Category Archives: Books

05
Aug
2010

Review of The Treehouse Diaries

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Posted in Books, MicroAdventure
Last year I became friends with Nick Weston when I went to stay with him in his treehouse. Nick did a couple of great talks for me at the charity Nights of Adventure I organised. You can see his 6 minute talk here. I’ve just finished reading his book and it’s great. I asked him to send [...]

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22
Jul
2010

Books to take backpacking this summer

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Posted in Books
If you’re getting ready to head off somewhere exciting this summer you will need a few good books in your pack. Here is a selection to get you going, including: Jack Kerouac. On the Road Peter Mathiessen. Snow Leopard Joseph Heller. Catch 22 Herman Hesse. Siddhartha Yann Martel. Life of Pi Pirsig. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
13
Jul
2010

Writing is not a sensible activity. Just do it.

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Posted in Books, Writing
Nobody ever got started on a career as a writer by exercising good judgment, and no one ever will, either, so the sooner you break the habit of relying on yours, the faster you will advance. People with good judgment weigh the assurance of a comfortable living represented by the mariners’ certificates that declare them masters [...]

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14
Jun
2010

The Happy Traveller. A Book for Poor Men

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Posted in Books, Travel
An excerpt from the wonderful book The Happy Traveller: A Book for Poor Men from 1923. “I saw mankind, in this weary old age of the world either enduring a sluggish existence amid the smoke and dust of cities, or if they breathed purer air, still lying down at night with no hope but to wear [...]

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24
Feb
2010

Audio book and travel photography (3)

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Posted in Books, Photography, RoundTheWorldByBike
I’ve added photographs from my ride round the world to short audio excerpts from Moods of Future Joys. You can listen to them all here. (apologies: the audio begins about 15s in) Audio Excerpts from ‘Moods of Future Joys’ – 3 from alastair Humphreys on Vimeo.
10
Feb
2010

How to become an author

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Posted in Books, Motivation, Writing
Mark Pilgrim, writer and Google employee has these fine, ferocious words to say about aspiring to be a writer. Read them, turn off the internet and then get on with writing your next book. (That’s a message to myself, not to you!) “I’m a three-time (soon to be four-time) published author. When aspiring authors learn this, [...]

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25
Jan
2010

Audio book and travel photography (2)

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Posted in Books, Cycling, Photo Friday, RoundTheWorldByBike
I’ve added photographs from my ride round the world to short audio excerpts from Moods of Future Joys. You can listen to them all here. (apologies: the audio begins about 15s in) Audio Excerpts from ‘Moods of Future Joys’ – 2 from alastair Humphreys on Vimeo.
20
Jan
2010

Yet another list of Top Travel Books!

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Posted in Books, Lists, Travel
I wonder how many years I will need to wait until I ever get myself onto somebody’s list of Top Travel books?! A long time, I fear, if I am competing against books as good as these. Whoever picked these books for the Telegraph chose well. On the Road by Jack Kerouac As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning [...]

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16
Jan
2010

Top 10 books from the Travel Bookshop in London

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Posted in Books, Lists, Travel
The Travel Bookshop in London (as seen in the film Notting Hill) has come up with their Top 10 Travel Books. I have read 6 of their suggestions. I agree that a Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, The Kon-Tiki Expedition and The Places In Between all deserve to be in the list. However the [...]

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07
Jan
2010

What I learned from Innocent Smoothies

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Posted in Books, Motivation, Ramblings
I really enjoyed reading Innocent Smoothies’ latest book, the account of their development and some of the lessons they have learned along the way. I met some of the Innocent team at last year’s Do Lectures and was very impressed with their ethos. It taught me lots about ethical business, and gave me stacks of [...]

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