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Terra Incognita
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Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of carrying only opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends - why the world's population is increasing; how many young women go to school; how many of us live in poverty - we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers.
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Performance
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Story
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Performance
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Story
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Interesting and insightful if a bit rushed
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Summary
Sara Wheeler visited Antarctica as a guest of America's National Science Foundation and soon after her arrival fell in love with the frozen landscape and it's harsh beauty. During her seven month stay the author travelled to the various national sectors, visited several national bases and experienced four seasons. The author has a reverence for the early explorer and visits many historic landmarks in her journey across Antartica. Her writing is fresh and humorous and brings an insight into this intriguing continent.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- ladybird123
- Nottingham
- 02-06-15
Fabulous book, deep and hilarious all at the same time
I came to this book with zero expectations. Simply looking for a good book about Antarctica which wasn't written by yet another macho male explorer. This couldn't have been a more perfect find. Sara's descriptions and historical anecdotes make you feel like you're there with her. And paired with the occasional hilarious remark about her frequently all-male environment it makes for a great audiobook. I've sat contemplating with her, and finally found a writer who like me is sick to death of what she calls the "frozen beards" (men out to see who can get the most dead in a quest for their manliness..!). She makes the whole tale feel so alive by bringing in elements of past explorers writings :) my new favourite book by far!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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- jenny sanders
- 29-03-15
enthralling
I enjoyed travelling to antarctica and Living on scientific bases with Sara. She had read extensively about antarctic exploration and shared her knowledg seamlessly with her own acutely observed experience of living and working on antarctica. I loved the book learnt a lot and gained new understanding of the world from sarah's acute observation and superb narration. I also found her observation and description of entrenched chauvinism and the continued working of privilege and the class system as seen on the BAS base to be absolutely spot on.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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- nick
- 04-06-19
The ultimate head-space
The author captures the Great White South perfectly, hinting at the Otherness of antarctic life, whilst describing it in such a familiar and beautiful manner.
A must for any travel enthusiast.
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- Dilbert
- 07-12-19
Skip at all cost.
I expect some well researched descriptions of the “terra Incognita” mixed with first hand living experiences.
50% of the book is collection of insipid accounts of the author’s life spent in Antarctica (she cooked this for the people in this camp and bought that in the airport of that trip). Another 40% is some account of the people living there include diary excerpts from the like of Scott and Amundsen. Even this is decidedly uninformative and positively uninteresting.
The little crumb of interesting information about the fascinating things in Antarctica is just too diluted to be worth trudging through the rest.
Thankfully Audible allows return.
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- Irish Girl
- 10-03-18
Exquisite Reflection Fractured by Narrator
This book was my constant companion as I explored Patagonia and Antarctica for nearly a month. The history of the region is beautifully interwoven with the author’s reflections and contemporary experiences. Sadly, I found the narrator’s voice incompatible with the author’s written words. I had a difficult time reconciling the Downton Abby voice with the very adventures and hip narrative. This resulted at times in a sort of cognitive dissonance.