IF YOU CAN READ, YOU CAN TRAVEL

Which Is The Greatest Travel Book Ever Written? Discover 10 Contenders

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If reading can take us anywhere, then reading adventure and travel books can be compared to an epic mind journey through distant lands and situations without ever leaving the comfort of our seats.

Over the centuries, quite a few gifted minds have penned harrowing tales of exploration, endurance, and discovery. Some of them, like Jules Verne, devised amazing journeys and machines without ever leaving their homes; while others, like Ernest Shackleton, experienced firsthand the hardships most of us only have nightmares about. So, buckle up, read on, and see for yourself which of these 10 amazing reads entices you more.

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The legendary John Steinbeck set out to discover his native land in 1960 when he was almost sixty years old. Accompanied only by his dog, Charley, he traveled all across the United States in a pick-up truck.

His journey took him through almost forty states, and he saw things that made him proud, angry, sympathetic, and elated. All that he saw and experienced is described with remarkable honesty and wit in Travels with Charley, a book that is both entertaining and informative about 1960s America.

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The book that launched a thousand conservation efforts, My First Summer in the Sierra is based on John Muir’s original journals and sketches of his 1869 stay in the Sierras, where he was hired to supervise a sheep flock at the headwaters of the Merced and Tuolumne Rivers.

One of the heroes of America's conservation movement, Muir deserves much of the credit for making the Yosemite Valley a protected national park and for alerting Americans to the need to protect this and other natural wonders. He describes the flora and fauna of the mountains as well as his visits to Yosemite and his climbs of Mt. Hoffman and other peaks in the range.

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A well-known classic, Jack Kerouac’s On The Road tells the story of two friends whose cross-country road trips are a quest for meaning and a true life experience. Written with a mixture of urgency and poetry, this novel is the quintessential American vision of freedom and hope.

The amount of characters and places visited by the two protagonists gives a sense of their frantic lifestyle and infinite thirst for adventure. To say that this book inspired thousands of road trips is falling short of the truth.

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The first 8,000-meter mountain to be climbed, Annapurna was an epic conquest for the French Alpine Club expedition in 1950. Led by the distinguished French mountaineer Maurice Herzog, the legendary group pummeled through intense environments and experiences most of us would only dream of attempting.

The book, wonderfully written by the expedition leader, describes in great detail the experiences lived with breathtaking courage and grit, making it one of the greatest adventure stories ever told.

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"Call Me Ishmael" might well be one of the most famous beginnings of a book and that happens because what follows is a tale so harrowing and absorbing that made its way to the pinnacle of American literature since its publication in 1851.

A one-legged captain, Ahab, condemns his crew by dragging them into his obsession to hunt the white whale that took his leg. Narrated by crewmate Ishmael, **Moby Dick**is a great description of life aboard an XIX-century whaling ship and is based on a true story.

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Another timeless classic, Jack London’s **The Call of the Wild**was first published in 1903. The story follows the life of a pet dog named Buck, who is stolen from his California home and sold into the brutal life of an Alaskan sled dog during the Gold Rush of the 1890s.

As Buck adapts to his new environment, he must tap into his primal instincts to survive the harsh wilderness and cruel treatment from his masters. London’s narrative captures the essence of raw nature and highlights the struggle between civilization and the wild.

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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea is a legendary science-fiction book that young children and grown-ups alike can thoroughly enjoy. And such a feat was accomplished by a writer who practically never left his room.

A fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo embarks on an odyssey around the world from Ceylon to the South Pole. This classic novel, written in 1870, predicts with incredible accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century.

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While some of the stories on this list are fiction, a few real-life accounts are so extraordinary that no one would be blamed for thinking unreal (wait for the last item on the list). Jon Krakauer’s novel based on the true events of his 1996 Mount Everest adventure could easily pass for fiction and was even used as the base for a 2015 movie.

**Into Thin Air**is a masterful description of the conditions on a mountain so prestigious that it has become a tourist magnet of sorts, often ignoring its very real dangers. And it exemplifies with crude examples the perils and dire consequences that making light of such a place can produce.

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If you thought Tom Hank’s movie Cast Away was an original story, think again. A timeless classic precedes it by a couple of centuries and it is so well known that its very name has been used for ages as a common term to describe a lonely situation or individual.

Robinson Crusoe is the story of a man cast away on a Caribbean island for 26 years. The novel describes in first person the discoveries, fears, adventures, and perils of our hero, as he learns to survive by himself and even thrive in a wild environment.

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In 1914, a party led by veteran explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton set out to become the first to traverse the Antarctic continent on the Endurance. But, as the ice field slowly thickened, the ship was encased in a death grip, crushing their craft, and marooning 28 men on a polar ice floe.

In the epic struggle that ensued, Shackleton led his team on a quest for survival over some of the most unforgiving terrain in the world. Icy seas full of huge waves, mountainous glaciers and icebergs, brutal cold, and ever-looming starvation were their enemies for many months. The fact that the 28 men made it out alive is a testament to Shackleton’s incredible skills, leadership, and courage.South is the legendary man’s own account of the ordeal.

TALES OF THE ORDINARY

The Extraordinary Stories Behind These 10 Everyday Inventions

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Sometimes it’s easy to forget how behind every commonplace object there is an interesting story. Each of these invention stories stems from the need to solve a problem or make our lives a little easier.

Delve with us into the fascinating history of these 10 commonplace items that, in one way or another, have shaped our modern world.

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Where would we be without ballpoint pens? Still leaking ink everywhere, I assume. In 1938, Hungarian journalist Laszlo Biro patented the first successful ballpoint pen, inspired by the quick-drying ink used in newspaper printing. This revolutionary writing instrument provided a smoother, more reliable alternative to fountain pens, making on-the-go writing easier and more accessible.

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Zippers are one of those inventions that are absolutely everywhere, and our lives would certainly be more complicated without them. Imagine buttoning up a camping tent!

Initially patented in 1851 by Elias Howe, the zipper struggled to gain traction until Swedish-American electrical engineer Gideon Sundbäck improved upon the design in the early 20th century. Once intended as a fastening device for shoes, the zipper's versatility soon led to its widespread use in clothing, luggage, and beyond.

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Who knew there was a love story behind the ubiquitous Band-Aid? In 1920, a Johnson & Johnson employee called Earle Dickson invented the Band-Aid as a solution to his wife's frequent kitchen injuries.

Combining adhesive tape with sterile gauze, Dickson created a convenient and effective way to dress small wounds. During World War II, millions were shipped overseas, popularizing the product everywhere and becoming the household staple we know today.

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Safety pins are a straightforward invention - a clothespin that protects its user from the sharp point. Yet, this commonplace fabric fastener did not exist before 1849, when it was patented by American mechanic Walter Hunt. Hunt didn’t think much of his invention and sold the patent to W. R. Grace and Company for only 400 dollars, which made millions off his design.

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German entrepreneur Melitta Bentz revolutionized the coffee industry in 1908 with her patented invention: the disposable paper coffee filter.

Tired of finding grounds in her coffee as well as of the bitter taste that most brewing methods of her time produced due to over-brewing, Bentz began experimenting with conical blotting paper filters. This led to her creating the simple yet effective filtration method that remains a staple of coffee preparation today.

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Originally crafted from natural rubber, the first rubber bands emerged in the mid-19th century as a solution for securing bundles of papers and banknotes. Although many others had previously worked on the idea, British businessman Stephen Perry is often recognized as the true inventor of rubber bands. The first commercially successful version of the product was made simply by slicing hollow tubes of vulcanized rubber, almost the same process that is still used today.

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Before toothbrushes, people used just about anything they could find to maintain their oral hygiene. Twigs, feathers, animal hair, and even porcupine quills have been used in the quest for a shining smile.

But it wasn’t until the 1930s that the first practical nylon toothbrushes were invented, by American giant DuPont. Surprisingly, the first electric toothbrush was invented only twenty years later, by a Swiss company in 1954.

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After watching auto-engineers try different methods to achieve smooth painting on two-color cars, 3M engineer Richard Drew designed the first masking tape in 1925, later developing the product into the clear adhesive tape we know today.

With its transparent and moisture-resistant design, the Scotch tape revolutionized the world of adhesive products, finding applications in every field, from house repairs to industrial uses.

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While their exact origin is debated, the widespread use of self-igniting matches dates back to the early 19th century. However, the first designs utilized highly dangerous white phosphorus, causing dangerous intoxications in both factory workers and users.

After a series of worker strikes and international bans, the industry switched to red phosphorus, a much safer alternative to produce and manipulate.

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While the concept of cooling indoor air dates back to ancient civilizations - and even Benjamin Franklin experimented with various cooling methods - modern air conditioning as we know it was pioneered by Willis Carrier in 1902.

Originally designed to control humidity in a Brooklyn printing plant, Carrier's invention revolutionized not only industrial processes but also comfort in homes, businesses, and even hospitals.