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A South Indian Journey: The Smile of Murugan
by Michael WoodInspired by a temple astrologer (who had accurately predicted his marriage and the birth of his two daughters), the writer and broadcaster Michael Wood travelled on a magical journey through south-east India.
Southern Belly: A Food Lover's Companion
by John T. EdgeJohn T. Edge, "the Faulkner of Southern food" (the Miami Herald), reveals a South hidden in plain sight, where restaurants boast family pedigrees and serve supremely local specialties found nowhere else. From backdoor home kitchens to cinder-block cafés, he introduces you to cooks who have been standing tall by the stove since Eisenhower was in office. While revealing the stories behind their food, he shines a bright light on places that have become Southern institutions. In this fully updated and expanded edition, with recipes throughout, Edge travels from chicken shack to fish camp, from barbecue stand to pie shed. Pop this handy paperback in the glove box to take along on your next road trip. And even if you never get in the car, you'll enjoy the most savory history that the South has to offer.
Sponsorship: For a Return on Investment
by Guy MastermanSponsorship is both a critical communications tool for sponsors as well as a fundamental revenue stream for rights owners. Market leaders use sponsorship widely and arguably more successfully than any other communications tool to achieve competitive advantage whilst events of all sizes depend on sponsorship just to exist. As the importance of sponsorship has increased the demands of it have risen too. Now sponsors seek measurable return on their investment. Sponsorship: For a Return on Investment provides a unique insight on the use of sponsorship for a return on investment and will appeal to practitioners and undergraduate and postgraduate students alike. It builds a conceptual framework for the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of strategies for sport, arts, music and community sponsorship, and from two perspectives: For rights owners, the importance of effectively acquiring and then developing a bespoke approach for the recruitment of sponsors for effective sponsorship programmes. For sponsors, a better understanding of how sponsorship can be used for successful integrated marketing communications. A broad selection of examples and case studies from around the world are provided in order to demonstrate the importance of sponsorship on an international basis. This book is vital resource for both students and practioners.
Sponsorship: For a Return on Investment
by Guy MastermanSponsorship is both a critical communications tool for sponsors as well as a fundamental revenue stream for rights owners. Market leaders use sponsorship widely and arguably more successfully than any other communications tool to achieve competitive advantage whilst events of all sizes depend on sponsorship just to exist. As the importance of sponsorship has increased the demands of it have risen too. Now sponsors seek measurable return on their investment. Sponsorship: For a Return on Investment provides a unique insight on the use of sponsorship for a return on investment and will appeal to practitioners and undergraduate and postgraduate students alike. It builds a conceptual framework for the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of strategies for sport, arts, music and community sponsorship, and from two perspectives: For rights owners, the importance of effectively acquiring and then developing a bespoke approach for the recruitment of sponsors for effective sponsorship programmes. For sponsors, a better understanding of how sponsorship can be used for successful integrated marketing communications. A broad selection of examples and case studies from around the world are provided in order to demonstrate the importance of sponsorship on an international basis. This book is vital resource for both students and practioners.
Sport Governance (Sport Management Ser.)
by Russell Hoye Graham CuskellySport Governance provides a comprehensive guide to the practical application of governance principles to amateur and professional sport organisations operating at the community, state/provincial, national, and international levels. It presents a balanced view between accepted practice and what contemporary research evidence tells us about a range of governance principles and practices. Organised in three parts, the text provides the reader with* an explanation of the concept of governance, key terms and definitions as well as the economic, political and social factors that impact on how the governance function is enacted within sport organisations;* an understanding of the “mechanics” of governance – the elements of structure, process and performance that ensure the governance function is carried out within sport organisations; and* a discussion of a number of contextual issues in sport governance, including dual leadership, ethics, governance change and future governance challenges.Sport Governance is essential reading for practitioners working and volunteering in the sport industry and upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in sport and leisure management programs.
Sport Governance
by Russell Hoye Graham CuskellySport Governance provides a comprehensive guide to the practical application of governance principles to amateur and professional sport organisations operating at the community, state/provincial, national, and international levels. It presents a balanced view between accepted practice and what contemporary research evidence tells us about a range of governance principles and practices. Organised in three parts, the text provides the reader with* an explanation of the concept of governance, key terms and definitions as well as the economic, political and social factors that impact on how the governance function is enacted within sport organisations;* an understanding of the “mechanics” of governance – the elements of structure, process and performance that ensure the governance function is carried out within sport organisations; and* a discussion of a number of contextual issues in sport governance, including dual leadership, ethics, governance change and future governance challenges.Sport Governance is essential reading for practitioners working and volunteering in the sport industry and upper level undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled in sport and leisure management programs.
Springtime For Germany: or How I Learned to Love Lederhosen
by Ben DonaldWith no apparent sense of humour and their excessive speed when securing sunloungers, the German people and their country have had a terrible reputation among the British since time immemorial (or 1914). So, going where very few travel-writers and holidaymakers have gone before, Ben Donald has visited Germany in order to overturn stereotypes and, at the same time, fall back in love with travel. From the massed ranks on the nudist beaches of Germany's north coast (they have a reputation for liking uniform, but they'd much rather be naked), via intimate encounters in the steam-rooms of Baden-Baden and the brothels of Hamburg (where he makes his excuses and leaves), to the rite of passage that is wearing Lederhosen to the Oktoberfest (which takes place in September), the author has put his body and his dignity on the line to get beneath the skin of this most maligned of countries. He even goes to see a German stand-up comedian. In - where else? - England. And what emerges is a Germany that will surprise many who thought they knew the country and its people; an eye-opener in other words - especially those nudist beaches.
St. Peter's (Wonders of the world #8)
by Keith MillerBuilt by the decree of Constantine, rebuilt by some of the most distinguished architects in Renaissance Italy, emulated by Hitler’s architect in his vision for Germania, immortalized on film by Fellini, and fictionalized by a modern American bestseller, St. Peter’s is the most easily recognizable church in the world. This book is a cultural history of one of the most significant structures in the West. It bears the imprint of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Canova. For Grand Tourists of the eighteenth century, St. Peter’s exemplified the sublime. It continues to fascinate visitors today and appears globally as a familiar symbol of the papacy and of the Catholic Church itself.
Starting and Running a Restaurant For Dummies
by Carol Godsmark Michael Garvey Heather Dismore Andrew G. DismoreStarting & Running a Restaurant For Dummies will offer aspiring restaurateurs advice and guidance on this highly competitive industry – from attracting investors to your cause, to developing a food and beverages menu, to interior design and pricing issues – to help you keep your business venture afloat and enjoyable at the same time. If you already own a restaurant, inside you’ll find unbeatable tips and advice to keep bringing in those customers. Read this book, and help make your dream a reality! Starting & Running a Restaurant For Dummies covers: Basics of the restaurant business Researching the marketplace and deciding what kind of restaurant to run Writing a business plan and finding financing Choosing a location Legalities Composing a menu Setting up and hiring staff Buying and managing supplies Marketing your restaurant Health and safety
Step on a Crack (Michael Bennett #1)
by James Patterson Michael LedwidgeThe scene is set for a huge funeral in St Patrick's Cathedral in New York. The rich and the famous from all over America - and beyond - have arrived to honour a former First Lady after her sudden, unexpected death. Then follows an attack that was three years in the planning. Hostages are taken - the ex-President among them - ransoms demanded, a couple of hostages shot to show the kidnappers mean business.It's all brilliantly and chillingly co-ordinated, and Michael Bennett, the detective in charge of the case, knows it will be his biggest ever challenge.
Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments for Understanding the French
by Stephen ClarkeHave you ever walked into a half-empty Parisian restaurant, only to be told that it's "complet"? Attempted to say "merci beaucoup" and accidentally complimented someone's physique? Been overlooked at the boulangerie due to your adherence to the bizarre foreign custom of waiting in line? Well, you're not alone. The internationally bestselling author of A Year in the Merde and In the Merde for Love has been there too, and he is here to help. In Talk to the Snail, Stephen Clarke distills the fruits of years spent in the French trenches into a truly handy (and hilarious) book of advice. Read this book, and find out how to get good service from the grumpiest waiter; be exquisitely polite and brutally rude at the same time; and employ the language of l'amour and le sexe. Everything you need is here in this funny, informative, and seriously useful guide to getting what you really want from the French.
Talk to the Snail: Ten Commandments For Understanding The French
by Stephen ClarkeHave you been taken to what you've been assured is the perfect house deep in the French countryside, only to find there's no electricity or running water? Gone to the doctor with a nasty cough, and been diagnosed with a rather more personal complaint? Walked into an half-empty restaurant, only to be told that it's complet?If the answer to any of the above is oui, Talk to the Snail is the book for you.Find out how to get served in a restaurant; the best way to deal with French hypochondria; learn the language of love, sex and suppositories (not necessarily in that order); it's all here in this funny, informative, seriously useful guide on how to get what you really want from the French.With advice on essential phrases and bons mots to cover all eventualities, and illustrated with witty real-life anecdotes, Talk to the Snail is a book that no self-respecting Francophile - or Francophobe - can afford to be without.Don't go to France without reading this book.And don't even think of buying a house there.
Thailand Tourism
by Arthur Asa BergerUnderstand Thailand&’s important symbols, icons, and social practicesThailand&’s culture is unlike any other. Travelers attempting to fully immerse themselves in all that this tourist destination has to offer find it essential to become culturally sensitive. Thailand Tourism provides readers with an indispensable overview of this remarkable land of contrasts. This invaluable text reveals the South East Asian country, its history, its culture, and its people&’s fun-loving perspective of life. The importance of Thai symbols and their meaning, icons and social practices, its proud history of its constitutional monarchy, and its numerous religious temples are examined in detail. This book offers tourists and students of tourism an informative, realistic view of the people, food, entertainment, and scenery of one of the most exotic lands in the world. Thailand was never colonized by a foreign power. Because of the lack of outside influence, this South East Asian nation has fostered a culture thrillingly different from others. Thailand Tourism offers a rare, in-depth look at this unique country and provides the information travelers need to know to easily move about and make their trip memorable. The guide includes helpful typical tourist itineraries illustrating what to expect when booking plans. The Thai viewpoints on sexuality, marriage, and societal changes are analyzed in detail. The issue of violence is discussed, including its ingrained presence in everyday life. Helpful tables detail demographic information from several countries to shed light not only on where travelers originate, but also to study the contrasts with the Thai culture. The book also presents a primer on the semiotics of tourism, and then discusses significant signs and symbols infused in Thai culture including Thai smiles, the royal kingdom of Thailand, Buddhist monks, Buddha statues, and Wats (temples). The importance of elephants in modern Thailand is explored, as well as the importance of the nation&’s ethnic tribes and the cultural significance of the Wai. Thai food, the Thai sex industry, and a comparison between Thailand and America are also examined. The final section presents author Arthur Asa Berger&’s own notes of his travels throughout Thailand with cogent perspectives of the country as a &’monoculture&’. Topics in Thailand Tourism include: a theoretical discussion of tourism statistical data on tourism in Thailand typical tourist itineraries in Thailand perceptions of Thailand in travel literature violence in Thai society analysis of Thai culture such as Thai smile, Wats, Buddha statuesDiscover an exotic, spiritual, sensual country like no other. Thailand Tourism is a must read for anyone planning to visit Thailand, students of tourism, and students of Thailand&’s culture.
Thailand Tourism
by Arthur Asa BergerUnderstand Thailand&’s important symbols, icons, and social practicesThailand&’s culture is unlike any other. Travelers attempting to fully immerse themselves in all that this tourist destination has to offer find it essential to become culturally sensitive. Thailand Tourism provides readers with an indispensable overview of this remarkable land of contrasts. This invaluable text reveals the South East Asian country, its history, its culture, and its people&’s fun-loving perspective of life. The importance of Thai symbols and their meaning, icons and social practices, its proud history of its constitutional monarchy, and its numerous religious temples are examined in detail. This book offers tourists and students of tourism an informative, realistic view of the people, food, entertainment, and scenery of one of the most exotic lands in the world. Thailand was never colonized by a foreign power. Because of the lack of outside influence, this South East Asian nation has fostered a culture thrillingly different from others. Thailand Tourism offers a rare, in-depth look at this unique country and provides the information travelers need to know to easily move about and make their trip memorable. The guide includes helpful typical tourist itineraries illustrating what to expect when booking plans. The Thai viewpoints on sexuality, marriage, and societal changes are analyzed in detail. The issue of violence is discussed, including its ingrained presence in everyday life. Helpful tables detail demographic information from several countries to shed light not only on where travelers originate, but also to study the contrasts with the Thai culture. The book also presents a primer on the semiotics of tourism, and then discusses significant signs and symbols infused in Thai culture including Thai smiles, the royal kingdom of Thailand, Buddhist monks, Buddha statues, and Wats (temples). The importance of elephants in modern Thailand is explored, as well as the importance of the nation&’s ethnic tribes and the cultural significance of the Wai. Thai food, the Thai sex industry, and a comparison between Thailand and America are also examined. The final section presents author Arthur Asa Berger&’s own notes of his travels throughout Thailand with cogent perspectives of the country as a &’monoculture&’. Topics in Thailand Tourism include: a theoretical discussion of tourism statistical data on tourism in Thailand typical tourist itineraries in Thailand perceptions of Thailand in travel literature violence in Thai society analysis of Thai culture such as Thai smile, Wats, Buddha statuesDiscover an exotic, spiritual, sensual country like no other. Thailand Tourism is a must read for anyone planning to visit Thailand, students of tourism, and students of Thailand&’s culture.
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.
This Is Not A Drill: Just Another Glorious Day in the Oilfield
by Paul CarterThe outrageous sequel to Don't Tell Mum I Work on the Rigs (She Thinks I m a Piano Player in a Whorehouse) brings more great stories from the far side of civilization - hilarious, full of humour, colourful characters and dramatic action! Just another glorious day in the oilfield for Paul Carter! He s stuck in the middle of the Russian sea on a rig staffed by a crew from Azerbaijan. The choppers are older than him and can only fly by line of sight, turning back regularly due to the weather which gets particuarly interesting when they are past the point of no return with half there fuel gone and they are committed to finding the rig in a fog that s thicker than a Big Brother housemate. The closest thing to a hotel for miles around is the Asylum , a former soviet mental institution that now houses offshore personnel en-route to the rig, where his room mates are Vodka Bob - who drinks Guinness for breakfast when he s not on the rig - Sick Boy, who snores like a pit bull being hot-waxed and Sealbasher . In his inimitable style Paul Carter regales us with his colourful adventures from the front line of thee oil industry and the far side of civilization!
To the Holy Shrines (Great Journeys Ser.)
by Richard BurtonDisguised as a Persian dervish, Sir Richard Burton (1821-1890) set out to become the first Christian to penetrate the Muslim shrines of Medina and Mecca - a reckless stunt that would have resulted in his being executed if discovered. Endlessly observant, amused, boastful and engaging, Burton here describes his time in Cairo (including a memorable drinking contest with a ferocious Albanian mercenary captain), his crossing of the Red Sea in a crazily overloaded pilgrim boat and his arrival in the fabled Nejd.Great Journeys allows readers to travel both around the planet and back through the centuries – but also back into ideas and worlds frightening, ruthless and cruel in different ways from our own. Few reading experiences can begin to match that of engaging with writers who saw astounding things: Great civilisations, walls of ice, violent and implacable jungles, deserts and mountains, multitudes of birds and flowers new to science. Reading these books is to see the world afresh, to rediscover a time when many cultures were quite strange to each other, where legends and stories were treated as facts and in which so much was still to be discovered.
Tourism and Politics
by Peter M. Burns Marina NovelliTourism and Politics aims to disseminate ideas on the critical discourse of tourism and tourists as they relate to politics, through a series of case studies from around the world written by specialists with an emphasis on linking theory to practice. That tourism is a profoundly important economic sector for most countries and regions of the world is widely accepted, even if some of the detail remains controversial. However, as tourism matures as a subject, the theories underpinning it necessarily need to be more sophisticated; tourism cannot be simply ‘read’ as a business proposition with a series of impacts. Wider questions of politics, power and identity need to be articulated, investigated and answered. While the making and consuming of tourism takes place within complex political milieux with multiple stakeholders competing for benefit, the implications are not fully understood. Literature on tourism and politics is surprisingly limited. This book will make a substantial contribution to the theoretical framework of tourism.
Tourism and Politics
by Peter M. Burnsd Marina NovelliTourism and Politics aims to disseminate ideas on the critical discourse of tourism and tourists as they relate to politics, through a series of case studies from around the world written by specialists with an emphasis on linking theory to practice. That tourism is a profoundly important economic sector for most countries and regions of the world is widely accepted, even if some of the detail remains controversial. However, as tourism matures as a subject, the theories underpinning it necessarily need to be more sophisticated; tourism cannot be simply ‘read’ as a business proposition with a series of impacts. Wider questions of politics, power and identity need to be articulated, investigated and answered. While the making and consuming of tourism takes place within complex political milieux with multiple stakeholders competing for benefit, the implications are not fully understood. Literature on tourism and politics is surprisingly limited. This book will make a substantial contribution to the theoretical framework of tourism.
Tourism in the New Europe
by Rhodri Thomas Marcjanna AugustynThe book represents a state of the art review of key research on small firms in tourism in relation to European integration. It is, therefore, an essential resource for those engaged in research relating to tourism SMEs in transitional economies throughout the world. In addition, it is an essential purchase for the increasing number of students studying modules on small businesses as part of their final year undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. One of the key features of this book is its clear focus on breaking new ground by reporting recent research and theorising on small firms in tourism. In many cases, the analysis provided by contributors will carefully relate small business behaviour to issues of wider concern to tourism academics and policy-makers. It is also distinctive for its overt emphasis on contrasting European experiences. These characteristics contrast with the existing literature on small firms in tourism and hospitality, particularly in Europe. Previous literature achieved their aims by providing valuable syntheses of existing literature. Now that such 'taking of stock' has been undertaken, there is a demand for more overtly research-based texts that are nevertheless accessible to a wide audience. This book does exactly that.
Tourism in the New Europe
by Rhodri Thomas Marcjanna AugustynThe book represents a state of the art review of key research on small firms in tourism in relation to European integration. It is, therefore, an essential resource for those engaged in research relating to tourism SMEs in transitional economies throughout the world. In addition, it is an essential purchase for the increasing number of students studying modules on small businesses as part of their final year undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes. One of the key features of this book is its clear focus on breaking new ground by reporting recent research and theorising on small firms in tourism. In many cases, the analysis provided by contributors will carefully relate small business behaviour to issues of wider concern to tourism academics and policy-makers. It is also distinctive for its overt emphasis on contrasting European experiences. These characteristics contrast with the existing literature on small firms in tourism and hospitality, particularly in Europe. Previous literature achieved their aims by providing valuable syntheses of existing literature. Now that such 'taking of stock' has been undertaken, there is a demand for more overtly research-based texts that are nevertheless accessible to a wide audience. This book does exactly that.
Tourism Management
by Stephen PageTourism Management: managing for change is a complete synthesis of tourism, from its beginnings through to the major impacts it has on today's global community, the environment and economy. Provocative and stimulating, it challenges the conventional thinking and generates reflection, thought and debate. This bestselling book is now in its second edition and has been fully revised with updated statistics and a complete set of brand new case studies. Tourism Management covers the fundamentals of tourism, introducing the following key concepts: * The development of tourism * Tourism supply and demand * Sectors involved: transport, accommodation, government * The future of tourism: including forecasting and future issues affecting the global nature of tourism In a user-friendly, handbook style, each chapter covers the material required for at least one lecture within a degree level course. Written in a jargon-free and engaging style, this is the ultimate student-friendly text, and a vital introduction to this exciting, ever-changing area of study. The text is also accompanied by a companion website packed with extra resources for both students and lecturers. Accredited lecturers can request access to download additional material by going to http://textbooks.elsevier.com to request access.
Tourism Management
by Stephen PageTourism Management: managing for change is a complete synthesis of tourism, from its beginnings through to the major impacts it has on today's global community, the environment and economy. Provocative and stimulating, it challenges the conventional thinking and generates reflection, thought and debate. This bestselling book is now in its second edition and has been fully revised with updated statistics and a complete set of brand new case studies. Tourism Management covers the fundamentals of tourism, introducing the following key concepts: * The development of tourism * Tourism supply and demand * Sectors involved: transport, accommodation, government * The future of tourism: including forecasting and future issues affecting the global nature of tourism In a user-friendly, handbook style, each chapter covers the material required for at least one lecture within a degree level course. Written in a jargon-free and engaging style, this is the ultimate student-friendly text, and a vital introduction to this exciting, ever-changing area of study. The text is also accompanied by a companion website packed with extra resources for both students and lecturers. Accredited lecturers can request access to download additional material by going to http://textbooks.elsevier.com to request access.
Travel Medicine: Tales Behind the Science
Travel to exotic places is fascinating, and equally so are infections and other dangers of exotic travel. Moreover, one need not be traveling to suffer these maladies; sometimes they travel to you. The enormous global mobility demands a public health response. The result is the concept of ‘travel medicine’ as a separate discipline. This book describes the evolution of travel medicine, travel vaccines, malaria prophylaxis and infections of adventure and leisure. This book is unique and different to the standard textbooks on travel medicine. It provides rare insights into many of the behind-the-scenes in travel medicine, personal stories of failures and successes of travel medicine practitioners, the 'real life' tales that unravel the science behind travel medicine. We believe that the best lessons are learned from personal stories.Not every travel is fun. Some travel is for a cause, be it religious or humanitarian, or be it to escape certain political systems. We have added stories on the tragedies of so-called 'undocumented refugees', and stories written by colleagues who were involved in humanitarian care. Pilgrimages attract large number of 'travelers' and yet we know so little about these pilgrimages. Chapters on the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian pilgrimages aim to correct this. Diseases also travel. The spread of global diseases and pandemics is fascinating. This book provides an overview of the pandemics, in particular that of cholera, yellow fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza. Globalization, migration and health lead to a history of disease and disparity in the global village - our world. And what about the revised International Health Regulations- what do we need to know about them in the context of travel medicine?In the next millennium, our world will have inherited further global movement. It may even include travel to aerospace. The 'Epilogue' awakes some of our old dreams - the last frontier, space travel…Annelies Wilder-Smith has lived in China, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, New Zealand, and Switzerland. She is currently based in Singapore from where she continues to travel extensively throughout Asia. She is the Head of the Travellers Health ' Vaccination Centre in Singapore, one of the largest travel clinics in Asia. She was in a unique position to do research on W135 meningococcal disease in Hajj pilgrims during the outbreak. She 'lived through' the SARS epidemic in Singapore. Eli Schwartz is the Director of the Center for Geographic Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Eli is a 'real' tropical medicine specialist. He obtained all his experience in the field, including Nepal, Tibet, and numerous adventure travels to Africa where he prefers to do his studies on the sides of the Omo River.Marc Shaw is a passionate traveler, doctor, actor and observer of fine humor. His favorite pastime is to be an expedition doctor. This has taken him to exotic places such as Namibia, Mongolia, Pitcairn Islands, and to the Amazon. He is the Director of WORLDWIDE Travellers' Health Centres in New Zealand.
Travel Medicine: Tales Behind the Science
by Annelies Wilder-Smith Eli Schwartz Marc ShawTravel to exotic places is fascinating, and equally so are infections and other dangers of exotic travel. Moreover, one need not be traveling to suffer these maladies; sometimes they travel to you. The enormous global mobility demands a public health response. The result is the concept of ‘travel medicine’ as a separate discipline. This book describes the evolution of travel medicine, travel vaccines, malaria prophylaxis and infections of adventure and leisure. This book is unique and different to the standard textbooks on travel medicine. It provides rare insights into many of the behind-the-scenes in travel medicine, personal stories of failures and successes of travel medicine practitioners, the 'real life' tales that unravel the science behind travel medicine. We believe that the best lessons are learned from personal stories.Not every travel is fun. Some travel is for a cause, be it religious or humanitarian, or be it to escape certain political systems. We have added stories on the tragedies of so-called 'undocumented refugees', and stories written by colleagues who were involved in humanitarian care. Pilgrimages attract large number of 'travelers' and yet we know so little about these pilgrimages. Chapters on the Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian pilgrimages aim to correct this. Diseases also travel. The spread of global diseases and pandemics is fascinating. This book provides an overview of the pandemics, in particular that of cholera, yellow fever, severe acute respiratory syndrome and influenza. Globalization, migration and health lead to a history of disease and disparity in the global village - our world. And what about the revised International Health Regulations- what do we need to know about them in the context of travel medicine?In the next millennium, our world will have inherited further global movement. It may even include travel to aerospace. The 'Epilogue' awakes some of our old dreams - the last frontier, space travel…Annelies Wilder-Smith has lived in China, Papua New Guinea, Nepal, New Zealand, and Switzerland. She is currently based in Singapore from where she continues to travel extensively throughout Asia. She is the Head of the Travellers Health ' Vaccination Centre in Singapore, one of the largest travel clinics in Asia. She was in a unique position to do research on W135 meningococcal disease in Hajj pilgrims during the outbreak. She 'lived through' the SARS epidemic in Singapore. Eli Schwartz is the Director of the Center for Geographic Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Aviv University, Israel. Eli is a 'real' tropical medicine specialist. He obtained all his experience in the field, including Nepal, Tibet, and numerous adventure travels to Africa where he prefers to do his studies on the sides of the Omo River.Marc Shaw is a passionate traveler, doctor, actor and observer of fine humor. His favorite pastime is to be an expedition doctor. This has taken him to exotic places such as Namibia, Mongolia, Pitcairn Islands, and to the Amazon. He is the Director of WORLDWIDE Travellers' Health Centres in New Zealand.