A blend of old and new, the dynamic city of Shanghai has grown from a tiny fishing village to China's biggest metropolis. While its futuristic buildings contribute to one of the most dramatic skylines in the world, its old districts are an evocative snapshot of China before its recent economic boom.

Journeys through the American deserts in search of water, exploring its influence on the natural world and its meaning in terms of life and death in these harsh environments.

Discover Paris, where beauty, art and romance meet in the world's most captivating city. With stylish buildings and iconic monuments, France's capital is a cultural beacon. Along bustling streets, Paris offers a sensory feast unmatched by any other destination.

"Boston, present day. A young man from a shadowy government agency shows up at an Ivy League university and offers an eminent professor a lot of money to study a trove of recently discovered old documents. The only condition: the professor must sign an NDA that would preclude him from publishing his findings, should they be significant. The professor refuses and tells the young man to get lost. On his way out, he bumps into a young woman--a low-on-the-totem-pole...

This guide to features an eclectic range of ideas such as self-improvement, sports-related endeavors, natural wonders, cultural experiences, culinary delights, and more. Brief (some as short as one sentence) introductions to an eclectic range of ideas designed to help inspire you to seek out the unique in life. Many are outdoor pursuits that involve sports-related endeavors or natural wonders from around the world. Others focus on cultural experiences...

One of the joys of going on a trip is coming home to share with others your adventures and experiences. Mary Austin felt that way, so when she took an extended trip through an area of the American Southwest, she recorded her impressions in The Land of Journeys' Ending. This is no ordinary travel book and she was no ordinary tourist. Her book goes beyond the descriptions of flora and fauna of the land between the Colorado River and the Rio Grande....

"Behind the seemingly innocuous facade of St. Mary's Institute of Historical Research, a different kind of academic work is taking place. Just don't call it "time travel"--these historians "investigate major historical events in contemporary time." And they aren't your harmless eccentrics either; a more accurate description, as they ricochet around history, might be unintentional disaster-magnets. The Chronicles of St. Mary's tells the chaotic adventures...

A remote place where land and water is frozen for most of the year, Arctic Canada is a breathtaking, unique and truly untamed environment. Vast, sublime horizons of barren, icy white landscape give way in springtime to blossoming flowers and months of summer sunshine, when daylight can last all day and all night.