For one thousand years, the Milu - an exotic species of deer with the neck of a camel, horns of a stag, feet of a cow, and tail of a donkey - existed only in the Chinese emperors private park in Beijing. But in the nineteenth century, a Basque missionary risked his life to obtain a specimen, then embalmed it and sent it to Paris. The preserved remains caused quite a stir, and soon every major nation in Europe possessed a Milu. But most died quickly, and due to war - most notably the Boxer Rebellion - they became extinct in their native habitat as well. Yet the eleventh duke of Bedford was devoted to preserving the Milu. Under his care at Woburn Abbey, a herd flourished, and nearly a century later, in 1986, part of the British herd was returned to China. In his fascinating tale, Robert Twigger poignantly recounts the story of this strange and rare animal while providing a riveting meditation on evolution, truth-telling, extinction, myth-making, and survival.

The Extinction Club: A Tale of Deer, Lost Books, and a Rather Fine Canary Yellow Sweater

Humor & Entertainment

Twigger, Robert

Humor

Harper-perennial

Want to be a lifelong learner? Think small. Forget spending 10,000 hours in the pursuit of perfecting just one thing. The true path to success and achievement lies in the pursuit of perfecting lots and lots of small things--for a big payoff. Combining positive psychology, neuroscience, self-help and more, this delightfully illuminating book encourages us to circumvent all the reasons we "can't" learn and grow (we're too busy, it's too complicated, we're not experts, we didn't start when we were young) -- by tackling small, satisfying skills. Wish you were a seasoned chef? Learn to make a perfect omelette. Dream of being a racecar driver? Perfect a handbrake turn. Wish you could draw? Make Zen circles your first challenge. These small, doable tasks offer a big payoff -- and motivate us to keep learning and growing, with payoffs that include a boost in optimism, confidence, memory, cognitive skills, and more. Filled with surprising insights and even a compendium of micromastery skills to try yourself, this engaging and inspiring guide reminds us of the simple joy of learning -- and opens the door to limitless, lifelong achievement, one small step at a time. Micromasteries presented in the book (with illustrations) include: Learn How to Climb a Rope, Surf Standing Up, Talk for Fifteen Minutes about Any Subject, Bake Artisan Bread, Juggle Four Balls, Learn to Read Japanese in Three Hours, and more.

Micromastery: Learn Small, Learn Fast, and Unlock Your Potential to Achieve Anything

Self-Help

Happiness

TarcherPerigee

'Micromastery is a triumph. A brilliant idea, utterly convincing, and superbly carried through' - Philip Pullman We read that we must be passionate about only one thing, that 10,000 hours of hard practice is needed to achieve mastery. But in fact most successful people, including Nobel prize winners, nurture multiple areas of knowledge and activity that feed their central subject. Whether it's making a perfect soufflé, dancing a tango or lighting a fire, when we take the time to cultivate small and quantifiable areas of expertise, we change everything. We become faster and more fearless learners, spot more creative opportunities, improve our brain health and boost our happiness. We see knowledge itself completely differently. The skills acquired in painting a door flawlessly or growing delicious chillies will unexpectedly transform your life. So start small. Start specific. But start - and you'll be on the path to mastery.

Micromastery: Learn Small, Learn Fast, and Find the Hidden Path to Happiness

Success

Penguin Uk

Micromastery

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Penguin Life

White Mountain

A sweeping biography of the Himalayas by the acclaimed author of Angry White Pyjamas.Home to mythical kingdoms, wars and expeditions, and strange and magical beasts, the Himalayas have always loomed tall in our imagination.  These mountains, home to Buddhists, Bonpos, Jains, Muslims, Hindus, shamans and animists, to name only a few, are a place of pilgrimage and dreams, revelation and war, massacre and invasion, but also peace and unutterable calm. They are a central hub of the world’s religion, as well as a climber’s challenge and a traveler’s dream.  In an exploration of the region's seismic history, Robert Twigger, author of Red Nile and Angry White Pyjamas, unravels some of these seemingly disparate journeys and the unexpected links between them. Following a winding path across the Himalayas to its physical end in Nagaland on the Indian-Burmese border, Twigger encounters incredible stories from a unique cast of mountaineers and mystics, pundits and prophets. The result is a sweeping, enthralling and surprising journey through the history of the world's greatest mountain range. 8 pages of photographs

History

Asia

Dr Ragab's Universal Language

Charlatan. Guru. Master of disguise. Ahead of his time, wise beyond his years, a simple opportunist or the great pretender; however you choose to see him, one fact is certain: Dr Ragab is a mysterious man. Talked about by pretty much everyone in 1920s Cairo, only a few get the chance to make his acquaintance, and fewer still -- one person, in fact -- get to study his life lessons. Hertwig is that lucky soul. Or not so lucky, perhaps: not when he finds himself, at the very end of the second world war, imprisoned in a bunker in Germany by a gang of thugs. To make matters worse, it`s not just any bunker; it`s Hertwig`s own bunker, and he`s built it to be 100% escape-proof. And yet... there is a possible way out. Not in the conventional sense, it`s true, but when you`re holed up several feet underground, unsure of how long your captors plan to keep you alive, convention isn`t necessarily a good thing, as Dr Ragab would be the first to proclaim -- and it`s his universal language that may just provide Hertwig with the escape route he needs. 
As unconventional as the eponymous Ragab, Robert Twigger`s novel takes the reader on a surreal journey, exploring such diverse topics as far right ideologies, middle east mysticism and the art of communicating via food preparation and presentation. Clever, funny and thought-provoking, Dr Ragab`s Universal Language is, in every sense, beyond belief: part tall tale and part self-help manual, it is, like Dr R himself, impossible to pin down -- or, indeed, to put down.

Literature & Fiction

Picador Hardbacks

Clever, funny, and thought-provoking,this quirky tale about the power of the mind is both larger than life and beyond belief, it is, like Dr. R himself, impossible to pin down—or, indeed, to put downCharlatan, guru, master of disguise, a simple opportunist or the great pretender— however one chooses to see him, one fact is certain: Dr. Ragab is a mysterious man. Talked about by everyone in 1920s Cairo, only a few get the chance to make his acquaintance, and fewer still—one person, in fact—get to study his life lessons. Hertwig is that lucky soul—or not so lucky, perhaps, not when he finds himself, at the very end of the second world war, imprisoned in a bunker by a gang of thugs. And yet there is a possible way out. Not in the conventional sense, it's true, but when you're holed up several feet underground, unsure of how long your captors plan to keep you alive, convention isn't necessarily a good thing, as Dr. Ragab would be the first to proclaim—and it's his Universal Language that may just provide Hertwig with the escape route he needs. As unconventional as the eponymous Ragab, this novel takes the reader on a surreal journey from Ealing to Egypt, via Germany.

Literary

Picador

Stories of the thrills and hardships faced by modern expeditions that continue to enhance our understanding of the world around us, now in a compact edition. This book profiles forty modern explorers who have disproved the idea that there is nowhere left to discover. Some are experienced and celebrated worldwide, while others are just starting to make their mark. The Modern Explorers&nbsp;delves into challenging and extraordinary expeditions to the remotest parts of the world by explorers from the United States, Australia, China, France, and beyond. Nine thematic sections cover all terrains: Polar, Desert, Rainforest, Mountain, Ocean, River, Under Sea, Under Land, and Lost Worlds. Written mainly by the explorers themselves, these accounts provide unique insight into what it is like to join an expedition, from being dragged through the top of the rainforest canopy in an inflatable raft suspended from a balloon to pedaling a boat across the Pacific to standing on the edge of an erupting volcano.

Modern Explorers

HANBURY-TENISON, Robin

World

Thames&Hudson

Stories of the thrills and hardships faced by modern expeditions that continue to enhance our understanding of the world around us This book profiles thirty-nine modern explorers who have disproved the idea that there is nowhere left to discover and explore. Some are greatly experienced and are celebrated worldwide, while others are young or less well known and just starting to make their mark. Here are challenging and extraordinary expeditions to the remotest parts of the world by explorers from the United States, Australia, China, France, and beyond. Eight thematic sections cover all terrains: Polar, Desert, Rainforest, Mountain, Ocean, River, Under Sea, Under Land, and Lost Worlds. Written mainly by the explorers themselves, the accounts provide a unique insight into what it is actually like to join an expedition, from being dragged through the top of the rainforest canopy in an inflatable raft suspended from a balloon to pedaling a boat across the Pacific to standing on the edge of an erupting volcano. Their stories are supplemented with dramatic expedition photographs, many capturing the moment of discovery or danger. 268 illustrations, 256 in color

The Modern Explorers

The reticulated python is thought to be the longest snake in the world. After the capture of a 28-foot member of the species in the swamps of South East Asia in 1912, President Roosevelt established a $1000 reward for the capture of a 30-foot python. Eighty-seven years later the award remains unclaimed (having risen in increments to $50,000) and Robert Twigger, after being apprenticed to a bunch of former headhunters turned expert snake catchers, heads into the remote jungles of Indonesia armed with only a tin of High Toast Snuff (deadly if sniffed by a snake) in search of his prey. Along the way, he investigates the legendary beautiful women of Sulawesi, treads in Nabakov's footsteps through the remote area of Bone, looks for giant snakes beneath the sewers of Kuala Lumpur, and spends time with a variety of snake catchers and cults. After being caught up in anti-Chinese riots, surviving on greasy civet cat in the jungle, Twigger finally comes face to face with the big one. But the final capture is not what he quite had in mind.

Big Snake the Hunt for the Worlds Longest Python

Crafts, Hobbies & Home

Pets & Animal Care

Victor Gollancz

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Twigger, Robert. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Twigger, Robert

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Twigger, Robert. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Extinction Club: A Tale of Deer, Lost Books, and a Rather Fine Canary Yellow Sweater

Micromastery: Learn Small, Learn Fast, and Unlock Your Potential to Achieve Anything

Micromastery: Learn Small, Learn Fast, and Find the Hidden Path to Happiness

Micromastery

White Mountain

Dr Ragab's Universal Language

Dr Ragab's Universal Language

Modern Explorers

The Modern Explorers

Big Snake the Hunt for the Worlds Longest Python