In The Art of Exploration ex-soldier and explorer Levison Wood collates all the lessons he has learned from his journeys so far. Having written five books on his individual journeys, Levison recalls the most important learning points, on themes ranging from leadership and team-building to conceptual risk and spirituality, drawing on examples and anecdotes from across continents and cultures.
Levison has always been inspired by the travels and tales of legendary explorers from Livingstone, Shackleton and Scott to modern-day figures like Ranulph Fiennes and John Blashford-Snell, and passes on lessons he has learned both from them and his own experiences on the road, to the next generation of explorers.
'By travelling at the slowest means on my journeys I have had the joy and pleasure of meeting thousands of inspiring and hopeful individuals along the way, in some of the most poverty-stricken and war-torn countries in the world. It's from these humbling characters - shepherds, soldiers and fishermen; and my walking companions like Boston, the Congolese refugee and Binod my Nepali guide that I have learnt so much about how to approach life both on the road and back home.'
Many lessons of course are learned the hard way, through trial and error - and making plenty of mistakes. It's through tragedy and loss that the biggest lessons are learned. In this book he talks about his own regrets and blunders that have resulted in growth and development and made him a better person. The Art of Exploration will bare all on the tough times and how Levison ended up dealing with them, providing both a reflective and entertaining account of life on the road.
