At thirty-three one`s direction in life should be clear, & mine was not.` In search of some direction, or at least a new challenge, Jeffrey Tayler gave up his day job of opening rejection letters from publishers & went exploring. Having always been fascinated by Africa & the great age of Victorian exploration he went to Kinshasa in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) & found a boat to take him up-river to Kisangani, deep in the heart of the jungle. Not content with that, he then bought a pirogue (a kind of canoe), hired a guide & set out to paddle the 1, 000 miles back to Kinshasa. A personal journey, an intrepid voyage, an exceptionally well-written travelogue: FACING THE CONGO is all these things & more. A wonderfully vivid & exciting read for armchair adventurers everywhere. ...

In June 2003, Bear Grylls & his team set out from Halifax, Nova Scotia, across the infamous Labrador Sea, one of the most treacherous stretches of water in the world. The team headed for the vast ice packs off the coast of Greenland & from there they journeyed to Iceland & on to the north coast of Scotland & Cape Wrath.A dramatic account of the expedition without external assistance, in an inflatable boat braving towering icebergs, sub-zero temperatures, crashing walls of white water & force eight gales. ...

In this highly illustrated book Barry Cunliffe focuses on the western rim of Europe--the Atlantic facade--an area stretching from the Straits of Gibraltar to the Isles of Shetl&. We are shown how original & inventive the communities were, & how they maintained their own distinctive identities often over long spans of time. Covering the period from the Mesolithic hunter-gatherers, c. 8, 000 BC, to the voyages of discovery c. AD 1500, he uses this last half millennium more as a well-studied test case to help the reader better understand what went before. The beautiful illustrations show how this picturesque part of Europe has many striking physical similarities. Old hard rocks confront the ocean creating promontories & capes familiar to sailors throughout the millennia. Land's End, Finistere, Finisterra--until the end of the fifteenth century this was where the world ended in a turmoil of ocean beyond which there was nothing. To the people who lived in these remote places the sea was their means of communication & those occupying similar locations were their neighbours. The communities frequently developed distinctive characteristics intensifying aspects of their culture the more clearly to distinguish themselves from their in-land neighbours. But there is an added level of interest here in that the sea provided a vital link with neighbouring remote-place communities encouraging a commonality of interest & allegiances. Even today the Bretons see themselves as distinct from the French but refer to the Irish, Welsh, & Galicians as their brothers & cousins. Archaeological evidence from the prehistoric period amply demonstrates the bonds which developed & intensified between these isolated communities & helped to maintain a shared but distinctive Atlantic identity. ...

This Fact Finder wheel is great fun for the whole family. The card wheel is double sided with a rotating inner disc used to select the city or country of interest. The front features a map of the United Kingdom with facts & a colour image for each of 20 major cities. It shows the population, major sites, an image of the city & its coat of arms. The reverse has a map of Europe & displays flag, capital city, population, principal cities, currency, land area, time zone & EU status about each of 30 countries. Learn hundreds of fascinating & interesting fact about the United Kingdom & Europe whilst having fun, in the classroom or out travelling. Please be aware this educational toy is suitable for children aged 6 & over. ...

Did you know the Brontosaurus never existed
- the wrong neck & body were put together! Do you know why dinosaurs grew to such
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Do we really need another Berlin guide? Yes, absolutely! Because ” Fact or Fake?” is a brand new, interactive travel guide for the young or young-at-heart tourist. The authors accompany tourists, newcomers & locals in Berlin on seven themed tours of the coolest city in the world. Visit clubs & trendy bars, descend into the fascinating Berlin underground, celebrate with Hertha & Union, stroll through the government district, go by bicycle on the ` Wall Tour”, & finally visit the Philharmonic or one of the other independent theatres. Berlin also professionals will get to know new places in the city. In addition, there`s now great pictures & specially drawn maps, as well as various coupons for attractions, drinks & fast food worth 90A
- a must have for any visitor to Berlin!
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*the 1 Sunday Times bestseller * instant New York Times bestseller * 1 Wall Street Journal bestseller * * Irish Times bestseller * Audio bestseller * Guardian bestseller * ` One of the most important books I`ve ever read
- an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.` BILL GATES*BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week*` Hans Rosling tells the story of ”the secret silent miracle of human progress” as only he can. But Factfulness does much more than that. It also explains why progress is so often secret & silent & teaches readers how to see it clearly.` MELINDA GATESFactfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends
- why the world`s population is increasing; how many young women go to school; how many of us live in poverty
- we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess journalists, Nobel laureates, & investment bankers. In Factfulness, Professor of International Health & a man who can make data sing, Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators Anna & Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens, & reveals the ten instincts that distort our perspective. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most. Inspiring & revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes & moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent & essential book that will change the way you see the world.


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` One of the most important books I`ve ever read
- an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.` BILL GATES` Hans
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Explore a world of topics, from hilarious animals, to unbelievable-but-true science facts, mind-blowing space stats, to incredible human achievements. Discover a fact for everyone, everyday, in this book. Did you know that Ancient Romans used wee to whiten their teeth, & to do their laundry? Or have you heard of the parrotfish, which covers itself in a cosy, thick layer of its own slime before it goes to sleep? Why not celebrate New Year`s Eve like the Estonians: tuck into seven meals to give you strength for the year ahead. Delicious! It`s most important to know that you should never shake hands with a bushbaby: the animals pee on their paws so that they leave a smelly trail wherever they go. Find out all this & much, much more, with enough facts for even the most curious reader. Also

Includes:: seasonal & `on this day` facts for added curiosity & fun, plus a completely random mix of everything else you can imagine. These facts are brought to life with stylish, full colour illustrations from Fatti Burke. Her charmingly beautiful artwork makes this a book to keep coming back to.

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” Original & witty & goes like stink.”
- Greg Loftin, director, Saxon. The mysterious return of a deceased film icon forces media
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