The book that made Mark Twain famous and introduced the world to that obnoxious and ubiquitous character: the American tourist Based on a series of letters first published in American newspapers, The Innocents Abroad is Mark Twain's hilarious and insightful account of an organized tour of Europe and the Holy Land undertaken in 1867.   With his trademark blend of skepticism and sincerity, Twain casts New World eyes on the people and places of the...

One of Robert Louis Stevenson's earliest published works, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes is considered a classic of nature literature. Stevenson was in his late 20s in 1878 when he embarked on a 12-day, 120-mile solo hiking journey through France's sparsely populated Cévennes Mountains. In the book, Stevenson recounts his problems with Modestine, his stubborn donkey. The work is one of the first accounts to present hiking and camping...

At twenty-two, Cheryl Strayed thought she had lost everything. In the wake of her mother's death, her family scattered and her own marriage was soon destroyed. Four years later, with nothing more to lose, she made the most impulsive decision of her life: to hike the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert through California and Oregon to Washington State -- and to do it alone. She had no experience as a long-distance hiker, and the trail was little...

In one of his first books, "The Mountains of California", John Muir, famed naturalist, environmentalist, and author, recounts his travels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Yosemite Valley. First published in 1894, "The Mountains of California" is a captivating and vivid portrait of the raw beauty of this spectacular place. He takes the readers on a tour of the wonders that abound, writing "Go where you may within the bounds of California, mountains...

Henry David Thoreau had a very close relationship with his older brother, John. Sadly, after cutting himself while shaving, John developed lockjaw, and died tragically in 1842. Thoreau, who was only 25 at the time, was deeply affected by the loss of his brother. During his two year stay in his cabin on the shore of Walden Pond, he wrote an account of a two week boat trip he took with John in August of 1839. The brothers built a boat and began their...

The Maine Woods is a characteristically Thoreauvian book. A personal account of exploration, of exterior and interior discovery in a natural setting, conveyed in taut, workmanlike prose. Thoreau's evocative renderings of the life of the primitive forest--its mountains, waterways, fauna, flora, and inhabitants--are valuable in themselves. But his impassioned protest against despoilment in the name of commerce and sport, which even by the 1850s threatened...

Like many others, around the time Elizabeth Gilbert turned 30, she went through an early-onslaught midlife crisis. Although she had everything an educated, ambitious American woman was supposed to want, including a husband, a home, and a successful career as a magazine writer, she was consumed with panic, grief, and confusion. This is an account of her yearlong worldwide pursuit of pleasure, spiritual devotion, guidance, and what she really wanted...

Bryson share his experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail with a childhood friend. The two encounter eccentric characters, a blizzard, getting lost, and rude yuppies along the way.

Russia by Donald Mackenzie Wallace libreka classics — These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience. Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!

This program aims to show the diversity of natural and cultural landscapes that are characteristic of Australia, with contrasts between the vast uninhabited desert areas and the urban areas. Australia is a nation of city dwellers with a multicultural population that lives in relative harmony. The lifestyles and features of the people and their aspirations into the new century are highlighted. The program looks at places of interest in different states...