In our May Spotlight pick Between Man and Beast, Monte Reel takes us into the scientific world of the 1850s, when Charles Darwin released a little book called The Origin of Species, and when a much less famous man named Paul Du Chaillu brought the gorilla out of the jungle for the first time. Like The Tiger and The Lost City of Z, Between Man and Beast is a riveting story showing that truth is sometimes stranger than fiction. The Indigo Non-Fiction Blog presents its opening pages. He’d been hunting in the forest’s depths for months, but he’d never known such silence. No monkeys shook the leaves overhead, no birds cried, no insects droned. The only sounds seemed to come from within: the pulse throbbing in his temples and his own labored breathing. The previous day the young man had hiked what he guessed was about eighteen miles before collapsing into sleep. But those trails hadn’t been nearly as challenging as this one—a muddy ribbon twisting up the forested mountainside, inset with loose boulders of granite and quartz. He was in good shape and just twenty-five years old, but each step took its toll. He fell behind his companions, whose…

A Guest Review by Indigo Non-Fiction Manager Kristi Reilly   King Kong. Donkey Kong. Mighty Joe Young. Today, the gorilla is a well-known animal that is one of the main draws at zoos. We are almost as familiar with them as we are with our pet dogs. It’s hard to imagine there was ever a time when we were unaware of their existence. In our May Spotlight pick Between Man and Beast, Monte Reel takes us into the scientific world of the 1850s, when Charles Darwin released a little book called The Origin of Species, and when a much less famous man named Paul Du Chaillu brought a mythical beast out of the jungle to people’s consciousness. The trek that Du Chaillu undertook to observe and hunt the gorilla was truly extraordinary. He travelled by boat for weeks to get to Gabon, carrying with him hundreds of pounds of cargo and travelling across many hazardous locales and landscapes. He had to earn the respect of the natives, battle multiple illnesses and diseases, and fend off attacks by hostile tribes. He dealt with primitive photographic techniques and equipment, lack of funds, harsh jungle conditions, and constant self-doubt. Reel details two expeditions that…

What makes a champion? Is it physical skill? Genetic gifts? Mental fortitude? Hunger? Willpower? Perhaps all that and more. Watching someone who is at the height of their craft and physical athleticism is inspiring and humbling. But what happens when all that is suddenly snatched away? When the apex warrior is robbed of his/her skills? That's when things get very interesting. Mohammed Ali was famously quoted: "Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them: a desire, a dream, a vision." We couldn't agree more. From former childhood bully target-turned garbage collector-turned MMA champion Georges St. Pierre, we get a fascinating glimpse into the heart and mind of a warrior. We're proud to present an excerpt from his memoir, The Way of the Fight.   The Idea for This Book . . .   . . . first came to me on the day I realized I was going to need major surgery. I chose that day for a reason, and it's a really simple one: because from that day onward I would be inventing the rest of my life. In eight months of surgery, recovery, therapy and training, I would define the…

Sales people are often seen as the greasy cousin of the business family. The Psychology of Selling rehabilitates that image.  It’s a consumer age and opposite every buyer is a seller. Now, maybe my archetype is out of date, but when I hear “salesman” I think of a guy on the road, eating in diners, and pushing towards his next quota. On this model, most of us wouldn’t call ourselves sales people. But in reality, if you’re in the private sector, you have customers. And you sell to them. This is where the venerable The Psychology of Selling comes in handy (I say venerable because some of its scripts are a bit hackneyed and its examples out of date – Hewlett Packard?). However, it’s an oldie but a goodie that explains what goes on in customers’ minds. The Psychology of Selling grew out of a phenomenally successful audio course that broke down the buying process and packaged it for sellers. It starts with setting sales goals, explaining why people buy, leveraging contacts and the power of suggestion, and closing the sale. Brian Tracy explains that there are no tricks or dark arts to selling. It’s simply about understanding what your…