Summer Reading

What makes a good explorer? Adaptability, ambition, stamina, self-belief, doggedness, curiosity, optimism, authority, hardiness -- and fund-raising ability.

A powerful punch of self-help, how-to, popular history, and humor. In this celebration of the glory days of exploration, Mick Conefrey takes a new look at the larger-than-life tales of many famous American and European adventurers. He pulls practical advice from their original diaries and logs stories of endurance and survival, such as Thor Heyerdahl's crossing of the Pacific in a raft and Robert Peary's heroic North Pole adventure. All expeditions are essentially projects that have to be managed. Teams have to be selected, equipped, and motivated. Goals have to be set and crises have to be overcome. For example -- some believed that it was always important to include in an expedition someone whom everyone else disliked because it would give focus to their complaints and help them bond. The book is chuck full of useful information, such as what to do if you are attacked by an anaconda--you wait until it is has swallowed you up to your knees and then you reach down and cut its head off. The instructions are very clear about not panicking in this situation.

In addition to the wonderful characters and stories you will find many lessons on how to be an explorer and what it takes to set sail without a clear path home.

The handmade books presented here are meant to spark outings and offer creative ways for you to explore your personal style and interests: Make treasure hunts even more special with a personalized Treasure Hunt Collection Bag and Notebook. Take notes at the beach with a Waterproof Book made with Tyvek pages. Make a canvas-covered Camping Songbook to take with you to the campsite. In this collection of twenty Japanese bookbinding projects, traditional techniques meet contemporary style, from easy-to-fold accordion books to the intricate Japanese stab-stitch bindings.

Book artist Erin Zamrzla makes bookbinding easy and unintimidating. Her clear step-by-step instructions make even the more complicated stitches easy to re-create. Information on the basics of bookbinding—including terminology, tools, and techniques—is included, and many projects encourage the creative use of ordinary and recycled materials.

The projects are:

Everyday Outings



   • Grocery List Pad
   • Lunch Box Notes
   • Necklace Book
   • Cross-Stitch Cover
   • Write Your Own Story Journal



Outdoor Play

   • Treasure Hunt Collection Bag and Notebook
   • Little League Score Book
   • Waterproof Book
   • Bicycle Book
   • Texture Collector



Nature Excursions



   • Observation Journal
   • Leaf and Flower Press
   • Fishing Log
   • Stargazing Log
   • Camping Songbook



Road Trips


   • Tiny Tickets Memorabilia Book
   • Photo Notes
   • Notes from the Road Postcard Book
   • Fold-Out Map Booklet
   • Things to Check Out

A celebration of athleticism, wisdom, and skill--Women Who Hike profiles over twenty of America's most inspiring women adventurers ranging from legends to the rising stars of today. The book is both inspirational and aspirational as each adventurer tells her story in her own words through featuring their favorite hike, highlighting personal challenges, accomplishments, and philosophy, as well as providing readers with practical how-to suggestions on maximizing not only their own potential in hiking but in life. The profiles are complemented by stunning color photographs. Each profile includes a map of the hike being profiled, hike specs, miles and directions, GPS coordinates to the trailhead, and a sidebar of something noteworthy about the hike, the location, or the adventurer.

Featured adventurers:

1. Ingrid Backstrom

2. Teresa Baker

3. Gina Bégin

4. Katie Boué

5. Jainee Dial & Lindsey Elliott

6. Caroline Gleich

7. Sarah Herron

8. Shanti Hodges

9. Kristin Hostetter

10. Jen Hudak

11. Rue Mapp

12. Hilary Oliver

13. Haley Robison

14. Elyse Rylander

15. Shawnté Salabert

16. Ambreen Tariq

17. Kalen Thorien

18. Mirna Valerio

19. Jolia Varela

20. Pamela Zoolalian

Build your dream vacation with this eclectic and tantalizing collection of 1,000 life-affirming adventures spanning the 7 continents
 
A travel book like no other, this unique guide will inspire both seasoned trekkers and arm-chair globetrotters alike to build experiences you will treasure forever. You'll find memorable, once-in-a-lifetime activities organized by longitude and latitude (country-by-country index also included) so you can max out your itinerary with the best things to do and the best places to visit around the world. 
 
Discover recommendations that fit every traveler's must-do list, whether you go for museums and cultural experiences, sports & adventure travel, natural wonders and monuments, or culinary delights.
 
Packed with over 300 remarkable photos and info on the best beaches, museums, monuments, islands, inns, restaurants, and mountains at every longitude, each chapter includes not only geographically unique ideas, but also activities you can fit in to any itinerary, for travelers of all ages:
 
Globetrotting: Hitchhike across a border, or stand on the International Date Line
Wildlife Encounters: Watch sea turtles lay eggs on a beach, or fish with a cormorant on the Yangtze
Extreme Sports: Rafting on the Yukon, or zipline down the Alps
Music & Dance: Learn the guitar in 7 days and perform in a public square, or find a tango partner in the street in Buenos Aires
Legacy: Volunteer at an Orangutan sanctuary in Borneo, or research your family history and visit an ancestral site
Food & Drink: Eat a beignet at Café Du Monde in New Orleans, or forage your own dinner in Central Park 
 
A valuable reference and a wonderful gift for digital nomads, recent grads, sabbatical planners, and adventuresome retirees, fair warning: you might just find your travel bucket list getting much, much longer.
 

Renowned as one of the world's foremost expedition photographers, Gordon Wiltsie has climbed Himalayan mountains, mushed dogs on the frozen Arctic Ocean, skied in Antarctica, and hacked through the Amazon jungle to photograph the most remote reaches of the planet. For the last three decades he has accompanied many of the great modern explorers--Alex Lowe, Conrad Anker, Will Steger, Jon Krakauer, David Breashears, Norman Vaughan--on incredibly challenging climbs and epic adventures. Despite carrying his own share of the weight--along with cameras, film, and lenses--he has matched these companions pitch for pitch and mile for mile, photographing them every inch of the way.

In this journey through ten unique expeditions, Wiltsie illustrates the daily life of an explorer--from the thrill of summiting a virgin peak to the fear of surviving a storm, to the humorous and unexpected everyday moments of life on the edge.

From Peter Mayle, a joyous exploration and celebration of the infinite gastronomic pleasures of France.
Ranging far from his adopted Provence, Mayle now travels to every corner of the country, armed with knife, fork, and corkscrew. He takes us to tiny, out-of-the-way restaurants, starred Michelin wonders, local village markets, annual festivals, and blessed vineyards.
We visit the Foire aux Escargots at Martigny-les-Bains a whole weekend devoted to the lowly but revered snail. We observe the Marathon du Medoc, where runners passing through the great vineyards of Bordeaux refresh themselves en route with tastings of red wine (including Chateau Lafite-Rothschild!). There is a memorable bouillabaisse in a beachside restaurant on the Cute d'Azur. And we go on a search for the perfect chicken that takes us to a fair in Bourg-en-Bresse.
There is a Catholic mass in the village of Ri-cherenches, a sacred event at which thanks are given for the aromatic, mysterious, and breathtakingly expensive black truffle. We learn which is the most pungent cheese in France (it's in Normandy), witness a debate on the secret of the perfect omelette, and pick up a few luscious recipes along the way. There is even an appreciation and celebration of an essential tool for any serious food-lover in France, the "Michelin Guide."
"Here we have all the glory and pleasure of the French table in the most satisfying book yet from the toujours delightfully entertaining"
--Peter Mayle.

Examine your world to find fresh and tasty wild foods!

Stumbling upon plump wild berries on a hike or discovering succulent fresh mushrooms on the forest floor can be a welcome surprise. Turn up these happy accidents to a whole new level with the only guide on foraging you'll ever need!
 
Chock full of tips on finding and identifying fruits, flowers, roots, shoots, nuts, foliage, and more, this helpful guide shows you how to safely and successfully find and enjoy wild edibles.
 
In this Outdoor Adventure Guide, you'll find:
 
-Detailed descriptions of over 70 plants and wild foods you can safely pick and eat.
-Color photos of safe-to-eat plants at various stages of development.
-30 tasty recipes to transform your harvests into delicious dishes in the field.
-Tips of foraging safely, spotting possible pollutants, and protecting yourself from insects and wild animals.
-A handy calendar of when plants are available by season and region.
 
Welcome to a new frontier of delicious and nutritious free finds!

From planning an expedition, to packing essential kits, to discovering what to do on a trail, The Survival Handbook is an invaluable tool when you're in the great outdoors.

Among a myriad of outdoor skills, it teaches readers how to make shelters, find water, and spot, catch, and cook wild food. And if there's an emergency, it shows which essential first-aid techniques to use when, how to mount a rescue, and even how to get yourself found. Now in Paperback!

A lively collection of extraordinary stories of adventure and discovery, The Explorers tells the epic saga of the conquest and settlement of Australia. Editor Tim Flannery selects sixty-seven accounts that convey the sense of wonder and discovery, along with the human dimensions of struggle and deprivation, which occurred in the exploration of the last continent to be fully mapped by Europeans. Beginning with the story of Dutch captain Willem Janz's 1606 expedition at Cape York -- the bloody outcome of which would sadly foreshadow future relations between colonists and Aboriginal peoples -- and running through Robyn Davidson's 1977 camelback ride through the desolate Outback deserts, The Explorers bristles with the enterprise that Flannery explains as "heroic, for nowhere else did explorers face such an obdurate country."

In 1887 in Washington, DC, 33 gentlemen met to consider the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge. From that meeting grew The National Geographic Society, an institution that is recognized by almost every American.

Create heroic characters for the world’s greatest roleplaying game.
 
The Player’s Handbook is the essential reference for every Dungeons & Dragons roleplayer. It contains rules for character creation and advancement, backgrounds and skills, exploration and combat, equipment, spells, and much more. Use this book to create characters from among the most iconic D&D races and classes.
 
Publisher’s Weekly #1 Best Seller in Hardcover Nonfiction
Wall Street Journal #1 Best Seller in Hardcover Nonfiction
 
• In Dungeons & Dragons, you and your friends coauthor your own legend. Guided by a Dungeon Master, you create characters and play their roles in a story, rolling dice and navigating maps as you unfold a tale as limitless as your imagination.
 
• The Player’s Handbook is the first of three D&D core rulebooks, along with the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master’s Guide. The Player’s Handbook is the cornerstone. It’s the foundational text of D&D’s fifth edition—for beginners and for veterans alike.
 
• The Player’s Handbook walks you through how to create a Dungeons & Dragons character—the role you’ll play in the D&D world.
 
• Dungeons & Dragons is the world’s greatest roleplaying game. Created in 1974, D&D transformed gaming culture by blending traditional fantasy with miniatures and wargaming.

"There have been eight previous worlds ... Each left behind remnants. People of the new world, the Ninth World, sometimes call these remnants magic, and who are we to say they're wrong? But most give a unique name to the legacies of the nigh-unimaginable past. They call them Numenera. The Ninth World is built on the bones of the previous eight. The game of Numenera is about discovering the wonders of the worlds that came before, not for their own sake, but as the means to improve the present and build a future."--from p. 4 of cover.

Will you stand against the horrors of the night? Whether learned professor, nosy journalist, or hard-hitting detective, investigators need all the help they can get. Let this book be your guide. The Investigator Handbook is an essential player's aid for the Call of Cthulhu7th Edition roleplaying game. Written for those who will be playing the roles of investigators, the Investigator Handbook contains expanded rules for creating players characters, a wealth of over 100 occupations and skill descriptions, as well as guidance on getting the most from the game. What's more, there's a range of organizations for your investigator to belong to, detailed information about the classic 1920s setting, equipment and weapons for both the 1920s and modern day, and expert tips and advice for all budding investigators. No self-respecting investigator of the Cthulhu Mythos should be without it!

Be inspired to take your next adventure—practical tips, fresh ideas, and stories to spark wanderlust.
 
There is no one way to road trip. From introspective solo journeys to romantic weekend getaways, friend-filled excursions, and more, Road Trips presents eight stories that highlight different ways to explore the world. Packed with photos and personal experiences, this inspiring and practical book also has key tips for enhancing every part of your trip, from getting out the door (with essential tips on packing and eating on the road—including recipes for car snacks) to taking in new experiences (with ideas for journaling and photographing) and bringing memories from the road back home (through creative collecting).

Road Trips is the perfect guide to inspire a life of travel. Enrich your life, deepen your relationships, and discover the world around you—it’s all just a road trip away.

Blades in the Dark is a tabletop role-playing game about a crew of daring scoundrels seeking their fortunes on the haunted streets of an industrial-fantasy city. There are heists, chases, occult mysteries, dangerous bargains, bloody skirmishes, and, above all, riches to be had--if you're bold enough to seize them. You and your fledgling crew must thrive amidst the threats of rival gangs, powerful noble families, vengeful ghosts, the Bluecoats of the city watch, and the siren song of your scoundrel's own vices. Will you rise to power in the underworld? What are you willing to do to get to the top? Inside, you'll find: Rules to create your scoundrel using the following character archetypes: The Cutter, the Hound, the Leech, the Lurk, the Slide, the Spider, or the Whisper. Rules to create your crew, built from types like Assassins, Bravos, a Cult, Hawkers, Shadows, or Smugglers. A robust core mechanic for planning crimianl operations to cut through the usual slog of planning at the game table. Rules for alchemical experiments, gadget tinkering, and weird occult powers--including rules for playing Ghosts and other strange beings. A setting guide to the haunted city of Doskvol, with all the maps, factions, NPCs, and opportunities you need to run an exciting sandbox game. --