Book Review: Echoes from Far Lands: Stories on Cultures, Farming, and Life by Ridley Nelson

ABOUT THE BOOK

This ornately-detailed book guides you through the cultures and farming of five different continents. The author brings you on a rich, sparkling voyage from his birthplace in Australia, to Egypt, to English boarding schools, and to sheep stations in Australia. Walk onto a merchant ship, or into a charming English pub or tranquil village church. Glimpse the lives of African smallholder farmers and the amazing Maasai tribe. Join the author for wildlife tales told around a campfire in Kenya. Hear and absorb the wise words of a progressive women’s group in India. You will discover accounts from a vast array of human life intertwined with heart, humor and warm wit. In this first-hand, wayfaring expedition, watch in horror as an aircraft explodes in the sky, cast a line for trout in elephant and lion country, observe the human side of war through the author’s military ancestors, and, near the conclusion of you journey, take a deep breath and settle into a profound final chapter that contemplates meaning and life.

Join the author on this ride. It will be the journey of a lifetime.

ridleynelson.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ridley Nelson has British and Australian citizenships and lives in America. He has lived in England, Australia, Egypt, India, Tanzania, Kenya and America and has visited ninety-five countries. In his youth, he worked as a jackaroo on sheep properties in Australia and took a working passage on a merchant ship. Over his career he worked as an agriculturalist and agricultural economist for several organizations including two commercial companies, the World Bank and a British overseas aid program. Now in semi-retirement he works as a rural development and project evaluation consultant.

He sails a Laser dinghy, is a fly fisher and surf fisher, and continues an amateur interest in elephants and wildlife management. While he has authored published professional reports and papers, Echoes From Far Lands is his first book,

He writes poetry, more for the creative challenge than for publication, but three have been published. He has been a guest lecturer on a cruise ship.

He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife Laila, an American citizen originally from Afghanistan.

He is available to give talks about subjects covered in the book, particularly about smallholder farming in Eastern Africa, African pastoralists and the Maasai tribe, and elephants.

MY THOUGHTS

I took an Anthropology class in college that I enjoyed very much. I love learning about different cultures. This book gave a great perspective of other ways in the world. The author covers two parts of his life. He writes about how he gained his expertise in agricultural sciences through his studies in the UK. He also writes about his excursions to Australia and the USA during those studies. He then writes about how he used those studies to develop his career. I found this book absolutely fascinating. I loved learning about his life - how he started and how he got to where he is. I loved learning about all his experiences. This is a wonderful read. I received a copy of this book through the publisher, Mascot Books all thoughts are my own.