The Adventurer's Handbook: Life Lessons from History's Great Explorers

by Mick Conefrey

Book Overview

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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060849983
• ISBN13: 9780060849986
• Release Date: February 2006
• Publisher: Smithsonian Books (DC)
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Great Insight and a fun read

Want a fun and insight full read into what it takes to run and expedition? This is the book for you. Mick has written a great book that would be great for any armchair explorer or upcoming adventurer.

Even couch potatoes would like this book

I love to travel and backpack and am addicted to nature adventure tales. I found this book very informative and entertaining. It is full of fun facts and larger than life character sketches. And while there is a lot of information presented, the author manages to present it in a coherent, relevant and entertaining way. While he obstensibly writes about lessons learned from great (and not so great) adventurers, the lessons contained in this book can easily be used to inform us on how to successfully guide ourselves and others through life's everyday challenges great and small. LOVED IT!!

A Teacup in a Storm

The best thing about this book is that it reveals many interesting "I didn't know that..." bits of information on how the 19th and 20th century explorers dealt with the challenges of exploration. Overall, this book is both informative and entertaining and broken up into many different sections- which helps speed the reading along.