One of my good friends says my house is a cross between an expedition outfitters and a library! I love books and am often asked what I am reading. So here's the list for the Writers' Reads article, plus an update. More to follow!
My Writers' Reads Top Ten list;
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey
One of the world’s greatest wilderness writers and an inspiration for me during the early 70’s.
Natural Acts by David Quammen
A sidelong view of science and nature. This book has provided a huge amount of amusement and learning for me.
Jaguars Ripped My Flesh by Tim Cahill
Informative and fun experiences. I love all of Tim’s books – not just because of their titles!
A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
Some of the most beautiful writing about appreciating nature. Inspired a film; The book means so much to me that I can’t bring myself to see the film!
The Stars Beneath The Sea by Trevor Norton
The pioneers of diving; The technical and human challenges early divers faced. It’s funny too.
Mischief in Patagonia by H W Tilman
Iconic expedition from the great man Tilman. His journeys have continued to inspire me.
Mountaineering - The Freedom Of The Hills by The Mountaineers
My first mountaineering textbook. I have never stopped referring to this great book It helped me understand the joy of the wilderness.
Log Of The Sea Of Cortez by John Steinbeck
I re-read this when I was in the Sea of Cortez filming the BBC Oceans series and was delighted when our passage coincided with the book narrative.
Ordeal By Water by Peter Keeble
Early naval salvage operations. It still makes my hair stand on end!
The Box by Marc Levinson
How the shipping container made the world smaller. I am an industry enthusiast and The Box is a brilliant way to think about global commerce.
Updates and more recommendations;
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
Every parent, teacher and policy maker should read this!
Creating a World Without Poverty by Muhammad Yunus
I was a guest of Muhammad Yunus at an RGS reception and his talk afterwards was one of the most inspiration evenings I've had.
Nella Last's Peace edited by Patricia and Robert Malcomson
A wonderful insight into life at the end of WWII not far from my house.
Bad Science by Ben Goldacre
The first sentence in the introduction got me hooked!
Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne
I'm just re-reading this now. It's a great insight to 18th Century Navy life.
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
Phew - powerful stuff. But funny.
The Canoe Boys by Alastair Dunnett
I had this book ages ago, loaned it and it's gone. So have a new copy and am re-reading it slowly. Beautiful!
Sustaining Life. Oxford University Press
One of the best and most important books I have read in a long time. It should be required reading in every school, university and home.
Ecology, Community and Lifestyle by Arne Naes
Envrionmental philospohy at it's best. I highly recommend this book as the key for us all to develop our own 'ecosophy'.
Life's Philosophy; Reason and Feeling in a Deeper World by Arne Naes
Reflect on our place in Nature with this beautiful book.