Around the World in 80 Days (Classic Collection) [Audiobook, MP3 Audio, Unabridged] [MP3 CD]

Jules Verne (Author), David Colacci (Reader)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 25, 2005 | Series: Classic Collection

Verne's most outrageous "voyage extraordinaire" - a hasty world tour taken up on a gentlemen's club wager! Mr. Phileas Fogg, master of precision, enters into the strangest wager ever made over the whist table - that he will circle the globe in 80 days. The news astounds Jean Passepartout, sometime wandering minstrel, bareback rider, funambulist, gymnast and fireman, now turned valet to Mr. Fogg in the expectancy of a quiet and well-regulated life. For the next 80 days, their lives are anything but quiet or well-regulated. Jules Verne preferred to call himself an author of "voyages extraordinaires." An extraordinary voyage it is, from Fogg's announcement to Passepartout that they are to "leave for Dover in ten minutes," to his triumphant return to the Reform Club at the last second!

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Often labeled the "father of science fiction," Jules Verne was less concerned with the gadgets of science than with its effect of people. His fantasies explored the possibilities in a way that excited the imaginations of generations of readers and paved the way for the host of writers that followed in his footsteps.

Product Details

• MP3 CD
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio on MP3-CD Lib Ed; Library edition (November 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1597370401
• ISBN-13: 978-1597370400
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,216,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jules Verne's Guide to Successful Project Management, June 11, 2008

By 

China Reader (Western US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Around the World in Eighty Days (Signet Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

I just read Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. Besides a great book and a fun read, I found there to be a number of principles in there that are useful for managing and executing any project or undertaking. Without giving away too much of the book if you haven't yet read it, here it goes:

1) Singleness of purpose: Phileas Fogg had one goal in mind. It was not to tour the world and learn about new cultures. It was to win the bet with the Reform Club that he could circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less. Granted he may have missed out on some chances to learn a new language or receive insight into the way others live, but that was not his goal and he knew it.

2) Availability of resources: It's true that money can't buy you love but it can buy a heckuva lot of other things! Having the cash that he did bailed him and Passapourt out of many a jam throughout their adventure. You should always count the cost before taking on any venture in terms of financial and human resources.

3) Keep a cool head: If Phileas Fogg was nothing else it was unflappable, composed, self-possessed, and cool-as-a-cucumber. No matter what the obstacle, he never lost his composure. Bringing a project in on time and within budget means dealing with all of the issues that come up with coolness, logic, and good decision-making.

4) Openess to risk: Phileas Fogg was willing to risk his entire venture to save the woman Auoda from death. He was not reckless, however! He was able to work himself into a position to take this risk by getting ahead of schedule where he could afford to try and save the woman. Success in this venture leads to one of the greatest benefits of the entire voyage although he does not know it at the time.

5) Expect the unexpected: Early in the tale when confronted with all the uncertainties involved in his proposed endeavor, Phileas states simply that "The unforeseen does not exist." What he means is that every roadblock can be anticipated with enough foresight. Likewise, we can use careful planning to mitigate many of the possible pitfalls for any given project we undertake.

A great exercise would be to have your young reader (11 or older) read the book and see if they can pull any of these principles out and use it as a discussion starter. Enjoy Jules' fun classic of adventure!!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A TIMELESS CLASSIC, April 7, 2008

By 

Kay's Husband (Virginia, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

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This review is from: Around the World in Eighty Days (Signet Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

Anyone having seen the movie of the 1950's starring David Niven will be quite familiar with this novel from Jules Verne. None-the-less, the story is a pleasure to read whether one knows the outcome or not.

Jules Verne had wanted to be a writer from childhood but to please his parents (his father was a lawyer) studied to become a lawyer. Trying to combine the requirements of the law and the desires of his heart, he worked for awhile as a lawyer while writing, but eventually switched over to full time writing.

He began to write books of adventure and daring, which led to a string of books some have called 'extraordinary voyages', which include Voyage Around the World, Five Weeks In A Balloon, Journey To The Center Of The Earth, and 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. One of the later novels in this long series was the present novel, written from a serious viewpoint but also with touch of comedy, an element previously unknown in the writings of Jules Verne. He confessed to picking up the idea of the story while in a cafe, that it was now possible (1872) to travel around the world in 80 days. With the writing of this novel, Jules Verne, wrote the most popular novel of any of his many books; and to this day, the book remains a classic. One of the unusual features of the story is the manner in which Verne uses, as did Edgar Allen Poe earlier, the international date line to have a major influence on the outcome of the story.

One of the more surprising facts of Jules Verne's life is that he did not travel, even living in Paris amounted to too much noise and busy activity, so he moved north of the city 80 miles or so to his wife's hometown of Amiens, there to live out the remainder of his life in peace and quiet. The closest he got to any travel was the railroad that daily ran past his house. Yes, the author of so many travel and adventure stories never, ever, went traveling himself. So if you read that this most popular novel of his is an armchair adventure book, you can believe it. For its author never ventured forth, with only a couple exceptions, from his armchair either!

Semper Fi.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, August 6, 2011

By 

Little Beaver (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Around the World in Eighty Days (Signet Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)

If you have ever had the desire for travel outside of your own borders and have an appreciation for creative thinking, then this is must read for you! By reading this Jules Verne classic, you'll be taking your mind and your heart on a much needed and worthy vacation.