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The Explorer’s Eye
First Hand Accounts of Adventure and Exploration
Edited by Fergus Fleming and Annabel Merullo

In presentations I’ve often used the metaphor of exploration to describe how we should live our lives in the turbulent times we inhabit.

Hilary Clinton nicely described this,

“Each of us is a pioneer in our own lives. We’re each charting new territory every day. The people I admire are the people who willingly go forward, no matter what the odds.”

This book captures first hand accounts of explorers revealing who they were, how they worked and what they saw. It spans the time period since the early 1700’s to Bertrand Piccard’s epic circumnavigation of the globe by balloon in 1998.

It’s tempting to think how difficult our own attempts at personal exploration are, and thus excuse our withdrawal into the unthinking herd. However a quick flick through this book soon reveals new perspectives on the challenges we face and how important it is to live our life and not the cloned life of those around us.

As Michael Palin says in the introduction. ‘The Explorer’s Eye is a treasure trove. Like Hiram Bingham unearthing Macchu Picchu or Charles Darwin landing on the Galapagos, untold wonders are about to unfold before you.’

Steve Unwin
Spring 2008

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