20 Best Adventure Books Non Fiction (Jan 2023 Update)

For every woman who has ever been called outdoorsy comes a collection of stories that inspires unforgettable adventure. – beautiful, empowering, and exhilarating, she explores is a spirited celebration of female bravery and courage, and an inspirational companion for any woman who wants to travel the world on her own terms. – combining breathtaking travel photography with compelling personal narratives, she explores shares the stories of 40 diverse women on unforgettable journeys in nature: women who live out of vans, trucks, and vintage trailers, hiking the wild, cooking meals over campfires, and sleeping under the stars. women biking through the countryside, embarking on a road trip, or backpacking through the outdoors with their young children in tow. – complementing the narratives are practical tips and advice for women planning their own trips, including: – preparing for a solo hike – must-haves for a road-trip kitchen – planning ahead for unknown territory – telling your own story – a visually stunning and emotionally satisfying collection for any woman craving new landscapes and adventure. beautiful, empowering, and exhilarating, she explores will inspire even the most outdoor-averse woman to connect with the landscape, take a leap of faith, and find her community.

International bestseller – with a new foreword by tim ferriss – “vagabonding easily remains in my top-10 list of life-changing books. why? because one incredible trip, especially a long-term trip, can change your life forever. and vagabonding teaches you how to travel (and think), not just for one trip, but for the rest of your life.”—tim ferriss, from the forewordthere’s nothing like vagabonding: taking time off from your normal life—from six weeks to four months to two years—to discover and experience the world on your own terms. in this one-of-a-kind handbook, veteran travel writer rolf potts explains how anyone armed with an independent spirit can achieve the dream of extended overseas travel. now completely revised and updated, vagabonding is an accessible and inspiring guide to – financing your travel time – determining your destination – adjusting to life on the road – working and volunteering overseas – handling travel adversity – re-assimilating back into ordinary lifeupdated for our ever-changing world, vagabonding is an indispensable guide for the modern traveler.

Get everything you need to adventure in the forgotten realms on the exciting sword coast, home to the cities of baldur’s gate, waterdeep, and neverwinter. crafted by the scribes at green ronin in conjunction with the dungeons & dragons team at wizards of the coast, the sword coast adventurer’s guide provides d&d fans with a wealth of detail on the places, cultures, and deities of northwestern faerûn. the sword coast adventurer’s guide is also a great way to catch up on recent events in the forgotten realms, to get background on locations featured in the rage of demons storyline coming in september, and to learn the lore behind video games like neverwinter and sword coast legends. here are just a few of the features you’ll find in the sword coast adventurer’s guide: · immersive adventuring: this campaign sourcebook provides players and dungeon masters material for creating vibrant fantasy stories along the sword coast. · new character options: the book offers new subclass options, such as the purple dragon knight and the swashbuckler, for many of the classes presented in the player’s handbook, as well as new subraces and backgrounds specific to the forgotten realms. · adventure in the forgotten realms: discover the current state of the forgotten realms and its deities after the spellplague and the second sundering. you’ll also get updated maps of this area of the realms. · compatible with rage of demons storyline: make characters for use with the out of the abyss adventure and fight back the influence of the demon lords in the underdark below the sword coast. · insider information: learn the background behind locations, such as luskan and gracklstugh, featured in the upcoming digital rpg, sword coast legends, from n-space. with new character backgrounds and class options, players will love the storytelling possibilities of playing a noble of waterdeep, an elf bladesinger, or one of the other new options, while dungeon masters will relish a book full of mysterious locations and story hooks to keep players adventuring on the sword coast for years to come. look for sword coast adventurer’s guide to be available on november 3.

In the tradition of jon krakauer’s into thin air and sebastian junger’s the perfect storm comes a true tale of riveting adventure in which two weekend scuba divers risk everything to solve a great historical mystery–and make history themselves. for john chatterton and richie kohler, deep wreck diving was more than a sport. but in the fall of 1991, not even these courageous divers were prepared for what they found 230 feet below the surface, in the frigid atlantic waters sixty miles off the coast of new jersey: a world war ii german u-boat, its ruined interior a macabre wasteland of twisted metal, tangled wires, and human bones–all buried under decades of accumulated sediment. no identifying marks were visible on the submarine or the few artifacts brought to the surface. no historian, expert, or government had a clue as to which u-boat the men had found. in fact, the official records all agreed that there simply could not be a sunken u-boat and crew at that location. over the next six years, an elite team of divers embarked on a quest to solve the mystery. some of them would not live to see its end. chatterton and kohler, at first bitter rivals, would be drawn into a friendship that deepened to an almost mystical sense of brotherhood with each other and with the drowned u-boat sailors–former enemies of their country. as the men’s marriages frayed under the pressure of a shared obsession, their dives grew more daring, and each realized that he was hunting more than the identities of a lost u-boat and its nameless crew. author robert kurson’s account of this quest is at once thrilling and emotionally complex, and it is written with a vivid sense of what divers actually experience when they meet the dangers of the ocean’s underworld. the story of shadow divers often seems too amazing to be true, but it all happened, two hundred thirty feet down, in the deep blue sea.

"the wilderness is a place of beauty and peace. but it is also filled with fierce predators, poisonous plants, and raging rivers. will you: try to survive the harsh mountains of alaska after being abandoned during an outdoor training trip? struggle to make your way out of the deep forests after becoming lost in australia's blue mountains? attempt to find help for your injured brother in washington's cascade mountains?"

New york times bestseller * “audacious…life on the mississippi sparkles.” —the wall street journal * “a rich mix of history, reporting, and personal introspection.” —st. louis post-dispatch * “both a travelogue and an engaging history lesson about america’s westward expansion.” —the christian science monitor the eagerly awaited return of master american storyteller rinker buck, life on the mississippi is an epic, enchanting blend of history and adventure in which buck builds a wooden flatboat from the grand “flatboat era” of the 1800s and sails it down the mississippi river, illuminating the forgotten past of america’s first western frontier.seven years ago, readers around the country fell in love with a singular american voice: rinker buck, whose infectious curiosity about history launched him across the west in a covered wagon pulled by mules and propelled his book about the trip, the oregon trail, to ten weeks on the new york times bestseller list. now, buck returns to chronicle his latest incredible adventure: building a wooden flatboat from the bygone era of the early 1800s and journeying down the mississippi river to new orleans. a modern-day huck finn, buck casts off down the river on the flatboat patience accompanied by an eccentric crew of daring shipmates. over the course of his voyage, buck steers his fragile wooden craft through narrow channels dominated by massive cargo barges, rescues his first mate gone overboard, sails blindly through fog, breaks his ribs not once but twice, and camps every night on sandbars, remote islands, and steep levees. as he charts his own journey, he also delivers a richly satisfying work of history that brings to life a lost era. the role of the flatboat in our country’s evolution is far more significant than most americans realize. between 1800 and 1840, millions of farmers, merchants, and teenage adventurers embarked from states like pennsylvania and virginia on flatboats headed beyond the appalachians to kentucky, mississippi, and louisiana. settler families repurposed the wood from their boats to build their first cabins in the wilderness; cargo boats were broken apart and sold to build the boomtowns along the water route. joining the river traffic were floating brothels, called “gun boats”; “smithy boats” for blacksmiths; even “whiskey boats” for alcohol. in the present day, america’s inland rivers are a superhighway dominated by leviathan barges—carrying $80 billion of cargo annually—all descended from flatboats like the ramshackle patience. as a historian, buck resurrects the era’s adventurous spirit, but he also challenges familiar myths about american expansion, confronting the bloody truth behind settlers’ push for land and wealth. the indian removal act of 1830 forced more than 125,000 members of the cherokee, choctaw, and several other tribes to travel the mississippi on a brutal journey en route to the barrens of oklahoma. simultaneously, almost a million enslaved african americans were carried in flatboats and marched by foot 1,000 miles over the appalachians to the cotton and cane fields of arkansas, mississippi, and louisiana, birthing the term “sold down the river.” buck portrays this watershed era of american expansion as it was really lived.

Filled with helpful travel tips and beautiful national geographic photography, this expert guide showcases the best experiences in the top national, state, and city parks throughout north america. in the sequel to the best-selling 50 states, 5,000 ideas, national geographic turns to the united states' and canada's most pristine–and adventure-filled–national, state, and city parks with 5,000 ideas for the ultimate vacation. showcasing the best experiences, both obvious and unexpected, each entry in this robust guide provides an overview of the park, detailed travel advice, fascinating facts, insider knowledge about wildlife, and expert tips for hiking, biking, camping, and exploring. from the geysers of yellowstone national park to the everglades' nine mile pond canoe trail and the stunning peaks of banff and jasper in alberta, each page will fuel your wanderlust. plus, explore the natural beauty tucked away in cities like new york's central park and boston commons, and find bonus parks with day-trip suggestions to nearby neighbors. top 10 lists throughout highlight best-of destinations for river trips, monuments, panoramic views, beaches, and more. this comprehensive book provides all the inspiration and information you need to plan your next park visit–and make it a memorable one.

About the discoverers an original history of mans greatest adventure his search to discover the world around him. in the compendious history, boorstin not only traces mans insatiable need to know, but also the obstacles to discovery and the illusion that knowledge can also put in our way. covering time, the earth and the seas, nature and society, he gathers and analyzes stories of the mans profound quest to understand his world and the cosmos.

From marc martin, best-selling author and illustrator of the award-winning children's book a river, named best illustrated picture book by the new york times.from hong kong to reykjavik, ulaanbaatar to new york city, this beautifully illustrated, fact-filled adventure book will take curious kids on a lush and unexpected journey around the globe to discover what makes each place unique. sleepy sloths, colorful cows, staggering skylines, and terrible traffic—countless surprises await globetrotting children of all ages. all you and your child need is a good travel guide and a big imagination. let's go! – kids will have fun while they learn about different cultures – features facts about 15 places and cultures for a great introduction to the world – instills curiosity about the world and respect for otherskids who read 5,000 awesome facts (about everything!), my encyclopedia of very important things: for little learners who want to know everything, and timelines of everything will want to get their hands on this book. – parents, teachers and librarians will enjoy sharing globetrotting adventures with kids – a great book for curious and imaginative children ages four through nine – a great coffee table book for fans of trivia and world facts

Encourage your little nature lover to explore the great outdoors and get their hands dirty! with over 40 crafts and games to discover, this activity book for kids offers a fun, hands-on approach to getting kids outdoors and exploring the great outdoors all year round.inside the pages of this nature activity book, you’ll discover: – more than 40 inspiring outdoor activities split into four sections: adventure skills, nature detective, wild art, and sensory games – outdoor crafts that are explained clearly through beautiful photography and step-by-step instructions – colorful and fun pages with illustrations mixed in throughout about fun things to do in nature ‘open the door’ to the great outdoorsnature is a destination, but you don’t have to travel anywhere to find it! perfect for kids aged 5-7 years, this nature book includes heaps of ideas for outdoor fun that can be done on-the-go, in your neighborhood, or at your local park. it’s the ultimate way to keep even the tiniest of explorers entertained for hours.from leading a friend on a journey to meet a tree and building a twig raft to collecting leaves on a nature walk and creating nature-inspired art, children will love discovering the magic of nature. it’s the perfect gift for adventurous kids who love being outdoors and for parents looking for creative outdoor projects and an escape from digital entertainment.

Following his blockbuster biography of steve jobs, walter isaacson’s new york times bestselling and critically acclaimed the innovators is a “riveting, propulsive, and at times deeply moving” (the atlantic) story of the people who created the computer and the internet.what were the talents that allowed certain inventors and entrepreneurs to turn their visionary ideas into disruptive realities? what led to their creative leaps? why did some succeed and others fail? the innovators is a masterly saga of collaborative genius destined to be the standard history of the digital revolution—and an indispensable guide to how innovation really happens. isaacson begins the adventure with ada lovelace, lord byron’s daughter, who pioneered computer programming in the 1840s. he explores the fascinating personalities that created our current digital revolution, such as vannevar bush, alan turing, john von neumann, j.c.r. licklider, doug engelbart, robert noyce, bill gates, steve wozniak, steve jobs, tim berners-lee, and larry page. this is the story of how their minds worked and what made them so inventive. it’s also a narrative of how their ability to collaborate and master the art of teamwork made them even more creative. for an era that seeks to foster innovation, creativity, and teamwork, the innovators is “a sweeping and surprisingly tenderhearted history of the digital age” (the new york times).

A new york times best seller barnes & noble 2020 book of the year a kirkus prize finalist for nonfiction a southern book prize finalist an npr best book of 2020 an esquire best book of 2020 a bookpage best book of 2020 a new york public library best book of 2020 a wall street journal holiday gift pick for 2020 an indie next pick, september 2019 a publishers weekly big indie book of fall 2020 a buzzfeed best book of fall 2020 a literary hub most anticipated book of 2020 a ralph lauren summer reading recommendation a garden & gun summer reading recommendation a bustle best book of fall 2020 named a most anticipated book of 2020 by the millions an alma favorite book for fall 2020 a literary hub recommended climate read for september 2020 a mpls.st.paul magazine reading recommendation for fall 2020 from beloved, award-winning poet aimee nezhukumatathil comes a debut work of nonfiction–a collection of essays about the natural world, and the way its inhabitants can teach, support, and inspire us. as a child, nezhukumatathil called many places home: the grounds of a kansas mental institution, where her filipina mother was a doctor; the open skies and tall mountains of arizona, where she hiked with her indian father; and the chillier climes of western new york and ohio. but no matter where she was transplanted–no matter how awkward the fit or forbidding the landscape–she was able to turn to our world's fierce and funny creatures for guidance. "what the peacock can do," she tells us, "is remind you of a home you will run away from and run back to all your life." the axolotl teaches us to smile, even in the face of unkindness; the touch-me-not plant shows us how to shake off unwanted advances; the narwhal demonstrates how to survive in hostile environments. even in the strange and the unlovely, nezhukumatathil finds beauty and kinship. warm, lyrical, and gorgeously illustrated by fumi nakamura, world of wonders is a book of sustenance and joy.

From the first people to leave africa to the first to leave the planet, the urge to explore the unknown has driven human progress. dk's explorers tells the story of humanity's explorations, taking the reader into the lives of some of the most intrepid people ever known. focusing on 50 of the world's greatest explorers, with shorter entries on 60 of their helpers and companions, the book is filled with first-person accounts in the explorers' own words, rare maps, specially commissioned photographs, and artworks re-create history's greatest expeditions. from trade and the search for lands to colonize, to scientific curiosity and missionary zeal, explorers introduces history's most famous trail blazers-people whose courage opened frontiers, turned voids into maps, forged nations, connected cultures, and added to humankind's knowledge of the world by leaps and bounds.

An action sports adventurer’s bucket list of exciting and unexpected destinations around the globe as lived and told by iconic surfers, skaters, climbers, and riders.an unconventional photographic guidebook to adventure, featuring images, intel, itineraries, tales, and testimonies collected by roark’s expert guides. the book documents the routes of a group of iconic surfers, climbers, skaters, and other adventurers seeking full cultural and thrill-seeking immersion. including journeys to 16 global destinations illustrating the road less traveled, from surf expeditions to iceland, the falkland islands, or jamaica, to motorcycle journeys through nepal, rock climbing in argentina to cliff jumping in northern vietnam, and more. world-renowned photographers chris burkard, dylan gordon, jeff johnson, drew smith, and chris mcpherson uniquely capture faraway images and the wayward spirit of those that seek adventure—if not a little danger—in an increasingly tame world. the modern bible for anyone interested in charting an adventure with improbable itineraries across the globe, or the mere appreciation for photography that transports you to a place only found in dreams.

The new york times bestseller“it’s no exaggeration to say that behave is one of the best nonfiction books i’ve ever read.” —david p. barash, the wall street journal"it has my vote for science book of the year.” —parul sehgal, the new york times"hands-down one of the best books i’ve read in years. sapolsky's storytelling concept is delightful but it also has a powerful intrinsic logic: he starts by looking at the factors that bear on a person's reaction in the precise moment a behavior occurs, and then hops back in time from there, in stages, ultimately ending up at the deep history of our species and its evolutionary legacy. and so the first category of explanation is the neurobiological one. a behavior occurs–whether an example of humans at our best, worst, or somewhere in between. what went on in a person's brain a second before the behavior happened? then sapolsky pulls out to a slightly larger field of vision, a little earlier in time: what sight, sound, or smell caused the nervous system to produce that behavior? and then, what hormones acted hours to days earlier to change how responsive that individual is to the stimuli that triggered the nervous system? finally, he expands the view to encompass factors larger than one individual. how did culture shape that individual's group, what ecological factors millennia old formed that culture? and on and on, back to evolutionary factors millions of years old. sapolsky builds on this understanding to wrestle with some of our deepest and thorniest questions relating to tribalism and xenophobia, hierarchy and competition, morality and free will, and war and peace. wise, humane, often very funny, behave is a towering achievement, powerfully humanizing, and downright heroic in its own right.

Follow three rescuers in a race against time — and all odds — in this heartpounding true adventure. in 1897, whaling in the arctic waters off alaska's coast was as dangerous as it was lucrative. here is the incredible story of three men sent by president mckinley to rescue them. the mission? a perilous trek over 1,500 miles of nearly impassable alaskan terrain, in the bone-chilling months of winter, to secure two herds of reindeer (for food) and find a way to guide them to the whalers before they starve. with the help of photographs and journal entries by one of the rescuers, martin w. sandler takes us on every step of their riveting journey, facing raging blizzards, killing cold, injured sled dogs, and setbacks to test the strongest of wills.back matter includes an epilogue, further information, a time line, source notes, a bibliography, and an index.

New york times bestseller – tarana burke and dr. brené brown bring together a dynamic group of black writers, organizers, artists, academics, and cultural figures to discuss the topics the two have dedicated their lives to understanding and teaching: vulnerability and shame resilience. contributions by kiese laymon, imani perry, laverne cox, jason reynolds, austin channing brown, and more it started as a text between two friends. tarana burke, founder of the 'me too.' movement, texted researcher and writer brené brown to see if she was free to jump on a call. brené assumed that tarana wanted to talk about wallpaper. they had been trading home decorating inspiration boards in their last text conversation so brené started scrolling to find her latest pinterest pictures when the phone rang. but it was immediately clear to brené that the conversation wasn't going to be about wallpaper. tarana's hello was serious and she hesitated for a bit before saying, "brené, you know your work affected me so deeply, but as a black woman, i've sometimes had to feel like i have to contort myself to fit into some of your words. the core of it rings so true for me, but the application has been harder." it makes sense to me. especially in terms of vulnerability. how do you take the armor off in a country where you're not physically or emotionally safe?" long pause. "that's why i'm calling," said tarana. "what do you think about working together on a book about the black experience with vulnerability and shame resilience?" there was no hesitation. burke and brown are the perfect pair to usher in this stark, potent collection of essays on black shame and healing. along with the anthology contributors, they create a space to recognize and process the trauma of white supremacy, a space to be vulnerable and affirm the fullness of black love and black life.

Quest for adventure is a collection of stories written by sir chris bonington looking at the adventurous impulse which has driven men and women to achieve the impossible in the face of earth's elements: crossing its oceans, deserts and poles; canoeing its rivers; climbing its mountains, and descending into its caves. bonington selects seventeen of the most thrilling expeditions and adventures of the second half of the twentieth century, uncovering the common thread that drives men and women to achieve the impossible. following a new preface, he charts such outstanding achievements as the kon-tiki voyage; francis chichester's round-the-world tour in his boat gipsy moth iv; the race for the first non-stop circumnavigation of the globe under sail; and ice bird's sail around antarctica. away from the ocean, the travels of one of the world's most outstanding desert explorers, wilfred thesiger, are detailed, journeying through what is menacingly called the empty quarter. bonington returns to familiar ground as he writes about some exceptional mountain adventures, including the 1970 ascent of the south face of annapurna, the first ascent of everest, reinhold and gunther messner on nanga parbat, andy cave's triumph and tragedy on changabang, and the first ascent of the nose of el capitan in yosemite. wally herbert's team crossing of the arctic ocean and the equally gruelling fuchs/hillary crossing of antarctica are written about in detail. more recent adventures include two remarkable flights: the circumnavigation of the globe by balloon and microlight. quest for adventure concludes with an account of the cave diving epic the dead man's handshake, leaving the reader with a chill in their spine and an appreciation for the natural wonders below the earth's surface. bonington's eloquent writing on a subject in which he is a passionate authority makes for a highly engrossing read for adventurers and armchair explorers alike.

Lonely planet: the world's leading travel guide publisher* how to be a world explorer will teach you all you need to know about venturing through all the landscapes on earth. how do you cope with extreme cold? how do you find water in the wild? how do you escape from quicksand? how do you navigate by the stars? how do you build an igloo? how do you fight a bear? it's all here! authors: written and researched by lonely planet about lonely planet: started in 1973, lonely planet has become the world's leading travel guide publisher with guidebooks to every destination on the planet, as well as an award-winning website, a suite of mobile and digital travel products, children's books, and a dedicated traveller community. lonely planet's mission is to enable curious travellers to experience the world and to truly get to the heart of the places where they travel. tripadvisor travellers' choice awards 2012 and 2013 winner in favorite travel guide category 'lonely planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' – new york times 'lonely planet. it's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. it's on mobile phones. it's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – fairfax media (australia) *#1 in the world market share – source: nielsen bookscan. australia, uk and usa. march 2012-january 2013

Polar fleece, titanium, and gps have forever changed the face of exploration. today an explorer can make a phone call from the top of mount everest and geo-locate himself in the thickest rain forest or the widest desert. yet despite these advances, few modern adventures get close to the charm and romance of "the desert road to turkestan," "mysterious temples of the jungle," and "airplanes come to the isles of spice." in those bygone days, the pages of national geographic were as close as most people could get to high adventure and faraway landsand here's a chance to recapture them. alongside noteworthy names like robert peary, amelia earhart, and teddy roosevelt, other less famous travelers take us on long-forgotten trips to places few americans had gone. introduced by brief essays that provide context and perspective, these engaging, engrossing selections speak for themselvesand trace the national geographic society's growth as it explored the unknown and brought it to readers eager for knowledge of "the world and all that is in it."