What an absolutely wonderful book this is, an engaging mix of history, of the advent of climbing, of Mr. Macfarlane’s own climbing adventures, all coming together in a delightfully informative, exhilarating read. The author weaves his own climbing trips into his exploration of how mountaineering evolved from the mid-1700s to …
I don’t think I’ve ever felt as exhausted at the end of the book as I did just now, as I reluctantly turned the final page of the thoroughly engaging “Space below my feet” by Gwen Moffat. Ms Moffat was the first woman to qualify as a mountain guide, and …
So there I was, power walking up and down my Delhi driveway (we are locked down, and not allowed out to exercise), listening to one of my favourite podcasts: Marathon Training Academy. It was a recent episode in which they were chatting with a British anthropologist who just happens to …
Reading an Alexander McCall Smith novel, from any of his many series, is both a delicious pleasure as well as a masterclass in elegant prose. His stories unfold slowly, at a natural pace, with ample time for his characters (and readers) to allow their thoughts to wander, to think about …
Have you ever had That Moment when you see a book and say, “Oh, this sounds good. Who is this author? Never heard of him/her,” and everyone else in the room stares at you as though you were from the dark ages? I had one of these moments a couple …
