A few years ago, I came to the realization that my life had been quite a blessing and that I would like to share this blessing with those who are less fortunate. Hence, the idea of a sabbatical was born. It was the best birthday gift I could have imagined for myself. There was no specific day-to-day plan as to how the year would be spent, lest it would feel too much like work. Basically, my intention was to spend approximately half of the time working with charitable organizations in Latin America - mainly in Costa Rica - while the rest of the time I would spend traveling and learning things that had always interested me. Along the way, I hoped to acquire a higher level of fluency in the Spanish language, to foster some new friendships and to gain a better understanding of the Latino culture, and myself.

An autobiography featuring:

• Sex
• Seven wives
• One mistress
• World War II
• Insurance agency in Manhattan, from salesman to manager
• Travel
• Life with one of the wealthiest women in the world

Have you ever dreamed of traveling around the world? Do you wonder what life on board a freighter is like? What do I do all day? Do I fit the psychological profile of a freighter traveler? What kind of electric plug do I need? What is it like to be on the bridge and watch the captain and pilot maneuver our ship into port? Do they speak English? Will I get seasick?

Around the World by Freighter tells you all this and so much more in day-by-day detail.

Would you delight in watching a group of Polynesian women line dancing in Tahiti? How about wandering through Singapore's Chinatown at midnight? Sit back and travel hour by hour through the Panama Canal. You might prefer seeing London from a double-decker bus. Would you refuse a cabin search by a Saudi Arabian Customs official?

Around the World by Freighter travels 31,184 miles to all these locations and many more.

Have you ever wondered why we can't drink sea water? What is an antipode? If only there were a simple explanation of latitude and longitude. What does our weather look like when viewed from the moon? Did Amerigo Vespucci really discover America? What is it like to travel through the center of the earth and for that matter, where did our earth come from?

Around the World by Freighter's School Days will answer these and countless other questions.

This is a book for potential freighter travelers, armchair travelers, and anyone interested in basic facts about our world. It is a detailed, light-hearted account of a trip around the world on a modern container ship. As a bonus, on those dull days at sea, you will learn some interesting trivia about our planet. On your return home from this world trip you will comfortably be able to say " been there, done that, learned this."

This is the story of two dreamers -- a visionary Irishman who dreams of recreating an historic 19th century ship and sailing her to America, and the author, an octogenarian American who becomes obsessed with the Irishman's dream and surmounts the age barrier to become a signed-on crew member. Building the ship is plagued by every imaginable problem -- cost overruns, tangled ownership, legal and financial squabbles -- and three years go by before she is ready to sail. The faith of many is strained, but the ship finally triumphs over her troubles and completes a memorable transatlantic voyage. The book includes background on the famine years, a blow-by-blow account of the Jeanie Johnston's stormy birth, authoritative descriptions of the ship and a colorful day-by-day diary of the 59-day voyage. It is illustrated with 43 photographs of the ship's construction and the voyage.

The author was raised in a small New England town and, after finishing college, migrated to San Francisco in search of fame and fortune. Always one to look before he leaped, he spent the next several years checking his options by ambling from one part-time job to another, in each case sampling and savoring the diverse cultures of the Bay Area. In the early nineties David studied for and received certification as a Registered Nurse and a year later married his nursing school lab partner.

A canny observer of the rich broth of life in San Francisco, David made a practice of recording his observations and comments in letters to his sister, brother, and parents - a sampling of which make up this book.

The style of the book is descriptive and entertaining. Not only do the words bring the destinations to life, but the book has over 100 photographs show you how it looks when you get there. You'll be told what happened and you will also be included in a writing style that is more like a conversation than a 40-chapter reading. You will be able to meet and know about the people that have made impressions on the writer.
These are special people who make traveling fun and hassle-free. If your travel or vacation dreams are docile in nature or you want to go for it all, this book shows both sides of the picture as you travel to the other side of sunset.

The book points, as well, to the bewildering array of problems which confront the leaders of the country -- social, economic, demographic, structural, financial -- all requiring immediate and simultaneous attention. Finally, the author reflects on the future of China -- where it might be heading, and ought to be heading.

This book is an account of an interesting and adventurous journey and a trek by seven friends to sacred shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath and Hemkund Sahib, situated at between 10,000 feet and 15,000 feet in interior Himalayas amidst snow peaks and unparalleled scenic beauty, These are sacred pilgrimage centers on the banks of the sacred river Ganga and the Hemkund lake, visited every year by hundreds of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs from India and abroad. Of great interest to general readers interested in the myths and legends associated with the River Ganga and the Himalayas. Also of great interest to foreign tourists and trekkers.

Marjory began her travels on a three-week group tour to Spain, Morocco, and Tunisia, then continued on alone to Rome, Athens, Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, India, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan, and Honolulu. She traveled in the late 1960s - a sixty-one year old grandmother - when a woman traveling alone was rare, and traveling around the world alone rarer still. This was a time, too, when the world still held secrets, and a woman could be shocked by belly dancers. When Arabic writing could be a mystery, and a man landing on the moon, truly unbelievable.

This book is meant to provide a thorough tour of the ancient Roman ruins and sites of the modern city of Rome. It is not an all-inclusive guidebook; I do not include restaurant, hotel or transportation information. You should augment this tour guide with other Italy and Rome guides from reputable authors and publishers. While detailed walking directions and some maps of the important areas on the tour are included, a detailed map of the city is recommended. For more information on Rome, you can click on the "Rome Tips" link at my website World-Weary Traveler
For dining suggestions, follow the "Rome Restaurants" link.

To read a review about the this book please visit www.linearreflections.com

Safarini: Many Journeys is a cross-section of the diaries written by Margaret Ann Hayes, from 1958, while on adventurous and photographic safaris with her husband, friends and sometimes with their children.

As a District Agricultural Officer with British Government, her husband, Victor Burke, expert in the growing of tea, coffee and pyrethrum, took many safaris into rural areas where Margaret, a photo- journalist, met and wrote about the African people with whom she met and made friends. Other safaris took them into the famed Maasai Mara to watch and photograph lions at an evening kill, elephants watching over their young, hyena waiting for herds to come and drink at dusk and the many other interesting animals and birds who live there. Over the years, safaris led to Lake Baringo, Lake Hannington, and after an English leave, the family were stationed at Lake Nakuru where flamingo and other water birds were studied and photographed. In Tanzania's Ngorongoro Crater, known as the 'Cradle of Man' she met leopard on a kill, wondered in awe at the millions of wildebeest and zebra that roamed the crater and the prides of black-maned lions who hunted them. She looked at the graves of pioneering ecologist Dr. Bernhard Grzimek and his some Michael, both set with a marker on the Crater rim. Michael died when his zebra-striped plane crashed after it hit a vulture during the filming of Serengeti Shall not Die. His father completed the book of the same title, spending the rest of his life working to support wildlife conservation, especially in Tanzania. Photographs of Dr. Grzimek and his son beside the plane in the Serengeti, were given to Margaret by Dr. Grzimek shortly after his son's death. The photographs are seen in this book.

This book is for anyone who wonders about pedaling a bicycle across the United States. A cyclist does not need to be fast to enjoy the scenery and distance that can be covered on two quiet wheels. Journey with this book for:

• Anecdotes of courage and inspiration from three cross-country cycling journeys.
• Narratives of the cyclist's delight with and harmonious integration into nature, while their lives undergo physical, mental, and spiritual renewal.
• Encouragement and tips for a bicycle vacation adventure.
• Stories of joys and adversities while cycling coast to coast on the southern, northern, and central crossing routes.
• Observations of the treasures of the United States and the American dream broaden minds and ignite spirits.
• Insights on the advantages of traveling with a tour organization.
• Motivations from those adventurers who have done it and the demands they surmounted.