Travel guides: adventure holidays Books

Book SynopsisIn this rapturous memoir, writer and activist Laura Coleman shares the story of her liberating journey in the Amazon jungle, where she fell in love with a magnificent cat who changed her life. Laura was in her early twenties and directionless when she quit her job to backpack in Bolivia. Fate landed her at a wildlife sanctuary on the edge of the Amazon jungle where she was assigned to a beautiful and complex puma named Wayra. Wide-eyed, inexperienced, and comically terrified, Laura made the scrappy, make-do camp her home. And in Wayra, she made a friend for life. They weren’t alone, not with over a hundred quirky animals to care for, each lost and hurt in their own way: a pair of suicidal, bra-stealing monkeys, a frustrated parrot desperate to fly, and a pig with a wicked sense of humor. The humans, too, were cause for laughter and tears. There were animal whisperers, committed staff, wildly devoted volunteers, handsome heartbreakers, and a machete-wielding prom queen who carried Laura through. Most of all, there was the jungle—lyrical and alive—and there was Wayra, who would ultimately teach Laura so much about love, healing, and the person she was capable of becoming. Set against a turbulent and poignant backdrop of deforestation, the illegal pet trade, and forest fires, The Puma Years explores what happens when two desperate creatures in need of rescue find one another.Trade ReviewAn Amazon Best Book of the Month: Biographies & Memoirs “The Puma Years is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the animals rescued by a sanctuary, Comunidad Inti Wara Yassi, in Bolivia. And it is the heartwarming story of the relationship that grew up between Laura Coleman and a puma, a relationship that only deepened over the years. I visited the sanctuary years ago—what a wonderful place, dedicated staff and passionate volunteers. Engaging and inspiring—you will love this book.” —Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace “Coleman’s adrenaline rush–inducing debut transports readers along on her 2007 adventure to the Amazon jungle of Bolivia…Coleman’s purpose-finding journey also offers a call to action for addressing the heartbreaking circumstances of wild animals in peril.” —Publishers Weekly “Readers will be hooked by Coleman’s compelling storytelling right from the opening pages…There are poignant breakthroughs, unsettling setbacks, terrifying dangers, narrow escapes, heartbreaking separations and reunions, and hookups and relationships, all channeled through Coleman’s honest, wry, self-effacing, and always entertaining narrative…This is an amazing tale, one that readers will remember.” —Booklist (starred review) “A funny and compelling true story of courage, endurance, and self-discovery. The Puma Years is a hymn to the sorrows and joys of finding kinship with the animal world.” —Gregory Norminton, author and environmentalist “Impassioned, honest, unexpected and often very funny. A book about being consumed by the wild, in all its difficulty and damage, with a vivid cast of humans and animals.” —Nick Hunt, author of Where The Wild Winds Are “The Puma Years is an utterly wonderful book. It is a memoir, a love letter to a puma, and through that love comes the utter heartbreak of the forests. It is not just astonishingly good as a book, but it brings to life the full earthy reality of the forests, its swamps and iridescence, its wild beauty and rottingness, while so poignantly articulating its destruction. It is quite brilliant.” —Jay Griffiths, author of Wild: An Elemental Journey and Why Rebel

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Book SynopsisAn indispensable primer that will 'turn you on to shipboard.'Trade ReviewThe book gives a good picture of what a cruise is like. * Cruise Industry News Quarterly *This book has a single purpose: to lure, prod, cajole and inspire people to take their first ocean cruise. * Today's Librarian *

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Book SynopsisThe Mt. Rainier National Park Adventure Set consists of a Pocket Naturalist Guide and National Geographic Map, offering a perfect resource for travelers wanting "hands on" information on what to see and where to go to find some of the world''s most dramatic natural attractions. Waterford''s Washington State Wildlife offers visitors or armchair travelers the information needed to identify some of the area''s most significant and impressive animal life. Beautiful full color illustrations on the 10 panels highlight more than 140 species with descriptive text indicating distinguishing features, scientific names and measurements. It is the perfect pocket reference that is easy to use while exploring through this amazing park. It is packaged with National Geographic''s Mt. Rainier National Park Trails Illustrated Map, a folded waterproof map that provides global travelers with the perfect combination of detail and perspective. Highlighting hundreds of points of interest and the diverse and interesting wildlife, this map also contains detailed topographic information, plus useful traveling tips, and regional information.www.waterfordpress.com

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Book SynopsisThe Big Sur Adventure Set consists of a Pocket Naturalist Guide and National Geographic map; ideal, lightweight references to take hiking or driving through this spectacular region. Waterford's folding, pocket-sized Big Sur Wildlife guide is a beautifully illustrated reference to over 140 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, seashore creatures and butterflies/insects. National Geographic's Trails Illustrated map of Big Sur/Ventana Wilderness - Los Padres National Forest is a waterproof, tear-resistant map that features detailed topographic information of the region, plus up-to-date information on trails, roads, and points of interest.

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Book SynopsisThe John Muir Trail Adventure Set consists of a Pocket Naturalist Guide and National Geographic map; ideal, lightweight references to take when hiking through this spectacular region. Waterford's folding, pocket-sized Yosemite Wildlife guide is a beautifully illustrated reference to over 140 familiar and unique species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and butterflies and includes a map featuring prominent wildlife-viewing areas. National Geographic's Trails Illustrated Map to the John Muir Trail is a waterproof, tear-resistant map that features detailed topographic information of the region, plus up-to-date information on trails, roads, and points of interest.

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Book SynopsisThe Alaska Inside Passage Adventure Set consists of a Pocket Naturalist Guide and National Geographic map; ideal, lightweight references to take hiking or driving through this spectacular region. Waterford's folding, pocket-sized Alaska Wildlife guide is a beautifully illustrated reference to over 140 familiar and unique species of animals ranging from whales to seashore creatures. National Geographic's Adventure Travel Map is a waterproof, tear-resistant map to the region that provides detailed information on roadways, topography and points of interest.

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Book SynopsisThis book—a reprint of the original 1939 edition—offers an in-depth look at some of the most sought-after game in the American Southwest and northern Mexico. Included are black and grizzly bears, doves, elk and deer, and even Mexican jaguars. Each animal-dedicated chapter details habitat and behavior and includes stories from the author. Based mostly on the author’s observations of game while on the hunt or just exploring in the field, this classic is a departure from natural history books that “are simply a rehash of other books that are a rehash of still other books.”

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Book SynopsisIf you crave adventure - an off-the-beaten-path way to explore California - the answer is right in front of you. California Underground Adventures is an informative and entertaining guide to the state's best caves, mines and lava tubes. It includes complete site information, as well as details about each site's history and geology. Plus, the authors' tongue-in-cheek notes make this guidebook almost as fun to read as the caves are to explore!

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Book SynopsisWhether he's looking for wild orangutans on Borneo or diving off the coast of South Africa, Randy Wayne White is one of America's most adventurous travelers. Now Randy's back in Last Flight Out, a brand-new collection of essays keeping us up to date on his latest excursions. Randy White is a "mover" and has no time for people who can't keep up. Join him as he dives in the infamous lake called the Bad Blue Hole on the desolate Cat Island in the Bahamas. Search for the perfect hot pepper in Colombia, and closer to home, go raccoon hunting in Pioneer, Ohio, where the hunted almost always outsmart the hunters. Get in the ring with Shine Forbes, an eighty-year-old fighter in prime condition and Ernest Hemingway's former sparring partner, and go on a secret mission to steal back General Manuel Noriega's bar stools. Though he rarely finds what he's looking for-such as the half-human, half- alligator creature known as "Gatorman"-he cultivates his unique ability to revel in the unique and comical situations of each exotic trip. From a jungle survival school in Panama to a week at a professional wrestler's training camp, White leaves the reader mesmerized by the potential of undiscovered places and the promise of endless adventure in unfamiliar territory. An icon of the new breed of thick-skinned, high endurance travelers, Randy White is the real deal.Trade Review"There's more than a little of the old Hemingway code in these pages. There are right ways to do things. And there are no wrong turns, only new roads that might lead to something or someone interesting." -- Miami Herald Randy Wayne White is always an entertaining read. His life is a wannabe's dream and a poser's nightmare. His essays are conversational tales of daring and do that are just plain fun to read." -- The Reel NewsTable of ContentsVii Introduction Xv A Second Introdution: An Open Letter To He Who Hides Behind the Casket of Innocents 3 Cat Island 13 Above Suspicion 21 The Man with the Iron Cast 29 Paradise Fouled 39 The Invisible Orangutans of Borneo 47 'Coon Hunt 57 Jungle Survival School 67 Gatorman 77 Survival Spanish 87 Noriega Sat Here 97 The Jumper's Club 107 The Lost Divers 133 The Curse of the Giant Jaguar 143 Shine Forbes 153 Cuba 165 Scavenging Angel 175 Bike Cops 183 Dr. Pepper 193 The Moss Man 203 Professional Wrestling Camp 217 The Horse Eater, I presume? 227 Sweat Lodge 237 Last Flight Out

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Book SynopsisSince 1935, Alaska magazine has charted the development of our biggest, most mysterious state. With compelling stories on such events as earthquakes, tidal waves, grizzly and polar bear attacks, the Russian influence, the Gold Rush, the Japanese invasion of the Aleutians during World War II, hunting and fishing, the lives of sourdoughs, village life, and much more, The Last Frontier truly captures the essence of our largest state. Other chapters include the tale of the Eskimo commercial pilot, flying villagers across the Arctic. Or the one about the young woman who conducted the 1940 census in the Interior by dog team. Or the story about the family who placed their automobile on a raft, hooked paddles to the axles, and steered their home-built paddle-wheeler down the Yukon River to the first road-whereupon they removed the car from the barge, and drove home to Nebraska.Other stories you won't want to miss in this book include: Don Sheldon's floatplane rescue of eight men from white water; the mystery of Klutuk, the beast of the tundra; how Julie Collins's sled dog saved her life; the trials and tribulations of a nurse running a hospital on the arctic coast in 1921; an Athabascan writer interviews her grandmother, a medicine woman; newsworthy events across the state and much, much more.Trade Review"The tales are as diverse as the writers themselves. A noteworthy addition to any travel collection owing to the unique nature and diversity of the material."--The Library JournalTable of ContentsPreface Introduction 1. The Wolf Pack by F. W. Gabler, January 1935 2. Tundra Territory by Victor Shaw, December, 1935 3. Polar Fury by Charles Madsen, April 1936 4, Nome Cafe by A. F. Raynor, June 1936 5. Every Inch A King by Robert A. Henning, October 1936 6. Arctic Trapper by Frank North, November 1936 7. Bush Maddness by S. A. Camp, November 1939 8. The People of Nome Were Scandalized by John B. Wallace, December 1939 9. Main Trails and Bypaths, December 1942 10. Main Trails and Bypaths, February 1043 11. I Was Queen of the Klondike by Kate Rockwell Matson, August 1944 12. On the Ice-Pack's Rim by Florence C. Dakin, November 1944 13. Woman on the Dalton Trail by Della Murray Banks, January 1945 14. Main Trails and Bypaths, December 1952 15. None So Big by Dolly Connelly, August 1965 16. The Mystery of the Billiken by Dorothy Jean Ray, September 1960 17. Alaska Terror by Art Kennedy, August 1965 18. Huslia's Hole Hunters by Mike Cline, June 1966 19. There Were Three Wolves. . . All Around Me by Paul Kinksteater, October 1967 20. Encased in Ice, I nearly Drowned by Frank W. Johnson February 1974 22. My Sunset Moose by Charles G. Mayse, October 1975 23. How I killed the World's Largest Brown Bear by Roy R. Lindslaey, January 1978 24. A Trapper Leaves the Country by Scott Fisher, June 1981 25. Avalanch by TIm Moerlein, March 1982 26. Acceptance by Mike Davis, April 1982 27. Of Traps and Treasures--Klutuk by Fred Hatfield, September 1984 28. Reluctant Hero by Julie Collins, December 1984 29. Chernofski Sheep Ranch by Cora Holmes, April 1985 30. Abercrombie's Barrow Ballet by RObert H. Redding, December 1985 31. A Melody for Christmas by Afton Blanc, December 1987 32. Mt. 33. Dog Team Cencus by Hana Yusada Kangas, January 1990 ri034. My Last Grizzly by Nick Jans, May 1990 35. Medicine Woman by Marilyn Savage, June 1990 36. Adventures in Night Fishing by Ken Marsh, April 1991 37. Zapped on Rainbow Mountain by Yvonne Lindblom and Ruth Moulton, October 1991 38. Forgotten Pioneers by Lael Morgan, February 1992 39. Big Trouble on the "Wideload" by Chris Schleb, September 1994 40. Polar Bear Swim by WIlliam L. Earl, December 1994/January 1995 41. The Last Spear Hunt by Sidney Huntington, September 1995 42. With Trusting Eyes Behind Me by Ellen Paneok, February 1996 43. Clutter by Carol Sturgulewski, October 1996 44. Kingdom Clean-Enough by Leslie Leyland Fields, May/June 1997 45. Jess's Ark by Carol Knight Copeland, September 1997 46. Raven by Sherry Simpson, September 1997 47. Fishing the COmbat Zone by Les Palmer, April 1998 48. A Few Mosquito Bites by Jim Reardon, October 1998 49. Social CLimber by martha Black, August 1999 50. The Bear and the Bride by Sidney Huntington, September 1999 51. The Eels Are Here by Frank J. Keim, December 1999/January 2000 52. An Orca Reunion by Mark S. Decker, February 2000 53. Tracked by a Bear by Dana Stabenow, February 2000 54. Crisis of Confidence by Dan Randle, August 2000 55. The FIrst Ever Nome Moose Nugget Drop by Lew Tobin, November 2000 56. Green Seas, White Ice by Toby Sullivan, March 2001 57. The Cruel Chronometer by Andy Hall, July 2001 58. Mary Joyce's Extraordinary Adventure by Hoan Parades, March 2002

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Book SynopsisOn Sunday, April 8, 200 7, 52-year old Martin Strel completed the first-ever swim of the 3,274-mile-long Amazon River. The Fish Man, as he was called by locals, almost died in the process several times; he encountered deadly piranha, crocodiles, anaconda, river sharks, blistering, relentless sun, dangerous currents, river pirates and drug runners, and the insidious candiru. At the finish his blood pressure was at heart attack level, his entire body full of subcutaneous larvae, and besieged by dehydration, diarrhea, and exhaustion. Strel, who holds multiple Guinness world records for long-distance river swims, undertook this epic Amazon swim to call attention to deforestation and river pollution. His journey was covered by national media around the world, and followed by tens of millions of readers on a website tracking his progress (www.amazonswim.com). A documentary film of his journey will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008.Drawn from the eloquent and evocative trip diaries of writer Matthew Mohlke, who guided Strel armed with buckets of blood to divert piranha, The Man Who Swam the Amazon is a gripping and inspirational story of perseverance, passion, and endurance: A real-life odyssey of a rare and driven man.Martin Strel is one of the most elite athletes in history. He holds three Guinness world records in distance swimming, and is about to earn his fourth for his Amazon swim.Matthew Mohlke is author of Floating Down the Country, an account of his Mississippi River paddling adventures.

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Book SynopsisKnit a traditional gansey sweater with indigo yarn. Tour a spinning mill. Discover five ways to cast on for socks. Meet your personal knitting hero. The Knitter’s Life List is a richly illustrated compilation of 1,001 experiences and adventures that devout knitters won’t want to miss. You’ll find classic techniques to master, time-honored patterns to try, unusual yarns to work with, museums to see, books to read, and much more. Get inspired and live the knitting life of your dreams!

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Book SynopsisThis book is a trip-oriented guide, with each entry focusing on a specific activity at a particular location. Some examples are ·biking the Acadia Carriage Roads; ·climbing Bigelow Mountain; ·or canoeing the Magalloway River. It presents a series of trips that could comprise an entire summer of exploration or be stretched out over years. The authors present a series of day or weekend trips that could comprise an entire summer of exploration or be stretched out over years. Combined, the trips represent a broad-based discovery of the entire state of Maine. Maps, clear directions, and pertinent information are included for each trip, as well as first-hand descriptions of what you can expect to encounter along the way.Trade Review"Maine Outdoor Adventure Guide is a welcome surprise! This well-crafted and comprehensive field companion remembers to remind readers why they wanted to explore the Pine Tree State in the first place!" * American Road Magazine *"Equally divided between trips on foot, by bike, and a combination, explorations aplenty await adventurers of all interests and abilities, from Deboullie to Damariscotta to Donnell Pond." * Maine Sunday Telegram *

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Book SynopsisSafari 101 is written for the hunter that has always considered Africa out of reach, someone who has a spark of desire just waiting to be fanned into a flame. The myths of being “too expensive” and “too difficult” are firmly entrenched in many hunters’ minds. Safari 101 has forty-six hints dispersed throughout 11 chapters and proves these myths false. Personal stories are used to illustrate the value of each hint and to make each one easy to remember. When Brown took his first Safari, he was forced to rely on word of mouth for information, as all of the books he found were for photo Safaris. This book takes Brown's experiences, and what he learned from professional hunters and outfitters, and puts the information in a logical progression that is entertaining as well as informative. The book will help fan the spark into a flame.Trade Review"Your book has been a great pleasure to read and I cannot thank you enough for writing this book. It helped turn that spark into a flame and I cannot wait to book a hunt.I have contacted Mr. Veldsman and he was extremely quick on the return e-mail.I respect your take on the African game and I know that I want to take a zebra, blue wildebeest, and a kudu, but I can't decide on an eland or a waterbuck. Any recommendations?I think I will go through Mr. Veldsman for the hunt because of the great experiences I've read about in your book."-Dale R."Thanks for the Safari 101 book. This is a much needed book, I have already read more then half of it and have learned a great amount of new information about planning my safari. I will be going in 2013. Thanks again for the book."-Larry Y."Just back from my first trip to Africa. Your book was very helpful in the planning and spot on. As a new graduate of Safari 101, I’m looking forward to Safari 201, otherwise known as 'How To Pay For Your Second African Hunting Safari'. Keep up the good work.“ -R. NunezCalifornia"Thank you again for taking the time to speak with me. I received your book the same day we spoke. Read it this weekend. On one hand I was happy to see that I had figured out a few things before speaking with you and reading the book but on the other hand I wish I would have had it sooner as it would of saved me a boat load of time. It’s packed with a lot of good tips. It is a great resource which I think any first timer should have. For that matter I’m keeping it handy for trip 2, 3 and 4. (fingers crossed) Thanks again, and I hope to be in contact upon getting back from hunting with Shona. On that same note, best of luck on your trip."-Rick N."Extremely well done, great information and written in a form that's fun to read. GREAT COMBINATION and sometimes hard to pull off! I particularly liked your section about "tipping", something that is seldom covered in other books on going to Africa or for that matter other hunts. As mentioned it's extremely well written, contains a BUNCH of good information and written where it's fun to read. Also appreciated your comments on drinking while in camp... I too enjoy "sundowners" but I've seen some who have carried it too far and didn't enjoy the next morning...Thanks for a great book!"-Larry Weishuhn, Host of the TV show “A Hunters life with Larry Weishuhn" "After reading your book I felt like I had made a good friend. This book was especially helpful as my wife wants to accompany me on the trip. We are interested in touring in addition to the hunt. My wife is a non- hunter, but supports me in my love of the outdoors. My concern is that I wanted this trip to be equally enjoyable for her as I expect it to be for me. Your book eased my concern about her having an outstanding experience on the trip. A couple of other things that I felt I had picked up from your book is the need to: 1. have a plan [whether for gear to take, where you want to tour, and what animals you would like to harvest], 2.be flexible, 3.preserve the experience in a journal and by camera, 4. prepare by spending time on the firing range, 5. ask plenty of questions when planning the trip. Your book was very personable and is an easy read. I would recommend this book to anyone planning a first trip to Africa. Your book was a wealth of information to me."-J. McGregor David: Just a quick note to thank you for the wonderful book on plains and dangerous game hunting in Namibia and Zimbabwe. You did an outstanding job and have become an authority on the subject. I especially liked the anecdotal stories and the way the book flowed as a result. Great job and thanks again. The book will be a valuable part of my hunting library!-D. Smith, First Vice President Financial Advisor

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Book SynopsisThis humorously different adventure makes you laugh, feel good, gives you some thrills and allows you to actually experience hiking the famous Appalachian Trail. A true picture of hiking over 1300 miles of fun-filled, gut wrenching, awe-inspiring mountainous trail. Stocked with the humor of two guys on a long trek over grueling terrain.The days are enlivened by lighthearted moments, jokes and bantering. Belly laugh at: getting locked in an outhouse when the door knob falls apart; goofily telling a rattlesnake to hold still while taking its photo; a pet tarantula named Rosie; older middle-aged Avalanche’s quest for younger legs and lungs.But Al Dragon startles us with fascinating accounts of hikers killed, bodies found in and near an A.T. shelter . . . . Others, severely shot, struggle away from their backwoods tormentor. At the Atlanta, Georgia olympic games a killer mutilates people by a bomb--escapes to the Appalachian Trail and its surroundings where he lurks while Avalanche and Gorilla Jim hike nearby.You accompany and intimately know the two main characters you’re hiking with. Learn how they got their trail names Avalanche and the memorable Gorilla Jim.See a television report of Gorilla Jim and Avalanche’s rescue from a mountain snow storm. Feel the life-changing trail with all senses: blasting heat’s debilitating confusion when you’re out of water, the freezing effects of hypothermia, and the warm pleasures of meeting interesting characters along the way--and people who restore your faith in humanity.Climb mountains, walk within hailing distance of bears, stay in a tent with jagged lightning bolts crashing all around--you’re on the adventure of a lifetime.At any age, this true story inspires you to do more than you ever thought you could.

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Book SynopsisUndertaking a Big Year requires a more extreme version of planning than what is needed to bird in a typical year. In a Big Year a birder is trying to see or hear new birds every day, day after day, throughout the whole year.The first woman to complete a North American Big Year (continental United States and Canada) and identify over 700 species, Lynn E. Barber clocked more than 175,000 miles and ticked off a then record setting 723 species over twelve months in 2008. Yet even as an anomaly - a female birder in the then male-dominated world of competitive birding - she took the initiative to reimagine the whole idea of a Big Year in the two biggest states in the country.At home in both Texas and Alaska, Barber offers an inside look into how to plan, execute, and thoroughly enjoy a year of finding the birds that inhabit two of the nation's most diverse landscapes. The drastic differences between the climate, geography, plant life, and habitat at the far northern and southern edges of the US mainland mean seeing a distinct number of birds in each state that are not found in the other. Yet as states with both coastal and international boundaries, Texas and Alaska provide countless opportunities to see the most seasonally varied, far flying, and specifically adapted birds in the world.As Barber chronicles her travels throughout the Texan and Alaskan landscapes, serious and casual birders alike will appreciate her lively and informative prose and commitment to her distinct approach to the Big Year challenge.

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Book SynopsisChristopher Columbus needed a sponsor for a dangerous expedition, but the king of Portugal wasn’t interested. He repackaged his proposal for the queen of Spain. She put Columbus on retainer, and the rest is history. Columbus may not have been the first to discover America, but he had a great publicist.That’s where Jeff Blumenfeld comes in. For many years, using a PR specialty called adventure marketing, Jeff has connected explorers and their projects with corporate sponsors looking to demonstrate product performance in extreme conditions. His book takes the reader from Erik Weihenmayer’s expedition to be the first blind man to summit Mount Everest, to the first confirmed dogsled expedition of the North Pole, to Audrey Mestre’s deadly free dive expedition off Bayahibe beach in the Dominican Republic. You Want to Go Where? is the only book that not only takes you behind the scenes of some of the most dangerous adventure expeditions in recent years, but also shows how you can fund and arrange your own trip, including details on everything from grants to sponsorships.For anyone who’s ever had a dream to scale the tallest mountain or cross the largest ocean, You Want to Go Where? is your ticket. Full of fascinating stories and practical advice, it’s ideal for armchair explorers and budding adventurers alike.

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