It is an account of my fifteen cycling trips in many different countries in the world. As a man in my late fifties, I was more than aware that I had to improve my overall fitness. After cycling around my local area, I felt that I needed a change of scenery. So I embarked on a 4 day, 322km trip from the north of my beloved Wales to the south. This fired up in me a desire to explore more of what the world could offer. Completing a 525km cycling trip along the Normandy coastline of France, gave me a good idea of what I would have to cope with while cycling in my first foreign country. Thankfully, it gave me the confidence to look further afield. But first I had to attempt what I thought was a huge undertaking and that was cycling solo nearly a 1600km from John O'Groats to Lands End. Luckily, I completed it without any problems and it certainly opened up to a whole new world of possibilities for me. My next trip would be a long 1117km from Dunkirk to Denmark. This required me to cycle through a little piece of France, on through Belgium, through the flat lands of Holland, up through Germany and on to Denmark. Attempting the historic Mille Millia parade of classic and vintage cars in Italy, turned out to be a very memorable, yet frustrating trip with me only completing half of the intended 805km due to inclement weather. That Italian setback didn't deter me from completing a 405km trip from Western Australia's capital of Perth through vast open spaces to Albany on the south coast. Cycling across Shikoku, Japan's forth largest island became a memory etched into my soul. Full of spectacular scenery and cultural beauty. Closer to home, a trip with my wife Sue around the North Antrim coast proved to be a spectacularly ride due to its stunning coastline and its welcoming locals. My teenage dream came true as I cycled around the hustle and bustle that is Hong Kong. The stark, unforgiving landscape of Iceland proved to be a breath of fresh air. The 298km circular loop of the Cabot trail in Nova Scotia had me huffing and puffing up through its stunning Highland National Park. My fears of a supported tour from Moscow to St Petersburg proved unfounded with an enjoyable trip full of surprises. My eyes were certainly opened, when I stayed in New Delhi, and the stunning Himalayan mountain vistas from Shimla took what little breath I had away. Eventually, 2023 saw me resume with a gentle reintroduction with me cycling around the midlands of the beautiful Emerald island of Eire.

Set almost entirely in South Africa during the apartheid years, The Ghost of Samuel Cetswayo is an impelling and remarkable story, linking many individuals, their political and social aspirations, and how their personal lives and actions have impacted upon the lives of many others, in particular a young Xhosa speaking man, and a Scottish born expatriate; two innocent men not remotely associated.

There is a distinct lack of discussion pertaining to the lasting damage narcissistic parents inflict on their children, a shortfall so intense that some of the victims themselves don't recognise the harm done to them either, or accept the abuse as being their fault. One of the saddest things is that most children or grown-up survivors never get help or relate their lifelong relationship troubles back to their real origins. They are often categorised by society as having only suffered emotional abuse at best. It is disappointing how lots of professionals and, in particular, physicians and counsellors, minimise the pain those who have lived through lasting emotional trauma are feeling and the impact it has on the patients' physical and psychological well-being. Don't judge and condemn what you don't understand. By taking the reader through my own personal journey dealing with this kind of abuse, I aim to present how detrimental emotional abuse can be and try to bridge that above mentioned gap in general knowledge.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression." Have you ever heard this saying? Before we get a chance to say a word, our gestures and manners have already spoken for us. Though some of the rules of good manners change, others remain constant. This book is about the constants: the least you need to know to make a good first impression. As Clarence Thomas once said, "Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot." Use this book as a master key to open those doors.

Have you ever struggled with packing for a trip? You can't decide what you'll need, so you pack for every scenario and take far too much. You struggle to fit everything in your bag, you get stressed lugging it around, and you pay a fortune in airline luggage fees. The Carry-On Traveller will teach you not only how to lighten your load, but how to pack everything you need into a single carry-on-size bag. You can apply these strategies to any trip, whether you are travelling for a week or a year, to hot or cold climates, alone or with kids. By travelling carry-on only, you'll save time at airports, avoid wasting money on checked luggage fees (which are increasingly common), and reduce the stress of hauling bulky bags. It's not an all or nothing approach. Packing light is a learning process, and you might want to take it gradually. Even if you don't travel carry-on only on your next trip, this book will help you pack lighter.

It’s time to pack perfect. Every trip, every time. Your journey starts here. When you travel, the journey is just as important as the destination—and packing is the first step. In How to Pack, Hitha Palepu, a former consultant who has traveled more than 500,000 cumulative miles around the world, shows that what and how you pack are who you are. Confidence and comfort inspire success upon arrival, whether you’re exploring a new city, hoping to nail a job interview, or relaxing on a beach. In How to Pack, you’ll learn about: · Power Pieces vs. Fantasy Pieces: How clothing earns its place in your suitcase · The Accessory Math Secret: The precise formula for all you need to finish off your outfits · Folding versus Rolling: What’s right for which items · Globetrotter Gorgeous: Editing your beauty routine while still looking great · The Packing Timeline: How to avoid “I’m forgetting something” syndrome · Pack Perfect Lists: Samples and blanks for any kind of trip

"An engaging memoir of travel, love, and finding oneself." -- Kirkus Reviews Newly recovered from a quarter-life meltdown, Clara Bensen decided to test her comeback by signing up for an online dating account. She never expected to meet Jeff, a wildly energetic university professor with a reputation for bucking convention. They barely know each other's last names when they agree to set out on a risky travel experiment spanning eight countries and three weeks. The catch? No hotel reservations, no plans, and best of all, no baggage. No Baggage is at once a romance, a travelogue, and a bright modern take on the age-old questions: How do you find the courage to explore beyond your comfort zone? Can you love someone without the need for labels or commitment? Is it possible to truly leave your baggage behind?

A stunning, powerful debut novel set against the backdrop of the Cambodian War, perfect for fans of Chris Cleave and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie For seven-year-old Raami, the shattering end of childhood begins with the footsteps of her father returning home in the early dawn hours bringing details of the civil war that has overwhelmed the streets of Phnom Penh, Cambodia's capital. Soon the family's world of carefully guarded royal privilege is swept up in the chaos of revolution and forced exodus. Over the next four years, as she endures the deaths of family members, starvation, and brutal forced labour, Raami clings to the only remaining vestige of childhood - the mythical legends and poems told to her by her father. In a climate of systematic violence where memory is sickness and justification for execution, Raami fights for her improbable survival. Displaying the author's extraordinary gift for language, In the Shadow of the Banyanis testament to the transcendent power of narrative and a brilliantly wrought tale of human resilience. 'In the Shadow of the Banyanis one of the most extraordinary and beautiful acts of storytelling I have ever encountered' Chris Cleave, author of The Other Hand 'Ratner is a fearless writer, and the novel explores important themes such as power, the relationship between love and guilt, and class. Most remarkably, it depicts the lives of characters forced to live in extreme circumstances, and investigates how that changes them. To read In the Shadow of the Banyan is to be left with a profound sense of being witness to a tragedy of history' Guardian 'This is an extraordinary debut … as beautiful as it is heartbreaking' Mail on Sunday

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.

Newly retired baby zoomers Irene Butler and her husband Rick immerse themselves in the cultures across four continents for the same cost as being couch potatoes. Book jacket.