Gil's father recently passed and Gil was recently fired from his job. His father's best friend Syd, who is fighting leukemia decides to hike the 220 mile John Muir Trail in the high Sierra Nevada mountains. Gil's mother asks him to join Syd and Gil agrees despite nurturing a strong dislike of camping, being overweight and very inadequately prepared to take on a physical challenge of this magnitude. This is a story of how their relationship … [Read more...]
Raising the Bar: Integrity and Passion in Life and Business by Gary Erickson with Lois Lorentzen
This book is a juxtaposition between Gary’s personal life and experiences and his efforts and challenges of operating Clif Bar, a company he confounded in 1992 including details centered around an offer to sell the company for 120 million in 2000. Chapters are sprinkled with real life experiences including traveling to go mountain climbing, designing bike saddles, racing bikes and playing jazz music. Gary's active lifestyle ties in perfectly … [Read more...]
Rubies in the Orchard by Lynda Resnick
Rubies in the Orchard provides invaluable insights into some of the inner workings and creativity of one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the U.S., Lynda Resnick. Either she or her husband Stewart, have been responsible for significantly growing a variety of prominent businesses including Telafora, POM, Franklin Mint and Fiji Water. A variety of successful business are branded under Wonderful - including citrus, pistachios and a major … [Read more...]
Wild Birds by Daniel Baylis
Author Daniel Bayless was enjoying a permanent full-time position at an in-flight magazine accompanied by a decent salary. He soon made an offer on a condominium. He was at a point in life when he began to think about settling down. This all changed and he altered his plans when he was blindsided by his cousin's unexpected death at age 26. This book is a detailed personal reflection about Daniel’s experiences on the Israel National Trail, a … [Read more...]
Journey Through Fire and Ice, Shattered Dreams about the Arctic Circle by by Deanne Burch
This real-life gripping narrative takes place at age 23, when newly wed, and author of this book, Deanne Burch accompanies her husband Ernest "Tiger" Burch to the tiny Inuit village of Kivalina, in a very remote part of Alaska. It was his idea to move here to conduct a study of the lifestyles of those who lived in this part of Alaska. This was in 1964 and the village had no plumbing, running water or electricity. The difficulties of being … [Read more...]
The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence
This is the true story of rescue, perseverance and the remarkable communication between elephants and man. Lawrence Anthony (died in 2012) along with his wife Francoise owned a 5,000 acre reserve in Zululand, South Africa when they received word that a herd of troubled elephants would be killed unless someone could provide them a home. Scrambling to fence the preserve in time for their arrival, they barely finished their work just in time. But … [Read more...]
The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change by Adam Braun
While traveling through a slum in India, Adam came across a beggar child and asked him a question he would ask a child in every country he visited - “If you could have anything in the world, what would you want most?” Despite the life challenges and suffering, the child responded to him without the slightest hesitation: “A pencil”. The encounter ignited a flame in Adam’s heart and propelled him to pursue a noble cause he never thought he would … [Read more...]
Hidden Travel by Stephen W. Brock
This valuable traveler's resource is based on personal experiences and accounts from a well-seasoned traveler; Brock's book is a treasure trove of wealth - less so about about actual physical 'hidden' locations (although a few of these are sprinkled throughout the book) but more importantly about hidden discoveries relating to behavior, relationships and personal emotional discoveries. Brock digs deep into what it truly means to be a traveler … [Read more...]
The Dream Walker by Larry Prosor
Peter Martinez is the Wave Dancer, a surfer in modern day California. He is also a Native American (Noqoto tribe) whose job is to dress up as an "Indian Chief" for his tribe's casino. Not able to conform to the rules of the casino he soon finds himself without a job - fired by his mother. At the core of the story is a battle between environmental protection and an oil company, (appropriately named ENRG) who want to develop part of their … [Read more...]
Downhills Don’t Come Free by Jerry Holl
At age 57 Jerry Holl quit his corporate career, trading in a suit and a tie for bicycle apparel and deciding he would bike solo from Anchorage Alaska through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon and California to the Mexico border. And this proposed journey of 3,600 miles was by a man who had spent little time on a bicycle and had not trained prior to his ride. Nor did he have any training on basic bike repairs. Jumping into the saddle he … [Read more...]