again
by Nick Page
If you're reading this, we're still alive. The end of the world has not occurred. But it can't be long now, can it? For 2000 years, the Book of Revelation has inspired countless conspiracy theorists, film-makers, writers, and artists, as well as theologians and teachers. But why are we so bothered? After all, the end of the world still hasn't turned up, and it's been quite a while now. When Nick Page wanted to get to the bottom of what this mysterious book is really all about, he realized there was only one way to do it: he had to go to the land of apocalypse. Traveling to Patmos, via the ruined cities of the seven churches of Revelation, and determined to seek out a revelation of his own, Page explores the culture behind Revelation, who wrote it, why they wrote it, and what it means for us today. Mixing history, commentary, creative reconstruction, and sun-crazed traveloge, here at last is the (perhaps not quite) final word on heaven, hell, the four horsemen of the apocalypse, and why the end of the world never does turn up when it's supposed to. (Independent)
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| A Beginner's Guide to Paradise: 9 Steps to Giving Up Everything... by Alex SheshunoffAlex Sheshunoff was seemingly living the dream: in his mid-twenties, he lived in Manhattan with a lovely Spanish woman and worked at an Internet company he'd helped found. But after a panic attack sent him to the ER, he decided to leave it all behind, move to the South Pacific alone, and read the 100 books he was most embarrassed not to have read. In this "sincerely funny" (Kirkus Reviews) book, he shares his experiences living on a remote island, covering such topics as appropriate attire (loincloths, anyone?), monkey-diapering, building a bungalow...and falling in love. |
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| Pacific: Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs... by Simon WinchesterThe Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on Earth. Turning his keen eye to this behemoth, New York Times bestselling author Simon Winchester touches on its geological history, but mainly focuses on events after January 1, 1950. Assessing not only the ocean and what lies beneath it (diverse animals, coral reefs, etc.), he discusses the countries that border it (including China and the United States) as well as the islands in it. Winchester also addresses humanity's relationship with the ocean and the ocean's inescapable role in the future as climate change occurs and power shifts among the countries at its border. Kirkus Reviews calls Pacific a "superb analysis of a world wonder." |
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| Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James MartinJesuit priest, author, and popular media commentator James Martin visits the Holy Land in Israel for the first time, realizing early on that even with all his years of study, he didn't know as much about the land as he'd thought. Traveling to places associated with Jesus (including Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jerusalem, and the Sea of Galilee), he uses biblical scholarship and his own personal stories to provide readers with a fresh, engaging look at both the modern land he visits and the ancient land that Jesus knew. Christians and non-Christians alike who want an informative, accessible look at the life and land of Jesus will find much to like in this "intelligent, lively travelogue (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| The Snow Leopard by Peter MatthiessenBack in 1973, author Peter Matthiessen and naturalist/biologist George Schaller traveled together with sherpas for five weeks in remote Himalayan mountains. The pair hoped to catch a glimpse of the reclusive snow leopard, which only two people, including Schaller, had seen in almost three decades. But for Schaller, the trip was decidedly more scientific (he planned to study rare sheep), and for Matthiessen, who had recently lost his wife to cancer, it was much more of a spiritual journey. This eloquent, thought-provoking modern classic won two National Book Awards and should please fans of travelogues, nature writing, and spiritual memoirs. |
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| Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine by Eric WeinerWhile a patient in the hospital, author Eric Weiner was asked a question by a nurse that changed the direction of his life: Have you found your God yet? Though he was born in a secular home to "gastronomical Jews," Weiner, author of the popular book The Geography of Bliss, decided to examine spirituality by traveling around the world. From meditating with Tibetan lamas in Nepal and whirling with Sufi dervishes in Turkey to hanging out with practitioners of a UFO-based religion in Las Vegas, Weiner's experiences ran the gamut (he also spent time in Israel, China, and the Bronx). Armchair travelers who enjoy witty looks at spirituality should pick up this "well-researched, informative, and engaging" (The Washington Post) book. |
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