Travel, Adventure, & Sports from our 2018 Summer Newsletter

Although his heart belonged to the Sierra, John Muir had a long-lasting love affair with Alaska. In 1899, he embarked on his sixth and final journey there as a member of the Harriman expedition. In this book, Adams retraces the steps of that voyage. He meets with scientists, speaks with the people living there, and encounters his fair share of bears. But with receding glaciers and towns falling into the ocean, the shifting Alaskan landscape Adams encounters is a much different place than it was in Muir’s time. - Jade

Sad that the U.S. Men’s Team didn’t make the World Cup? Spend some time with Rog and Davo, the two hilarious, knowledgeable, self-deprecating expat Brits behind the podcast and show Men in Blazers. Their encyclopedia of soccer and MiB history combines their enthusiasm for the sport, its glories and defeats, personalities and hairstyles, with their own personal anecdotes. If you are a Great Friend of the Pod, you will love this book. And if you aren’t one, you soon will be. - Melinda

Lighthouse is absolutely beautiful. The gorgeous illustrations, exquisite layout, and just the right amount of captioning all come together in one of the loveliest coffee table books I’ve had the pleasure of seeing. Lighthouses are some of the most elegant structures humankind has ever constructed and this book does them service commensurate with the service they provide us. - Ian

Author Matthew Kneale uses the many sackings of Rome as a genius framing device for studying one city over 2500 years. Each time Rome gets sacked we pause to learn about the lives of the Romans of the era, the regional and political factors leading to the conflict, and the transformations made in the crucible of war. Rome comes alive as clearly in 387 b.c.e. as it does in 1943 in this brilliant ode to the city and its history. - Clara

“Pure suspense, adventure, and inspiration. When Scott Jurek went into the woods to create his masterpiece, no one knew if he would make it back out again. He was America’s greatest ultra athlete, a runner whose brains and singular intensity led him to years of extraordinary victories. But this time, Jurek was pushing himself into realms more dangerous than Death Valley, more treacherous than Mexican canyons, and only slightly less crazy than the time he chased after a wild bear. His story of plunging into the wilderness in pursuit of a dream is both heart-wrenching and spellbinding.” —Christopher McDougall, Born to Run

I loved the previous title in this series about Spain (Grape, Olive, Pig), and this one about Italy is just as good. For one thing, the author gives a well-deserved shout-out to Ciccio Sultano, chef/owner of Duomo Ristorante in the hilltown of Ragusa, Sicily. During a recent visit there, I was lucky enough to enjoy the best meal we had in Italy. Goulding’s focus is on the respectful innovators of traditional cuisine. I dare anyone to read the good-spirited debate Goulding has with Anthony Bourdain in the foreword and then be able to stop there. - Patrick

The 21 California missions were established by Spanish padres, built by Native Californians, and preserved and restored by historians and architects. This book of 200 lush photographs by Melba Levick, accompanied by Rubén G. Mendoza’s insightful text, will put making a pilgrimage to each of these historic sites high on your bucket list. Author Mendoza is an archaeologist and professor at our own California State University, Monterey Bay. - Felica

Flâneuse traces the relationship between singular women and their cities as a way to map their own lives in this journey that begins in New York and takes us to Paris via Venice, Tokyo, and London. “A deeply pleasurable book, whether you are a man or a woman, whether you know these cities (or books, or writers, or artists) or not. You will see these streets anew, just as if you were a flâneur in a New York neighborhood or along a canal in Venice. There is always something more to explore, just around the next corner―or on the next page.” ―—A.V. Club