World's Most Dangerous Places

Robert Young Pelton's The World's Most Dangerous Places is a frequently updated handbook written by Pelton and an unusual crew of contributors. Although it is not meant to be used as an actual travel guide, like Frommer's, the book's advice to staying alive and the facts about the world's most dystopian countries is still unique in the publishing world.It continues to be the only non-aligned, apolitical, on-the-ground guide to high risk regions. It is as much a primer on political science as it is a humorous book about the impressive ability for apparently rational humans to routinely plunge their world into chaos and violence.

Breakdown

The first edition came out in 1994 and has gone through 5 editions. The next edition is in development along with a new television series.

The thick book is divided into three basic parts. The intro is a primer on the basics of staying safe in war zones and high crime areas.

Section Notes

What is Dangerous general travel statistics that help tourists assess their travel risks and put things into perspective.

What Danger Awaits the Weary Traveler Teaches you about the safest mode of transport statistically, including third world airplanes, buses, trains and taxis.

Making the Best of Nasty Situation Including dealing with terrorist territories, thievery, impoverished countries, political upheaval and more.

Business Travelers Dangerous places for business travel and dealings with gangsters.

Tourists Dangerous places for tourists.

Bribes When to, when not to and how to.

Dangerous Diseases Covers STDs and AIDS, malaria, worms, Hepatitis AB and C, the fevers, old fashioned diseases and more.

Drugs Covers cocaine, heroin, cannabis and dangerous drug hotspots.

Dangerous Jobs self explanatory.

Getting Arrested. self explanatory.

Guns covers different types of weapons.

Intelligence Safety information for journalists ad writers as well as the traveling public.

Kidnapping Security resources and kidnap, rescue and extortion insurance.

Land Mines/UXO more than you ever wanted to know about land mine dangers.

Mercenaries Hiring them, using them and surviving them

Military and Paramilitary Organizations dealing with military rule.

Terrorism Staying as safe as possible in terrorist situations.

Adventure Calls Adventures

The second section is a country by country breakdown of what Pelton considers to be the most dangerous places. It usually includes about 26 countries or regions including the US. They would then be broken down to a rating of 5 stars to 1 star.

The final and third element of this book (besides web links, addresses and even cell phone numbers for terrorist and rebel leaders) are the stories of what it is like for Pelton and his band of DP'ers to be in the middle of some of the planets most brutal events. They freely tell the reader how they got in, who they met and many of their failures. The book is a favorite of correspondents, military, NGO's, the US State Department, and is used by a number of intelligence agencies due to its access to the world's rebel groups.

Bibliography

 Robert Young Pelton. Licensed to Kill, Hired Guns in the War on Terror (Reprint edition (August 28, 2007) ed.). Three Rivers Press. pp. 368. ISBN 1400097827.

 Robert Young Pelton. The World's Most Dangerous Places (April 1, 2003 ed.). Collins. pp. 1088. ISBN 0060011602.

 Robert Young Pelton. The Adventurist, My Life In Dangerous Places (June 19, 2001 ed.). Broadway. pp. 268. ISBN 0767905768.

 Robert Young Pelton. Hunter Hammer and Heaven, Journeys to Three World's Gone Mad (January 1, 2002 ed.). The Lyons Press. pp. 320. ISBN 1585744166.

 Robert Young Pelton. Come Back Alive (June 1, 1999 ed.). Main Street Books. pp. 304. ISBN 0385495668.

 Robert Young Pelton. Hired Guns (June 28, 2007 ed.). Constable and Robinson. pp. 320. ISBN 1845295900.

 The Best American Travel Writing

Best Adventure and Travel Stories

 Robert Young Pelton; Mark Bowden; Tracy Kidder; Philip Taubman Nate Hardcastle; Clint Willis eds. American Soldier: Stories of Special Forces from Iraq to Afghanistan (First Edition edition (October 27, 2002) ed.) Da Capo Press pp. 364 ISBN 1560254386

* Boots on the Ground

 Robert Young Pelton. Fielding's Hot Spots, Travel in Harm's Way (December 1997 ed.). Fielding Worldwide. pp. 256. ISBN 1569521662.

 Robert Young Pelton. Fielding's Borneo: The Adventurous Guide to the Island of Borneo Covering Brunei, Kalimantan, Sabah and Sarawak/1995 (Fielding's Borneo) (June 1995 ed.). Fielding Worldwide. pp. 704. ISBN 1569520267.

 Robert Young Pelton. Three Worlds Gone Mad: Dangerous Journeys through the War Zones of Africa, Asia, and the South Pacific (First edition (December 1, 2003) ed.). The Lyons Press. pp. 320. ISBN 1592281001.

All marathons today:

Marathons Today,October 31

Marathons in november

(source:wikipedia)

World Business Forum Day 1 - Second Half:inside

Between the morning and afternoon sessions at the World Business Forum, I hustled across the street from Radio City Music Hall and listened to a panel discussion presented by MWW Group. The panel consisted of David Gergen, former White House Advisor, Jim Quigley, chief executive officer of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, and Arkadi Kuhlmann, chairman and president of ING DIRECT USA. Entitled, Sustainable Leadership, one of the most intriguing takeaways from the panel was the shared perspective that trust is paramount to leadership, and that this reality has never seemed so ironic. With business and political leaders regularly losing the trust of the larger public, the panel agreed that one of the more fascinating leadership questions of the day is how to reconcile the general lack of trust in modern leaders? Building from that, this afternoon's presenters offered insights into how to handle this question.

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Charlene Li

Li's experience and expertise in social media is fascinating. It sheds light on the world we're beginning to enter, and suggests that the game is shifting. Social media outlets are tools to connect with customers transparently, offering leaders the opportunity to engage people in a more personal capacity. From Facebook to Twitter, Li suggests that corporations can showcase their best selves through interacting and communicating openly online. Whether organizations encourage front-line employees to reach out to customers through question and answer platforms or CEOs communicate to customers about future products, concerns, ideas, etc., these channels are facilitating dialogue, partnerships, and sharing. Finally, Li touched on the importance of failure and inventiveness in further engaging in our uber-connected world. She suggests that social media should drive strategy, encourage shifts in a leader's approach, and motivate organizations to prepare for how social media can be adopted to support the vision of the organization, but mistakes are inevitable. It's a new frontier, but a powerful tool to honestly connect with employees, customers, and clients alike.

Martin Lindstrom

Lindsstrom, dressed in Johnny Cash black and very much the up-beat showman, quickly began questioning the audience's ability to multitask. With video, a brief exercise, and some stats Lindstom drove home the point that our information-saturated society only complicates our inability to multitask. As human beings, we simply cannot effectively engage in several tasks at once. Subsequently, through more video, stories, and a multi-sensory presentation that ended with credits and its own theme music, Lindtrom took the audience on a journey into the future of branding. In short, leaders need to express their brand comprehensively, and the more features associated with the brand, the better - color, shape, name, sound, etc. As Lindstrom points out, we live in an impatient and often disconnected world, and a brand that speaks to clients passionately, personally, and ubiquitously will be much more likely to connect with consumers. For leaders, the takeaway seems simple, engage people passionately, connect with them regularly, and address them in varying ways consistently, and you'll be more likely to build a team that is loyal and motivated.

Joseph Grenny

Grenny, in his dark grey suit and florid tie, went into a tempered yet impassioned argument about how to best influence others. In drawing on his vast research in the field of influencing others, Grenny highlighted that by altering small behaviors massive changes may result. If leaders can influence moderate change in their customers, partners, colleagues, etc., the impact can be monumental. In encouraging change, leaders can gain momentum with stories, facilitating practice, leveraging the social component of change (i.e., everybody's doing it, and we're counting on you too), incentives, and environmental prompts. With these levers, leaders can influence dramatic changes in their organizations and beyond.

David Gergen

Finally, Gergen echoed much of what he conveyed earlier as a panelist in the afternoon's luncheon about contemporary leadership: The times no longer support draconian leadership tactics, and sincerity and honesty are the coin of the realm. Gergen is adept at pointing out that the method of leadership in today's world is different from years ago - it's softer, kinder, more methodic. Highlighting the efforts of Immelt and Petraeus, Gergen suggests that thoughtfulness and consideration are the traits of astounding leadership. Personal relationships are vital, patience is necessary, experience and skill are critical, and today's leaders are much stronger exuding a gentle, thoughtful and patient persona. Finally, Gergen suggests that, "the Baby Boomer generation is not working out very well," but their children want to make change, they want to help the United States and they want to make a positive impact.

All in all, the first day of the HSM World Business Forum was outstanding, and I look forward to being back with more insights and highlights.

(source:washingtonpost.com)