Other books that might interest you

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  Grandma Gatewood's Walk - The...

  Ben Montgomery

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  Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two hundred dollars. The next anybody heard from her, this genteel, farm-reared, sixty-seven-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955, atop Maine's Mount Katahdin, she sang the first verse of "America, the Beautiful" and proclaimed, "I said I'll do it, and I've done it."Grandma Gatewood, as the reporters called her, became the first woman to hike the entire Appalachian Trail alone, as well as the first person-man or woman-to walk it twice and three times. The public attention she brought to the little-known footpath was unprecedented. Her vocal criticism of the lousy, difficult stretches led to bolstered maintenance and very likely saved the trail from extinction.

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  To America with Love

  A. A. Gill

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  A celebrated British provocateur and Vanity Fair columnist serves up an “immensely entertaining book inspired by his love and knowledge of America” (Sunday Times, London).IN TO AMERICA WITH LOVE, celebrated British provocateur and Vanity Fair colum­nist A. A. Gill traverses the Atlantic to become the freshest chronicler of American identity in recent memory. With a fiery temper, a sharp-tongued wit, and an insatiable curiosity to figure out what makes more than 300 million of the world’s population tick, Gill traces the history and logic of our nation’s habits, collecting wild stories and startling facts along the way. From Colorado, where he meets a local vegeta­tion expert and learns which flowers were in Poca­hontas’s nuptial bouquet, to Kentucky, where he visits the Creationist Museum and drinks moonshine with a hog farmer, and to Harlem, where he misses a turn and stumbles into the wrong barbershop for a once-in-a-lifetime haircut, Gill embarks on a tour of not only the nation’s landscape but also its psyche, playing adventurer, philosopher, statistician, and raconteur all at once. In inimitable fashion he explains why pressing a button in a Manhattan elevator means entering a social contract of American etiquette and inverting conventional hierarchies of space; why browsing through Playboy centerfolds becomes the perfect litmus test for a generation’s political views; and how Hollywood is the metaphysical marketplace for movies, the place where Americans are sold on American romance and taught how to dream the American dream. Weaving together a tapestry of historical erudition and outrageous anecdotes, Gill ultimately captures the scope and spirit of a nation that started off as a conceptual experiment and became a political, sci­entific, and cultural fortress. This humorous and revelatory book shows us why we are who we are by transforming ordinary experiences into extraordinary lessons and promising to never let us look in the mirror the same way again.

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  A Bicycle Built for Two Billion:...

  Jamie Bianchini

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  Jamie Bianchini needed a lift. A big one. After a series of spectacular business flops drove him into bankruptcy and the love of his life kissed him goodbye, Jamie knew he needed a world of help. But instead of seeking assistance from a counselor or support group, Jamie sought comfort where he'd always found it?on his bicycle. 
  As his world hit rock bottom, Jamie hatched a crazy plan that just might make everything right. His life lacked purpose, passion, and connection with his fellow man. So Jamie decided to go for a bicycle ride, around the world, on a tandem, solo, inviting everyone he met to join him for a spin. 
  A Bicycle Built for Two Billion is the moving story of an audacious optimist who tried to change the world - while hoping the world would change him - one rider at a time. A heartfelt, hilarious, adrenaline-fueled journey through 81 countries, A Bicycle Built for Two Billion will allow you to see the planet in a way never experienced before. 
  Come join Jamie and his unforgettable cast of co-pedalers - from inspiring villagers to conniving thieves, romantic paramours to unlikely gurus, excited school kids to seniors who have never set foot on a pedal. Come join them all for the ride of your life. Includes nearly 200 spectacular photos and videos captured around the world, bringing this rich story to life. 
  The 20th Anniversary Edition features new stories, characters, and the long-awaited bonus chapter Re-Entry: Living a Real Life after an Unreal 8-Year Odyssey.

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  Swimming Wild in Scotland - A...

  Alice Goodridge

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  Swimming Wild in Scotland by Alice Goodridge is an informative and inspiring book for both new and experienced wild swimmers, featuring over 100 of the best wild swimming spots across the Scottish mainland and islands.
  Drawing on her vast experience as a long-distance swimmer and open water swimming coach, Alice has hand-picked locations to help you experience Scotland at its wild and rugged best. Scotland has a plethora of choice when it comes to wild swimming – you could take a dip in one of the stunning lochs of the Cairngorms, splash around in the river pools on Arran, step out from a deserted white sand beach on remote Great Bernera, swim right up to a waterfall on the River Pattack, or, for something a little different, swim in flooded quarries on Easdale or delight in the easily accessible tidal pools in Fife.
  Alice digs into the detail of what makes a fantastic wild swimming location, sharing her in-depth knowledge of exactly where to get in the water, where to safely swim once you're in, the best time to swim if tides are a consideration, what to expect underfoot as you get in for your swim, and, just as importantly, you'll be aware of any potential hazards. Armed with all this essential knowledge, you can relax and enjoy your swim, with all the preparation and research taken care of. This is all backed up by clear Ordnance Survey and custom maps, information on parking and public transport, and details of enticing cafes to enjoy a post-swim hot chocolate.
  Flick through this book, drawing inspiration from the stunning photography, as Alice brings each fantastic swimming location to life. Whether you're an experienced wild swimmer or just dipping your toes in the water for the first time, you'll find plenty to inspire your next adventure.

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  Beautiful Thing - Inside the...

  Sonia Faleiro

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  “Both a tragic monument to the abused bar girls of Bombay and a celebration of their amazing resilience and spirit.”—William Dalrymple, bestselling author of The Anarchy 
   
   
  Published in India to great acclaim and named a Time Out Subcontinental Book of the Year and an Observer Book of the Year, Beautiful Thing is a stunning piece of journalism that offers a rare firsthand glimpse into Bombay’s notorious sex industry. 
   
  Sonia Faleiro was a reporter in search of a story when she met nineteen-year-old Leela, a charismatic exotic dancer with a story to tell. Leela introduced Sonia to the underworld of Bombay’s dance bars: a world of glamorous women; of fierce love, sex, and violence; of gangsters, police, prostitutes, and pimps. When an ambitious politician cashed in on a tide of false morality and had Bombay’s dance bars wiped out, Leela’s proud independence faced its greatest test. In a city where almost everyone is certain that someone, somewhere, is worse off than them, she fights to survive—and to win. 
   
  In Beautiful Thing, Sonia Faleiro has crafted one of the most original works about India in years, an “intimate and valuable book of literary reportage . . . [that] will break your heart several times over” (The New York Times). 
   
  “Reporting at its best.”—Junot Díaz, The Rumpus 
   
   
  “A glimpse into a frightening subculture . . . In lesser hands, these young people could have come off as clichés, but the author makes sure we care for them and root for them to survive a life that most will never understand. Gritty, gripping, and often heartbreaking—an impressive piece of narrative nonfiction.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

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  5 Minute Italian Short Stories...

  Speak Italian

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  It’s the biggest conundrum of language learning: 
  How can you become an amazing Italian speaker when you’re short on time? It’s easy: 5 Minute Italian short stories for beginners, that is. Let’s face it: We all have limited free time. So, how can you study Italian when you have only small shards of time available? Look no further: If you’re short on time, 5 Minute Italian short stories for Beginners will help you make the most of it. 
  The Benefits of 5 Minute Italian Short Stories for Beginners 
  Since short stories are, by nature, short, you can use them to squeeze a lot of Italian learning into a relatively small span of time. 
  Reading short stories is a great way to get quick, informal doses of Italian language practice. 
  Easy short stories in Italian offer exposure to simple, natural sentence structure. 
  How to Learn Italian with Easy Short Stories 
  Since these stories are often pretty straightforward, you’ll need a simple plan for learning effectively with them. To get the most out of your short story, I suggest this three-step approach: 
  Read the story for the gist, not the details. Focus on trying to understand the main ideas of the story: the characters, the major plot developments and the setting. 
  Read it again, but this time, do a careful read. Highlight or underline unknown words, phrases or grammatical constructions that are unfamiliar to you. Once you finish this read, translate all the unfamiliar words and phrases and write them down in a notebook or on flashcards to help you remember them later. 
  Use the translations to read the story one final time. This allows you to understand the text fully and have quick access to the translations and explanations.

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