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Theming Asia: Culture, Nature and Heritage in a Transforming Environment
by Maribeth Erb and Chin-Ee OngTheming Asia: Culture, Nature and Heritage in a Transforming Environment presents a theoretical, thematic and empirical examination of theming, theme parks and themed spaces in contemporary Asia. Drawing on cases from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Singapore, it details how the proliferation of theming in places of consumption, education, entertainment and everyday life has shaped the social and spatial terrains of modern-day Asia. This is done largely through the radical transformation of ideas of culture, nature and heritage – a theoretical and empirical area that warrants urgent and dedicated scholarly inquiry. Providing an innovative study of theme parks and themed spaces in contemporary Asia, this publication highlights the critical role of theming in the making, ordering, branding, as well as contestation of cultural, natural and heritage places. The intersections of these processes are foregrounded within the context of Disneyization, the experience economy, imagineered spaces and debates over authenticity and superficiality. A diverse range of case studies, as well as a general theoretical introduction, give much room for revisiting and reimagining issues of culture and nature in a transforming Asia. This book was originally published as a special issue of Tourism Geographies.
Theories of Practice in Tourism
by Laura James Carina Ren Henrik HalkierTourism research that is inspired by theories of practice is currently gaining in prominence. This book provides a much-needed introduction to the potential applications of theories of practice in tourism studies. It brings together a variety of approaches exploring how theories of practice bridge themes and fields which are usually addressed separately within tourism research: consumption and production; travel and the everyday; governance and policy; technology and the social. The book critically engages with practices as a fruitful approach to tourism research as well as how the particularities of tourism might inform our understanding of practice theories. This book contributes to conceptual and methodological debates providing insights from authors who have engaged with practice theory as an entry point to researching tourism. It offers a solid starting point for researchers and students alike who wish to learn about, and try, this approach, as well as explore its possibilities and limitations in the field of tourism.
Theories of Practice in Tourism
by Laura James Carina Ren Henrik HalkierTourism research that is inspired by theories of practice is currently gaining in prominence. This book provides a much-needed introduction to the potential applications of theories of practice in tourism studies. It brings together a variety of approaches exploring how theories of practice bridge themes and fields which are usually addressed separately within tourism research: consumption and production; travel and the everyday; governance and policy; technology and the social. The book critically engages with practices as a fruitful approach to tourism research as well as how the particularities of tourism might inform our understanding of practice theories. This book contributes to conceptual and methodological debates providing insights from authors who have engaged with practice theory as an entry point to researching tourism. It offers a solid starting point for researchers and students alike who wish to learn about, and try, this approach, as well as explore its possibilities and limitations in the field of tourism.
Theory and Practice in Hospitality and Tourism Research
by Salleh Mohd Radzi Mohd Faeez Saiful Bakhtiar Zurinawati Mohi Mohd Salehuddin Mohd Zahari Norzuwana Sumarjan C. T. Chik Faiz Izwan AnuarTheory and Practice in Hospitality and Tourism Research includes 111 contributions from the 2nd International Hospitality and Tourism Conference 2014 (Penang, Malaysia, 2-4 September 2014), and covers a comprehensive range of topics, including:- Hospitality management- Hospitality & tourism marketing- Tourism management- Technology & innova
The Theory and Practice of China's Tourism Economy (Research Series on the Chinese Dream and China’s Development Path)
by Peng ZhouThis book is devoted to the analysis of the three main tasks of China’s tourism development: Firstly, the theory of tourism development since the initiation of reform and opening-up. Secondly, the practice and problems in infrastructure building. Thirdly, the mold and policy used in the course of development. The book pursues three major objectives: firstly, to portray the stage of development; secondly, to analyze the specific experience in China’s case; thirdly, to review theory and try to put forward advice on investment and management.
The Theory of Hospitality and Catering, 14th Edition
by Professor David Foskett Patricia Paskins Andrew Pennington Neil RippingtonPrepare students for assessment and further professional development with a wealth of contemporary case studies from around the world, referencing key trends.· Discover how to integrate sustainability and environmental improvements into kitchens and eating spaces, helping to increase energy conservation and boost your green credentials. · Harness the power social media and e-marketing to proactively grow your business, online visibility and engagement.· Ensure best practice is followed where food allergies and intolerances are concerned, so you can be confident you are providing a safe experience for all customers.· Develop your understanding of nutrition and culinary medicine with a unique contribution from Elaine Macaninch, a director of Culinary Medicine UK and the co-founder of the Education and Research in Medical Nutrition Network (ERimNN)· Plan for commercial success with clear coverage of financial aspects of food and beverage management, personal development and people management skills.
The Therapist: A taut and chilling domestic thriller with a double twist that will leave you reeling.
by Helene FloodFrom the mind of a psychologist comes a taut and chilling domestic thriller with a double twist that will leave you reeling. **One of Cosmopolitan's 13 of the best books to read this summer 2021**"Dark, absorbing and richly complex. Helene Flood is a wonderful storyteller and The Therapist kept me guessing till the final, devilish twists" Chris Whitaker At first it's the lie that hurts.A voicemail from her husband tells Sara he's arrived at the holiday cabin. Then a call from his friend confirms he never did. She tries to carry on as normal, teasing out her clients' deepest fears, but as the hours stretch out, her own begin to surface. And when the police finally take an interest, they want to know why Sara deleted that voicemail.To get to the root of Sigurd's disappearance, Sara must question everything she knows about her relationship.Could the truth about what happened be inside her head?Translated from the Norwegian by Alison McCullough
There is no Map in Hell: The record-breaking run across the Lake District fells
by Steve BirkinshawIn 1986, the legendary fell runner Joss Naylor completed a continuous circuit of all 214 Wainwright fells in the Lake District, covering a staggering distance of over 300 miles - plus many thousands of metres of ascent - in only seven days and one hour.Those in the know thought that this record would never be beaten. It is the ultimate British ultramarathon. The person taking on this superhuman challenge would have to be willing to push harder and suffer more than ever before. There is no Map in Hell tells the story of a man willing to do just that.In 2014, Steve Birkinshaw made an attempt at setting a new record. With a background of nearly forty years of running elite orienteering races and extreme-distance fell running over the toughest terrain, if he couldn't do it, surely no one could. But the Wainwrights challenge is in a different league: aspirants need to complete two marathons and over 5,000 metres of ascent every day for a week.With a foreword by Joss Naylor, There is no Map in Hell recounts Birkinshaw's preparation, training and mile-by-mile experience of the extraordinary and sometimes hellish demands he made of his mind and body, and the physiological aftermath of such a feat. His deep love of the fells, phenomenal strength and tenacity are awe inspiring, and testimony to athletes and onlookers alike that 'in order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd'.
There's An Egg in my Soup: ... and other adventures of an Irishman in Poland
by Tom GalvinFive years in the Polish wilderness. Queues for groceries, unfathomable bus timetables, inexplicable traditions and truly bizarre soup – this is Poland in the mid-1990s, where Tom Galvin innocently went as a trainee teacher. Without a word of Polish, he is plunged into a strange and rapidly changing culture, as the country shakes off its troubled and complex past and faces the challenges of being a part of modern Europe. Tom spent five years dealing with long and freezing winters, lack of good food, loneliness and hardship, as he discovered the misery as well as the joy of Polish life. He returned in 2007, to find surprising changes to the country that had been his home for the first years of his working life. An interesting and amusing account of living and working abroad, which documents a unique period of Polish history.
There's No Cream in Cream Soda: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Drinks
by Kim ZachmanFrom soda to water to milk and juice, this refreshing follow-up to There's No Ham in Hamburgers is full of fun facts and origin stories of some of America&’s most popular drinks. People have been inventing drinks for thousands of years. Kinda weird when you consider that humans only need two liquids to survive—water and milk—and we don&’t need milk once we can eat solid foods. So, why did humans, unlike other mammals, begin concocting new beverages? It likely started with safety—boiling water to make it safer to drink, and then adding in berries or leaves or roots to make it taste better. Sometimes, it was thought that enhancing drinks made them healthier (i.e. bubbly water restored vitality). Did you know that some of the most popular sodas were created by pharmacists? Americans spend approximately $150 billion on soft drinks, coffee, and tea each year. Why? This book offers some possible answers!
These Are the Days that Must Happen to You
by Dan Walsh"Riding a bike removes the need for clutter, toys, rubbish that other men have to take on holiday. If I want adrenaline, I'll rush a giddy overtake, not rent a jet ski." The world through the eyes of Dan Walsh is never less than Technicolor, and always uninhibited, rebellious and on the edge. Not since the days of Jupiter's Travels has one man embarked on such an angry, narcotic-fuelled bike trek around the world. "For me, Chile will always be South America's supermodel sister - very beautiful but too long, too skinny, and too expensive to ride, and despite the groovy exterior, unpleasantly right-wing underneath."Dan has travelled the length and breadth of the world on his BMW F650 GS Dakar. Along the way he's visited Buenos Aires, where 'revolutionary' means the angry poor invading the presidential palace, not a really small phone that's also a camera. He's been mistaken for a bum in New York, bashed by deadly tequila in Mexico, contracted typhoid in a dilapidated Bolivian hotel, and visited The Most Beautiful Road in the World in Peru. "I get my bum pinched by a tranny, my pocket picked by a grifter and get a gun pulled on me by a one-eyed, one-armed midget who's upset cause I winked at him. These are the days that must happen to you."Soaked in adrenaline and coruscatingly funny, Dan Walsh is the rightful heir to Ted Simon as the pre-eminent biker-rebel of our generation.
These Silent Mansions: A life in graveyards
by Jean SpracklandGraveyards are oases: places of escape, of peace and reflection. Each is a garden or nature reserve, but also a site of commemoration, where the past is close enough to touch: a liminal place, at the border of the living world.Jean Sprackland’s prize-winning book, Strands, brought to life the histories of objects found on a beach. These Silent Mansions is also an uncovering of individual stories: vivid, touching and intimately told. Sprackland travels back through her own life, revisiting graveyards in the ordinary towns and cities she has called home, seeking out others who lived, died and are remembered or forgotten there. With her poet’s eye, she makes chance discoveries among the stones and inscriptions: a notorious smuggler tucked up in a sleepy churchyard; ancient coins unearthed on a secret burial ground; a slow-worm basking in the sun. These Silent Mansions is an elegant, exhilarating meditation on the relationship between the living and the dead, the nature of time and loss, and how – in this restless, accelerated world – we can connect the here with the elsewhere, the present with the past.
Thin Paths: Journeys in and around an Italian Mountain Village
by Julia BlackburnShortlisted for the 2011 Costa Biography Award and the 2012 Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prize Julia Blackburn and her husband moved to a little house in the mountains of northern Italy in 1999. She arrived as a stranger but a series of events brought her close to the old people of the village and they began to tell her their stories. Of how their village had been trapped in an archaic feudal system and owned by a local padrone who demanded his share of all they had, of the eruption of the Second World War, of the conflict between the fascists and the partisans, of death and fear and hunger of how they hid like like foxes in the mountains. 'Write it down for us,' they said, 'because otherwise it will all be lost.' Thin Paths is a celebration of the songlines of one place that could be many places and a celebration of the humour and determination of the human spirit.
Thin White Line
by Andy CaveIn 1997, Andy Cave returned from the Himalayas, having climbed the stupendous north face of Changabang but losing his friend and climbing partner in the process. Traumatized by the savage ordeal, he must examine his relationship with the mountains that have defined his life so far. Will he have the courage to undertake such a challenge again? Does he want to? Thin White Line charts his struggle towards finding an answer. It is as much a journey into the mind of an extreme mountaineer as it is into the wild landscapes through which he travels. In a nail biting narrative set in Patagonia, Norway and Alaska, Cave tackles the severest challenges modern Alpinism can pose. Juxtaposed with the stark beauty of the environment are the colourful characters populating his stories, from the adventurers around him, past and present, to the pioneer aviators who get him and his kind to those impossibly remote places. He vividly recreates the joy and despair of climbing, building the book to a desperate finale that lays bare the fragility of our carefully constructed convictions.
The Thing About Prague...: How I Gave It All Up For a New Life in Europe's Most Eccentric City
by Rachael WeissWhen Rachael Weiss left a good job, Thelma the cat and a normal life in Sydney for the romantic dream of being a writer in Prague she intended to stay forever. She lasted just three years, exasperated by the eccentricities of her ancestral city and its mind-boggling bureaucracy and customs.In this surprising and generous memoir full of warmth and unstoppable sociability, Rachael attempts to write her great novel, buy an apartment (any apartment!), dodge unscrupulous employers, and perhaps find love. She gets lost in the woods with a Kyrgyzstani software engineer who wants to eat humans, finds herself leading services at the Spanish synagogue with no real idea of what she is doing and spends long nights drinking beer with a colourful cast of crazy, warm and slightly mad locals and expats.Rich in absurdities and gentle humour, The Thing About Prague... is rife with insight, culture clashes, friendships and above all charm.
Things I Carry Around: The bestselling memoir from the ARIA Award-winning country music star
by Tom Gilling Troy Cassar-DaleyA born storyteller, Troy Cassar-Daley has at last turned his talent to sharing his own inspiring life.‘Troy’s achievements are many, and perhaps the finest may be his ability to make us listen to his heart.’ Joy McKeanFor the first time, Troy talks about his early life - how his parent’s divorce changed things for him, about missing his Dad and growing up in Grafton surrounded by the warmth and love of his mother, Irene, his Nan and Pop and his extended Indigenous family. A larrikin at heart, Troy includes all the highs and lows on his path to stardom: the thrill of performing on stage at the Tamworth Music Festival with Jimmy Little when he was just 15; the excitement of heading off on tour with Brian Young and then discovering just how lonely life on the road could be; his first record deal; playing with the greats – Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Slim Dusty; his first album Beyond the Dancing, which blended his indigenous heritage with his rural background; meeting the woman who would steal his heart; recording in Nashville; and, finally, releasing True Believer, the album that really launched his career. The multiple Golden Guitar, APRA, ARIA and Deadlys winner also lets us in on some of the life lessons he learned the hard way, lessons that kept this prodigiously talented Aussie on the straight and narrow (most of the time). Things I Carry Around, is the warm, genuine, and inspiring story of a young indigenous Australian who had a dream and turned that dream into reality. ‘Troy’s a true gentleman, warm and genuine, always a pleasure to be around. He sings straight from his heart and straight from the heart of his country.’ Paul Kelly
Things We Never Say: Family secrets, love and lies – this gripping bestseller will keep you guessing …
by Sheila O'FlanaganSheila O'Flanagan's unputdownable bestseller THINGS WE NEVER SAY is a must-read for fans of Marian Keyes and Veronica Henry. The things we never say:A daughter doesn't say how she feels about the past...A husband is afraid to say that selling the house his wife loves is the only option...A woman hasn't said that even though they live thousands of miles apart, this man is always on her mind...If those things were said, the results could be life-changing. As Abbey - and a whole family she knew nothing of - are about to find out in this warm-hearted, thought-provoking and touching novel.What readers are saying about Things We Never Say: 'The pace was lively - I just flew through the book. Lots of drama, family skeletons to be dug up, relationship dynamics to be explored and all in a fun, breezy writing style' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'A truly feel-good story with lots of twists and turns' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'What I enjoyed about this book was I never quite knew what was going to happen next. Families, greed, deception, secrets and a touch of romance - all I would ask for in a story' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars'Another brilliant book from Sheila O'Flanagan. I was drawn into the story right from the first chapter. Great characters and a great storyline' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars
Thinking on My Feet: The small joy of putting one foot in front of another (Kate Humble)
by Kate Humble** SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE**** SHORTLISTED FOR THE EDWARD STANFORD TRAVEL WRITING AWARD - TRAVEL MEMOIR OF THE YEAR **A lovely, civilised and transporting read, that should have all of us stepping out to meet the world with fresh eyes.' - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall'An enticing read that makes every walk Humble describes an adventure' - Ranulph Fiennes'A beautiful and magnificent book. A paean to a simple act. I defy you to read this book and not be inspired to walk, march or hike - and as a result live a better life more connected with nature and the world around you.' - Simon Reeve'A lovely book, fast-flowing yet at every turn giving the reader pause for thought. Kate Humble makes a delightful companion, her words full of sunshine and the raw pleasure she radiates as she encounters life in its many unexpected forms.' - Benedict Allen'I've discovered that going for a daily walk has become as essential to me feeling good for the rest of the day as that first cup of tea. But I would argue that all I am doing is responding to a natural need we all have. Humans have always been migrants, the physiological urge to be nomadic is deep-rooted in all of us and perhaps because of that our brains are stimulated by walking. I solve all sorts of problems, formulate ideas, work things out to that gentle rhythm of self-propelled movement.' - Kate HumbleThinking on My Feet tells the story of Kate's walking year - shining a light on the benefits of this simple activity. Kate's inspiring narrative not only records her walks (and runs) throughout a single year, but also charts her feelings and impressions throughout - capturing the perspectives that only a journey on foot allows - and shares the outcomes: a problem solved, a mood lifted, an idea or opportunity borne. As she explores the reasons why we walk, whether for creative energy, challenge and pleasure, or therapeutic benefits, Kate's reflections and insights will encourage, motivate and spur readers into action.Also featured are Kate's walks with others who have discovered the magical, soothing effect of putting one foot in front of the other - the artist who walks to find inspiration for his next painting; the man who takes people battling with addiction to climb mountains; the woman who walked every footpath in Wales (3,700 miles) when she discovered she had cancer.This book will inspire you to change your perspective by applying walking to your daily endeavours.*PRAISE FOR THINKING ON MY FEET *'A diary of sorts, charting a year of wonderful walks through the sun, wind and rain...each entry builds an image of her life in the great outdoors...it sounds idyllic to say the least.' - Sunday Express, S Magazine'These are 365 days of inspiration to get out and, sometimes literally, smell the flowers.' - Wanderlust Magazine'Humble's book about going for a walk can inspire absolutely anyone to make a change. Because all you have to do is step outside the front door.' - Waitrose Weekend'Witty, enlightening and often startlingly profound' - Country Walking Magazine
Third Culture Teacher: 2019
by Lucy BaileyDr Lucy Bailey presents a concise and coherent guide for those who are interested in pursuing a teaching career internationally. This book covers all the things you should consider as well as the advantages and disadvantages of living and working in an entirely new culture and country that you might face.If you've ever considered taking the big leap, looking for a new adventure, and relocating to a completely different country, continent or time zone, then this book will guide you through the steps and help you answer all the big questions to figure out if it's really for you. This is a book that is applicable both for those who are looking to take the journey on their own or with their immediate family.Written by someone who has made the move herself and lived in over four different countries with her husband - who is an international school headteacher - and their four daughters, Dr Lucy Bailey provides essential, key information and more than useful advice.
The Third Pole: My Everest climb to find the truth about Mallory and Irvine
by Mark SynnottVeteran climber Mark Synnott never planned on climbing Mount Everest, but a hundred-year mystery lured him into an expedition--and an awesome history of passionate adventure, chilling tragedy, and human aspiration unfolded.On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and "Sandy" Irvine set out to stand on the roof of the world, where no one had stood before. They were last seen eight hundred feet shy of Everest's summit. A century later, we still don't know whether they achieved their goal, decades before Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay did, in 1953. Irvine carried a Kodak camera with him to record their attempt, but it, along with his body, had never been found. Did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit and take a photograph before they fell to their deaths?Mark Synnott made his own ascent up the infamous North Face along with a filmmaker using drone technology higher than any had previously flown. His goal: to find Irvine's body and the camera he carried that might have held a summit photo on its still-viable film. Synnott's quest led him from oxygen-deprivation training to archives and museums in England, to Kathmandu, the Tibetan High Plateau, and up the North Face into a storm during a season described as the one that broke Everest. An awful traffic jam of climbers at the very summit resulted in tragic deaths. Sherpas revolted. Chinese government agents turned adversarial. An Indian woman crawled her way to safety and survival. Synnott himself went off the safety rope--if he had slipped, no one would have been able to save him--desperate to solve the mystery.A magnificent story a la The Lost City of Z, The Third Pole conveys the miracle of a mountain the world wants to own, and the first explorers who may have done so.
The Third Tower: Journeys In Italy (Pushkin Collection)
by Antal SzerbA typically brilliant, ironic and moving travelogue by one of the twentieth century's greatest writersIn August 1936 a Hungarian writer in his mid-thirties arrives by train in Venice, on a journey overshadowed by the coming war and charged with intense personal nostalgia. Aware that he might never again visit this land whose sites and scenes had once exercised a strange and terrifying power over his imagination, he immerses himself in a stream of discoveries, reappraisals and inevitable self-revelations. From Venice, he traces the route taken by the Germanic invaders of old down to Ravenna, to stand, fulfilling a lifelong dream, before the sacred mosaics of San Vitale.This journey into his private past brings Antal Szerb firmly, and at times painfully, up against an explosive present, producing some memorable observations on the social wonders and existential horrors of Mussolini's new Roman Imperium.Antal Szerb was born in Budapest in 1901. Best known in the West as a novelist and short story writer, he was also a prolific scholar whose interests ranged widely across the whole field of European literature. Debarred from a university post by reason of his Jewish ancestry, he taught in a commercial secondary school until increasing persecution led to his brutal death in a labour camp, in 1945. Yet the tone of his writing is almost always deceptively light, the fierce intelligence softened by a gentle tolerance, wry humour and understated irony. Pushkin Press's publications of Szerb's work include his novels Journey by Moonlight, Oliver VII and The Pendragon Legend, as well as the short story collection Love in a Bottle and the history The Queen's Necklace.
Thirty Great North Carolina Science Adventures: From Underground Wonderlands to Islands in the Sky and Everything in Between (Southern Gateways Guides)
by Sarah J. CarrierNorth Carolina possesses an astonishingly rich array of natural wonders. Building on this abundance, April C. Smith passionately seeks to open the world of nature to everyone. Her popular science guidebook features thirty sites across North Carolina that are perfect for exploration and hands-on learning about the Earth and the environment. A stellar group of naturalists and educators narrate each adventure, explaining key scientific concepts by showing you exactly where and how to look. This guidebook is for anyone—teens, kids, families, hikers, teachers, students, and tourists alike—who loves to be outside while learning.* All you need to plan trips and discover new attractions* Organized by the state's Mountain, Piedmont, and Coastal Plain regions* The 30 adventures spotlight wonderful places to hike, fascinating geological formations to find, animals and plants to observe, and hands-on learning activities* Explains clearly the scientific processes that made North Carolina the state it is today* Richly illustrated with photographs, diagrams, and maps; includes an indispensable science glossary
This Divided Island: Stories from the Sri Lankan War
by Samanth SubramanianSHORTLISTED FOR THE SAMUEL JOHNSON PRIZE 2015SHORTLISTED FOR RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2016In the summer of 2009, the leader of the dreaded Tamil Tiger guerrillas was killed, bringing to a bloody end the stubborn and complicated civil war in Sri Lanka. For nearly thirty years, the war's fingers had reached everywhere: into the bustle of Colombo, the Buddhist monasteries scattered across the island, the soft hills of central Sri Lanka, the curves of the eastern coast near Batticaloa and Trincomalee, and the stark, hot north. With its genius for brutality, the war left few places, and fewer people, untouched. What happens to the texture of life in a country that endures such bitter conflict? What happens to the country's soul? Samanth Subramanian gives us an extraordinary account of the Sri Lankan war and the lives it changed. Taking us to the ghosts of summers past, and to other battles from other times, he draws out the story of Sri Lanka today - an exhausted, disturbed society, still hot from the embers of the war. Through travels and conversations, he examines how people reconcile themselves to violence, how religion and state conspire, how the powerful become cruel, and how victory can be put to the task of reshaping memory and burying histories.This Divided Island is a harrowing and humane investigation of a country still inflamed.
This Gaming Life: Travels in Three Cities
by Jim Rossignol"In May 2000 I was fired from my job as a reporter on a finance newsletter because of an obsession with a video game. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.” So begins this story of personal redemption through the unlikely medium of electronic games. Quake, World of Warcraft, Eve Online, and other online games not only offered author Jim Rossignol an excellent escape from the tedium of office life. They also provided him with a diverse global community and a job—as a games journalist. Part personal history, part travel narrative, part philosophical reflection on the meaning of play, This Gaming Life describes Rossignol’s encounters in three cities: London, Seoul, and Reykjavik. From his days as a Quake genius in London’s increasingly corporate gaming culture; to Korea, where gaming is a high-stakes televised national sport; to Iceland, the home of his ultimate obsession, the idiosyncratic and beguiling Eve Online, Rossignol introduces us to a vivid and largely undocumented world of gaming lives. Torn between unabashed optimism about the future of games and lingering doubts about whether they are just a waste of time, This Gaming Life also raises important questions about this new and vital cultural form. Should we celebrate the “serious” educational, social, and cultural value of games, as academics and journalists are beginning to do? Or do these high-minded justifications simply perpetuate the stereotype of games as a lesser form of fun? In this beautifully written, richly detailed, and inspiring book, Rossignol brings these abstract questions to life, immersing us in a vibrant landscape of gaming experiences. “We need more writers like Jim Rossignol, writers who are intimately familiar with gaming, conversant in the latest research surrounding games, and able to write cogently and interestingly about the experience of playing as well as the deeper significance of games.” —Chris Baker, Wired “This Gaming Life is a fascinating and eye-opening look into the real human impact of gaming culture. Traveling the globe and drawing anecdotes from many walks of life, Rossignol takes us beyond the media hype and into the lives of real people whose lives have been changed by gaming. The results may surprise you.” —Raph Koster, game designer and author of A Theory of Fun for Game Design “Is obsessive video gaming a character flaw? In This Gaming Life, Jim Rossignol answers with an emphatic ‘no,’ and offers a passionate and engaging defense of what is too often considered a ‘bad habit’ or ‘guilty pleasure.’” —Joshua Davis, author of The Underdog “This is a wonderfully literate look at gaming cultures, which you don't have to be a gamer to enjoy. The Korea section blew my mind.” —John Seabrook, New Yorker staff writer and author of Flash of Genius and Other True Stories of Invention digitalculturebooks is an imprint of the University of Michigan Press and the Scholarly Publishing Office of the University of Michigan Library dedicated to publishing innovative and accessible work exploring new media and their impact on society, culture, and scholarly communication. Visit the website at www.digitalculture.org.
This Is a Book for People Who Love the National Parks
by Matt GarczynskiSmart, short, and irresistibly illustrated, This Is a Book for People Who Love National Parks is a park-by-park celebration of the American outdoors.For devoted park-goers and casual campers alike, this charming guide is nothing short of a celebration of America's natural wonders. An introduction to the storied history of the Parks Service is paired with engaging profiles of each of the sixty-one National Parks, from Acadia to Zion and everything in between. Quirky facts and key dates are woven throughout, while refreshingly modern illustrations capture the iconic features of each majestic setting. Deeply researched but not too serious, This Is a Book for People Who Love National Parks is an essential addition to every park lover's field library.