Publisher: Reading Essentials
First published in 1933, this text is a fascinating account of Robert Byron's travels in the Russia, India and Tibet of the time. The narrative of travels and descriptions of environment are first-rate and beautifully written. One of the great early examples of the travel-writing genre!
On the central and north coast of British Columbia, the Great Bear Rainforest is the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world, containing more organic matter than any other terrestrial ecosystem on the planet. The area plays host to a wide range of species, from thousand-year-old western cedars to humpback whales to iconic white Spirit bears. According to local residents, another giant is said to live in these woods. For centuries, people have reported encounters with the Sasquatch?a species of hairy, bipedal man-apes said to inhabit the deepest recesses of this pristine wilderness. Driven by his own childhood obsession with the creatures, John Zada decides to seek out the diverse inhabitants of this rugged and far-flung coast, where nearly everyone has a story to tell, from a scientist who has dedicated his life to researching the Sasquatch to members of the area’s First Nations and a former grizzly-bear hunter-turned-nature tour guide. With each tale, Zada discovers that his search for the Sasquatch is a quest for something infinitely more complex, cutting across questions of human perception, scientific inquiry, indigenous traditions, the environment, and the power and desire of the human imagination to believe in?or reject?something largely unseen.Show book
Brilliant, witty, perceptive essays about fly-fishing, the natural world, and life in general by the acknowledged master of fishing writers."In the world of fishing there are magic phrases that are guaranteed to summon the demon. Among them are: 'remote trout lake,' 'fish up to thirteen pounds,' 'the place the guides fish on their days off,'" writes John Gierach in this wonderful collection of thirteen essays inspired by a fishing trip to Rat Lake, a remote body of water in Montana. Once again John Gierach does what he does best—explain the peculiarities of the fishing life in a way that will amuse novices and seasoned fly fishers alike. The View from Rat Lake deftly examines man in nature and nature in man, the pleasures of fishing the high country, and the high and low comedy that occasionally overcomes even the best-planned fishing trip.Show book
Create suncatchers, picture frames, and more with this “nice collection of small stained-glass projects that would make fine gifts” (Library Journal). Stained glass artist and teacher Michael Johnston provides patterns and detailed instructions for forty projects—along with one thousand step-by-step photos—in this informative guide. With his pro tips on soldering, working with lead and foil, building 3-D projects, and more, even a beginner can make stunning candleholders, mirrors, angels, garden ornaments, boxes, and other useful and decorative items that capture light—and captivate with their rich color and timeless beauty.Show book
For ten years, the knowledge seekers at mental_floss have been hunting and trapping the world’s rarest facts, locking them into captivating lists for the world to admire. Thanks to their tireless efforts, Mental Floss: The Book is packed with a decade’s worth of the smartest, quirkiest stories around, including:Five Presidential Fashion FlubsSeven Shameless Abuses of Diplomatic ImmunityFive Units of Measurement Weirder Than the Metric SystemFour Toys That Have Gone to War for AmericaSeven Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor EverFive Things Your Body Can Do After You DieSix of Baseball’s Strangest TradesFour Foods People Actually Die ForSeven Things Walmart Has BannedFour TV Shows That Changed the Course of HistoryTen “Q” Words That Aren’t “Q-U” WordsFour Horrifying Parasites to Keep You Awake at NightEight Fake Archaeological FindsFive Articles of Clothing That Caused RiotsFour Memorable Moments in Cross-Dressing HistoryFive Doomsdays We’ve Already SurvivedAnd 124 Other Extraordinary Lists!Show book
The ultimate insider's guide to Hong Kong Features interesting and unusual places not found in traditional travel guides . From zero to hundred in 175 years – no other metropolis has as compressed and chequered a history as Hong Kong, with its striking and seamless blend of eastern and western cultures. Famous for its cosmopolitan nightlife, cutting-edge fashion, culinary sophistication, and entertainment, Hong Kong also conceals a trove of lesser-known and unpredictable experiences. More than 260 islands and country parks as far as the eye can see … who would expect such breathtaking natural beauty in one of the most densely populated cities on Earth? Step off the beaten path to explore Hong Kong's hidden heart. Discover what compels locals to stand in a line that snakes around the corner every morning at 4:30am, and from which "Great Wall of China" you will find a wonderful view over the South China Sea. Learn what gas lanterns have to do with the bubonic plague, and visit a place where 1,000,000 HK$ for a golf cart seems like a bargain. From secluded beaches to wishing trees, prepare to be surprised, delighted, and amazed. Entdecken Sie versteckte Orte und Geschichten abseits der bekannten Pfade, die den wahren Charakter Hongkongs enthüllen. Von null auf hundert in 175 Jahren – keine andere Metropole hat eine so komprimierte und bewegte Geschichte, in keiner anderen Metropole vereinen sich östliche und westliche Kultur so eindrucksvoll und harmonisch wie in Hongkong. Berühmt für das Nachtleben, die innovative Mode, die kulinarische Raffinesse und das Entertainment, hält Hongkong auch weitere weniger bekannte und unvorhersehbare Erlebnisse bereit. Erkunden Sie Hongkongs verstecktes Herz abseits der touristischen Pfade. Finden Sie heraus, was die Anwohner dazu bringt, sich in einer Schlange anzustellen, die jeden Morgen schon um 4.30 Uhr um ganze Häuserecken reicht.Show book
When Daniel Gordis, his wife, Elisheva, and their three young children abandoned a safe and comfortable home in Los Angeles to move halfway around the world and find a new life in Israel, the future looked bright. It was 1998, Ehud Barak had just been elected prime minister, and peace appeared to be only a few tough negotiations away. Two years later, hope had turned to terror, as the rattle of machine-gun fire perforated the night and the frightened, exhausted children clung desperately to their stuffed animals in fitful sleep, dreaming perhaps of the quiet, peaceful world they had left behind. In Coming Together, Coming Apart, Gordis tells a timely, relevant, and deeply personal tale that lays bare the complex problems of the seemingly intractable and often incomprehensible Israeli-Palestinian conflict, revealing how much is at stake and underscoring the toll the struggle takes on every human being it touches.Show book
