An inspirational and practical book for experiencing the wild wonder of our amazing planet.

There are bucket lists featuring comfort and indulgence, like staying at the George V in Paris or eating at Eleven Madison Park in New York. There are "if I ever..." bucket lists, like being an extra in a movie or learning to sing. And then there are bucket lists for the brave, the daring and the dreamers who want to check off as many challenging adventures as they can. They want every minute of life to count.

Ed Stafford's Ultimate Adventure Guide is for them. It presents Ed's hand-picked selection of exciting challenges for those who don't mind a bit of discomfort. Life's great adventures are theirs for the taking.

There are 125 adventures among the following challenge categories:

• Frozen Water - Dive under, swim through and walk over frozen water.
• With a Paddle - Canoe/kayak remote land and seascapes, the open sea and rugged coastlines.
• White Wilderness - Tackle vast wild places or strike out for a specific target, such as a Pole.
• Heavenly Pursuits - Retreat into the world of monks; make one of the world's great pilgrimages.
• Drop Zone - Survive nerve-shredding parasailing, extreme skydiving and top of the world heli-skiing.
• Bicycle vs Mountain - Ride the Tour de France's iconic routes.
• Island Survival - Endure complete isolation on an island for a life-changing experience.
• Outrageous Marathons - Test body and mind with a long-distance ultra-running challenge.
• Head for the Heights - Get high with these vertical climbing challenges.
• Safari by Foot - Walking safaris around the world.
• Hell or Whitewater - Nature in its rawest form: whitewater rafting adventures set your pulse racing.
• Last Chance to See - See the animals we are driving to extinction, and help them too.
• From Source to Sea - Walk the entire length of a river.

Stunning photography inspires, sketch maps show the way, and Ed's commentary throughout motivates the brave to set out on a life-changing adventure.