Walking the Himalayas
by Levison Wood (Hodder UK)
British explorer Levison Wood has led expeditions on five continents around the globe.
Last year I featured his book, Walking the Nile. It was about his journey along the Nile river over a period of nine months.
His current expedition finds Wood walking the entire length of the Himalayas. Like his expedition along the Nile, this one has been filmed for a Channel 4 series.
In this book Wood chronicles his journey that begins along the Silk Road route of Afghanistan, taking him through five countries, and ending in Bhutan.
It is a personal story of adventure, exploration and discovery. By travelling on foot, Wood meets local people and uncovers stories that might not have been uncovered. It promises to be a fascinating read.
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The World in Conflict
by John Andrews (Profile Books)
Judging from the map at the beginning of this book, very few areas of our world today is not touched by conflict.
It’s a sobering and disturbing realisation.
In The World in Conflict, John Andrews looks at the reasons why global conflict is a forever present reality.
Tackling conflict region by region, Andrews analyses the causes, contexts, participants and possible outcomes of the current wars being fought.
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A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled
by Ruby Wax (Penguin Life)
Comedian and TV writer, Ruby Wax, believes that stress and dying from the condition is a modern phenomenon.
According to her, 500 years ago no one died of stress. But now, we let the concept of stress rule every aspect of our lives.
Wax is a comedian so expect her book to be sharp and witty as she encourages readers to practise “mindfulness”.
For her, mindfulness is not about sitting on a hilltop, twisted in a knot and chanting a mantra.
It’s more about taking notice of your thoughts and feelings so that you can “truly experience life”.
I’m not a fan of self-help/inspirational books. I believe they take common sense, dress it up and give it a catchy title. But Wax is an entertainer and her style is light with a good dose of humour. So this book may be a lot less preachy and more accessible to a reader like myself.