Peter Willems is down on his luck. The Dutch clerk has been fired for embezzlement from his job in the Indonesian port city of Makassar, and his scornful wife has abandoned him. Willems' despair lifts after an encounter with Tom Lingard, a sea captain who operates a remote trading post. Lingard hires the drifter to act as his agent, entrusting Willems with knowledge of the secret route across dangerous waters to the post. Once installed in his new...

"As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she craved--to be an explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and metaphysician--had gone extinct. From what she could tell of the world from small-town Ontario, the likes of Marco Polo and Magellan had mapped the whole earth; there was nothing left to be discovered. Looking beyond this planet, she decided to become a scientist and go to Mars. In between studying at Oxford and MIT, Harris set off by bicycle...

The irresistible novel that was adapted into a major motion picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Khao San Road, Bangkok — first stop for the hordes of rootless young Westerners traveling in Southeast Asia. On Richard's first night there, in a low-budget guest house, a fellow traveler slashes his wrists, bequeathing to Richard a meticulously drawn map to "the Beach."
The Beach, as Richard has come to learn, is the subject of a legend...

Juan Cabrillo and his motley crew aboard the clandestine spy ship Oregon have made a very comfortable and very dangerous living working for high-powered Western interests. But their newest clients have come from the Far East to ask for Cabrillo's special brand of assistance: a consortium of Japanese shipping magnates whose fortunes are being threatened by brutal pirates trolling the waters of Southeast Asia. Normally, such attacks on the high seas...

Unearthing the perfectly preserved body of a female warrior in Southeast Asia, archaeologist Riley Smith and Eve Duncan seek answers about this extraordinary past life, leading Riley to make a discovery that will change history--if she can survive long enough to share it with the world. "Traveling to an island in Southeast Asia, archaeologist Riley Smith is aware of the threat from treasure hunters who have no qualms about killing to get what they...

"From the author of The Almost Nearly Perfect People, a lively tour through Japan, Korea, and China, exploring the intertwined cultures and often fraught history of these neighboring countries. There is an ancient Chinese proverb that states, "Two tigerscannot share the same mountain." However, in East Asia, there are three tigers on that mountain: China, Japan, and Korea, and they have a long history of turmoil and tension with each other. In his...

"Today ten times more tigers live in captivity than survive in the wild. For over five decades, K. Ullas Karanth has been engaged in the struggle to bring wild tigers back from the brink in India, their last remaining wild stronghold. He tells the story of the tiger itself--its incredible biology, its critical role in shaping natural ecosystems of Asia, and the unique place it holds in our collective imagination. Among Tigers is the story of how we...

Presents an introduction to Asia, describing its climate, landforms, plants, animals, and people.

"Combining the humor and warmth of Bringing Up Baby with the insight of The Smartest Kids in the World, World Class is a firsthand exploration of how American schools are failing our children, and what parents can learn from the Asian education system to help our children excel in today's competitive world"--

"Where is Mandarin spoken? Where do tigers live? What is the longest river in Asia? This book answers these questions and more as it introduces young readers to the continent of Asia through age-appropriate maps, engaging photographs, and simple text. Topics covered within the book include where the continent is, climate, geography, animals and plants, countries, people and languages, natural resources, cities, and famous places"--