Signs of Life: To the Ends of the Earth with a Doctor
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- Author：Stephen Fabes
- ISBN：178816122X
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Summary
They say that being a good doctor boils down to just four things: Shut up， listen， know something， care。
The same could be said for life on the road， too。
When Stephen Fabes left his job as a junior doctor and set out to cycle around the world， frontline medicine quickly faded from his mind。 Of more pressing concern were the daily challenges of life as an unfit rider on an overloaded bike， helplessly in thrall to pastries。 But leaving medicine behind is not as easy as it seems。
As he roves continents， he finds people whose health has suffered through exile， stigma or circumstance， and others， whose lives have been saved through kindness and community。 After encountering a frozen body of a monk in the Himalayas， he is drawn ever more to healthcare at the margins of the world， to crumbling sanitoriums and refugee camps， to city dumps and war-torn hospital wards。 And as he learns the value of listening to lives - not just solving diagnostic puzzles - Stephen challenges us to see care for the sick as a duty born of our humanity， and our compassion。
The same could be said for life on the road， too。
When Stephen Fabes left his job as a junior doctor and set out to cycle around the world， frontline medicine quickly faded from his mind。 Of more pressing concern were the daily challenges of life as an unfit rider on an overloaded bike， helplessly in thrall to pastries。 But leaving medicine behind is not as easy as it seems。
As he roves continents， he finds people whose health has suffered through exile， stigma or circumstance， and others， whose lives have been saved through kindness and community。 After encountering a frozen body of a monk in the Himalayas， he is drawn ever more to healthcare at the margins of the world， to crumbling sanitoriums and refugee camps， to city dumps and war-torn hospital wards。 And as he learns the value of listening to lives - not just solving diagnostic puzzles - Stephen challenges us to see care for the sick as a duty born of our humanity， and our compassion。
Reviews
William Drehmel
，
6 years riding across the continents by a British ER doctor。 Pretty entertaining。 He was looking for answers to life。 He found nice and not so nice people across the world and he is asking that we all show more understanding to people of other cultures and social status which is a good thing。
Denise Chojnacki
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Six years navigating the world on a bike。。。。inspiring or insane？ If you are a good author， you are bound to make it sound inspirational to those of us who would not entertain such a bold adventure。 Stephen Fabes takes you on a journey of that six years that feels literally like a whirlwind。 His accounts are entertaining yet move along at a good pace; you never get bogged down in one place。 Some of his experiences felt harrowing but he made it through well。 I love the fact that he included pictur Six years navigating the world on a bike。。。。inspiring or insane？ If you are a good author， you are bound to make it sound inspirational to those of us who would not entertain such a bold adventure。 Stephen Fabes takes you on a journey of that six years that feels literally like a whirlwind。 His accounts are entertaining yet move along at a good pace; you never get bogged down in one place。 Some of his experiences felt harrowing but he made it through well。 I love the fact that he included pictures！ Sometimes you get this great journal of people and places with no images to help you see what the author saw。 The photos are quality as well so that made it even more appealing。 This was a fairly long read but it really moved along。 A really good story overall。 。。。more
Karen
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This book has no soul。 I read the entire first section of him biking from London to the southern part of Africa and still have no feel for anything he saw， experienced or felt。 He gave some facts of the travel， mentioned some people， and spouted out random bits of history， but none of it was spoken with any real interest or passion。I don't have any hope that the rest of the book will offer much more。 So I'm turning it in。This book gets good reviews from many people， so maybe this is what they wa This book has no soul。 I read the entire first section of him biking from London to the southern part of Africa and still have no feel for anything he saw， experienced or felt。 He gave some facts of the travel， mentioned some people， and spouted out random bits of history， but none of it was spoken with any real interest or passion。I don't have any hope that the rest of the book will offer much more。 So I'm turning it in。This book gets good reviews from many people， so maybe this is what they wanted or like。 But it's not for me。 。。。more
Theresa
，
A beautifully written tale of a fledgling British doctor who begins a tour around the world in a snow storm that takes him 6 years。 The story focusses on the journey itself but also contains social commentary on the kindness of many people he encountered who housed and fed him despite， by first world standards， having little themselves as well as on fellow travelers present and past。 One missed aspect was the medical follow up when Dr。 Fabes reached the end of his journey。 Before he left， he un A beautifully written tale of a fledgling British doctor who begins a tour around the world in a snow storm that takes him 6 years。 The story focusses on the journey itself but also contains social commentary on the kindness of many people he encountered who housed and fed him despite， by first world standards， having little themselves as well as on fellow travelers present and past。 One missed aspect was the medical follow up when Dr。 Fabes reached the end of his journey。 Before he left， he underwent a thorough medical testing with the plan to examine the impact of his regime at the end。 There was no mention of a second exam。 There was less medical commentary than I had hoped for so I hope Dr。 Fabes is working on another book on the British medical system。 。。。more
Kristal Kraft
，
Loved the book！ It was well written and fun to read。 I rode around the world in 2000， also spanning 6 continents。 My trip was cushy compared to Stephen’s！ I think after 6-years on a bike arriving back to reality would be very difficult！ I wish him well。
David Ryan
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Wanderlust in the extreme！ Six years spent bicycling around the globe， some 53，000 miles， across 102 international borders （just after finishing med school yet！）。 Enduring untold hardships， hazards and the “worldwide human condition。” Talk about true grit！ Fabes is indomitable， resolute， stoic and， above all， a born writer， possessing a natural gift with words and phrases （subtle， wry and outright laughable）。 The writing is thoroughly engaging。 Alas， there’s no index （inexcusable for a “travel b Wanderlust in the extreme！ Six years spent bicycling around the globe， some 53，000 miles， across 102 international borders （just after finishing med school yet！）。 Enduring untold hardships， hazards and the “worldwide human condition。” Talk about true grit！ Fabes is indomitable， resolute， stoic and， above all， a born writer， possessing a natural gift with words and phrases （subtle， wry and outright laughable）。 The writing is thoroughly engaging。 Alas， there’s no index （inexcusable for a “travel book”）， no detailed maps of his journey （save a sketch）， and the photos leave you wanting。 。。。more
Isabel O’Keeffe
，
I saw Stephen Fabes speak at the Adventure Travel Show 2018 and have been looking forward to his book being published。 A tale of cycling six continents， Faves strikes a balance of laugh out loud moments and reflective questioning of his journey and the places and people he meets。 I like his idea of， ‘shut up， listen， know something， care’ making both a good doctor and a good adventurer。
David Harcus
，
It's not about the bike。Difficult to sum up， for me it was a compelling mix of travel anecdote and profound observation， of our differences and similarities。 It is quite philosophical， maybe political。 A lot to digest and think about。 Funny， sad， poignant。 I loved it。 It's not about the bike。Difficult to sum up， for me it was a compelling mix of travel anecdote and profound observation， of our differences and similarities。 It is quite philosophical， maybe political。 A lot to digest and think about。 Funny， sad， poignant。 I loved it。 。。。more
Anna
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3。5 rounded up for one adorable photo。 A lively bicycle adventure saga。 Fabes experiences were surprisingly relatable to someone who has never done any bicycle touring （and never intends to）， he has an easy， natural way of relating to the people he meets along the way that makes him seem very approachable。 I had hoped there would be a little more medicine along the way， and he does visit various clinics starting about halfway through his journey and discusses the ways in which money and privileg 3。5 rounded up for one adorable photo。 A lively bicycle adventure saga。 Fabes experiences were surprisingly relatable to someone who has never done any bicycle touring （and never intends to）， he has an easy， natural way of relating to the people he meets along the way that makes him seem very approachable。 I had hoped there would be a little more medicine along the way， and he does visit various clinics starting about halfway through his journey and discusses the ways in which money and privilege influence health in both first and third world countries， but I had expected more as his profession was specifically mentioned in the title for most of the book he really could have been just anybody。 Also before his journey starts he undergoes a battery of test for research purposes but there is never any mention of a follow-up and that was slightly annoying。 On the whole an enjoyable read written with admirable restraint as in a six-year journey there must have been thousands more stories that could have been told。2021 Popsugar Reading Challenge: A book set in multiple countries 。。。more
Claire
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Stephen brings us on an amazing and surprising journey across the world。 Witty， ironic， playful， educational - this book has it all。 And at time of covid， there is nothing better that traveling with Stephen on his 6- year adventure。 Happy reading！
Simon McCrum
，
If you haven’t read this book you must！ A very quick spin around the globe with a charming and erudite companion who took six years to achieve an extraordinary journey！
Michelle Christianson
，
Signs of LifeI cannot endorse this book enough。 If you're thinking of reading it， do it！ Now！ It is engaging， informative and funny。 Signs of LifeI cannot endorse this book enough。 If you're thinking of reading it， do it！ Now！ It is engaging， informative and funny。 。。。more
John
，
I've read a lot of travel narrative over the years， including a fair amount of bicycling adventures。 Is this one perfect？ No， in the sense that some chapters engaged me more than others; I realize that's a personal thing， but I suspect others may feel the same way。 Overall， however， I'd declare it a really good read。 First of all， Dr。 Fabes is flat-out a great writer。 I'm sensitive to （picky about） books where the material strikes me as either choppy or flowery。 Here， the stories flowed well， al I've read a lot of travel narrative over the years， including a fair amount of bicycling adventures。 Is this one perfect？ No， in the sense that some chapters engaged me more than others; I realize that's a personal thing， but I suspect others may feel the same way。 Overall， however， I'd declare it a really good read。 First of all， Dr。 Fabes is flat-out a great writer。 I'm sensitive to （picky about） books where the material strikes me as either choppy or flowery。 Here， the stories flowed well， although I did have to get used to a lack of expected transition。 Specifically， an encounter at one location sometimes ends， with his being hundreds of km further along in the next paragraph。 Not entirely a bad thing， as the strength of the book is that he provides us with unique experiences beyond the usual tales from the road。 As an example， in Kenya he goes through an area so remote that almost no one would consider traveling there。There's also the medical angle， as he visits clinics and sees an occasional local when urgently requested。 Certainly something one doesn't see much in （non-medically-specfic） travel writing; as mentioned， he writes very well， but I must confess those aspects were a bit difficult for me， being a bit squeamish and prone to the odd bout of hypochondria。Finally， you won't like this book much if you don't share his sense of humor。 I found it a strong plus， but that's a subjective thing。 Highly recommended as a solid portrayal of one hell of an accomplishment！ （Copy provided by publisher for an honest review） 。。。more
Rebecca
，
Stephen Fabes is an emergency room doctor at St Thomas’s Hospital， London。 Not exciting enough for you？ Well， he also spent six years of the past decade cycling six continents （so， all bar Antarctica）。 His statistics are beyond impressive: 53，568 miles， 102 international borders， 1000+ nights of free camping， 26 bicycle tires， and 23 journals filled with his experiences。 A warm-up was cycling the length of Chile with his brother at age 19。 After medical school in Liverpool and starting his caree Stephen Fabes is an emergency room doctor at St Thomas’s Hospital， London。 Not exciting enough for you？ Well， he also spent six years of the past decade cycling six continents （so， all bar Antarctica）。 His statistics are beyond impressive: 53，568 miles， 102 international borders， 1000+ nights of free camping， 26 bicycle tires， and 23 journals filled with his experiences。 A warm-up was cycling the length of Chile with his brother at age 19。 After medical school in Liverpool and starting his career in London， he found himself restless and again longing for adventure。 The round-the-world cycle he planned fell into four sections: London to Cape Town， the West Coast of the Americas， Melbourne to Mumbai， and Hong Kong to home。Signs of Life is a warm-hearted and laugh-out-loud funny account of Fabes’ travels， achieving a spot-on balance between major world events， the everyday discomforts of long-distance cycling and rough camping， and his humanitarian volunteering。 He is a witness to the Occupy movement in Hong Kong， the aftermath of drought and tribal conflict in Africa， and the refugee crisis via the “Jungle” migrant camp in Calais。 The desperate situations he saw while putting his medical expertise to good use in short bursts – e。g。， at a floating clinic on a Cambodian lake， a malaria research center in Thailand， a leper hospital in Nepal， and a mental health rehabilitation clinic in Mumbai – put into perspective more minor annoyances like fire ants in El Salvador， Indonesian traffic， extreme cold in Mongolia， and camel spiders。Wherever he went， Fabes met with kindness from strangers， even those who started off seeming hostile – having pitched his tent by a derelict cabin in Peru， he was alarmed to awake to a man pointing a gun at him， but the illicit gold miner soon determined he was harmless and offered him some soup。 （Police officers and border guards were perhaps a bit less hospitable。） He also had occasional companions along the route， including a former housemate and a one-time girlfriend。 Even limited shared language was enough to form common ground with a stranger-turned-fellow cyclist for a week or so。 We get surprising glimpses of how Anglo-American culture permeates the developing world: For some reason， in the ‒Stans everyone’s point of reference when he introduced himself was Steven Seagal。At nearly 400 pages， the memoir is on the long side， though I can see that it must have felt impossible to condense six years of adventures any further。 I was less interested in the potted histories of other famous cyclists’ travels and would have appreciated a clearer sense to the passing of time， perhaps in the form of a date stamp at the head of each chapter。 One of my favorite aspects of the book， though， was the use of medical metaphors to link geography to his experiences。 Most chapters are titled after health vocabulary; for instance， in “Membranes” he ponders whether country borders are more like scars or cell membranes。Fabes emphasizes， in a final chapter on the state of the West upon his return in early 2016， that， in all the most important ways， people are the same the world over。 Whether in the UK or Southeast Asia， he sees poverty as the major factor in illness， perpetuating the inequality of access to adequate healthcare。 Curiosity and empathy are his guides as he approaches each patient’s health as a story。 Reflecting on the pandemic， which hit just as he was finalizing the manuscript， he prescribes global cooperation and innovation for this time of uncertainty。We’re all armchair travelers this year， but this book is especially for you if you enjoy Bill Bryson’s sense of humor， think Dervla Murphy was a badass in Full Tilt， and enjoyed War Doctor by David Nott and/or The Crossway by Guy Stagg。 It’s one of my top few predictions for next year’s Wellcome Book Prize – fingers crossed it will go ahead after the 2020 hiatus。Originally published on my blog， Bookish Beck。 。。。more
Paul
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Undertaking training to become a doctor is around seven years of your life， or longer depending on your specialism。 To take the decision to pause when you are a junior doctor and cycle around the world is not a light decision。 He had the idea from Langer’s lines， the topological lines that are drawn on the body and show the natural orientation of the collagen fibres。 He sat down with an atlas and drew lines across each of the seven continents of a possible route。 His mum pointed out that Antarct Undertaking training to become a doctor is around seven years of your life， or longer depending on your specialism。 To take the decision to pause when you are a junior doctor and cycle around the world is not a light decision。 He had the idea from Langer’s lines， the topological lines that are drawn on the body and show the natural orientation of the collagen fibres。 He sat down with an atlas and drew lines across each of the seven continents of a possible route。 His mum pointed out that Antarctica might be a bit chilly， so he decided on six continents。 The travel bug was in his blood though， as a teenager he would often be found standing on a road holding a sign to ‘Anywhere’。 This would be the ultimate way of getting it out of his system。He departed from St Thomas’s Hospital where he had been working and a few of his friends there had gathered to see him off and even managed to find a piece of tape for him to cross。 Being January it was a bit chilly and was soon going to get much colder。 Before departing he had volunteered to be examined medically before the trip to see what the effects of cycling that far around the world would have on his body， though perhaps agreeing to be checked for anything was not the wisest decision。 He hadn’t done much training for the trip， reasoning that it was going to be tough， so why add extra months of toughness。 He did rue his decision a little， as he struggled to overtake a jogger on his fully loaded bike… He did 14 miles on his first day and slept in a guesthouse in Bexleyheath and woke the following morning to snow。It was to get much colder as he cycled through France and up into the Alps and sleeping in a tent he would wake up to find everything frozen solid。 Sitting hunched over a cup of coffee in a café desperately trying to get warm he makes the decision to head to Nice and the warmth of the French riviera。 He was eating lots and the city boy blubber was beginning to drop away。 He had filled one of his front panniers with biscuits。 More worryingly was a pain in one of his knees， and being a doctor he had a mental list of what it could be， and none of the prognosis was good。 Surgery was needed and it would be three months before he could resume。But he did。 He was reunited with his bike in Istanbul and the continent of Africa beckoned。 His plan was to head down the eastern side and then halfway down， head across to the western side heading towards South Africa。 He was joined by Nyomi， a former flatmate from London for this part of the trip。 All the way through， children were fascinated by them， they would wake up， open the tent to find an audience of twenty looking at them。 They found that they were pretty good shots with the slings that they used too。 To understand the place though he felt that he had to see its hinterland and to do this he offered to help at the hospital in Lodwar。 It makes him think about the reason that people become ill; in the UK it is a combination of factors， but in that part of Africa it is almost always down to the crushing poverty。They reached Cape town and Nyomi returned home。 He headed to the airport to get a flight to Ushuaia for the South American leg of his trip。 He had set himself the target of reaching Alaska in 20 months， ensuring that when he got there he was cycling during the summer， and not freezing his arse off again… As he cycled north through Chile， the volcano Puyehue which had been dormant for 50 years had exploded leaving a six-mile by three-mile gash in the surface and covering everything in a good layer of dust for good measure。 As he headed north， climbing the mountains was making him suffer from altitude sickness， he lived for each descent。 But it is an encounter at gunpoint that changes him on this continent， and every time he has tomato soup， he remembers that moment。Filling out the form for the entry into the USA brought back memories of childhood where the excitement of American culture seeped into ours and seemed shinier and better。 Sitting outside a bar called Kansas City Barbeque， where a scene from Top Gun was filmed， he strikes up a conversation with the waitress and manages to get a place to sleep for free。 He contemplates staying a little longer， but Highway One beckons so he heads off。 It is the least eventful part of his trip and he crosses the Arctic Circle to reach his final destination in North America， Deadhorse。 Next stop， Australia。He had messaged， Claire， an on and off girlfriend， and she had agreed to cycle across Australia with him and they met up in Sydney。 It was fairly uneventful， apart from Claire being bitten by a huntsman spider which thankfully wasn’t serious。 They were soon across the country and on their way to Timor。 Asia is another level of intensity to his ride， the traffic was much busier， Jakarta was almost permanent gridlock which made for stressful cycling。 It was in Singapore that Claire decided that she wanted to go to Japan， alone。 They parted company and he headed for Malaysia， where he was to acquire dengue fever…He spent a few days off fromcycling in Bangkok， planning the next stage and took up the invitation to join a medical team in Cambodia who were visiting people who lived in floating villages on the Tonle Sap River。 He had a brief excursion into Myanmar and then reached India。 He heads north again， passing through one of the wettest places in the world， Cherrapunjee， which receives 12m （yes that is metres） of rain a year and was even too wet for Welsh missionaries。 A visit to a clinic that is treating mental health patients is eye-opening， most of the time in India， these sort of health problems are suppressed。 The visa for Pakistan was proving problematic， so he booked a flight to Hong Kong。China was going to be an experience， the guidebook he had found only had a slim phrasebook and it didn’t have the words for rice and noodles but he could learn how to ask to buy a padlock。 He hooks up with a couple of Chinese cycle tourers， which makes it a little less daunting。 Mongolia and the steppe was approaching rapidly。 It was bitterly cold up there， so much so that he ends up using socks in more than one place to keep appendages warm… He passes back through China and is then passing through the ‘stans， Kyrgyzstan， Tajikistan， Uzbekistan with a brief but nerve-wracking trip into Afghanistan。 Next would be Georgia and then he was almost at the edge of Europe and the final leg of his epic journey。Rather than go back the same way through Europe as he came out he headed home via Austria and Germany where he caught up with a man called Heinz Stücke。 He had spent 51 years cycling around the world and had wracked up a total of 650，000 kilometres in total。 It was an eye-opening evening。 He then found one of the worst countries to cycle through， the Netherlands， not because of the car drivers， rather other cyclists who paid little or no attention to anyone else on the cycle path。 Soon enough he was departing the ferry at Dover for the run back into London。I have read a fair number of round the world cycling trips。 There is Mark Beaumont’s book of his round the world races where he is against the clock， Sean Conway’s ride started off as a race around the world， but just became the ride of a lifetime after an accident。 Alastair Humphries is another who has followed a similar journey and who wrote about it in two books。 If you’re going to spend six years doing something， a trip like this seems to be the best way of seeing our planet and Stephen Fables journey around the world is a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of these sorts of trips。 He is a passionate cyclist and keen observers of human life， but what makes this a little bit different is his medical training。 He thinks nothing of taking time out to visit medical centres to help others who are tending to the sick and needy。 He brings his knowledge to them， they in turn teach him a little bit of humility and humanity。 Occasionally， it felt a little rushed， you would pass through some countries in the blink of an eye， but to condense six years worth of memories into just four hundred pages cannot have been easy。 Apart from that， this is an excellent travelogue and account of a world tour by bicycle。 Very highly recommended。 。。。more
Clare Wadlow
，
A brilliant book， a thoroughly enjoyable spin around the world with humour and reflection in equal parts。 Difficult to put down and inspiring for any budding cyclist or doctor or storyteller。
Johno
，
4。5/5Really great travel book with a bit more of an unusual slant than the usual cycling around the world。 I personally thought that the first two continents felt quite rushed （although obviously fitting six years and all of this into one book is very impressive） but then things settled down to a more enjoyable pace。The doctor's view of everything was a really interesting take on things。 Occasionally the medical analogies felt slightly forced， but generally they weren't。What I really enjoyed wer 4。5/5Really great travel book with a bit more of an unusual slant than the usual cycling around the world。 I personally thought that the first two continents felt quite rushed （although obviously fitting six years and all of this into one book is very impressive） but then things settled down to a more enjoyable pace。The doctor's view of everything was a really interesting take on things。 Occasionally the medical analogies felt slightly forced， but generally they weren't。What I really enjoyed were the final few chapters - which were much more self-reflective about the trip and how the author slotted back into "real life"。 As someone who has done a lot of long travel trips this part was very interesting to me。Four stars seems a bit low for this， but it just wasn't quite five for me and I can't give a half star on here！ 。。。more
Catherine
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I enjoyed this story。 I enjoy bike touring， and was supposed to be on a big trip at the moment - but viruses。。。 So being able to revisit Stephen's journey， which I followed on and off for years on line， has been a brilliant distraction。 He's done a great job turning an amazing trip into a book。 It's an entertaining and thoughtful read。 Recommended。 I enjoyed this story。 I enjoy bike touring， and was supposed to be on a big trip at the moment - but viruses。。。 So being able to revisit Stephen's journey， which I followed on and off for years on line， has been a brilliant distraction。 He's done a great job turning an amazing trip into a book。 It's an entertaining and thoughtful read。 Recommended。 。。。more
Mike
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Disclaimer: I haven't read the book yet。 Even better though: I've met and traveled with Steve himself！While I was a paltry 5，000km into my own bicycle trip in East Asia， someone I came across told me of a legendary character who had already covered five times that distance in Europe and Africa。 I immediately became a devoted follower of Steve's blog， Cycling the Six， greatly enjoying reading up on his exploits wheeling around countries that I wasn't sure I'd ever get to。 Two or so years later， o Disclaimer: I haven't read the book yet。 Even better though: I've met and traveled with Steve himself！While I was a paltry 5，000km into my own bicycle trip in East Asia， someone I came across told me of a legendary character who had already covered five times that distance in Europe and Africa。 I immediately became a devoted follower of Steve's blog， Cycling the Six， greatly enjoying reading up on his exploits wheeling around countries that I wasn't sure I'd ever get to。 Two or so years later， our paths crossed briefly in Darjeeling， where we planned a ride together in Nepal。 On our shared trip around the Annapurna Circuit， I felt comforted by his medical knowledge （"If someone faints， just leave them there。 It's your body's way of getting your head on the same level as your heart。"）， while at the same time much annoyed by all the lunches where he would rather jot down notes in his tiny， grizzled notebook than talk to me about how today's potatoes were pretty much the same as yesterday's。 "What's it all going to add up to？" I asked myself。 Now we have an answer！Congratulations to Steve on completing his world tour and， what's probably even more of a challenge， getting it all down on paper。 I know from experience that his adventures took him to some wild and incredible places， and I also know from experience that even the simple， basic moments of bicycle travel are full of wonder and awe。 I am so glad that Steve's book is out there to give everybody a taste。 。。。more
Linda Halsey
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Dr。 Stephen Fabes's account of his 6 years cycling 6 continents（！！） is so very interesting and insightful。 It's incredibly thought-provoking and funny too。 His medical perspective makes this a very different type of travel book。 I found myself stopping to google things like camel spiders and tuberculosis as well as look at maps of the places he was writing about。 Dr。 Stephen Fabes's account of his 6 years cycling 6 continents（！！） is so very interesting and insightful。 It's incredibly thought-provoking and funny too。 His medical perspective makes this a very different type of travel book。 I found myself stopping to google things like camel spiders and tuberculosis as well as look at maps of the places he was writing about。 。。。more
Paola Fornari
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What a wonderful way to be transported around the world during these troubled times！ ‘Signs of Life’ is so much more than an ‘I-took-six-years-off-and-cycled-round-the world’ travel book。 We accompany Doctor Stephen Fabes to spots we would never dream of visiting: a mobile medical clinic in Northern Kenya， a rubbish dump in Jakarta， the migrant jungle in Calais， to name a tiny fraction。 With Fabes， we tend to lepers， discover a mummified Tibetan lama， and suffer the horrors of dengue fever， pois What a wonderful way to be transported around the world during these troubled times！ ‘Signs of Life’ is so much more than an ‘I-took-six-years-off-and-cycled-round-the world’ travel book。 We accompany Doctor Stephen Fabes to spots we would never dream of visiting: a mobile medical clinic in Northern Kenya， a rubbish dump in Jakarta， the migrant jungle in Calais， to name a tiny fraction。 With Fabes， we tend to lepers， discover a mummified Tibetan lama， and suffer the horrors of dengue fever， poisonous spiders and bedbugs。We meet Fabes’ companions: from the cheery Liyan in China， who always comes up with ‘a plan and a proverb’， to a grumpy Pole on the Tajik-Afghan border， the quietly yogic Mike in Nepal， and dozens more。 And there are myriad other encounters: playful stone-wielding kids in Ethiopia， aggressive police officers in in Marin county， friendly students in Indonesia， tea-offering border soldiers in India…all described with affection。Fabes is impressively well-read and knowledgeable。 As he weaves in the historical and political context of the conflict-torn places he visits， his writing never becomes dry or inaccessible。 On the contrary， he is a master storyteller， and his writing is inventive and humorous。It is such a pleasure to travel through the pages with a companion who is fun-loving， brave （almost recklessly so！）， honest， open， curious and non-judgemental。 Yes， that’s a lot of adjectives， but he merits them all。 His is not simply a physical and geographical journey: it’s spiritual and reflective – a search for ‘a fresh sense of purpose’， a search for ‘connections between an Indonesian slum， a mobile clinic in an African desert， the cubicles of St Thomas’s A&E。’， which he seems to find in ‘Ubuntu’， the Bantu notion of a ‘universal bond’: ‘I am what I am because of what we all are’。 What a master-stroke it was for Fabes to give us the final chapter， which perfectly captures his ‘reverse culture shock’ on his return。 ‘…I’d been a time traveller of sorts – for years as a doctor in London I’d dreamt endlessly of the future。 On the road， I’d landed hard in the present。 Home again， I lolled helplessly in the past。’ But the lesson he shares through the book is one that he can continue to share throughout his life: the world would be a better place if we all learnt that ‘…paying more attention to what we have in common might pave the way to a brighter future。’ Thank you， Stephen， for brightening my present！ 。。。more
Linda Eshag
，
Signs of Life by Stephen Fabes 2020This has been a joyous read！ The whole idea of the bike ride excited me from the first。 I wondered whether Stephen Fabes could sustain my interest and write with feeling about the places and people he encountered？ The answer is resoundingly positive。 Yes， he could！ I was touched by the delicate and modest way in which he integrated his considerable medical knowledge into the substance of his account， and by the warmth of his relationships with many of the peopl Signs of Life by Stephen Fabes 2020This has been a joyous read！ The whole idea of the bike ride excited me from the first。 I wondered whether Stephen Fabes could sustain my interest and write with feeling about the places and people he encountered？ The answer is resoundingly positive。 Yes， he could！ I was touched by the delicate and modest way in which he integrated his considerable medical knowledge into the substance of his account， and by the warmth of his relationships with many of the people he met along the way。 His descriptions of landscapes and travelling conditions were riveting， with his very survival in question， from time to time。 Quite honestly， the book was hard to put down。 I kept wanting to know “whatever comes next”？ There is no gainsaying his courage and determination， but what stood out for me， and remains， is a feeling of real love for humanity and for our small， biodiverse world。 This is THE book for now and well worthy of 5 stars。 ***** 。。。more
Jamie Andrews
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Post-colonial without the bullsh*t。 Stephen's witty narrative of a fascinating adventure shines light on many aspects of humanity， but particularly the West's relationship with less affluent parts of the world。 Astute cultural and historical reference are peppered within his own absorbing tale。 It left me reflecting on what a healthy global society might really look like。 Post-colonial without the bullsh*t。 Stephen's witty narrative of a fascinating adventure shines light on many aspects of humanity， but particularly the West's relationship with less affluent parts of the world。 Astute cultural and historical reference are peppered within his own absorbing tale。 It left me reflecting on what a healthy global society might really look like。 。。。more
Lewis Martin
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Brilliant。 Among the very best of bicycle memoirs
Oliver
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A superb read: funny， fascinating， moving。 Written with the fluidity of a bike moving inexorably around the world。 Part travel memoir， part journey within， this book was a rich experience。 I particularly enjoyed the author's determination to find the most challenging routes （as if cycling around the world wasn't hard enough） and the insights into his life as an A+E doctor。 A superb read: funny， fascinating， moving。 Written with the fluidity of a bike moving inexorably around the world。 Part travel memoir， part journey within， this book was a rich experience。 I particularly enjoyed the author's determination to find the most challenging routes （as if cycling around the world wasn't hard enough） and the insights into his life as an A+E doctor。 。。。more
Ronan Ryan
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Fascinating read。 Fabes style and confidence as a writer grow on you throughout this book。 His descriptions are often very observant and witty。 The detail with which he describes the places and history of the countries he visits is captivating。 I was often left wondering where and what the many characters in his book are doing now。 The book is analytical and reflective but not overly so， as his wonderfully timed humor brings a smile back to the readers face。I enjoyed his thoughts on healthcare， Fascinating read。 Fabes style and confidence as a writer grow on you throughout this book。 His descriptions are often very observant and witty。 The detail with which he describes the places and history of the countries he visits is captivating。 I was often left wondering where and what the many characters in his book are doing now。 The book is analytical and reflective but not overly so， as his wonderfully timed humor brings a smile back to the readers face。I enjoyed his thoughts on healthcare， humanity and life on the road - and I found myself pausing to think just as much as I was keen to read on。 Thanks for sharing your journey with us - definitely one to be remembered 。。。more
George1st
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In this time of travel restrictions， what better way to spend some hours than in the company of Stephen Forbes as he recounts his 6 yeras cycling around the world。 A total of 53，568 miles， 102 international borders crossed and 26 replaced tyres。 This is a little bit more than a normal traveller's account of such a journey， for Stephen has a medical background and the book is infused with how healthcare forms an integral part of his life。 We also see how healthcare provision differs so markedly t In this time of travel restrictions， what better way to spend some hours than in the company of Stephen Forbes as he recounts his 6 yeras cycling around the world。 A total of 53，568 miles， 102 international borders crossed and 26 replaced tyres。 This is a little bit more than a normal traveller's account of such a journey， for Stephen has a medical background and the book is infused with how healthcare forms an integral part of his life。 We also see how healthcare provision differs so markedly throughout the world。 The link between poverty and illness is vividly demonstrated。There are many amusing anecdotes and we meet a whole range of quirky and eccentric characters。 In between are some sad and troubling moments。Throughout， Stephen remains honest， philisophical and retains a sense of humour and awe at witnessing the wonderful natural sights he encounters along the way。 The ending when he tries to make sense of the 6 years away and his return to normal life is both moving and honest。Well worth a read。 。。。more
Sarah Howell
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If you're looking for a read that will inspire you to get off the couch and get moving， this is it。 Stephen took off for 6 years， cycling the world， and came out with this incredibly well written and grounded book。 Beautiful， metaphorical look at the world。 Read it！ If you're looking for a read that will inspire you to get off the couch and get moving， this is it。 Stephen took off for 6 years， cycling the world， and came out with this incredibly well written and grounded book。 Beautiful， metaphorical look at the world。 Read it！ 。。。more
Pecchini Lucia
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As a reader， when I approach adventure books， I always fear feeling like a useless couch potato admiring the incredible achievements of supernatural-fearless-beings overcoming every obstacles in their adventurous perfect life。 When I finished Stephen Fabes’ book I felt nowhere near that。 It is a honest， witty and ironic account of his adventures （and disadventures）， fears and excitements as he embarks in a bicicle world tour。 The book takes the reader on a trip across the globe exploring mankind As a reader， when I approach adventure books， I always fear feeling like a useless couch potato admiring the incredible achievements of supernatural-fearless-beings overcoming every obstacles in their adventurous perfect life。 When I finished Stephen Fabes’ book I felt nowhere near that。 It is a honest， witty and ironic account of his adventures （and disadventures）， fears and excitements as he embarks in a bicicle world tour。 The book takes the reader on a trip across the globe exploring mankind more than countries。 It is a curiosity- driven exploration of humanity， cultures and eventually of just human bodies and minds。A gripping and ironic reading， a must in your adventure books’ shelf。 。。。more
Mr T
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