Walking the World: Memories and Adventures [Paperback]

Alan Cook (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 10, 2003

Named one of the "Top 10 Walking Memoirs and Tales of Long Walks" by the walking website, walking.about.com. "As Tolkien said, not all who wander are lost. Alan Cook is a walker who is always on the Road to Somewhere. (He) inspires us walkers to get moving on our own adventures. My chief reaction to the book is jealousy. I want to lace up my walking shoes and go exploring."—Wendy Bumgardner, Walking Guide at walking.about.com. Walking the World: Memories and Adventures elevates the act of walking from something we do every day without thinking about it to a means for putting more fun and excitement into our lives. And we can become healthier, at the same time. Whoever said, "No pain, no gain," was out to lunch. Whether the subject is learning to walk, walking safely, finding interesting places to walk throughout the world, climbing mountains or taking long walks, Alan Cook writes about it with wit and humor. The book gets exciting when he tells about getting lost in the wilderness of Colorado, and stories of his three long walks (the California coast, Los Angeles to Denver and the British End-to-End) and Ethan Loewenthal’s walk of the Appalachian Trail will make you want to get off your couch and follow their routes.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

My mysteries don't usually star crime fighting professionals. The protagonist is everyman--or woman--thrown into a situation new to him or her, involving suspense, and often murder. They must rely on their wits and newfound courage to put their shattered worlds back together. The partial exception to the amateur theme is Run into Trouble, in which Drake and Melody are former undercover operatives.
 

I use both male and female protagonists, and in some cases, a combination. Following is a one-liner about the sex of the protagonist(s) and theme in each of my mysteries:
 
Relatively Dead--female--finding relatives who are dying and possibly scamming.
Forget to Remember--female--amnesia mystery. Facing the world as a non-person.
Run into Trouble--couple--the Cold War turns hot on the California coast.
Honeymoon for Three--couple--honeymooners with a stalker.
The Hayloft--male--murder in high school in the fifties.
Hotline to Murder--couple--murder on a crisis hotline.
Aces and Knaves--male--murder in San Francisco.
Catch a Falling Knife--female--sexual harassment and murder in college.
Thirteen Diamonds--female--murder in a retirement community.
 

Series? Carol Golden is the protagonist in Forget to Remember and Relatively Dead. Gary Blanchard is featured as the protagonist in The Hayloft, and ten years later, in Honeymoon for Three. Lillian Morgan, a retired math professor, is the protagonist in Thirteen Diamonds and Catch a Falling Knife.

About the Author

After spending more than a quarter of a century as a pioneer in the computer industry, Alan Cook is well into his second career as a writer. As a mystery writer, he has written two books in the Gary Blanchard series, The Hayloft; a 1950s mystery and Honeymoon for Three. In The Hayloft, Gary is a high school senior who gets kicked out of one school and has to enroll in another—the school where his cousin, Ralph, died mysteriously six months before. In Honeymoon for Three, it is ten years later and Gary and his love, Penny, going on the trip of their lives, while unbeknownst to them they are being followed by their stalker with a bellybutton fetish. Hot line to Murder takes place at a crisis hotline in Bonita Beach, California. When a listener is murdered, Tony and Shahla team up to uncover the strange worlds of their callers and find the killer. His Lillian Morgan mysteries, Catch a Falling Knife and Thirteen Diamonds, explore the secrets of retirement communities. Lillian, a retired mathematics professor from North Carolina, is smart, opinionated, and loves to solve puzzles, even when they involve murder. In addition to Walking the World: Memories and Adventures, Alan is also the author of Walking to Denver, a light-hearted, fictional account of a walk he did. Freedom's Light: Quotations from History's Champions of Freedom, contains quotations from some of our favorite historical figures about personal freedom. And The Saga of Bill the Hermit is a narrative poem about a hermit who decides that the single life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Alan lives with his wife, Bonny, on a hill in Southern California. His website is alancook.50megs.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 332 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (November 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1414020406
• ISBN-13: 978-1414020402
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,612,099 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After spending more than a quarter of a century as a pioneer in the computer industry, Alan Cook is well into his second career as a writer. Alan has written a number of mysteries, including "Relatively Dead," "Forget to Remember," "Run into Trouble," "Honeymoon for Three,"The Hayloft," "Hotline to Murder," "Catch a Falling Knife" and "Thirteen Diamonds." "Run into Trouble" received a Silver Quill award from the American Authors Association and was named Top Pacific West book by Readers Choice. "Honeymoon for Three" received a Silver Quill award from the American Authors Association and was named Top Mountain West book by Readers Choice. Alan's short story, 'Hot Days, Cold Nights,' appears in the Mystery Writers of America anthology, "A Hot and Sultry Night for Crime," edited by Jeffery Deaver. Alan splits his time between writing and walking, another passion. His inspirational book, "Walking the World: Memories and Adventures," has information and adventure in equal parts. It has been named one of the 'Top 10 Walking Memoirs and Tales of Long Walks' by the walking website, walking.about.com. He is also the author of "Walking to Denver," a light-hearted fictional account of a walk he did. "Freedom's Light: Quotations from History's Champions of Freedom," contains quotations from some of our favorite historical figures about personal freedom. And "The Saga of Bill the Hermit" is a narrative poem about a hermit who decides that the single life isn't all it's cracked up to be. Alan lives with his wife, Bonny, on a hill in Southern California.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So many walks, so little time, January 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking the World: Memories and Adventures (Paperback)

Alan Cook has condensed a lifetime of footsteps into his book, and I ache to echo his footsteps with my own. From his own backyard to exotic destinations around the globe, Alan and his family have strolled, ambled, hiked, and climbed to explore nooks and crannies most of us miss as we run, drive, or fly through life. I heartily recommend this book to anyone who enjoys travel reading and to walkers in particular.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Joys of Walking, March 10, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Walking the World: Memories and Adventures (Paperback)

Alan Cook's book, Walking the World, is an ode to the joys of walking. A lifelong walker, Alan takes the reader along with him on his travels across the United States as well as to Europe and Asia. You can join in his pleasure, and sometimes pain, as he walks the length of California, or from Land's End in Cornwall to John o'Groats in Scotland. This is a very entertaining read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love This Book!, October 1, 2010

By 

SanDiegoJesse - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Walking the World: Memories and Adventures (Kindle Edition)

I found this author by accident. A pleasant surprise. I ordered one of his mysteries (Thirteen Diamonds) and then read his bio. I love to walk and saw that he is a walker as well, with a book on the topic. Honestly? I feel like I am walking with him when reading this book, and I want to travel the world now - walking it this time. I've ordered more of his mysteries and enjoy his writing style immensely. Thanks for a verbal walking excursion throughout the world and its treasures. (Update: I would have liked to find out a little about how he prepared for his walks and what eventualities he anticipated logistically. A little bit about his thoughts as he walked. I enjoyed the poems.)