Download or read book TRAVEL STORIES of WONDER and CHANGE written by Bay Area Travel Writers and published by Bay Area Travel Writers. This book was released on 2020-09 with total page 210 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Travel stories from the members of Bay Area Travel Writers

Download or read book Far and Away written by Andrew Solomon and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 640 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the winner of the National Book Award and the National Books Critics’ Circle Award—and one of the most original thinkers of our time—“Andrew Solomon’s magisterial Far and Away collects a quarter-century of soul-shaking essays” (Vanity Fair). Far and Away chronicles Andrew Solomon’s writings about places undergoing seismic shifts—political, cultural, and spiritual. From his stint on the barricades in Moscow in 1991, when he joined artists in resisting the coup whose failure ended the Soviet Union, his 2002 account of the rebirth of culture in Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban, his insightful appraisal of a Myanmar seeped in contradictions as it slowly, fitfully pushes toward freedom, and many other stories of profound upheaval, this book provides a unique window onto the very idea of social change. With his signature brilliance and compassion, Solomon demonstrates both how history is altered by individuals, and how personal identities are altered when governments alter. A journalist and essayist of remarkable perception and prescience, Solomon captures the essence of these cultures. Ranging across seven continents and twenty-five years, these “meaty dispatches…are brilliant geopolitical travelogues that also comprise a very personal and reflective resume of the National Book Award winner’s globe-trotting adventures” (Elle). Far and Away takes a magnificent journey into the heart of extraordinarily diverse experiences: “You will not only know the world better after having seen it through Solomon’s eyes, you will also care about it more” (Elizabeth Gilbert).

Download or read book The Wonder Switch written by Harris III, and published by Zondervan. This book was released on 2020-10-13 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A powerful, generous and unforgettable book." - Seth Godin "A wondrous lens on healing ourselves and our world in this strangest and hardest of times." - Krista Tippett We are all born with the wonder switch in the "on" position, but somewhere along the way, our wonder is crushed. And that's when we begin to live out of a self-limiting mindset that shuts down our sense of possibility and purpose. Yet reclaiming your wonder--and with it, your life--is within reach. In The Wonder Switch, join world-renowned storyteller and professional illusionist Harris III in a journey to bring you back to the magic you fear you've lost--not the sleight of hand he performs across world stages, but real magic: love, hope, joy, belonging, meaning, and purpose. One of wonder's greatest powers is that it changes the stories we tell ourselves, writes Harris. With the help of his power-packed Transformation Map, you'll gain the tools you need to switch from the old story that leaves you unfulfilled to the new story that will make you a healthier, happier, all-around better human being. In this book, you'll discover: The surprising science behind the stories we tell ourselves and how they shape our lives Practices for "righting" your story from a broken narrative to a restored narrative The secret to breaking out of a Limiting Mindset and developing a Wonder Mindset Practices for moving from complacency to curiosity Why worry is a misuse of your imagination, and how to kick the habit

Download or read book The Wonder of Us written by Kim Culbertson and published by Scholastic Inc.. This book was released on 2017-04-25 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Wonder of Us is an epic journey of love and friendship, forgiveness and possibility." -Jennifer Nivens, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places Riya and Abby are:Best friends.Complete opposites.Living on different continents.Currently mad at each other.About to travel around Europe. Riya moved to Berlin, Germany, with her family for junior year, while Abby stayed behind in their small California town. They thought it would be easy to keep up their friendship-it's only a year and they've been best friends since preschool. But instead, they ended up fighting and not being there for the other. So Riya proposes an epic adventure to fix their friendship. Two weeks, six countries, unimaginable fun. But two small catches: They haven't talked in weeks. They've both been keeping secrets. Can Riya and Abby find their way back to each other among lush countrysides and dazzling cities, or does growing up mean growing apart?

Download or read book I Know This Much Is True written by Wally Lamb and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998-06-03 with total page 884 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With his stunning debut novel, She's Come Undone, Wally Lamb won the adulation of critics and readers with his mesmerizing tale of one woman's painful yet triumphant journey of self-discovery. Now, this brilliantly talented writer returns with I Know This Much Is True, a heartbreaking and poignant multigenerational saga of the reproductive bonds of destruction and the powerful force of forgiveness. A masterpiece that breathtakingly tells a story of alienation and connection, power and abuse, devastation and renewal--this novel is a contemporary retelling of an ancient Hindu myth. A proud king must confront his demons to achieve salvation. Change yourself, the myth instructs, and you will inhabit a renovated world. When you're the same brother of a schizophrenic identical twin, the tricky thing about saving yourself is the blood it leaves on your bands--the little inconvenience of the look-alike corpse at your feet. And if you're into both survival of the fittest and being your brother's keeper--if you've promised your dying mother--then say so long to sleep and hello to the middle of the night. Grab a book or a beer. Get used to Letterman's gap-toothed smile of the absurd, or the view of the bedroom ceiling, or the influence of random selection. Take it from a godless insomniac. Take it from the uncrazy twin--the guy who beat the biochemical rap. Dominick Birdsey's entire life has been compromised and constricted by anger and fear, by the paranoid schizophrenic twin brother he both deeply loves and resents, and by the past they shared with their adoptive father, Ray, a spit-and-polish ex-Navy man (the five-foot-six-inch sleeping giant who snoozed upstairs weekdays in the spare room and built submarines at night), and their long-suffering mother, Concettina, a timid woman with a harelip that made her shy and self-conscious: She holds a loose fist to her face to cover her defective mouth--her perpetual apology to the world for a birth defect over which she'd had no control. Born in the waning moments of 1949 and the opening minutes of 1950, the twins are physical mirror images who grow into separate yet connected entities: the seemingly strong and protective yet fearful Dominick, his mother's watchful "monkey"; and the seemingly weak and sweet yet noble Thomas, his mother's gentle "bunny." From childhood, Dominick fights for both separation and wholeness--and ultimately self-protection--in a house of fear dominated by Ray, a bully who abuses his power over these stepsons whose biological father is a mystery. I was still afraid of his anger but saw how he punished weakness--pounced on it. Out of self-preservation I hid my fear, Dominick confesses. As for Thomas, he just never knew how to play defense. He just didn't get it. But Dominick's talent for survival comes at an enormous cost, including the breakup of his marriage to the warm, beautiful Dessa, whom he still loves. And it will be put to the ultimate test when Thomas, a Bible-spouting zealot, commits an unthinkable act that threatens the tenuous balance of both his and Dominick's lives. To save himself, Dominick must confront not only the pain of his past but the dark secrets he has locked deep within himself, and the sins of his ancestors--a quest that will lead him beyond the confines of his blue-collar New England town to the volcanic foothills of Sicily 's Mount Etna, where his ambitious and vengefully proud grandfather and a namesake Domenico Tempesta, the sostegno del famiglia, was born. Each of the stories Ma told us about Papa reinforced the message that he was the boss, that he ruled the roost, that what he said went. Searching for answers, Dominick turns to the whispers of the dead, to the pages of his grandfather's handwritten memoir, The History of Domenico Onofrio Tempesta, a Great Man from Humble Beginnings. Rendered with touches of magic realism, Domenico's fablelike tale--in which monkeys enchant and religious statues weep--becomes the old man's confession--an unwitting legacy of contrition that reveals the truth's of Domenico's life, Dominick learns that power, wrongly used, defeats the oppressor as well as the oppressed, and now, picking through the humble shards of his deconstructed life, he will search for the courage and love to forgive, to expiate his and his ancestors' transgressions, and finally to rebuild himself beyond the haunted shadow of his twin. Set against the vivid panoply of twentieth-century America and filled with richly drawn, memorable characters, this deeply moving and thoroughly satisfying novel brings to light humanity's deepest needs and fears, our aloneness, our desire for love and acceptance, our struggle to survive at all costs. Joyous, mystical, and exquisitely written, I Know This Much Is True is an extraordinary reading experience that will leave no reader untouched.

Download or read book Choose Wonder Over Worry written by Amber Rae and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2018-05-15 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Amber Rae’s very personal journey of moving from self limiting beliefs to her true self offers inspiring insights and lessons for anyone wanting to unfold their infinite potential." —Deepak Chopra “The one advice book you should read—even if you don’t like self-help.”—Bustle “Amber Rae's book is a revelation. She's the Elizabeth Gilbert of her generation.”—Stacy London Let’s be real. Life is filled with twists and turns, fears and doubts, messy and magical moments. Without a “rule book” for how to thrive in today’s world, it leaves many of us feeling all the feels without having a clear sense of direction. Research even shows that the average adult spends 80% of their time with regret about the past or anxiety about the future. That’s where choosing wonder comes in. Whether you hate your work and are wondering WTF to do with your life, are building the dream but feel stifled by fear and doubt, or know there’s more to life but don’t know where to start, Choose Wonder Over Worry will guide you to face your fears and unlock your gifts—no matter what’s standing in the way. Inside, you’ll learn: — How to overcome the habit we spend the majority of our time on: worrying — How to navigate fear, self-doubt, impostor syndrome, perfectionism, and all the feels — A simple tool for turning envy into inspiration — Practices for bouncing back from rejection and critics — What to do if you have too many ideas, but don’t know how to choose — The difference between “getting ahead” and “coming alive” (and how to create success on your terms) — A fail-proof way to tame your inner critic and access your inner wisdom No one is perfect. This journey is messy, and wherever you are—you are not alone. That’s why Choose Wonder Over Worry is jam-packed with personal stories and vulnerable moments. It’s like sitting down and sharing a glass of wine with your wise bestie, swapping I-can’t-believe-I’m-about-to-share-this stories. Like how Amber went from raging in a bottomless hole of comparison, insecurity and doubt—to using that envy as inspiration to find her path. Choose Wonder Over Worry shares the most important lesson of all: Don’t die with your gifts still inside. There’s a gift inside of you that deserves to see the light of day, and “choosing wonder over worry” is a mindset, practice, and compass to unlock the gift that only you can give. Worry or Wonder: which will you choose?

Download or read book Prospero s Cell written by Lawrence Durrell and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2012-06-12 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From a member of the real-life family portrayed in The Durrells in Corfu, this memoir of the idyllic Greek island is “among the best books ever written” (The New York Times). Before Lawrence Durrell became a renowned novelist, poet, and travel writer, he spent four youthful years on Corfu, an island jewel with beauty to match the long and fascinating history within its rocky shores. While his brother, Gerald, was collecting animals as a budding naturalist, Lawrence fished, drank, and lived with the natives in the years leading up to World War II, sheltered from the tumult that was engulfing Europe—until finally he could ignore the world no longer. Durrell left for Alexandria, to serve his country as a wartime diplomat, but never forgot the wonders of Corfu. In this “brilliant” journey through that idyllic time and place, Durrell returns to the land that made him so happy, blending his love of history with memories of his adventures there (The Economist). Like the blue Aegean, Prospero’s Cell is deep and crystal clear, offering a perfect view straight to the heart of a nation.

Download or read book Vagabonding written by Rolf Potts and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2002-12-24 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • With a new foreword by Tim Ferriss • “Vagabonding easily remains in my top-10 list of life-changing books. Why? Because one incredible trip, especially a long-term trip, can change your life forever. And Vagabonding teaches you how to travel (and think), not just for one trip, but for the rest of your life.”—Tim Ferriss, from the foreword There’s nothing like vagabonding: taking time off from your normal life—from six weeks to four months to two years—to discover and experience the world on your own terms. In this one-of-a-kind handbook, veteran travel writer Rolf Potts explains how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel. Now completely revised and updated, Vagabonding is an accessible and inspiring guide to • financing your travel time • determining your destination • adjusting to life on the road • working and volunteering overseas • handling travel adversity • re-assimilating back into ordinary life Updated for our ever-changing world, Vagabonding is an indispensable guide for the modern traveler.

Download or read book The Trip That Changed My Life written by Worldwide Travelers and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-08-17 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Trip that Changed my Life is a compilation of over 70 travel stories by travelers and writers from all over the world. This book is the result of Project Alpha, a global undertaking pulling together travelers worldwide to write about the one trip that changed their life. The intent was to show the transformative power of travel and to give back to the communities that continue to transform the lives of travelers the world over. The project was crowdfunded on Indiegogo (https: //www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-trip-that-changed-my-life-book-for-charity-books#/) with over 180 backers. 3 versions of the book were offered: a 9x12 full color coffee table version, a 6x9 paperback version, and an E-Book version. Though the coffee table version is no longer available, the E-Book and paperback versions are now available through Amazon based on a high number of requests. And as originally intended, 100% of the funds collected through the sale of this book will be donated to charity. So, what should you expect to discover from reading this book? Because the writers come from all parts of the world and from various cultures, each story presents a unique perspective on travel and the meaningful impression it makes. Fasten your seat belts as you journey with writers across the Sahara, witness a political coup while volunteering in Africa, conquer Mt. Kilimanjaro, find love on a road trip across America, discover purpose, meet incredible people from all walks of life, and so much more. What are you waiting for? Pick up the book that will inspire you to take your own life-changing trip and change the lives of people everywhere through the charitable giving that this book will provide. Adventure awaits!

Download or read book A Rebel in Time written by Harry Harrison and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 1983 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A classic time-travel adventure about altering the outcome of the War Between the States. On the fields where Civil War battles have yet to be fought, a black sergeant takes on a mad colonel with a machine gun and $25 million in gold--with the winner to determine the course of history.

Download or read book Wonder written by R. J. Palacio and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. This book was released on 2012-02-14 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Millions of people have fallen in love with Auggie Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face—who shows us that kindness brings us together no matter how far apart we are. Read the book that inspired the Choose Kind movement, a major motion picture, and the critically acclaimed graphic novel White Bird. And don't miss R.J. Palacio's highly anticipated new novel, Pony, available now! I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse. August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can’t get past Auggie’s extraordinary face. Beginning from Auggie’s point of view and expanding to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others, the perspectives converge to form a portrait of one community’s struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel “a meditation on kindness” —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out.

Download or read book The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise written by Dan Gemeinhart and published by Henry Holt and Company (BYR). This book was released on 2019-01-08 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Sometimes a story comes along that just plain makes you want to hug the world. The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise is Dan Gemeinhart’s finest book yet — and that’s saying something. Your heart needs this joyful miracle of a book." — Katherine Applegate, acclaimed author of The One and Only Ivan and Wishtree Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, criss-crossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished—the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box—she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it. Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys... Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after.”

Download or read book How to Change Your Mind written by Michael Pollan and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 481 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Now on Netflix as a 4-part documentary series! “Pollan keeps you turning the pages . . . cleareyed and assured.” —New York Times A #1 New York Times Bestseller, New York Times Book Review 10 Best Books of 2018, and New York Times Notable Book A brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists inadvertently catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research. A unique and elegant blend of science, memoir, travel writing, history, and medicine, How to Change Your Mind is a triumph of participatory journalism. By turns dazzling and edifying, it is the gripping account of a journey to an exciting and unexpected new frontier in our understanding of the mind, the self, and our place in the world. The true subject of Pollan's "mental travelogue" is not just psychedelic drugs but also the eternal puzzle of human consciousness and how, in a world that offers us both suffering and joy, we can do our best to be fully present and find meaning in our lives.

Download or read book Seveneves written by Neal Stephenson and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2015-05-19 with total page 419 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Anathem, Reamde, and Cryptonomicon comes an exciting and thought-provoking science fiction epic—a grand story of annihilation and survival spanning five thousand years. What would happen if the world were ending? A catastrophic event renders the earth a ticking time bomb. In a feverish race against the inevitable, nations around the globe band together to devise an ambitious plan to ensure the survival of humanity far beyond our atmosphere, in outer space. But the complexities and unpredictability of human nature coupled with unforeseen challenges and dangers threaten the intrepid pioneers, until only a handful of survivors remain . . . Five thousand years later, their progeny—seven distinct races now three billion strong—embark on yet another audacious journey into the unknown . . . to an alien world utterly transformed by cataclysm and time: Earth. A writer of dazzling genius and imaginative vision, Neal Stephenson combines science, philosophy, technology, psychology, and literature in a magnificent work of speculative fiction that offers a portrait of a future that is both extraordinary and eerily recognizable. As he did in Anathem, Cryptonomicon, the Baroque Cycle, and Reamde, Stephenson explores some of our biggest ideas and perplexing challenges in a breathtaking saga that is daring, engrossing, and altogether brilliant.

Download or read book Today s Wonder Women written by Asha Dahya and published by Courier Dover Publications. This book was released on 2020-03-18 with total page 275 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Meet the women and female-identifying heroes who have defied death, flouted cultural norms, and risen above poverty to become CEOs, entrepreneurs, activists, role models, media moguls, and movement creators. This collection of stories, essays, and interviews celebrates their superpowers: love, determination, vision, and grit. These 50 women share their wisdom and advice in ways that will inspire you to discover your own superpower. Each story will transport you into the life and perspective of one who dares to challenge the status quo, dismantle barriers, and empower those around her: Alexa Carlin, a CEO at the age of 17, overcame a 1% chance of surviving sepsis and started the Women Empowerment Expo; Mariah Hanson, launched the Dinah, the world's largest party and music festival for lesbians; activist and gun control advocate Shira Tarantino founded the ENOUGH Campaign; Laverne Delgado is program director of Fashion & Freedom, an organization that rescues victims of sex trafficking and helps them learn skills to enter the fashion industry; plus dozens of other women who refused to accept societal limitations and whose achievements offer inspiring lessons for us all.

Download or read book Astounding Wonder written by John Cheng and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2012-03-19 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When physicist Robert Goddard, whose career was inspired by H. G. Wells's War of the Worlds, published "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes," the response was electric. Newspaper headlines across the country announced, "Modern Jules Verne Invents Rocket to Reach Moon," while people from around the world, including two World War I pilots, volunteered as pioneers in space exploration. Though premature (Goddard's rocket, alas, was only imagined), the episode demonstrated not only science's general popularity but also its intersection with interwar popular and commercial culture. In that intersection, the stories that inspired Goddard and others became a recognizable genre: science fiction. Astounding Wonder explores science fiction's emergence in the era's "pulps," colorful magazines that shouted from the newsstands, attracting an extraordinarily loyal and active audience. Pulps invited readers not only to read science fiction but also to participate in it, joining writers and editors in celebrating a collective wonder for and investment in the potential of science. But in conjuring fantastic machines, travel across time and space, unexplored worlds, and alien foes, science fiction offered more than rousing adventure and romance. It also assuaged contemporary concerns about nation, gender, race, authority, ability, and progress—about the place of ordinary individuals within modern science and society—in the process freeing readers to debate scientific theories and implications separate from such concerns. Readers similarly sought to establish their worth and place outside the pulps. Organizing clubs and conventions and producing their own magazines, some expanded science fiction's community and created a fan subculture separate from the professional pulp industry. Others formed societies to launch and experiment with rockets. From debating relativity and the use of slang in the future to printing purple fanzines and calculating the speed of spaceships, fans' enthusiastic industry revealed the tensions between popular science and modern science. Even as it inspired readers' imagination and activities, science fiction's participatory ethos sparked debates about amateurs and professionals that divided the worlds of science fiction in the 1930s and after.

Download or read book All the Wonder that Would Be written by Stephen Webb and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-05-03 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It has been argued that science fiction (SF) gives a kind of weather forecast – not the telling of a fortune but rather the rough feeling of what the future might be like. The intention in this book is to consider some of these bygone forecasts made by SF and to use this as a prism through which to view current developments in science and technology. In each of the ten main chapters - dealing in turn with antigravity, space travel, aliens, time travel, the nature of reality, invisibility, robots, means of transportation, augmentation of the human body, and, last but not least, mad scientists - common assumptions once made by the SF community about how the future would turn out are compared with our modern understanding of various scientific phenomena and, in some cases, with the industrial scaling of computational and technological breakthroughs. A further intention is to explain how the predictions and expectations of SF were rooted in the scientific orthodoxy of their day, and use this to explore how our scientific understanding of various topics has developed over time, as well as to demonstrate how the ideas popularized in SF subsequently influenced working scientists. Since gaining a BSc in physics from the University of Bristol and a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Manchester, Stephen Webb has worked in a variety of universities in the UK. He is a regular contributor to the Yearbook of Astronomy series and has published an undergraduate textbook on distance determination in astronomy and cosmology as well as several popular science books.